Gypsum carving: a master class for beginners

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:47

If this is your first time trying your hand at sculpting, then plaster carving can be a great starting point. This will help you get a basic understanding of this work, feel the mechanics of the process and decide for yourself how interesting and close all this is to you personally.

Gypsum carving: pros and cons

Of the advantages of such work, the following can be noted. Firstly, gypsum, unlike wood and stone, is a soft and malleable material. Cutting through it is a pleasure. Secondly, the raw materials, as well as a set of basic tools for plaster carving, are inexpensive and available at any art store.

One of the significant disadvantages of this activity is the large amount of dust generated during the processing of gypsum. When working with it, be sure to use a mask (a medical gauze bandage will do). It is also necessary to cover the work surface with newspapers or polyethylene.

Material and tools

Ready-made gypsum board can be bought or easily madeon one's own. To do this, you will need a gypsum mixture, water and a mold. As the latter, you can use any disposable plastic container. The main thing is that it has a flat (without relief) bottom. You can also make a detachable mold from wooden slats right on the table.

The process of making the slab is quite simple: you need to dilute the dry gypsum mixture, following the instructions on the label, mix it well (at least 5-15 minutes) and pour it into the mold. Gypsum hardens very quickly. After 10-15 minutes, the plate can be taken out and processed.

As a basic set of tools for plaster carving, you can use those that you already have at home: a good knife, a scalpel, a nail. Perhaps a set of cutters for linocuts has been lying around somewhere since school days. If you still decide to purchase special slant knives and chisels, then each of these tools costs about 500 rubles.

And this is what a set of professional tools worth 540 euros looks like:

Gypsum carving: a master class for beginners

For the first time, we recommend that you do not immediately aim at a complex three-dimensional figure, but try your hand at cutting a small bas-relief.

As in any other creative activity, we recommend starting with a sketch. Draw the picture you like on a one-to-one scale. Next, it must be transferred directly to the gypsum board. There are a lot of ways - from using ordinary stationery carbon paper to a more professional method,used by artists.

It is as follows: pierce holes with a thick needle or awl along the lines of the drawing on the sketch, apply to the plaster base and sprinkle with dry pigment (for example, grated charcoal). In any case, you should avoid small details to begin with, as it may be difficult to cut them later.

Further, the process of carving on plaster seems to be rather unpretentious. So said the great sculptor Michelangelo Buonarotti:

I take a stone and cut off all unnecessary.

During the carving process, do not forget to wet the surface of the plaster with water, as this will greatly facilitate the process, and also reduce the amount of dust. The bas-relief can be left white, but it will be more beautiful if you cover it with ordinary paints.