SCULPTURE will not collapse under its own
weight. (it is FIRED or CAST)
- It is a three dimensional form constructed to
represent a natural or imaginary shape.
- the art of making two or three-dimensional
representative or abstract forms, especially by
carving stone or wood or by casting metal or
plaster.
THE TECHNIQUES
1. FREE-STANDING SCULPTURE
- Or sculpture in the round
- Contemporary critics and museum curators
refer this kind of sculpture ‘statuary’
- “those in the round but penetrated or
pervaded by space” as in the works of Jacques
Lipchitz and Henry Moore
- Can be seen from more than one (1) position.
- E.g. statues of saints in our churches
2. RELIEVED SCULPTURE
- Projected from a flat background
a. BASS RELIEF- forms are slightly raised (e.g.
Coins and Medals)
b. HIGH RELIEF SCULPTURES- whose figures
project to the extent of one half their
thickness or more, so that they are almost
round.
3. KINETIC SCULPTURE
- Are made of strip of metals, glass, wood, or
plastic, arranged with wires and hung where
they can move.
- E.g. Mobiles- Alexander Calder- was the one
who first created them in the 1930’s
 TRADITIONAL METHODS:
1. CARVING- subtractive process;
involves removing unwanted portions
of the raw material to reveal the form
that the artist has visualized. MOST
DIFFICULT of the Sculptural processes.
Materials: Wood, stone, and ivory
2. MODELING- additive process; Means
building the form, using highly plastic
material such as clay, or wax.
-type of creative spontaneity
-permits the artist to rework his
material and introduce details as he
sees it.
-build up, tear down and modify
without running his material and
destroying the finished product
-ARMATURE- used as a skeleton for
the forms. The metal wire holds the
clay together so that the sculpture
3. CASTING- can faithfully reproduce
in bronze or other metals.
-Complex process;
-begins with the production of a
negative mold- consists of 2 or more
tightly fitting parts that can be taken
apart and reassembled with ease.
-The artist covers the original model
with a mold, usually of ceramic
material; faithful negative production
is created.
* METAL CASTING – most often done
with cire perdue or lost wax method
-core of clay is shaped roughly into
the form of the finished work.
-requires less metal, lighter, easier to
handle and stronger despite the fact
that it is hollow.
4. FABRICATION -came about because
of the rising cost of traditional
materials and the difficulty in getting
them.
-additive process; employs any
method of joining or fastening such as
nailing, stapling, soldering and
welding; the artists builds his form
piece by piece.
5. WELDING- done by joining pieces of
metal with an oxyacetylene torch
e.g. Eduardo Castrillo’s Pieta-
dominates the landscape at the
Loyola Memorial Park in Paranaque,
Rizal. (Bronze)
6. HAMMERED SCULPTURE- uses
metal sheets- copper or lead- which
he fastens in such a way that both
sides are exposed for him to work on.
* “Found Objects- parts retrieved from junkyards-
may also be incorporated into assemblage (a type of
construction; emerged from the concept of collage:
images are created by putting together pieces of
discarded materials into a 3-D form.
MATERIALS OF SCULPTURE
a. STONE- Limestone and sandstone- relatively
soft and porous; fairly easy to carve, do not
weather as well as the harder stones. Suited
for strong generally simple effects.
b. GRANITE AND BASALT- both stones of
volcanic origin, very difficult to chisel. That is
 why they are good for large works with only a m. PLASTICINE- synthetic non-hardening
few details. Egyptian sculptures of the compound or earth clays, sulfur and oil or
Pharaohs were mostly done in granite. grease. Exclusively used for sculptural
c. MARBLE- easier to carve, softer. Ancient sketching and model-making.
Greeks- marble was capable of a very smooth n. GLASS- molded in various colors and shapes.
and lustrous surface that could represent the  Hand-blown glass- produced without the
human flesh very convincingly. use of molds or machinery.
d. JADE- various type of quartz- crystal and o. PLASTICS- transformed by chemical processes
alabaster; fine, colorful stone (used widely in from organic materials (wood, natural resins,
Ancient China) and coal) plastics are durable substances that
- Limited to religious objects or those with can be made to look and feel like glass,
certain social significance. Symbolize certain ceramics, leather, wood, or even metal.
virtues: Faithfulness, wisdom and charity - Now being molded into bodies of automobiles
e. WOOD- lighter and softer; it has greater and hulls for boats.
tensile strength; can be used in long pieces - Material for studies; material for the final
without breaking. product.
- Thin sheets: permanently bent and molded  Acrylic Plastics- can be transparent as
- Grain and color- most interesting qualities glass and which can withstand hard
 Softwood- lightweight, porous wood that blows, used for windows, furniture, and
ranges in hardness from that of the balsa tableware.
to that of pine.  Vinyls- flexible and highly resistant to
Materials: pine, cedar, fir, dapdap, lanete normal abrasions; used for phonograph
and white lauan. records, upholstery and draperies.
 Hardwood- oak, walnut, mahogany, p. LUMINAL SCULPTURE: Electronic devices
ebony, teak, narra and dao. (cathode tubes, photoelectric cells) newest
-the harder the wood, the denser it is and material for sculpture- that make beams of
the finer the finish and polish it will take. light travel in patterns or just remain in place
f. IVORY- comes from the tusk of elephants and to subtly light up a sculptural form. These
wild boar; intrinsically beautiful and easy to light may blink alternately or grow steadily.
carve into the most intricate designs. Worked
by scrapping a sharp knife.
g. METALS- tensile strength; ductility;
malleability
-metals that are traditionally used: copper,
brass bronze, gold, silver and lead.
h. ALUMINUM- product of fabricated sculpture,
i. PLASTER- finely ground gypsum or burned
limestone
-normally worked on an immature of metal
wires or rods or strengthened by the addition
of various materials and fibers.
j. CLAY- can be used for ceramics and sculpture.
Moistened to a putty-like plasticity, it is
kneaded and coaxed into form. Clay is fragile,
more durable material
k. EARTHENWARE AND STONEWARE- commonly
referred to as terra cotta (breaks and chips
easily, and cannot survive great strain or carry
much weight), baked clay or clay fired at a
relatively high temperature.
l. PORCELAIN- made from mixed clay containing
a generous amount of kaolin and feldspar.