Painted ceramic figurines are one form of art that many people use to decorate their homes. Some people collect them as sets, but others simply choose one or two for display. There are endless ways in which a professional artist can sculpt these figures for their admirers. They are not always easy to make, but different pigments and glazes make each figure a realistic piece of art work. It is also a popular pastime to take ceramic classes. The object of these classes is to paint or decorate a figurine that has already been made and hardened. This process skips the necessity of learning to sculpt with clay. Tourist shops and retail department store sell a large number of bone china figurines which have become very popular over the last 3 decades. Making figurines from bone china yourself is a very skilled task.