Most people have a cursory knowledge of the art field and the materials used by artists, for example, oil paint, acrylic, charcoal, and canvas, maybe even gesso and turpentine. Most students of art may also have a general knowledge of their specific fields of study, whether it be pen and ink, abstract drawing, painting, or sculpture.

Sculpture, one of the disciplines within the art field, constitutes only about three percent of the entire field. Its major categories, including clay modeling, ceramics, wood carving, stone carving, and mold making and casting vary greatly. And students, as well as teachers of sculpture, may not know all aspects of sculpture; for example, a stone carving instructor may well know everything there is to know about carving stone, where the stone originates, and the various hardnesses and colors of stone, but might not know at what temperature to bisque fire a stoneware ceramic clay. The stone carver should not be expected to know all that a ceramist would know about modeling clay and firing, and vice versa. The same would hold true for wood carvers; they, too, would have limited or no knowledge of mold making and casting bronze.

The following informational pages offer the reader a glimpse into the world of sculpture, its major disciplines, its tools and materials.  They are offered as an introductory guide only which may be of interest to you!  For more information about specific tools and materials offered by Sculpture House, please visit our online store.