How to make a frame for a human sculpture. Sculptures with their own hands Big sculpture with their own hands

I visited two workshops of Lit-Art production and prepared for you a virtual tour about how the production works. She specializes in monumental artistic castings in bronze, aluminum and cast iron. In addition, plaster sculptures of any scale are produced here.
So, let's get down to inspection.

1. First, a full-size model of the future monument is made of plaster.

2. Sometimes monuments are made entirely of plaster; for this, a large-scale copy is first created, on which control points are marked.

3. Then the main frame is welded along the control points.

4. Which is subsequently covered with plaster, while inside the sculpture remains hollow.

5. A monument based on this model can be seen at the end of the reportage.

6. This one is still under construction. It is wrapped in foil after the initial shaping.

7. We pass to the art casting workshop. It's much more interesting here.

8. A lumpy plaster mold is removed from the working model made of clay or plaster. The resulting shape is used to make wax models of individual parts of the sculpture.

9. The wax models are placed in plaster molds where they cool. The cooled wax models are filled with a rod form from a cold-hardening mixture (CTC), which consists of resin and sand. The outer plaster molds are opened, and the author can make the necessary modification of the model using wax to make the future casting match the working model.

10. The lump form from the cold-hardening mixture is disassembled. The wax is manually removed from the rod mold of their cold-rolled steel, and is not smelted in a furnace. The inner surface of the disassembled form is covered with non-stick paint, which can be of two types: one for the most precise casting of small parts of the product, the second for obtaining a perfectly smooth surface of the product. Molten metal is poured into the cavities from which the wax has been removed.

11. Preparation of a cold-hardening mixture (CTC).

12. Working process.

13. All workpieces are transported in the workshop using electric winches. We have already started kindling the stove.

14. It takes about 10 minutes to bring one full vat in the oven to condition.

15. Pour molten metal from the boiler and remove the "foam".

16. Pour into prepared forms.

17. In the meantime, the second vat of metal is being prepared, let's look around - in the distance there is a workshop for finishing work with bronze blanks.

18. We repeat the process.

19. Fill.

20. Hot !!!

21. We leave the metal to solidify.

22. And pour the excess back into the oven.

23. After the molded parts are hardened, they must be assembled into a single piece. This is done by gas welding.

24. Working model to scale.

25. And this is a finished monument.

26. Somewhere sawed off, somewhere welded - and then all this is polished.

27. Welding.

28. The result is such monuments.

29. The work is quite painstaking, but very impressive.

You can make the garden diverse and interesting with the help of your own imagination and the availability of some materials.

Everyone dreams of having something original, eye-catching and mesmerizing attention.

Garden sculptures for summer cottages come to the rescue, which you can make yourself.

The variety of materials from which such products are made is simply amazing. This is concrete, gypsum, wood, and clay.

From them you can get any sculptural figurines of various shapes and sizes.

But before proceeding with the very manufacture of bright elements for decorating the garden, you need to decide on the very idea, the rule for choosing colors and shapes. Therefore, it will not be superfluous to help in this matter.

  • In order for the territory to look harmonious, one should take into account the fact that the sculpture must fit beautifully without creating conflicting feelings.
  • Balance is one of the main factors; here you cannot use a huge number of products that will only scatter attention and prevent you from enjoying the true beauty.
  • If there is a question about the location of the future sculpture, then you can try to cut out a cardboard figure and put it in the intended place. It helps a lot with the choice.
  • Combination with plants and surrounding exteriors. Only a beautiful fit into the environment, complemented by some decorative elements, will help to achieve the correct result.

These tips should be taken into account before the actual manufacture of the product. And there are plenty of ideas to make a garden sculpture with your own hands.

Stone is an ideal material for making sculptures for the garden

It is from stone that you can make a huge amount garden sculptures... One has only to find its suitable size, be smart, dream up - and the decorative element for decorating the site is ready.

You need to see something individual in the natural material - paint it in a suitable color - and the image is ready. It can be ladybugs, and owls, hares, seals, mushrooms - whatever you can think of.

DIY sculpture idea for a garden:

  • Stone castle - giving the garden solemnity and significance. To make it, you need to find pipes (how many towers are supposed, so much material is needed), stones, broken tiles, cement and 1.5 liters of beer bottles.

First of all, the pipes are concreted, they are the base and the supporting structure. Then you should lay them over with stones and cement mortar, this should be done slowly, and when the walls reach the intended windows, you need to prepare the bottles. The windows are obtained by cutting the latter lengthwise into two halves. They are also cemented.

When it's ready, you can take the broken tiles and read about laying the roof. After the main part, you can make a fence, and even an arch.

Plaster sculptures

Homemade sculpture for the garden is the result of a very interesting and creative work... And if you use gypsum as the main material, you can impress everyone with your ingenuity and imagination.

The main requirement for such products is resistance to bad weather and durability. If the figure is supposed to be large, then you need to prepare the frame and base in advance for stability.

Plaster garden sculptures look very impressive in the general landscape. It can be animals, various cartoons and faces, all kinds of natural and decorative elements.

Such products are made quite simply. It is necessary to give the plaster a suitable shape (cast from a ready-made one) and dry it. It remains only to paint with the desired colors - and the sculpture is ready. There are a lot of options: someone likes to do everything with humor, and someone with a sense of spirituality and showing of inner values.

Concrete sculptures

Concrete is one of the strongest and most reliable materials that will retain the original appearance of the product for a long time. The manufacturing process itself is not complex and labor-intensive. And the result is very beautiful (these are all kinds of vases, balls, stands, and other figures).

Concrete garden sculptures can be crafted with one in a simple way... To prevent the material from sticking to the containers, they must first be treated with oil or non-stick spray. To prepare the solution, cement is mixed with water, coarse sand and peat. Everything should be thoroughly mixed in a bowl with a spatula.

Concrete Sculpture Idea for Garden:

  • A flower vase is a decorative element that will embellish any garden. 2 forms will come in handy. The first is silicone, for making cupcakes, larger, and the second is smaller, normal plastic pot... They need to be treated with oil, from the inside and outside.

It is required to put the smaller form inside the larger one, and you can pour the solution. Everything is left for about 2 days. Then, everything is removed. As a result - a wonderful vase for garden decoration. It can be used as an interesting small architectural form for sowing flowers and beautiful grasses.

Other materials for making sculptures

To prepare sculptures, you can use all the materials that are available at home. This is wood, and wire, and clay, and even polyurethane foam. The main thing is to show all your creativity and ingenuity.

- great material for creating animals... For example, a sheep or a ram. To make their figures, plastic bottles, scotch tape, about five cans of polyurethane foam and isolon are useful.

The first thing that is done is a frame made of bottles and scotch tape. Then the isolon is cut into strips, with which the frame is enveloped and fixed with tape. A small tail and hoof are attached immediately. And the very last stage is filling with polyurethane foam and creating a face.

And here are some more sculptures made of polyurethane foam.

The options are just endless... If one of the branches fell in the garden, then it can be used as a beautiful decorative element... Such a natural material will make it possible to make various fairy-tale characters, small huts and towers, for the manufacture of which wire and glue are still useful.

There are a lot of ideas for creating garden sculptures. Doing most of them with your own hands will not be difficult, but there are options that require appropriate woodworking skills and a certain skill.

You can invent it yourself, or you can spy on it in various books and Internet pages. Only desire and the shown creativity will decorate any garden, even not very filled with vegetation and other small architectural forms.

Create on suburban area an extraordinary atmosphere can be added by adding garden sculptures to its exterior. They are offered in a wide assortment in specialized stores “everything for the garden, vegetable garden”: from classic products in the Greek style to cartoon and fairy-tale characters. But those who like to give their possessions not only a well-groomed, but also a unique look, of course, prefer to sculpt garden figures on their own, we will talk about this.

