1. Can Sculpture Basic Techniques
with Recycled Materials

2. Equipment Only simple equipment is required Aluminium Cans Copper wire
Soft Iron Wire
Scrap washers etc
Scissors
Wire cutters
Pliers
Masking tape
- Small hammer
Hole punch or nail
Wood block
Sandpaper

3. Thinking in 3-D Techniques
Wire armature, clad or woven with sheet metal from cans
e.g. Fish, Animals, Figure
Build from a pattern (net or development) joining elements with wire (Use a card model template or work out your own using paper) e.g. Stag Beetle

4. Cutting a can Make holes near ends with punch, nail or screw-driver.
Cut ends off with small scissors.

5. Cut down length – easier to go half way from each end
Trim off any rough edges and flatten

6. -Mark out shape.
-Cut out with scissors.
-Mark position of fold cuts and holes but do not cut them until texture is applied – prevents metal from splitting.
-A small hole can also be punched at the end of fold cuts to prevent splitting.

7. Applying Texture
Rest metal sheet on firm textured surface, or wire pattern and burnish with wooden or metal object. Bottom right was burnished on a wooden fabric printing block.

8. Hammer metal sheet on a wooden block and sandpaper the painted surface.

9. Building Sculpture on Armature
Build armature with wire or chicken-wire

10. How could I add strength?
Make stronger wires for structural element, twist wires together.
Twist the wires together at one end and secure firmly.
Use a vice, wrap around a fixed handle or get another student to hold them securely in pliers.

11. Building from Pattern Make your own from paper/card
Imagine the finished object (looking at a real object as the starting point will help a lot).
You may find that drawing the object helps you to visualise the surface planes that form it.
Simplify the shapes.

12. Stiffen edges of wings etc. with wire by ‘stitching’.
See Dragonfly wing below

13. Make your templates Imagine the surfaces made of paper.
Look at a section and imagine what it would look like if you made cuts where needed, unfolded and flattened it.
Trim as required

14. Some finished examples…
Look closely, can you see evidence of the techniques used?

15. Some finished examples…
Look closely, can you see evidence of the techniques used?