1. art and entertainment
2. visual art and design
3. sculpture

Sculpture Badge
This badge teaches the creation and appreciation of three
dimensional artwork. Scouts will choose to learn about a variety of
materials and techniques applicable for those materials, from
preparation, safe use of tools, decorating and embellishing, and
finishing techniques. Sculptural techniques fall in three main groups:
assembly, additive methods (both modeling and molding and casting)
and subtractive methods (carving). Sculptural forms range very
widely: figures and figurines (whether anthropomorphic or
zoomorphic), abstract structures, lawn and garden ornaments and
structures, mobiles, altar fittings, dramatic props and masks, jewelry
(sculptural artforms designed to be worn), models of vehicles and
landscape forms, and even functional containers for the table
(pottery). Scouts will learn at a general level about multiple groups,
but will be able to choose to focus on a favorite form and its
associated techniques as they go through the levels. In order to
appreciate sculpture, scouts will learn about the elements of design,
sculpture in history and culture, the role of the artist, and sculpture in
mythology and religion.
Main themes of the sculpture badge through the levels:
• Materials and Techniques
• Sculptural Forms and Uses
• Appreciation: Elements of Design, History and Culture, Mythology,
Artists
Sculpture (RainDrops)
Pick 3 activities:
1.
Make a pet rock or some other sculpture by gluing things to rocks
and painting them.
OR
Make a skinny sculpture from bending pipe cleaners into a shape and
decorating with other materials.
OR
Make a sculpture by connecting miniature marshmallows with toothpicks.
2. Make a pinch bowl out of clay, play-dough, or some other modeling
compound.
3. With an adult or an older Scout, make homemade play-dough and bring it
into your circle or hearth to share. To the best of your ability, explain how
you made the play-dough.
4. With an adult or an older Scout, make a wax or plaster cast of your hand or
foot.
5. Make a sand castle or a snowman. Are sand castles and/or snowmen fun to
make? How did the sand or snow feel? Was it easy or difficult to make a
sculpture out of sand or snow?
6. Create a sculpture using any medium and share it with your circle or hearth.
7. Show your circle or hearth a picture of a sculpture from a book, museum, or
sculpture garden, and pose just like it. Is it difficult to keep the pose? What
do you like about this sculpture?
8. Play a game of statues (sculpture tag) with your circle or hearth.
9. Read or have read to you a book about sculpture, such as 3-D ABC: A
Sculptural Alphabet by Bob Raczka, Snowballs by Lois Ehlert, or Fairy
Houses by Tracy Kane.
10. Visit a museum or a sculpture garden. Share the experience with your circle
or hearth. Which sculpture did you like best? Why?
11. Find or create another activity related to this badge. Get one of your leaders
to approve the activity, and then complete the activity.
Award Completed:_______________________________________________________
Scout Signature: ____________________________________Date:________________
Adult Signature:____________________________________ Date:________________
Sculpture (FireFlies)
Required:
1.
2.
List some common materials used to make sculptures.
Make a sculpture. Choose from one of the following:
• a. Assembly (do one of optional requirements 3-6)
• b. Additive (do one of optional requirements 7-12)
• c. Subtractive (do one of optional requirements 13-14)
Optional (Pick 2):
1.
Learn about a sculpture. Pick a sculpture from a book, website or other
source. What material was it made from? What was the technique
called? What country did it come from? When was it made? Do we know
who made it? Do you like it? Why?
2. Can you give examples for what these elements of design mean: Color,
Line, Texture, Shapes/Form, Space, Value?
Assembly
3. Make a pet rock or some other sculpture by gluing things to rocks and
painting them.
4. Assemble found objects onto larger base objects with tape or glue.
5. Make a fairy house
6. Make a mobile (kinetic sculpture)
Additive: Modeling
7. Make a pinch bowl out of clay, play-dough, or some other modeling
compound.
8. Make homemade play-dough and bring it into your circle or hearth to
share. To the best of your ability, explain how you made the play-dough.