Let's reveal the secrets of garden sculptures

Since ancient times, sculptures and figurines located in the garden have created a certain atmosphere and mood in it. It is believed that wooden and stone sculptures can influence not only the plants growing in the garden, but also the fate of the owners themselves.

Here are some of the meanings attributed to different statues:

  • Dwarf family small size brings good luck, good harvest.

  • Figures of various animals will be rewarded with health and longevity.
  • Marble sculptures of a man protect from loneliness.
  • Fairy tale characters promise an interesting, boring life full of magical events.

Many may regard the above words with skepticism, but not believe that using sculptures skillfully placed in the garden creates a unique style for each garden plot - it would be the height of ignorance.

Both old masters and modern design wizards are well acquainted with the intricacies of garden decoration, where each figurine has its own right location.

In order not to arrange a cacophony of tastelessly scattered figures in your garden, before choosing something specific, read the advice of experts.

This is not a clear instruction, but several general rules by choosing the type of garden composition and placing it in the garden:

  • Since it is difficult to try on a garden sculpture (like a dress), in order to determine whether it is suitable, draw a plan of your garden and graphically try on various options ready or planned for your own production.
  • Each sculpture is suitable for a certain background, which will either emphasize its beauty and style, or drown out and shade:
    • Open spaces are great for small figures:
      • Against the background of fences, fences.
      • Near .
      • Close to garden benches and paths.
      • Near artificial reservoirs.
    • Large, tall white sculptures are in perfect harmony with:
      • Tall green trees.
      • Neatly trimmed shrubs.
      • Fountains.
    • Harmony of style. Of course, everything in the garden, from plants to the last tile on the path, must be in harmony.
      And, of course, garden sculptures should organically fit into the ensemble of the garden, only strengthening the direction of its image:
      • For a romantic garden with openwork pavilions and delicate flowers, graceful monochromatic figures of people, plants or magical compositions with refined lines are suitable.
      • The village garden is impressed by sculptures from various tree species, images of domestic animals or picturesque objects of national folklore.
      • The Art Nouveau garden can be decorated with the most unexpected sculptures of metal, stone and concrete.
    • Garden sculpture should be "in place". This implies the correspondence of the semantic load of the object of decoration and its location. A mediocre approach to product placement can greatly spoil the exterior of the most well-groomed and skillfully designed landscape. And sometimes they can be just inappropriate, like the naked Nymphs and Apollo in the front garden of a children's institution.

When all the components of the success of the placement of the garden composition are observed, it will merge into the ensemble of the garden, enhancing the atmosphere of comfort and aesthetic pleasure in it.

Self-made garden sculptures

Self-made garden figurines do not have to be masterpieces of art. Nobody expects private sculptors to carve antique statues from marble, but even the simplest figurine, made with soul and positive emotions in the process, will be a pleasure to the eye. And then you can improve your skills, going from flat painted figures to volumetric products.

Wooden sculptures

If you are a skilled carver, then it will not be difficult for you to make decorations for your site from wood. But if not, then you should not be upset, because wooden sculptures for a garden with your own hands may not necessarily be carved. Connect your imagination!

  • Anyone can make a miniature well or a fabulous hut on chicken legs from cut branches.
  • Various stumps, driftwood and logs can themselves suggest the theme of decor with their form.

In general, there is where to roam "the thought along the tree" and in our context it takes on a direct meaning.

Note!
The only one weak point wooden sculptures can be considered the need to remove them from the open air for storage in the winter.

Concrete and plaster sculptures

Another option for the simple manufacture of garden decorative elements for the garden is plaster casting. You can make flowerpots from it, figurines using homemade forms.

If a sculpture has already been bought for the garden, you can make a clone of it from plaster.

For this you will need:

  • Prepare dry clay sieved through a coarse sieve (purchase or dig up in a quarry). Dissolve it in a bowl of water until it stands up.
  • Now we will make a stencil shape by pressing the existing figure into the clay: first from the front side, then from the “back”.
  • The molds are exposed to the sun and dry well. If cracks form during drying, fill them with plasticine.
  • Prepare a gypsum solution without lumps from water and dry gypsum to the state of liquid sour cream.

Important!
Before pouring, forms must be lubricated with wax or paraffin, petroleum jelly.

  • Pour the plaster mixture into molds and leave to harden for about 20 hours at a temperature of 16 to 25 degrees.
  • We glue the finished halves of the sculpture with moisture resistant glue.
  • Irregularities at the joints can be smoothed out with sandpaper.
  • Next, the most enjoyable part of the job is painting the figurine.

Remember that paints should also be moisture resistant.

Advice!
You can decorate the base of a concrete sculpture with elements cast from plaster in silicone baking dishes, which every housewife has in the kitchen.

DIY concrete garden sculptures can be of a wide variety of shapes.

To make them you need:

  • First, assemble the frame of the future figurine or container from any materials at hand.
  • Then gradually apply the solution to the frame, allowing the lower layer to dry a little.
  • The molding solution is prepared in a 1: 3 ratio of cement and sand.

Using cement mortar, you can build an ancient castle with stone masonry and decoration made of broken tiles and ceramics. The price of such decor will in any case be much lower than that of the finished sculpture. After all, you will have to spend only on the purchase of cement, sand and gypsum.

Sculptures from "what was"

A person with creative abilities in every thing that seems completely inappropriate for this thing, sees an object for translating his ideas into reality.

Such craftsmen make garden sculptures with their own hands from scrap materials such as:

  • Plastic bottles.
  • Car tires.
  • Broken dishes.
  • Branches after tree pruning.

  • Old furniture and more.

Generally connecting imagination and showing ingenuity individual decoration for a site can be made from almost anything.

Interesting!
If you have an old car or bicycle that is not suitable for movement, you can also use it to transform it into a kind of garden sculpture.

Green sculptures

Topiary - the technology of curly trimming of plants is one of the most ancient techniques of landscape design. To create decorative forms from green spaces, in addition to imagination, serious patience and special tools.

There are three ways to create lively garden decorations:

  • Traditional, that is, pruning and shearing of a live plant, carried out on the frame or "by eye".
  • Figures grown on the basis of peat.
  • Ivy sculptures.

You can decorate the garden by planting flowers in the most unexpected objects - an old kettle, a shoe, etc.

Output

As you can see, inexpensive and hand-made sculpture is not a myth, but a reality, which does not require a certain skill, skill or special tools to create. All you need is imagination, a piece of free land and a desire to decorate it, creating an extraordinary decoration for your suburban area.

In the video presented in this article, you will find additional information on this topic.





















For those who have never made concrete figures with their own hands, you can start with the simplest thing - make a concrete fungus yourself. Painted with bright colors, it will be appropriate in the garden area, and on the playground, and near the entrance of an apartment building.

Concrete for crafts should be like butter: not so liquid that it drips, but not so thick that it can be sculpted from it.

Fungus is the simplest concrete sculpture for beginners.

If the work will be carried out in the summer, then for the mushroom cap it is recommended to make a depression in the sand (best of all with a bowl resembling a hat), put a burdock leaf on its bottom. The leaf will give the future sculpture wrinkles and irregularities that resemble the real structure of the cap. If done in winter, you can simply wrap a suitable bowl with cellophane and pour concrete. After about half an hour, a few nails or a piece of pipe should be inserted into the center of the cap, if the cap is very large. This will improve the bond, make the figure stronger. Now you can work on the leg, and leave the finished product until it dries completely.

For the leg, we first make a form: an old roofing material, linoleum, a plastic bottle, any other, a variety of materials that can be rolled into a tube and filled with a solution are suitable. In the middle of the leg, you will also have to deepen the reinforcement. When both halves are dry, sprinkle the stem of the mushroom with wet sand, tamp it well, fill the joint with a solution, set the hat. In 3-4 days the simplest sculpture is ready. It remains to paint it and install it in the right place.

