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

Concrete for crafts should be like butter: not so thin that it flows, but not so thick that it can be molded.

Fungus is the easiest concrete sculpture for beginners.

If the work will be done 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 sheet will give the future sculpture wrinkles and irregularities, reminiscent of the real structure of the hat. 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 hat if the hat is very large. This will improve the ligament, make the figure stronger. Now you can do the leg, and ready product leave until completely dry.

For the legs, we first make a shape: an old roofing felt, linoleum, a plastic bottle, any other, most different materials, which can be rolled up into a tube and filled with a solution. In the middle of the legs, you will also have to deepen the reinforcement. When both halves are dry, sprinkle the mushroom leg with wet sand, tamping it well, fill the junction with mortar, and install a hat. After 3-4 days, the simplest sculpture is ready. It remains to paint it and install it in the right place.

Modeling tools and materials

Modeling tools and materials

In modeling, sculptors usually use clay and plasticine. Each of these materials has its own special qualities that allow 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. It is very flexible and pliable in work.

Clay for modeling

Clay is oily, sometimes viscous (with a lot of sand) and vice versa. Distinguish clay and shades: it is found red, gray, grayish-green, brown. You can sculpt from clay of any color, however, sculptors prefer grayish-greenish varieties, since a neutral tone allows you to perceive the molded shape well and does not tire your eyes.

Plasticine sculptural

Clay for modeling is prepared in the following way: it is put in pieces in a barrel or box and filled with water to the level of the upper edge of the clay. To make it soak evenly, it is pierced in several places with a stick. Then the clay is kneaded by hand, cleaning it from pebbles, sticks and other foreign objects. If the mixed clay turned out to be too liquid, it must be removed from the barrel and laid out on a board or oilcloth in order for excess moisture to evaporate. When the clay stops sticking to your hands, you can assume that it is ready for work.

Clay intended for modeling can be kept in the same barrel or box, covered with a wet rag or oilcloth. This makes it possible to keep it moist and suitable 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 during its execution must maintain the necessary moisture, for which it is sprinkled with water and wrapped in a damp rag or soft oilcloth. Before starting the session, it is necessary to check the condition of the clay every time and moisten it if it dries up. At the end of the session, the work should also be moistened and wrapped again. For wetting, a garden sprayer or spray gun is usually used.

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

Calipers

Works made of clay and plasticine are difficult to preserve for a long time, and therefore they are usually transferred to plaster - they are 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 medium-sized works, the frame is usually made of soft wire, sometimes of wood. In order to preserve a small clay sculpture, it should be made without a frame, since the clay, drying, shrinks in volume and the frame can destroy the work from the inside: it first cracks and then falls apart into pieces.

For sculpting, you must have the necessary set tools. This is a wooden hammer - a mallet, used when working in large sizes for stuffing clay onto a frame, and for relief - onto a board. In addition, wooden or metal stacks and loops of various shapes and sizes are needed. Stacks are made of bone, wood (boxwood, apple, pear, rowan) 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 this cannot be done 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 calipers, the correctness of the proportions and sizes taken by eye is clarified.

Themes: Sculpture |

How to choose plasticine for modeling

The first thing you need to know is that everyone can learn how to sculpt plasticine sculptures, if there is a desire, or motivation. However, the above applies to absolutely any case. But first you need to purchase the "right" 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 other),
3. plasticizers,
4. technical oil or petroleum jelly for softness. Its color spectrum is closer to the natural colors found in nature. But nevertheless it is well painted with any paints.

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

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

• Elasticity, suppleness, the necessary ratio of softness and hardness.
• Plasticine should easily roll in the hands or on some surface, leaving no smeared marks.
• Plasticine should not crumble, although after creating a sculpture, sculptural clay does not dry out after shaping it, and does not lose plasticity - this is another difference from the usual one.
• Under the action of heat, the sculptural clay should melt, and stains from it should be easily removed with soap and water.

Yes, and do not forget to purchase some equipment that you will definitely need in your work. 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 specialized store), various molds (a very useful and necessary thing), and aluminum or iron wire for frames of sculptures, because a large sculpture is made of plasticine can sink under its own weight without internal support.

glass sculptures

From Murano glass, both earlier and today, 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 subtleties of technology, while the possibility of the appearance of two identical sculptures is completely excluded, each object is obtained in a new, unique way.

Composition of concrete

For modeling, you need a plastic concrete mixture that adheres well to the metal of the frame and to the already laid layers.

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

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

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

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

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

Accelerate setting and facilitate sculpting by adding gypsum mix for plaster

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

One of the options for the composition of sculptural concrete:

Mix CMC and PVA in water in advance. Dry mix gypsum, fiber and cement. We add lime and clay along with sand and gravel.

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

There is little left, including TV

Stucco works do not create special dangers. But basic safety rules must be observed here.

Unique concrete sculpture - a monument to Artyom in Svyatogorsk

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

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

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

As for the principles set forth in the article, remember the testament of Peter I: do not adhere to the charter - "... like a blind man - 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 cheap material which does not detract from its value at all.