Additive: Molding and Casting
9. With an adult or an older Scout, make a wax or plaster cast of your hand or
foot.
10. With an adult or an older Scout, cast sidewalk chalk in simple plastic soap
molds from plaster of Paris and powdered tempera paint. Pay attention to
safety in mixing the plaster.
11. Learn about using the molding process by casting gelatin into edible
sculptures: mix the gelatin, pour into mold, let gel, place additives (fruit),
mix and pour the second layer, allow to cure, and unmold.
12. Make a project from a flexible mold with polymer clay, air dry clay or paper
clay.
Subtractive
13. Make a sand or snow sculpture. Are sand castles and/or snowmen fun to
make? How did the sand or snow feel? Was it easy or difficult to make a
sculpture out of sand or snow?
14. Carve a bar of soap into a sculpture, or carve a block of paraffin or wax, or a
soft stone made from vermiculite mixed with plaster of Paris. These can be
carved with plastic picnic knives or a small pocketknife, with toothpicks for
adding details.
Decorating and Finishing
15. Visit a "paint your own pottery" type of store that provides premade
pottery/sculptural items, provides studio space for painting, and then glazes
and fires your item for you. Pick a project, and paint it with your own
design.
Other
16. Read or have read to you a book about sculpture, sculptors or potters, such
as Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave by Laban Carrick Hill illustrated by
Bryan Collier or Forest Secrets: A Fairy Houses Mystery by Tracy Kane and
Kelly Sanders, or learn a myth about sculpture or pottery or a deity
associated with sculpture or pottery such as Pygmalion, the golem,
gargoyles, Khnum, etc..
17. Play a game of statues (sculpture tag) with your circle or hearth.
18. Visit a museum or a sculpture garden. Identify the country, culture or
stylistic tradition the sculptures are associated with, as well as the materials
and general methods used. Share what you have learned with your circle or
hearth.
19. Exhibit your work at a fair, exposition, craft show or other venue.
20. Find or create another activity related to this badge. Get one of your leaders
to approve the activity, and then complete the activity.
Award Completed:_______________________________________________________
Scout Signature: ____________________________________Date:________________
Adult Signature:____________________________________ Date:________________
Sculpture (SpiralScouts)
Prerequisites:
Complete the Sculpture badge as a FireFly.
OR
1.
2.
Be able to list some common materials used to make sculptures.
Have experience making a sculpture.
Required:
1.
2.
3.
Explore Materials and Techniques. For each of the following, choose a
material, learn about how it is prepared for use, and learn what tools are
used and the safety rules, then try a technique to make a small exploratory
sample-size piece (such as a maquette). Choose from two of the following
groups:
a. Assembly (do one of optional requirements 4-6)
b. Additive (do one of optional requirements 7-15)
c. Subtractive (do one of optional requirements 16-18)
Learn about the Elements of Design.
• Value and Color
• Form and Shape
• Line and Space
• Texture
• Balance, Pattern and Rhythm
• Movement, Contrast and Emphasis
• Unity
Pick a culture, prehistoric or historical era (which could be the current era),
and learn about a sculptural form. What materials were used? What do we
know about how they were prepared, and what tools and techniques were
used? Were the artists anonymous, or is there a famous artist you can find
out about?
Optional (Pick 3):
1.
2.
3.
Create a sculpture of a person.
Share examples of famous sculptures with your circle.
Identify different styles of sculpture from different periods and
cultures. Include sculptures other than stone or clay.
Assembly
4. Build and decorate a plastic, vinyl or resin model from a kit.
5. Assemble a sculpture from common materials, such as rubber bands, paper
folding (origami), balloons, Legos, perler beads fused into a 3-D structure,
etc.
6. Make a mobile (kinetic sculpture) from any materials you like.
Additive: Modeling
7. Make a mask, box, cup, bowl or sculpture from papier mache.
8. Make a batch of baker's clay (salt clay), create a bowl, pinch pot or other
sculpture, bake it, and paint it.
9.