Sculpting tools and materials

Sculpting tools and materials

In modeling, sculptors usually use clay and plasticine. Each of these materials possesses its own special qualities, allowing them to be used depending on the conditions and purpose of the work.

Practice has shown that the most convenient material for modeling is soaked clay from any local variety. She is very flexible and pliable to work with.

Clay for modeling

Clay can be greasy, sometimes viscous (with a lot of sand) and vice versa. Clay is also distinguished by its shades: it is found red, gray, grayish-green, brown. You can sculpt from clay of any color, but sculptors prefer grayish-greenish varieties, since a neutral tone allows you to perceive the sculpted form well and does not tire the eyes.

Sculptural plasticine

Modeling clay is prepared in the following way: it is folded in pieces into a barrel or box and poured with water to the level of the upper edge of the clay. To make it soaked evenly, it is pierced in several places with a stick. Then the clay is kneaded by hands, removing stones, sticks and other foreign objects. If the mixed clay turns out to be too liquid, it must be removed from the barrel and laid out on a board or oilcloth in order to evaporate excess moisture. When the clay stops sticking to your hands, you can assume that it is ready for work.

Clay intended for sculpting can be kept in the same barrel or box, covered with a wet rag or oilcloth on top. This makes it possible to keep it moist and fit for work. The remaining dried clay and unnecessary dried sculpture can be reused: they need to be broken into small pieces and soaked again.

A sculpture made of clay in the process of its execution must maintain the necessary moisture, for which it is sprayed with water and wrapped in a damp cloth or soft oilcloth. Before the start of the session, it is necessary to check the condition of the clay each time and moisten it if it dries up. At the end of the session, the work should also be moistened and re-wrapped. For wetting, a garden sprayer or spray bottle is usually used.

Most common after clay material plasticine is used for modeling. On sale there is colored plasticine (for children) and one-color, used by sculptors. It is quite soft and plastic, it allows you to perform work in any size, but is more often used for sculpting sketches and small sketches. Plasticine is convenient for sculpting at home, as it does not require special storage equipment. It is always suitable for consumption; unlike clay, it does not need to be watered or wrapped.

Calipers

Works made of clay and plasticine are difficult to preserve for a long time, and therefore they are usually converted into gypsum - molded.

For the stability of the sculpture and convenience in modeling, a frame is often used, which is, as it were, the skeleton of a future work. When performing small work, the frame is usually made of soft wire, sometimes of wood. To preserve a small clay sculpture, it should be done without a frame, since the clay dries up and shrinks in volume and the frame can destroy the work from the inside: it first cracks and then falls apart.

For sculpting, you must have the necessary set instruments... This is a wooden mallet - a mallet used when working in large sizes for stuffing clay on the frame, and for relief - on the board. In addition, wooden or metal stacks and hinges of various shapes and sizes are needed. Stacks are made of bone, wood (boxwood, apple, pear, mountain ash) and metal (brass, copper, stainless steel); the hinges are made of metal and have wooden handles. Stacks are mainly used at the end of work and for working out details in cases where it is impossible to do it by hand. Loops are used to cut clay. Loops are especially convenient when sculpting folds. These tools can be purchased in stores, but sculptors prefer to make them themselves to their liking.

In addition, the sculptor needs a caliper, a level and a plumb line. The level is used to check the correct position of the machine. A plumb line is used when working on a figure - to check the correctness of its setting. With the help of a caliper, the correctness of proportions and sizes taken by the “eye” is specified.

Topics: Sculpture |

How to choose plasticine for modeling

The first thing to know is that everyone can learn how to sculpt sculptures from plasticine, if there is a desire or motivation. However, what has been said applies to absolutely any business. But first you need to purchase the "correct" plasticine, which will meet all the necessary requirements. Sculptural plasticine has some differences from the usual one - it is much more plastic.

It includes:

  1. mountain or beeswax,
  2. fillers (for example, dry clay, talc, or some others),
  3. plasticizers,
  4. technical oil or petroleum jelly for softening. Its color spectrum is closer to natural colors found in nature. But nevertheless, it can be painted well with any paints.

Like any other material, plasticine can be made with some violations of technology, and its properties can be changed.

When choosing a sculptural plasticine, the following points should be considered:

  • Elasticity, pliability, the required ratio of softness and hardness.
  • Plasticine should easily roll in your hands or on some surface, without leaving smeared marks.
  • Plasticine should not crumble, although after the creation of the sculpture, the sculptural plasticine after shaping it does not dry out, and does not lose plasticine - this is another difference from the usual one.
  • Sculptural clay should melt under the influence of heat, and stains from it should be easily removed with soap and water.

Yes, and don't forget to get some inventory that you will definitely need to get started. These are special plastic boards of various sizes, small knives for cutting plasticine - stacks (a set of stacks can be bought at any children's or specialty store), various molds (a very useful and necessary thing), and aluminum or iron wire for the framework of sculptures, because a large sculpture is made of plasticine can settle under its own weight without internal support.

Glass sculptures

From Murano glass, both earlier and nowadays glassblowers make stunning art objects: the most delicate transparent illusions are created by the hands of masters.

Working on the realization of the idea, the artist uses the plastic properties of molten glass, which enable him to create objects that are quite complex in shape and decorative effect.

Glassblowing sculpture can only be performed by an artist who is fluent in all the intricacies of technology, while the possibility of the appearance of two identical sculptures is completely excluded, each object is obtained in a new, unique way.

Concrete composition

For sculpting, a plastic concrete mixture is needed that adheres well to the metal of the frame and to the layers already laid.

Its basis is either decorative concrete plus additives. Decorative concrete is distinguished by the fact that instead of the usual gray cement, we use white, and colored chips (marble, granite, synthetic stones, etc.) as crushed stone.

The main additives are slaked lime and clay. They transform the building concrete into sculptural concrete, which does not flow, but retains the shape that we give it.

It is better to take kaolin clay. Fireclay or bentonite will give a grayish tint, which may be undesirable in decorative concrete.

We use CMC glue and (or) PVA emulsion as plasticizers that reduce the need for concrete in water. They are also good in that CMC increases the viscosity of concrete, and PVA increases adhesion ("stickiness"). You can also add special plasticizers for concrete.

Add polypropylene fiber to the concrete for the first layers. It will improve the adhesion of layers, reduce the risk of cracks to almost zero, and increase frost resistance.

Adding gypsum plaster mix will speed up the setting and facilitate the sculpting

Its disadvantage is a decrease in the resistance of concrete to weathering, so it must be used with caution, not exceeding the dosage.

One of the options for the composition of sculpted concrete:

No. pp Name amount Notes
In volume fractions In kg per m³ mixture
1 Cement PC M500 12 260 For decorative concrete, cement PB500, quartz sand, marble or other decorative chips
2 Washed sand 22 520
3 Crushed stone of fraction 3-5 mm 39 990
4 Water 8 110
5 Slaked lime 5 70
6 Clay 5 120 for decorative concrete kaolin
7 Polypropylene fiber 6-10 mm 6 25 For lower layers
8 Gypsum plaster (putty) mixture 2 20 Not used with fast setting cement
9 CMC 0,5 3
10 PVA 0,5 9
11 Colored pigments Until the desired shade is obtained
Total: 100 2127

Stir CMC and PVA in water in advance. Mix gypsum, fiber and cement dry. Add lime and clay together with sand and crushed stone.

The consistency should be something between soft butter and thick sour cream.

Little left, including TB

Stucco work does not pose any particular danger. But basic safety rules must be followed here as well.

