Analysing Sculpture Techniques page 2



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2. Additive sculpture

Modelling
Additive sculpture is made with malleable materials, which can be shaped and added to, such as the plasticine children play with. Artists more commonly use clay, plaster or wax to model images in additive sculpture. A clay sculpture may be baked at high temperatures to make more durable terra cotta. Or any of these materials may be used as the basis of a metal cast that is strong and long-lasting.



above left A clay model of a shrine from the Minoan civilization - found at Archanes, Crete. Dated to the Proto-geometric period (10th-9th century B.C.). Archaeological Museum of Herakleion, Crete	above centre Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the second terracotta bozzetto (model) for the figure of Charity on the tomb of Urban VIII, 17th century. Vatican Museum, Rome.	above right Honoré Daumier, Monsieur Royer-Collard, clay sculpture, c. 1830-1839. Private collection.

Solid Casting
To create a cast from a model, the artist makes a mould which is a 'negative' image of the sculpture. Most commonly, a mould is made of plaster, and taken from the surface of the model. This is then filled with molten metal, and the plaster broken away to leave a metal duplicate of the original model. The favourite metal for sculpture is bronze, which is an alloy of copper and tin. As metal is both heavy and costly, solid casts were made only for tiny works, and hollow metal sculptures were developed for larger sculptures.

Back to top © Elizabeth Rankin and Amanda Skeet, Faculty of Arts, University of Auckland, 2004.