Craft a character from multiple colors of polymer clay, or form rolled
polymer clay around another structure (such as a glass candle votive), or
shape a holiday ornament or jewelry pendant and decorate with stamps or
other texturing tools, powdered coloring agents, or paint. Bake at the
appropriate stage.
10. What is an armature? Why is it used and what are some common ways for
making one?
11. Learn about the four stages of ceramic process: building with wet clay,
detailing with leather-hard clay, decorating on bone-dry clay, and firing in
the kiln. How do you join clay when it is soft? How do you join it when it
is leather-hard?
Additive: Molding and Casting
12. Use a purchased mold and cast gelatin, soap, wax or candy. How do you
release the final molded item? How is the process the same as a harder
material like resin, and how is it different?
13. Cast sidewalk chalk in simple plastic soap molds from plaster of Paris and
powdered tempera paint. Pay attention to safety in mixing the plaster.
14. What casting materials can be used with plastic, polypropylene, polymer
clay, rubber, silicone and sand molds? What is the master? What is mold
release? What is an undercut?
15. Learn about the differences between clear casting, plaster casting, cement
casting and hypertufa casting. What are the differences between the
materials used? What safety practices are necessary for working with these
materials? Choose one and try a sample with the technique you've chosen.
Subtractive
16. Make a sand or snow sculpture. What factors are important for making the
original block hold together well enough to be carved? What tools did you
use for the carving?
17. Practice carving a bar of soap, a block of paraffin or wax. These can be
carved with plastic picnic knives or a small pocketknife, with toothpicks for
adding details.
18. Practice carving basswood or soapstone (you can use a kit if you
like). These are relatively soft materials, but will still require actual carving
tools. What safety practices do you need to observe to work with carving
tools?
Decorating and Finishing
19. Research and learn about kilns and the firing process and share with your
circle or hearth. You could do research in books or the Internet or you could
visit a working potter, sculptor who works with clay or a "paint your own
pottery" type of store that provides pre-made pottery/sculptural items,
provides studio space for painting, and then glazes and fires the item for the
customer. Interview the person to learn details about the glazing and firing
process.
20. Experiment with firing primitive pottery in a campfire or garbage can (also
called smoke firing or pit firing)
Other
21. Read a book or watch a documentary about sculpture, sculptors, potters or
masons.
22. Find a sculpture of a deity or supernatural being in a museum, book or on
the Internet. What culture found meaning in this deity or being? What are
some of the myths or legends associated with him/her/it? Share what you
have learned with your circle or hearth.
23. Exhibit your work at a fair, exposition, craft show or other venue.
24. Invent a game that teaches sculptural or design principles and play it with
your circle or hearth.
25. Visit a museum or a sculpture garden. Pick a sculpture and learn about it
using any outher sources you like (library, internet, interview, etc.). What
country, culture and era is it from? Who made it? What materials were
used? How was it made? Are these the same methods used today to to
make similar items? Share what you've learned with your circle or hearth.
26. Find or create another activity related to this badge. Get one of your leaders
to approve the activity, and then complete the activity.
Award Completed:_______________________________________________________
Scout Signature: ____________________________________Date:________________
Adult Signature:____________________________________ Date:________________
Sculpture (PathFinders)
Prerequisites:
Complete the Sculpture badge as a SpiralScout
OR
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Be able to list some common materials used to make sculptures.
Have experience making a sculpture.
Explore Materials and Techniques. Have done two projects (assembly,
additive, or subtractive) with the following steps: choose a material, learn
about how it is prepared for use, and learn what tools are used and the safety
rules, then try a technique to make a small exploratory sample-size piece
(such as a maquette).
Be able to discuss the Elements of Design.
• Value and Color
• Form and Shape
• Line and Space
• Texture
• Balance, Pattern and Rhythm
• Movement, Contrast and Emphasis
• Unity
Be able to discuss a sculptural form from a culture (prehistoric, historic or
modern). What materials were used? What do we know about how they
were prepared, and what tools and techniques were used? Were the artists
anonymous, or is there a famous artist you can find out about?