Unique concrete sculpture - a monument to Artyom in Svyatogorsk

Avoid contact of exposed skin with liquid concrete - use spatulas, polymer coated gloves. When working with a grinder, a hammer drill, even just with a chisel and hammer, wear protective glasses. When sanding "dry", do not forget about the respirator.

For serial crafts, the sculpting method is inconvenient. It is for unique, "piece" sculptures and compositions.

Of course, you should not immediately tackle large and complex sculptures. Start with small items up to half a meter in size.

As for the principles outlined in the article, remember the testament of Peter I: do not adhere to the charter - "... as if the blind man is the walls, because the orders are written there, but there are no times and cases."

DIY garden sculptures

Real works of art can be made from plaster or concrete. This is a cheap material, which does not detract from its value at all.

DIY concrete sculptures

To prepare a concrete solution, 1 part of Portland cement and 3 parts of sifted sand are taken. Water is added in such an amount that the solution acquires the consistency of curd. It should not flow, but be soft enough.

If you have burdock, rhubarb, mallow or other plants with large leaves growing on your site, you can make stylish concrete copies of them for garden decoration. Birds will swim with pleasure in them, amusing you with sonorous chirping.

Pour a sheet laid out on a pile of sand with concrete. After the mortar dries, the leaf is easily removed, and you are left with a beautiful relief sculpture. Such products can be painted with different paints, giving color to an autumn or spring garden.

Concrete mini-flower beds in the form of a hand for small flowers are very easy to make. They can be simultaneously made several pieces of different sizes. For this, medical gloves are taken, filled with concrete and placed in flower pots different sizes so that the gloves take on a concave shape. After the solution has solidified, the gloves are cut off, and in the resulting concrete arms flowers are planted. Such sculptures can be placed on the ground, like small flower beds, can be placed on the table, windowsill.

Large sculptures are done in monolith or hollow. The second option is much lighter both in weight and in execution. For this, you need some form, depending on what you want to sculpt. Concrete is poured into it, and then any object is placed, smeared with something greasy, which displaces its excess. When the solution hardens until half cooked, the object is removed. The second half of the sculpture is made in the same way, then they are connected with the same concrete.

Simple shapes can be made using a wire frame, thin metal, on which a fine mesh is stretched. Concrete is applied to the mesh in layers. The last layer already requires artistic processing, all the details are sculpted.

A plastic bottle can even be used as a frame. For example, it will be a good preparation for a mushroom leg. A wire must be placed in the bottle to stiffen the frame, pour concrete. After the solution dries, the bottle is cut and removed. A hat for such a mushroom is made the way children sculpt Easter cakes: any bowl of a suitable size is greased with oil, a solution is poured into it. After it has set, the bowl can be easily removed. A mushroom hat can be decorated with a butterfly, leaf, worm.

The final drying of the concrete occurs after 12 days. After that, the sculpture can be painted or varnished.

Diy plaster sculptures

It is necessary to dilute the gypsum with water as indicated in the instructions so that it is thick, like sour cream. In order to make plaster figures, you need a form, you can buy it ready-made, or you can make it out of clay. The mold is covered with a layer of fat and filled with plaster. This is half of your sculpture, the second half is done in the same way. Gypsum dries for about a day at a temperature of at least 15 degrees. Then the halves are glued together with moisture resistant glue. All irregularities are cut with an ordinary knife and cleaned with sandpaper.

Small figures can be made on a plasticine frame. Plasticine is used to mold what you want to see in your garden. Then the base is covered with grease, and a plaster solution is applied to the clay with a brush in several layers. Each subsequent layer must be applied to the dried previous one. After the gypsum has completely dried, the plasticine is removed, and the finished product is covered with furniture varnish on the inside for strength.

When choosing sculptures for your garden, make sure that they blend harmoniously into the landscape. Each figure should have its own natural frame: swans and frogs - near the pond, mushrooms - under the tree.

Unleash your creativity, because it is not the gods that burn pots.

Follow all the rules for working with plaster and the sequence of technological steps. Very often problems in working with this simple material arise when the technology of making sculptures is violated. Be sure to dry the products thoroughly after removing them from the mold and only then proceed with their further design. Try different shapes to make sculptures. Any small figures, children's toys and household items are suitable as samples for their manufacture. In the described technique at home, you can make casts of hands. Making sculptures from plaster is an interesting and accessible type of creativity for everyone!

Other concrete figures

When choosing sculptures for your garden, make sure that they blend harmoniously into the landscape. Each figure should have its own natural frame: swans and frogs - near the pond, mushrooms - under the tree.

If you have burdock, rhubarb, mallow or other plants with large leaves growing on your site, you can make stylish concrete copies of them for garden decoration. Birds will swim with pleasure in them, amusing you with sonorous chirping.

  • Whichever method of making your hand you choose, you will need to polish the accessory to obtain a beautiful and elegant product. To do this, you should use fine sandpaper. Particular attention must be paid to those places that have sufficiently large irregularities. In addition, do not forget about the application of dyes to the plaster product. In this matter, you must be guided only by your own preferences. It is worth showing a little imagination, and the result will amaze not only with its beauty, but also with a fairly high functionality. Everything, on this the question of how to create a hand from plaster with your own hands is solved!
  • At the moment when the layout dries completely and gets strong enough, you should proceed to the next stage. It is necessary to fill the previously constructed model with gypsum mortar. As soon as the product is completely dry, you will need to free it from the outer shell, which is the frozen gruel made from flour and water. In order not to damage the plaster part of the product, you should, with all your accuracy, get rid of the top layer with scissors. This was the first way, as a result of which a hand made of plaster, made by hand, appears in the house.
  • If the conceived concrete figure has small shapes and low weight, it can be made in the workshop, and then transferred to the place of permanent deployment. However, if you plan to build a heavy structure, you will have to do it either right at the installation site (and this is possible only in warm weather), or think over a mechanism by which the finished product will be installed in place.

This method can be used by people who are good at working with concrete and have minimal creative skills.

The stone is ideal for making sculptures for the garden

It is from stone that you can make a huge number of garden sculptures. One has only to find its appropriate size, be smart, dream up - and the decorative element for decorating the site is ready.

You need to see something individual in the natural material - paint it in a suitable color - and the image is ready. It can be ladybugs, and owls, hares, seals, mushrooms - whatever you can think of.

DIY sculpture idea for a garden:

  • Stone castle - giving the garden solemnity and significance. To make it, you need to find pipes (how many towers are supposed, so much material is needed), stones, broken tiles, cement and 1.5 liters of beer bottles.

First of all, the pipes are concreted, they are the base and the supporting structure. Then you should lay them over with stones and cement mortar, this should be done slowly, and when the walls reach the intended windows, you need to prepare the bottles. The windows are obtained by cutting the latter lengthwise into two halves. They are also cemented.

When it's ready, you can take the broken tiles and read about laying the roof. After the main part, you can make a fence, and even an arch.

Model business, we make a model

The first and most difficult step to get a plaster sculpture is the model.

The model can be made by yourself, or you can pick up an already finished product. For example, you decided to make 10 copies of curly friezes and stick them around the perimeter of the room under the very ceiling. We buy one and then we cast the rest on it.

If we consider that the cost of one molding can range from a thousand rubles and more, then the benefits are obvious. In this case, the original shape can be slightly modified to your liking.

If it is not desirable or impossible to work with the original, then we will make a plaster copy of it (we will consider how to do this further). Then we remove unnecessary details on the copy and (or) supplement it with plasticine details. It is much easier to do this for a finished product than “from scratch”.

Making the model yourself is harder. You need to have at least a minimum of spatial thinking and some skills of a sculptor.

IN practical experience modeling, you can use plaster for the base and plasticine for making small parts. This technique is especially good for products with large rectangular details, for example, for bas-reliefs, tiles, etc.