Do-it-yourself 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 cottage cheese. It should not flow, but be soft enough.

If you have burdock, rhubarb, mallow, or other large-leaved plants growing in your yard, you can make stylish concrete replicas of them to decorate your garden. Birds will bathe in them with pleasure, amusing you with their sonorous chirping.

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

It is very easy to make concrete mini-beds in the form of a hand for small flowers. They can be made at the same time several pieces of different sizes. To do this, medical gloves are taken, filled with concrete and placed in flower pots different sizes so that the gloves have a concave shape. After the solution hardens, the gloves are cut off, and in the resulting concrete hands flowers are planted. Such sculptures can be placed on the ground, like small flower beds, or placed on a table or window sill.

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

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

A plastic bottle can even be used as a frame. For example, it will be a good preparation for a mushroom leg. It is necessary to place a wire 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 make Easter cakes: any bowl that is suitable in size is lubricated with oil, a solution is poured into it. After it hardens, the bowl is easily removed. The mushroom cap can be decorated with a butterfly, a leaf, a worm.

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

Do-it-yourself plaster sculptures

Gypsum should be diluted 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 from clay. The form is covered with a fatty layer and filled with plaster. This is half of your sculpture, the second half is done the same way. Gypsum dries for about a day at a temperature not lower than 15 degrees. After that, the halves are glued together with moisture-resistant glue. All irregularities are cut with a regular knife and cleaned with sandpaper.

Small figures can be made on a plasticine frame. What you want to see in your garden is molded from plasticine. Then the base is covered with grease, and a gypsum mortar is applied to the plasticine 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 coated on the inside with furniture varnish for durability.

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

Give free rein to your creativity, because it is not the gods who burn the pots.

Follow all the rules for working with gypsum and the sequence of technological steps. Very often problems in working with this simple material arise in violation of the technology of manufacturing sculptures. Be sure to dry the products thoroughly after removing them from the mold, and only after that proceed with their further design. Try different molds to make sculptures. Any small figurines, 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 gypsum is an interesting and accessible kind of creativity for everyone!

Other concrete figures

When choosing sculptures for your garden, make sure that they fit 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 large-leaved plants growing in your yard, you can make stylish concrete replicas of them to decorate your garden. Birds will swim in them with pleasure, amusing you with ringing chirps.​

• ​Whatever method of hand making you choose, you will need to polish the accessory to get a beautiful and elegant piece. To do this, use fine sandpaper. Particular attention must be paid to those places that have sufficiently large irregularities. In addition, do not forget about applying coloring matter to the plaster product. In this case, you need to 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. That's all, that's it, the question of how a hand is created from gypsum with your own hands has been resolved!​
• At the moment when the layout is completely dry and strong enough, you should proceed to the next step. It is necessary to fill the previously constructed layout 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 of flour and water. In order not to damage the plaster part of the product, you should carefully get rid of the top layer with scissors. This was the first way, as a result of which a hand made of gypsum, made by hand, would appear 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 directly at the installation site (and this is possible only in warm time), or consider a mechanism by which the finished product will be installed in place.​

This method can be used by people who have mastered the work with concrete and have minimal creative skills.

Stone is an ideal material for making garden sculptures.

It is from stone that a huge number of garden sculptures can be made. One has only to find its suitable dimensions, 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, owls, hares, seals, mushrooms - everything you can think of.

The idea of ​​​​a sculpture for the garden with your own hands:

• 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, pipes are concreted, they are the basis and the supporting structure. Then, with the help of stones and cement mortar, they should be overlaid, this should be done slowly, and when the walls reach the intended windows, you need to prepare the bottles. Windows are obtained by cutting the latter lengthwise into two halves. They are also cemented.

When it's ready, you can take the broken tile and start lining the roof. After the main part, you can make a fence, and even an arch.

Model business, we make a product model

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

You can make a model yourself, or choose a finished product. For example, you decide to make 10 copies of figured friezes and stick them around the perimeter of the room right under the ceiling. We buy one and then pour the rest on it.

Considering that the cost of one molding can be from a thousand rubles or more, the benefit is obvious. In this case, the original form can be somewhat 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 later). Then we remove unnecessary details on the copy and (or) supplement it with plasticine details. It is much easier to do this on a finished product than from scratch.

Making a model yourself is already more difficult. You need to have at least a minimum of spatial thinking and some skills as a sculptor.

In the practical experience of modeling, you can use gypsum for the base and plasticine for dressing small details. This technique is especially good for products where there are large rectangular parts, for example, for bas-reliefs, tiles, etc.

Gypsum blanks are cast from inexpensive soft gypsum in the simplest rectangular formwork. When he grabbed, we dismantle the formwork and, pulling out the part, we process it with a knife or the simplest cutters from a hacksaw blade, chisels. It's easy, wet gypsum is a little more difficult to cut than a piece of laundry soap.

We dry the workpiece and cover acrylic primer or alcohol varnish, then supplement with details from plasticine. Without a primer, plasticine “clings” to plaster very poorly.