Required:
1.
2.
Explore Materials and Techniques used by professional sculptors. For each
category, choose a material, learn what variants there are for that material,
learn how to prepare it properly to get it ready to use, learn what tools are
used and the safety rules, learn the steps to create the sculpture, options for
surface decoration and how a project is finished and installed. For each of
the following, either create a report addressing the above points or create a
small exploratory sample-size piece (maquette) that explores a particular
technique (don't repeat the same exact material/technique combination done
at the FireFly or SpiralScout level):
a. Assembly (do one of optional requirements 4-6)
b. Additive (do one of optional requirements 7-15)
c. Subtractive (do one of optional requirements 16-18)
Create a masterwork. Using a material and technique group that you have
experience working with, research possible forms, design the project on
paper or make a maquette, prepare the materials, build, decorate and finish
the project. Include the appropriate steps for mounting or installing the
sculpture if appropriate. Be able to describe your project in terms of
elements of design, and any historical, cultural, religious or mythological
inspirations.
Optional (Pick 3):
1.
2.
Create a sculpture of something in motion.
Compare sculptures made from at least 3 different materials. Explain how
the different materials give a different feeling to each of the sculptures.
3. Compare and contrast sculptures made from at least 3 different cultures and
historical eras.
Assembly
4. Assemble a sculpture from common materials, such as rubber bands, paper
folding, balloons, legos, perler beads fused into a 3-D structure,
etc. Document or demonstrate for your circle or hearth the different
techniques used to form the sculpture.
5. Learn methods for metal assembly, such as wire wrapping and jewelrymaking techniques. Make a project using your favorite technique.
6. What tools and techniques are recommended for doing a more professionallooking job of assembling and decorating a plastic, vinyl or resin model
from a kit.
Additive: Modeling
7. Create a modeled project, choosing your forming technique, material,
preparing the material, modeling, determining if supporting structures are
needed, decorating and finishing it.
8. Practice conditioning polymer clay and making different kinds of polymer
clay canes, and use them in a project.
9. Learn about the different categories of clay ware: earthenware, stoneware,
porcelain, raku clay, sculpting clay, casting clay, low-shrink clay, paper
clay, colored clay and bone china. Address their appearance, grog content,
firing temperature and typical uses.
10. What are the parts of a potter's wheel, and what are the safety rules needed
for using it? What is wedging the clay, and why do you do it? How do you
attach the clay to the wheel head, and how do you center it? How is a
project cut off the wheel? What is trimming a foot?
11. What are the options for supporting structures or armatures when creating a
clay sculpture?
12. Build a lawn or garden sculpture or functional structure with raw clay (i.e.
unfired clay: cob, adobe, etc.)
Additive: Molding and Casting
13. Research movie prop making or the process a commercial action figure
takes from brainstorming through production (including the wax, silicone
mold making, and hardcopies).
14. Make a simulated landscape using molded and casted forms.
15. Make a sculpture or project using clear casting, plaster casting, cement
casting or hypertufa casting. Acquire or create the mold, mix and pour the
casting material, release it from the mold and finish and decorate it
appropriately. Justify why you chose the materials and techniques you did
for your project.
Subtractive
16. Carve a sculpture from any material. Use the appropriate tools and follow
the appropriate safety rules.
17. Research stonemasons in Gothic times, the possible origin of the term
freemason, and gargoyles and their close cousins: carved heads, such as the
Green Man, Hagodays, Janus heads, Sheila-na-gigs, etc. Share what you
have learned with your circle or hearth.
18. Research the history, legends and process of making giant sculptures and
figures carved into hillsides, such as the Cerne Giant, Mount Rushmore, or
the Crazy Horse Memorial. Share what you have learned with your circle or
hearth.
Decorating and Finishing
19. Research and learn about kilns and the firing process and share with your
circle or hearth.
20. Experiment with firing primitive pottery in a campfire or garbage can (also
called smoke firing or pit firing).