We cast gypsum blanks from inexpensive soft gypsum in the simplest rectangular formwork. When he grabbed, we disassemble the formwork and, after pulling out the part, we process it with a knife or simple cutters from a hacksaw blade, chisels. It is not difficult, wet gypsum is slightly more difficult to cut than a bar of laundry soap.

We dry the workpiece and cover it with an acrylic primer or alcohol varnish, then we supplement it with plasticine details. Without a primer, plasticine "clings" very poorly to plaster.

Final finishing of the sculpture

We begin finishing the surface of the mixture the next day after installation. The concrete has not yet gained strength and can be cut even with a knife. This is the last opportunity to correct the mistakes made without much difficulty.

We smooth the concrete in this state to the state of a planed board, correct and supplement the texture, do it.

Let the decorative concrete stand for at least a week before grinding it. If you start earlier, particles of rubble and sand will turn out, forming shells and furrows.

We grind large parts and flat surfaces with a grinder with a nozzle in the form of an abrasive cup. Fine relief - with petal nozzles made of sandpaper, nozzles with a soft base and by hand - with ordinary sandpaper.

We polish the "wet" method, wetting with water and abrasives, and concrete itself.

Very tiny details or ornament for concrete sculptures are rarely required. If, nevertheless, your idea requires "hair" accuracy, the processing is done on the set concrete. We work with cutting discs of a small "grinder", a hammer drill, a hammer and thin chisels of various shapes.

Sculptures made of wood and MDF.

Wood has always been the main material for making sculptures for the tribes of Africa, Oceania and North America, as well as for many more advanced civilizations. The structure of wood gives the sculptor more flexibility and freedom than stone. Wood is more often used to create works that are placed indoors, where they are protected from moisture, temperature, insects and fungus.

Thanks to the grain structure of the wood and the variety of its colors and shades, wood sculptures have a strong personality. Among the types of wood, oak, mahogany, linden, walnut, elm, pine, cedar, boxwood, pear, ebony, etc. are especially popular among sculptors. The tree continued to be used in their work by eminent sculptors of the 20th century - Ernst Barlach, Osip Zadkin, and Henry Moore.

Sculptures are also made from MDF, for which only natural wood resin and pressed wood fiber material are used - a 100% environmentally friendly solution.

Plaster sculptures

You need

  • samples for volumetric impressions (can be found on the Internet) and a mold for casting sculpture
  • film (food or other, well enveloping objects)
  • medical bandages or gauze
  • bucket or any roomy container
  • gypsum powder with instructions for use
  • hard brush, tweezers

Working process

  1. Plaster mix must be of high quality! Before mixing the plaster, read the instructions and prepare workplace... Cover the table surface with foil.
  2. Think over and study the angle to create the desired impression. You can use ready-made ideas or come up with your own position for molding. Dry gypsum mix can be of any color. The stores have brands from different manufacturers, choose the color you like. If you want to create an imitation of a real sculpture, gray is a good color.
  3. Dilute gypsum powder in advance according to the instructions. Place the finished form for the impression at the workplace. Cover it carefully with gauze or a bandage and fill the form with plaster mass.
    If it is hands or other parts of the body, they should remain motionless until the plaster material completely solidifies.
  4. After the plaster bandages have hardened, gently release the form. If these are hands, remove each one separately so as not to disturb the shape of the print.
  5. At this stage, the plaster bandage impression remains hollow and therefore fill it completely with the remaining mass and leave it until the sculpture has completely solidified.
  6. Carefully remove the bandages with tweezers and, if necessary, correct the shape of the sculpture with a stiff brush. Gypsum is a very fragile and malleable material; you can easily change its contours.

See how simple it is.

Our sculpture is ready! A great reason to spend time together for an interesting activity and decorate your home interior.

Wow! The most valuable cast ...

Excellent!

It's been a long time since I admired handmade so much! Homemade works of art ... Share this creative idea with your loved ones, they should love it!

Alexandra Kilimchuk
She has been interested in medicine since childhood and grew up in a family of doctors. She knows how to cook a gorgeous breakfast from literally nothing, she is not afraid to experiment in the kitchen: she prepares pies without flour, low-calorie mayonnaise, healthy sweets. He never gives up and believes that people are created to help each other! In all her household chores, her son Sasha acts as an assistant. Alexandra's favorite book is "The Art of Love" by E. Fromm.

Colors

The color palette of sculptural plasticine does not stand out for its variety. It is produced in briquettes of white, flesh, gray, olive, black colors:

  • White color is suitable for making professional products. They will be similar to plaster in appearance. Can be used to create layouts and sketches. The good thing about white is that the model can be painted in any suitable color. Therefore, you can safely make figurines from white sculptural plasticine, which should be multi-colored.

This is very good for children. First, the child will sculpt the model, then paint it in the desired color. Small motor function, imagination, intelligence develops.

  • Flesh is a natural color. Perfect for classic sculpting. From flesh-colored plasticine, you can sculpt masks, busts, figures of people.
  • Gray, olive and black shades can also be used appropriately. Or paint the product in the desired color.

In any case, sculptural plasticine is most often used to create samples or as a teaching material. And the color is often not important, the shape of the product, small details are important.

We create a beautiful and luxurious element from plaster with our own hands.

Another simple sculpture is the Guardian. It is easy to do by following the instructions. After finishing the work, you can paint the sculpture like a natural stone.

How can a cast arm be used?

See also: Decorative concrete fences

Preparation of plaster mix

PVA glue must be added to the diluted gypsum at the rate of 1% of the total volume of the product. Gypsum should be applied in layers, allowing each previous layer to dry well. The figurine can be colored if desired.

The first method of making a hand from plaster

The technology for making a sculpture from concrete with your own hands is very simple. The selected container is taken, a frame made of wire is placed in it, which will give the figure more strength. Next, a concrete solution is made. It's good if it has the consistency of thick sour cream. The container is filled to the brim with a solution. In this case, care must be taken that air bubbles do not form in it. After that, the product is left in a resting state until completely dry. It is worth noting that the concrete must dry in the shade, otherwise it may crack.

The second way to create a hand from plaster

Concrete mini-flower beds in the form of a hand for small flowers are very easy to make. They can be simultaneously made several pieces of different sizes. For this, medical gloves are taken, filled with concrete and placed in flower pots of different sizes so that the gloves acquire a concave shape. After the solution hardens, the gloves are cut off, and flowers are planted in the resulting concrete hands. Such sculptures can be placed on the ground, like small flower beds, can be placed on the table, windowsill.

  1. In order for the site not to look like an ordinary garden, it must be decorated. Let's start with the garden paths, which, according to feng shui, must be winding, because evil spirits can only move straight ahead. And we will confuse them, drive them into the bends of the paths and scare them away with garden figures standing at the bends.
  2. An ordinary rubber glove.
  3. Who can have a desire to give a loved one an interesting, original little thing, moreover, made by hand? With a high degree of probability, we can say that there are many such applicants. After all, it is pleasant not only the moment when a person, having received a gift, expresses his delight and gratitude for it, but also the process of making the necessary souvenir.
  4. The work algorithm is as follows:

What needs to be done to create an original product?

Even garden gnomes they don't have to be sugary-sweet, they are just like us: funny, lazy, good-natured, funny ...

The product is completely ready and can delight with its elegance!

Minimum costs will be required to create durable, original and diverse polyurethane foam figures. Creative people are distinguished by their entrepreneurial spirit: sometimes they have practically nothing at their disposal to create a real masterpiece. Not only the creations of nature come to the rescue, but also modern materials and technologies that can also be used in unusual ways.

Sculpture made of artificial stone and concrete.

Artificial stone is used not only in facing stone (made from concrete) and in kitchen countertops that are well known to many, but also in the manufacture of sculptures, for which, in addition to concrete, synthetic material based on resin and filler from natural stone chips can be used.

