The Techniques of Sculpture Introduction to Humanities Heartland Community College Author: Sharon Migotsky

Q: How do you make a chocolate bunny?

A: Get a block of chocolate...

...and bite off everything that doesn’t look like a bunny!

There’s an old joke about sculpture: Q: How do you sculpt a bust of Caesar? A: Get a block of marble, and chip away anything that doesn’t look like Caesar!

This is what Michelangelo supposedly said he did when sculpting his famous statue of David. Michelangelo said that he could “see” the figure of David imprisoned within the block of marble, and that his job was to free it from the marble.

There are two basic types of sculpting: Additive: beginning with a simple framework or core--or with nothing at all--and adding material until the sculpture is finished. Subtractive: beginning with a mass of material, and taking away bits until only the desired form remains.

Additive Techniques Include modeling and assembling. Modeling involves shaping a form out of a pliable material, such as clay, wax, or plaster. Many of us made models out of Silly Putty as children. Assembling involves joining individual pieces or segments together to form a work. The mobiles found over many cribs are examples of assemblage.

Subractive Techniques Include carving. Carving involves whittling, chipping, sanding, gouging, or otherwise removing bits of material away from a larger mass. Many of us have carved objects out of wood or soap.

Casting is yet another technique. Casting involves pouring a liquid material into a mold and allowing it to harden. In a sense, this is what we do when we pour batter into a muffin tin and cook or “harden” it into muffins. Some consider casting to be an additive technique, while others place casting in a category of its own.

The End