21.. Practice different painting techniques for plaster items to simulate finishes
such as tarnished silver, gold leaf, rust, pewter, pearl, verdigris, terra cotta,
antique ivory, and aged plaster.
22. Mosaic can be a beautiful surface finish for 3-dimensional objects. Practice
basic mosaic techniques: priming, working with mastic, grouting and cutting
tiles.
23. How are CAD software and 3-D printers used in sculpture designing?
24. Read a book or watch a documentary about sculpture, sculptors, potters or
masons.
25. Find a sculpture of a deity or supernatural being in a museum, book or on
the Internet. What culture found meaning in this deity or being? What are
some of the myths or legends associated with him/her/it? Share what you
have learned with your circle or hearth.
26. Exhibit your work at a fair, exposition, craft show or other venue.
27. Teach younger Scouts some aspect of sculpture.
28. Visit a museum or a sculpture garden. Pick a sculpture and learn about
it. What era is it from? Who made it? How was it made? Share what
you've learned with your circle or hearth. (what else do they need to learn?)
29. Find or create another activity related to this badge. Get one of your leaders
to approve the activity, and then complete the activity.
Award Completed:_______________________________________________________
Scout Signature: ____________________________________Date:________________
Adult Signature:____________________________________ Date:________________
Resources the Badge Committee Found Useful for Sculpture
RainDrop level:
• Recipe for homemade play-dough: http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,10,homemade_playdoh,FF.html
• Instructions for making a plaster cast of a hand or foot if you don’t want to buy a
kit: http://www.essortment.com/hobbies/plastercasting_sesp.htm
• Skinny sculptures - http://www.scholastic.com/resources/article/skinnysculptures/
• Sand Castle Central - http://www.sandcastlecentral.com/index.html
• The Game of Statues / Sculpture Tag http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statues_(game)
FireFly level:
Assembly: Theme Sculptures
Mudworks: Creative Clay, Dough, and Modeling Experiences (Bright Ideas for Learning)
MaryAnn F. Kohl - more than 100 recipes for dough, plaster, clay and other modeling
mixtures
Sand Castle Central - http://www.sandcastlecentral.com/index.html
Tips and Tricks for Sand Sculpture: http://www.sandtools.com/tips.html
Carving a block of paraffin: Paraffin can be found at a grocery store (in the canning
section). It is extremely flammable, so this part is done by an adult: melt it slowly over
low heat in a double boiler. It can be colored by adding pieces of crayon to the melting
wax. Once it is fully melted, pour it into a clean, empty waxed milk carton and allow it
to cool and harden for a day. The next day, peel away the carton.
Making soft stone: 3 scoops vermiculite to 2 scoops plaster of Paris and 2 scoops of
water. Mix in a bucket with a stick. It should look like thick gravy. Pour the plaster into
the empty milk carton. It will turn hard in about 15 minutes, and be ready to carve in
about 1/2 hour. After 1/2 hour, peel away the milk carton.
NEVER POUR LEFTOVER PLASTER DOWN THE DRAIN. Dump it right in the
garbage. Use old or disposable tools to carve - nothing good, as it will ruin them. Good
tools - plastic spoon, nail for carving details.
Work over a newspaper, scraping plaster away with the plastic spoon. It will stay soft for
2 or 3 days if you wrap it in a plastic bag when you stop to rest. When you're finished, let
it dry for 2 weeks. Varnish when it's completely dry to protect and finish.
http://www.kinderart.com/sculpture/
Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave by Laban Carrick Hill (Author), Bryan Collier
(Illustrator)
Forest Secrets: A Fairy Houses Mystery by Tracy Kane and Kelly Sanders
SpiralScout level:
Good discussion of elements of design: Foundations in Polymer Clay design by Barbara
A. McGuire
Baker's Clay
4 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 1/2 cups - 1 3/4 cups water
2-3 drops food coloring if desired.
Mix all the ingredients together. Knead for 10 minutes to condition it for modeling. To
harden, shape and air-dry for about 48 hours, or bake in a 250 degree oven for about 1
hour. After it hardens, paint (liquid tempera) or decorate and then varnish.