Fiber-reinforced concrete is a particularly durable type of concrete, reinforced throughout its entire area with metal and non-metallic fibers - fiber-reinforced concrete that evenly reinforces concrete in all planes, increasing the concrete grade, strength, water resistance, shock resistance and reducing the formation of shrinkage cracks.

Adding various colored fillers to the composition or coloring the finished shape allows you to get an object of the required color.

Currently, this type of material, in addition to construction, is used for the production of widespread garden figures, facade decor.

Volumetric landscape gardening sculptures are made of high-quality art-concrete.

At the same time, one should not compare with individual garden sculptures made by craftsmen from concrete or artificial stone to order, those low-quality concrete garden figures sold in construction markets: the quality and composition of the material, the detail of the elaboration are fundamentally different; in the production of widely replicated objects, the sculptor does not participate at all.

Cutting mold making

If for the manufacture of a decorative element it is enough to fill in the form at a time, then for the bust a split form from two parts or otherwise a split form is required.

It can be done in two ways:

  1. Immediately fill the model completely, and then cut the shape.
  2. Fill in two to three steps.

The first option, we think, is clear. The model is completely filled, ending up inside a solid silicone block. After the silicone has seized, we cut the block directly on the model, approximately in half. Then we remove the model and connect the parts of the impression along the cut, fastening it with a cord or even just with tape. The form is ready to be filled.

The second method is much more complicated. Basically, we are removing at least two forms from the model, one on each side.

Now we have to close part of the model, leaving only the side from which we will take the cast. For this we use plasticine, or even better sculptural clay.

We put the model in a formwork box. We fill the box with clay or plasticine up to the intended dividing line. As a result, we should get a solid surface, from which half of the model protrudes as a bas-relief.

Some people try to keep the section as flat as possible. This is not required at all. The dividing line is unlikely to be strictly in one plane, which means that the entire boundary of the form dividing will also be embossed.

Fill the model with silicone. Let's wait until it gains sufficient strength (usually from 3 to 6 hours). Now without removing (!) the form from the model, disassemble the formwork, remove the clay (plasticine) and turn the form over with the filled side down. Before us will be a bas-relief of the second part of the model, protruding from the silicone block.

We frame the model with formwork, lubricate the surface of both the model and the silicone "cage" with release agent. Fill in another portion of liquid silicone and wait until it grabs.

Parse the shape and remove the model. We get two halves, in one of which the front side is imprinted, and in the other the back side of the model. It remains to connect them, fasten and pour plaster.

Council. To make the parts of the mold match exactly, press some balls, for example, from the bearing into the dividing surface. When poured, they form corresponding depressions and protuberances on the impression, allowing precise alignment of the parts of the plaster cast mold.

Placement of concrete on the frame

To lay the mixture, you will need a pair of spatulas, a trowel, and a plastering bucket. To cover the concrete from drying out, we stock up on an opaque plastic wrap.

A sculpture with a height of 1.5 m and more cannot be made without kozels, or at least a stepladder.

The sculpture's pedestal, if necessary, is cast from ordinary concrete in the formwork, and three to four days before the start of work on the sculpture, so that he has time to grab.

Prepare a mixture for the body of the sculpture (see the section "Sculpting Concrete") and start laying on the frame from the simplest places.

We lay the mixture by throwing or spreading it on the frame with a trowel. For large portions, use a bucket.

In one go, you need to try to complete any element of the sculpture, which stands out in relief, some other boundaries. We will outline such areas on the model in advance.

Having filled in a certain area, we smooth the mixture, shape its surface with spatulas, templates and just with our fingers.

If you have to make a lot of repetitive parts, you should cut a suitable stamp out of the wood in advance.

In addition, a wide variety of items are sometimes suitable for templates and stamps. For example, a texture that imitates short hair can be made with a short, stiff brush, furrows under the bark can be squeezed with a fine comb, and the animal's hair - with a metal comb.

Interesting patterns are obtained by knurling with textured rollers.

Repeating relief can be done with a textured roller

Council. Concrete thicker than 2-2.5 cm does not hold on vertical and "reverse" surfaces. The desired array is obtained by laying the mixture in several layers. Take your time. The mixture after half an hour - an hour may seem quite "stuck" (especially with the addition of gypsum), and when laying a new portion, fall off in a whole layer.

Removing material

The removal method can be applied to almost any material, and it is the classic approach used for wood sculpture, stone (the most common material is marble, as well as granite) and even metal cast into ingots. Totem poles are excellent examples of wooden sculptures, whereas the ancient Greeks and Romans used marble.

Wood sculptures


Wood is relatively easy to work with steel tools. Modern technologies help us to quickly process wood using lathes or CNC machines. Then the artist could work out the details and finish the surface by hand. Lack of wood in a short service life compared to other material, but aging can add attractiveness at some points.

The material (which is essentially calcium carbonate) is difficult to handle. Considering the value of the material, most sculptors created clay models, then preforms, and tried to find the correct proportions and textures before starting with a piece of marble.

Modern technologies help us to machine molds with water jets (universal and slow) or diamond tools (less versatile and fast). It is a soft stone and easier to work with than others. Marble has a wide range of colors available.

Marble is durable, but not too soluble in water. Never make marble or travertine fountains


A material that is much more difficult to machine than marble due to its abrasion resistance and abrasive structure. When working with stone, the only alternative is abrasive cutting and machining. A sculpture made of this material will last a very long time. The material is resistant to climate change and water, but it is much more expensive than marble. There are quarries all over the world where granite is mined, and the variety of this material is impressive. Modern processing is carried out with diamond tools.

Almost any metal can be processed from ingots. This is a common way of making statues from titanium, nickel alloys, steel, copper, bronze, brass, silver, gold. After casting, the metal can be deformed by the forging process, and then finished by hand. High quality components for critical applications are typically forged, heat treated for CNC forming. The same can be done for the statue. If you have the money to afford it. Imagine a beautiful titan statue. Almost immortal, shiny and with a slightly yellowish sheen.

Sunken sculptures

Figures that seem to "float" out of the green lawn or hide in other corners of the garden look very funny and unusual. Given the complexity and need to give them "movement", they are usually molded from plaster.

Gypsum is diluted with water according to the instructions to the consistency of sour cream. In order for the figure to turn out as needed, it should be poured into the finished form, or you can make it yourself from clay. Saturate the form with fat and fill with plaster. When it hardens, you will have one half ready.

Gypsum dries within 24 hours at a temperature of about 15 ° C.

Then make a second half. Glue both halves with moisture-resistant glue, and smooth the irregularities with sandpaper and cut off with a knife.

What is a sculpture mold

The form is a cast of the model, its “volumetric negative”. Fifteen years ago, plaster was the main material for removing molds. And in our time it is used quite often, especially for "one-time" fillings of simple, but large products.

Plaster molds are durable, accurately reflect the smallest details of the model and, importantly, they are inexpensive. ... Alas, it is the strength of the frozen gypsum that sometimes leads to the fact that the form clings to the protrusions on the model and forms a kind of "lock" with it.

Attempting to separate them by force will break the model or shape.

Alas, but it is the strength of the frozen gypsum that sometimes leads to the fact that the form clings to the protrusions on the model and forms a kind of "lock" with it. Attempting to separate them by force will break the model or shape.
Since a more or less complex product necessarily forms locks when pouring, then either the model is cut into simple elements, they are cast separately and then glued, or the shape is taken in separate sections that do not form locks.

From practice. At the beginning of the two thousandth, creating a form based on the model of the famous monument "The Oath" (Museum "Young Guard" in Krasnodon), the author of these lines filled in 14 fragments.

