Understanding Sculpture Techniques

Materials and Methods

Marble: - Carved by removal (no mistakes allowed!) - Translucent quality in thin sections - Different quarries, different colors - Polishing techniques create "skin"

Bronze: - Cast from clay or wax models - Allows multiple copies - Patina develops over time - Details sharper than stone

Wood: - Medieval preference for accessibility - Paint adheres better than stone - Vulnerable to time and insects - Intimate scale possible

Terracotta: - Sketches in clay - Spontaneous and expressive - Often preparatory works - Fragile but immediate

Reading Sculpture

Composition: - Closed form = self-contained, eternal - Open form = engaging space, dynamic - Multiple viewpoints intentional - Base integral to meaning

Surface Treatment: - Rough = strength, emergence - Smooth = idealization, divinity - Contrasts create interest - Tool marks tell process

Scale Effects: - Monumental = power, permanence - Life-size = identification, humanity - Miniature = intimacy, preciousness - Context changes perception