Kinetic sculpture could be made from craft foam stacked shapes attached by wires.
It is common to make papier mache sculptures by covering an armature of wadded folded
newspapers (taped with masking tape) and/or a blown-up balloon if you want a
round/head type shape.
polymer clay is a fine particle clay (Sculpey or Premo)
a stronger clay such as Cernit, Pro-Sculpt or Diamond Paperclay. I've also had good luck
with Paperclay or the air-dry polymer "Makin's Clay" if you'd prefer to avoid the baking
step)
Polymer Clay Jewelry painted with Acrylic Paints
use flexible molds with POURED materials (Utee, Wax, Soap, Hot Glue etc.)
Utee: Poured embossing powder
Resin: Usually resin comes in a two to three part system: resin, catalyst (hardener) and
color (oil based inks/dye.) Follow manufacturer instructions for mixing and pour into
mold. Usually resin takes 24-72 hours to set. Since molds are shaped to the item cast,
you'll need to build a base to keep it level with your table. Lego blocks work well for
building temporary bases.
flexible molds: http://www.theenchantedgallery.com/artdoll.html
Simple example of wire frame armature covered with air-dry modeling clay for a
sculpture in Cool Sculpture: The Art of Creativity For Kids! by Anders Hanson
Casting (source: Casting for Crafters by Marie Browning)
• Clear Casting
o Two-Part Epoxy Casting Resin (resin and hardener are mixed together and
the resulting chemical reaction hardens the resin) - casting small objects,
such as sculptures for jewelry pendants and matching beads, furniture
knobs, coasters, mattings for picture frames, or adhering items to glass or
ceramic tiles
o Polyester Casting Resin (a catalyst (hardener) is added to resin to produce
a chemical reaction that generates heat and hardens the resin - cast crystal
•
•
•
clear plastic shapes and embed objects in the resin to create memory
pieces, such as paperweights
o Items can be embedded in resin
Plaster Casting (such as hydrocal used by model railroad builders) - gypsum
(hydrated calcium sulfate) that is treated with heat and ground to a fine powder
forms plaster. When rehydrated with water, it reacts chemically to form a rigid,
strong crystal. - create paintable castings for use in home decor. Never pour
excess plaster down a drain.
Cement Casting - cement is a dry powder and concrete is the finished product good for making waterproof, long-lasting castings for the lawn and garden, such
as garden edgers or stepping stones.
Hypertufa Casting - pourous walled spongy rock made from Portland cement,
sand, peat moss, and vermiculite or perlite. good for making planters, birdbaths
or fountains.
Step by Step Papier Mâché by Judy Balchin - has instructions for making a celtic goblet,
indian frame, carnival headdress, mexican bowl, gothic mirror, egyptian cat, aztec
necklace, roman box, and african pencil pot.
The Kids 'n' Clay Ceramics Book by Kevin Niernan
• Handbuilding
o Pinch Pots
o Coil Method
o Slab Method and Press Molds
• Sculptures
o Supporting the clay (newspaper or wire armature)
o Poking holes in hollow closed objects to let trapped steam escape in the
kiln and prevent project from cracking or exploding
• Wheel-Throwing
Recommends smooth, low-fire clay that has a cone of 06 to 04 (the temperature at which
clay become ceramic), low-fire nontoxic underglazes and glazes.
Polymer clay varieties: FIMO, Sculpey, Super Sculpey, Sculpey III, Sculpey Premo,
Sculpey Granitex, Sculpey Super Flex, Liquid Sculpey, Cernit
One sculptural form that is fruitful to investigate is the mask. Masks can be made of a
multitude of materials (plaster gauze or cast plaster, clay, laminated paper, papier-mache,
buckram, wire, celastic, carved wood, etc.) They have been used for more than 30000
years on all six continents, and are often used in earth spirituality ritual. Nice resource
that goes into to detail into history, cultural forms and how to make masks of various
materials (including the plaster gauze process for making a mold of the face): Carole
Sivin, Maskmaking.