Silicone is devoid of these disadvantages. It copies the details of the model no worse than plaster, and its strength is sufficient for casting dozens of copies. At the same time, the silicone is flexible enough so that you don't have to worry about it catching on the protrusion or depression of the model.

The disadvantage of silicone molds can be attributed to their much higher cost than gypsum molds.

Important! Usual silicone sealant will not work for the form. A special molding compound is needed. The most popular is the two-component base resin and catalyst. Moreover, the latter requires only about 1.5-2%.

Original ideas for making plaster figures with your own hands

If the assortment of purchased figurines does not satisfy, you should try your own creative possibilities in creating an exclusive plaster mold. Experienced craftsmen offer options available to any aspiring "sculptor".

  • "Mushrooms" itself different kind and the size is performed using a plastic bottle and bowl. It is interesting to do this kind of work with children.

You can make a whole mushroom family.

  • It is easy to make a "ball" in the Art Nouveau style if there is a round shape.
  • A "snail" or a caterpillar cannot be called a simple product, you have to tinker with it.

"Caterpillar" from several flattened circles. The size and shape of the sculpture is made individually.

  • "Ladybugs" can be dazzled with rubber ball halves.
  • For more complex shapes, wireframes are needed. You can use those sold in garden centers for topiary purposes.

Preparing the silicone mixture for the mold

We measure out the components of the silicone mixture (hardener and silicone) and mix them thoroughly.

To do this, pour the main component into the container and begin to actively interfere with it with rotational movements, like sugar in a glass. When the mass starts to move, without stopping to interfere, we gradually pour in the catalyst.

It takes 1-1.5 minutes to completely mix the ingredients. Do not stir for more than 2 minutes, the mixture will begin to lose its quality.

After mixing the composition, we immediately begin filling.

The more hardener and the higher the temperature, the harder the silicone will be, and the faster it sets. And, by reducing the amount of catalyst below the norm, polymerization may not be achieved.

To prevent the silicone from sticking to the model, we smear it with a separating lubricant. The composition is sold ready-made and, if there is a lot of work, it is worth buying a bank. For small household crafts, paraffin, petroleum jelly and even ordinary soap are suitable in this capacity.

Garden decor

In order for the site not to look like an ordinary garden, it must be decorated. Let's start with the garden paths, which, according to feng shui, must be winding, because evil spirits can only move straight ahead. And we will confuse them, drive them into the bends of the paths and scare them away with garden figures standing at the bends.

The paths in the garden do not need to be tiled. You can simply fill them with concrete, and on top, until the concrete has hardened, decorate with pebbles, pieces of tiles, fragments of flower pots and the remnants of broken bricks. All this wealth needs to be painted in bright colours and arrange in any order you like. The concrete is frozen - the track is ready. Borders can be decorated with flowers in pots dug to the middle in the ground. Even in gray autumn, multi-colored paths will look bright and elegant. In this way, you can also decorate the borders around the trees, laying out patterns of flowers and leaves on them.

Stumps from cut down trees play an interesting role in garden decor. They serve as wonderful flower gardens. The combination of climbing plants, which will fall like a green waterfall, with small flowers in the middle of the stump, looks very beautiful.

Another simple decoration is a small pond around which there are animal figures for the garden. To create such a reservoir, you need a regular tire. One edge is cut off and it is completely dug into the ground. It is necessary to cover the tire with dense polyethylene, tucking the edges of the shelter under it. The pond is ready, just add water and throw colorful pebbles on the bottom. To avoid seeing the edges, plant creepers and decorative moss in close proximity to the pond. You can make a backlight in the pond that will bring a drop of magic to your garden, and various decorative figures for the garden will create a fairytale atmosphere.

Now all kinds of figurines can be bought very easily, but it is much more pleasant to make them with your own hands. No one will have such.

Other materials for making sculptures

To prepare sculptures, you can use all the materials that are available at home. This is wood, and wire, and clay, and even polyurethane foam. The main thing is to show all your creativity and ingenuity.

Polyurethane foam is an excellent material for creating animals... For example, a sheep or a ram. To make their figures, plastic bottles, scotch tape, about five cans of polyurethane foam and isolon are useful.

The first thing that is done is a frame made of bottles and scotch tape. Then the isolon is cut into strips, with which the frame is enveloped and fixed with tape. A small tail and hoof are attached immediately. And the very last stage is filling with polyurethane foam and creating a face.

And here are some more sculptures made of polyurethane foam.

The options are just endless... If one of the branches has fallen in the garden, then it can be used as a beautiful decorative element. Such a natural material will make it possible to make various fairy-tale characters, small huts and towers, for the manufacture of which wire and glue are still useful.

There are a lot of ideas for creating garden sculptures. Doing most of them with your own hands will not be difficult, but there are options that require appropriate woodworking skills and a certain skill.

You can invent it yourself, or you can spy on it in various books and Internet pages. Only desire and the shown creativity will decorate any garden, even not very filled with vegetation and other small architectural forms.

A sculpture made of composite materials and resin.

Currently in production modern sculptures Composite materials, in particular, fiberglass, a material made of glass fiber filler (reinforcing material) and a binder (polymer), are becoming more and more widespread.

Fiberglass is painted, decorated, galvanized, covered with PVC films and natural veneer, perfectly lends itself to all types of mechanical processing.

Moreover, according to their physical characteristics it is much more resistant to the effects of weather conditions than other materials, therefore, more and more often, in addition to small sculptures from fiberglass, garden and park sculptures and various street art objects are made.

Composite material provides sculptors with the broadest scope for the implementation of their creative ideas, since it allows them to make objects of any shape and with various finishes, including those imitating metal, porcelain, stone, wood.

Always attract attention and admire modern

This material is suitable only for interior use, it is also used as an alternative to glass work.

Sculptures on frames

If the work will be carried out in the summer, then for the mushroom cap it is recommended to make a depression in the sand (best of all with a bowl resembling a hat), put a burdock leaf on its bottom. The leaf will give the future sculpture wrinkles and irregularities that resemble the real structure of the cap. If the sculpture is made of concrete in winter, then you can simply wrap a suitable bowl with cellophane and pour concrete. After about half an hour, a few nails or a piece of pipe should be inserted into the center of the cap, if the cap is very large. This will improve the bond, make the figure stronger. Now you can work on the leg, and leave the finished product until it dries completely.

The main requirement for plaster garden figurines is that they must be durable and resistant to precipitation. Academic image accuracy is generally unnecessary. A small figurine can be sculpted without a base, but a large sculpture that has legs, arms, or a tail requires a reinforced frame. For this, the reinforcement cut into pieces is connected into a frame that repeats the skeleton of the future product. Do not forget about the protruding elements at the foot, with the help of which the figure will be attached to the foundation.To make garden figures with your own hands, sometimes you only need a stone of a suitable size and an artist's eye, who will see a sleeping cat in an ordinary boulder, a dog that is seeking the attention of the owner, funny turtles, a newborn deer or a whole family of ladybirds. Elements of nature that can be used as decorations have always been and remain very popular.decorating materials (paints, varnishes, etc.).

Gypsum is mixed with water until it becomes thick sour cream, after which it is applied to the plasticine figure using a spatula or brush. The applied layer should be only a couple of millimeters thick. It should be noted that the formation of bubbles must be avoided during the application of the solution. For greater structural strength, several plaster layers can be made, and each subsequent layer should be applied only after the previous one has completely dried.