Clay Characters for Kids by Maureen Carlson
Mudworks: Creative Clay, Dough, and Modeling Experiences (Bright Ideas for Learning)
by MaryAnn F. Kohl - more than 100 recipes for dough, plaster, clay and other modeling
mixtures
Michelangelo (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists) by Mike Venezia
The Story of Sculpture : From prehistory to the present by Francesca Romei and Giacinto
Gaudenzi
Hands on Sculpting: From Your First Trip to the Art Store to a Fun and Relaxing Hobby
in a Truly Satisfying Art by Dottie Erdmann
Oberon Zell Presents: Gargoyles: From the Archives of the Grey School of Wizardry. By
Susan "Moonwriter" Pesznecker
http://www2.goshen.edu/~marvinpb/arted/clay-assemblage.html - Learning how to join
clay
Rubb-Origami: The Art of Creating Rubber Band Sculptures by Smatt and Charlie Read.
Step by step instruction for building a rubber band man from 12 thick rubber bands, 29
medium rubber bands, 38 thin rubber bands and 21 colored rubber bands. The following
techniques are used: LAT (loop and twist), link, thread, dual link, tucked link, tucked
dual link, joint cover, criss-cross, endcap.
Primitive pottery is covered in some detail in Participating in Nature: Thomas J. Elpel's
Field Guide to Primitive Living Skills. This book also shows how to make assemblage
sculptures from green willow twigs (Split-Willow Figures)
PathFinder level:
At this level, we do want scouts to learn about using professional grade materials and
tools, if possible. However, many of these are extremely messy (and can ruin home
plumbing if disposed of improperly) and some can be toxic. Tools can potentially be
dangerous and require expert training (e.g. welding), or very expensive (e.g. a kiln). If
access to a professional studio (such as through a formal class) is not possible, research
presented as written reports / video compilations can be substituted, and the hands-on
work can continue to be done with home-grade materials and techniques. Note that it is
fine to incorporate explorations done for Required #1 into the final Required #2 project,
but it is not required - they can be completely separate.
Making polymer clay canes and using them: Polymer Clay for the First Time by
Syndee Holt
Creating Life-Like Figures in Polymer Clay: a step-by-step guide by Katherine
Dewey
Sculpting Basics: Everything you need to know to create fantastic threedimensional art by Karin Hessenberg
cob: Living Earth Structures site: http://www.livingearthstructures.com/
or if you want a book about making sculpture from cob: Dig Your Hands in the
Dirt: A Manual For Making Art Out Of Earth by Kiko Denzer
cultures-n-clay: http://culturesnclay.wordpress.com
pottery.about.com
The Stone Foundation: http://www.stonefoundation.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonemasonry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_carving
My Heap: http://www.myheap.com/book/chapter-00/introduction.php (Mold
making, casting, creating masters for molds and basically any information
to aid in the development of such devices)
Action Figure process: http://www.behindthetoys.com/features/creation.asp
The 20+ best Sculpting, Molding, Casting and Toy Making Resources:
http://www.smallstuff.ch/sculpting/the-20-best-sculpting-recources-andtutorials/
Jewelry Studio: Wire Wrapping by Linda Chandler and Christine Ritchey
(Interweave Press)
stepbystepwire.com - Step by Step Wire Jewelry magazine
If you have the desier and access to metalworking equipment and training,
brazing, welding and riveting could be explored instead of metal jewelry
techniques. Or you could explore metal sculptures from a research angle
only. One place to start is John Plowman's The Encyclopedia of Sculpting
Techniques, which covers metal as well as stoney, wood and clay.
Cement goes back to the ancient Romans, although the technique was lost
after the fall of Rome and not rediscovered until the 18th century in the
west. An excellent book on concrete sculpture (history, examples and
techniques) is Creating with Concrete: Yard Art, Sculpture & Garden
Projects by Sherri Warner Hunter
Carving could be chip carving or relief carving on wood (such as to make a
sign), not just carving in the round. You could practice working with chisels
or dremel tools.