  • Unleash your creativity, because it is not the gods that burn pots.
  • Pour a sheet laid out on a pile of sand with concrete. After the mortar dries, the leaf is easily removed, and you are left with a beautiful relief sculpture. Such products can be painted with different paints, giving color to an autumn or spring garden.
  • In any adult lives a small child who wants new toys, jewelry, loves to tinker with his own hands and invent something that has never happened before. Children's fantasy knows no boundaries, nothing is impossible for her. Over the years, we have forgotten how to see a miracle in ordinary things, but the opportunity to show our imagination and creativity is provided to us by a garden or a summer cottage.
  • To create a stylish designer jewelry holder or simple jewelry, you need to use simple things that are not too difficult to get. So, what materials and tools will be required in this case:

For the leg, we first make a form: an old roofing material, linoleum, a plastic bottle, any other, a variety of materials that can be rolled into a tube and filled with a solution are suitable. In the middle of the leg, you will also have to deepen the reinforcement. When both halves are dry, sprinkle the stem of the mushroom with wet sand, tamp it well, fill the joint with a solution, set the hat. In 3-4 days the simplest sculpture is ready. It remains to paint it and install it in the right place.

Kinds

Sculptural plasticine is available in two types: soft and harder:

  • The first one is suitable for beginner lovers of modeling.It can be used to model simple shapes. Sold in any store for children's creativity, respectively, it can be used to develop fine motor skills of the hands of children. Its use will develop the child's creativity, stimulate imagination. You can first sculpt from pictures, photographs, then use models that you have invented yourself.
  • The harder type of plasticine is more suitable for professional sculptures.From it you can create miniatures, working models of the exterior of structures, medals, developments, samples of large final sculptures. It can act as a molding modeling compound for the manufacture of plaster elements for painting ceilings. Its structural composition allows you to work with small elements of the models.

An adult, who suddenly decided that modeling is the work of his whole life, can also try. It's never too late to get started, and different manufacturers will help.

Before starting work, plasticine of any type be sure to warm up. To do this, you can use warm water (the temperature is not higher than eighty degrees, otherwise the mass will lose its plastic properties) or a building hair dryer. A piece of the required size for making a figure is cut from the briquette in a stack (you should not cut off more). Use a plastic board to work with.

You do not have to worry that a shapeless mass, if left untouched for a long time, will suddenly become a hardening paste. Under the influence of high temperature, the sculptural plasticine softens and becomes more elastic. To make it a little more pliable, the warmth of the master's hands will be enough.

How to transfer model dimensions

For marking and transferring the dimensions from the model to the original, we will make a simple device.

It represents two rectangular "gazebos" made of twigs, with a roof in the form of a net, with stretched threads or thin wire, or welded mesh... Such a device is called a copy frame. The small one is placed over the model, and the proportionally enlarged one is placed at the place of the sculpture's production. We measure the size on the model using a plumb line and transfer it. First on the frame, then on the sculpture. How to do this is clear from Fig. 2.

Using a plumb line, measure the size on the model with a tape measure and transfer it to the sculpture.

The main thing is not to move the marking machines during the marking process, but if necessary, return them to exactly the same place.

Gardeners' mistakes when creating figures from plaster

As a base, you can use a metal construction mesh.

Mistake # 1. Pour water into the plaster.

In this case, lumps are formed, it is impossible to work with such a solution.

Mistake # 2.Making large figures without a frame.

The more severe the form, the more likely it is to be damaged. At the slightest crack, a sculpture without a base can fall apart.

Mistake number 3.Kneading a large number gypsum.

If the solution is not used for 5 minutes, it will become as hard as a stone. It cannot be dissolved again. This is why plaster is used in parts.

The sculpture can be made using a variety of materials, including concrete. There are three ways to create a concrete sculpture.

All three methods will help you make beautiful concrete sculptures with your own hands.

Concrete casting

Before mixing concrete, you must first prepare the mold for casting. For casting, a homemade mold made from plastic or expanded polystyrene, or purchased from a hardware store can be used. You can also find a wide range of concrete casting molds online.


Pour the concrete mixture into a large container or wheelbarrow. Mix the water and the contents of the bag. Typically, a 36 kg mix requires about 2.8 liters of water. Add about two-thirds of the water to the concrete mix.

Be sure to read the batching instructions on the bag and make sure you have the correct water to dry ratio.


Mix the concrete. Using a concrete mixer, hoe or trowel. Continue adding the water you left on until you reach a thick, oatmeal-like consistency. The ready-mixed concrete should hold its shape if you squeeze it into a fist.

Too liquid concrete is easier to pour, but not durable and shrinks strongly when moisture evaporates. Add more water if your mixture is very dry and crumbly


Pour the concrete into a mold. Slowly fill the pan with the prepared mixture to maximum. Use a trowel to smooth the surface.

You can apply a small amount of engine oil to the mold surface before pouring the concrete. Oil will help to easily pull the model out of the mold without damaging the product


Disassemble the form. After the concrete dries, at least 14 hours should pass, disassemble the form. In most cases, the forms are taken apart in a day. The product is removed and the mold remains intact, sometimes the mold has to be cut.

Let it sit for about a week (7 days) before using the sculpture or product. During this period, the product is gaining its initial strength. Full strength gain occurs after 28 days

If you bought a form, be sure to read the instructions, which will explain how to use the form correctly and not damage the model.

Concrete carving


Find tools for yourself. You need to find cutting tools - knives, scrapers, looping stacks, etc., that are used when working with clay sculpture, they are best suited for cutting concrete. You can find these tools at any art store.

You can look for a medical instrument that is sold in specialized stores. Most likely, you will pick up something from it.

The main thing is that you can make any of these tools yourself, or come up with any convenient for you


Prepare a sketch to help you follow your idea. Contour the surface with a pencil or chalk.


Prepare the concrete mix. You can use the instructions on the bag. Knead the mixture in a trough or wheelbarrow. Typically, a 36 kg mix requires about 2.8 liters of water. Add about two-thirds of the water to the concrete mix.

Set aside two 0.5 liter cups of dry mixture. You will most likely need it if the consistency gets too runny.

Make sure you have the correct water to dry ratio

The amount of time you need to wait will depend on the thickness of the concrete surface being applied. Concrete is ready to cut when it is firm enough, yet malleable and holds its shape well.


Before the concrete is completely dry, start carving your idea with the prepared sculpting tools. Work must start from the top and move smoothly down. You need to work quickly, because concrete dries quickly. Try to finish a separate area within an hour after applying the solution.

If you are working with bare hands, applying petroleum jelly to your hands will help protect your skin.

Avoid damaging the fresh surface. It will harden after 24 hours, and the initial cure will last 7 days.


Coloring. After 7 days, you can start painting the product. Use acrylic paints, they are brighter.

Making a sculpture using a mesh


We cut the mesh. Cut out metal mesh... You can use regular plaster mesh, with a cage of 5-7mm. In my opinion, it is the most comfortable. This mesh will be the base for your sculpture. It will keep the concrete wet until dry and serve as a reinforcing layer.

Use a mesh that can hold its shape


Wrap the mesh around something tight.If you find it difficult to create the desired shape from the mesh, try wrapping the mesh around something dense, such as cardboard or styrofoam, to form the shape you want.

Typically, a 36 kg mix requires about 2.8 liters of water. Add about two-thirds of the water to the concrete mix. You can add water as needed. The solution should not be too dry.

Continue adding water until you reach a thick, oatmeal-like consistency. The ready-mixed concrete should hold its shape if you compress it into a fist.

Before mixing the ingredients, be sure to read the instructions on the bag. There are clear ratios of water and mixture


Apply concrete to the mesh. Use a trowel or spatula to apply the mortar to the mesh surface. Apply in thin layers and try to get the desired shape. Apply at the beginning general forms without going into details. The details can be worked out when the concrete is dense, but remains pliable enough.

Too large a layer can slide off the surface


Let the concrete dry.The concrete will be dry to the touch within 24 hours. The initial set of strength will occur within seven days. Avoid touching or moving the sculpture during this time.

Coloring of the product can be done after 7 days. Use acrylic paints, they are brighter.