Finishing the sculpture

We start finishing the surface of the mixture the very next day after laying. 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, and do it.

Let 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. Small relief - with petal nozzles made of sandpaper, nozzles with a soft base and manually - with ordinary sandpaper.

We polish in a “wet” way, wetting both the abrasives and the concrete itself with water.

Quite tiny details or ornaments for concrete sculptures are rarely required. If, nevertheless, your plan requires “hairy” accuracy, we do the processing on the set concrete. We work with cutting discs of a small “grinder”, a perforator, a hammer and thin chisels of various shapes.

Sculptures made of wood and MDF.

The main material for the manufacture of sculptures as the tribes of Africa, Oceania and North America, and many more advanced civilizations have always served a tree. The structure of wood gives the sculptor more scope 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.

Due to the structure of the wood fibers and the variety of its colors and shades, wood sculptures are distinguished by their bright individuality. 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 Zadkine, 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 will need

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

Progress

1. Gypsum mix must be of good quality! Before mixing plaster, read the instructions and prepare workplace. Cover the surface of the table with foil.
2. Think and study the angle to create the desired impression. You can use ready-made ideas or come up with your own position for casting the mold. dry gypsum mix can be any color. The stores offer brands from different manufacturers, choose the color you like. If you want to create an imitation of a real sculpture, gray color is good.
3. Dilute gypsum powder in advance according to the instructions. Place the finished form for the impression at the workplace. Cover it gently with gauze or bandage and fill the mold with plaster mass.
   If these are hands or other parts of the body, they must remain motionless until the gypsum material has completely solidified.
4. After the plaster bandages have hardened, carefully release the mold. If these are hands - take out each separately so as not to disturb the shape of the print.
5. At this stage, the impression from the plaster bandages 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; its contours can be easily changed.

Look how simple it is.

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

Wow! The most valuable blind...

Fantastic!

I haven't admired handmade so much in a long time! Homemade art… Share this creative idea with your loved ones, they will love it!

Alexandra Kilimchuk
Since childhood, she has been interested in medicine, she grew up in a family of doctors. He knows how to cook a chic breakfast literally from nothing, he is not afraid to experiment in the kitchen: he cooks 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 Loving" by E. Fromm.

Colors

The color palette of sculptural plasticine is not distinguished by variety. It is produced in briquettes of white, flesh, gray, olive, black colors:

• White color is suitable for the manufacture of professional products. They will be similar to plaster appearance. Can be used to create layouts and sketches. White color is also good because the model can be painted in any color. 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 fashion a model, then paint it in desired color. Fine-motor function, imagination, intelligence develop.

• Flesh - natural color. Perfect for classic molding. Flesh-colored plasticine can be used to sculpt masks, busts, and 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 clay is most often used to create patterns or as educational material. And color is often not important, the shape of the product, small details are important.

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

Another simple sculpture is the guardian. It's easy to make by following the instructions. After finishing the work, you can paint the sculpture under natural stone.​

How can a cast arm be used?

Read also: decorative fences from concrete

Preparation of gypsum mixture

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. If desired, the figurine can be painted.​

The first way to make a hand from plaster

The technology for making sculptures from concrete with your own hands is very simple. The selected container is taken, a frame created from wire is placed in it, which will give the figure greater strength. Next is the concrete mix. Well, if it will have the consistency of thick sour cream. The container is filled to the brim with a solution. In this case, you need to ensure that no air bubbles form in it. After that, the product is left at rest until completely dry. It is worth noting that concrete should dry in the shade, otherwise it may crack.

The second way to create a hand from plaster

Very easy to make concrete mini-beds in the form of a hand for small flowers. They can be made at the same time several pieces of different sizes. To do this, medical gloves are taken, filled with concrete and placed in flower pots of various 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 a table, window sill.​

1. So that the site does not look like an ordinary garden, it must be decorated. Let's start with garden paths, which, according to feng shui, should be winding, because evil spirits can only move straight. And we will confuse them, drive them into the bends of the paths and scare them away with figures for the garden, standing on the turns.
2. Ordinary rubber glove.
3. Who may have a desire to give a loved one an interesting, original little thing, moreover, made by oneself? 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 algorithm of work is as follows:

What needs to be done to create an original product?

Even garden gnomes do not have to be sugary-sweet at all, they are just like us: cheerful, lazy, good-natured, funny ...

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

Minimal expenses will be required to create durable, original and diverse figurines from polyurethane foam. Creative people are entrepreneurial: 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 an unusual way.​

Sculpture made of artificial stone and concrete.

Artificial stone is used not only in facing stone (made from concrete) and in well-known to many kitchen worktops, 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 concrete is special durable look concrete, reinforced over its entire area with metal and non-metal fibers - fiber, uniformly reinforcing concrete in all planes, increasing the grade of concrete, strength, water resistance, impact resistance and reducing the formation of shrinkage cracks.

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

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

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

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

Making a cut mold

If for the manufacture of a decor element it is enough to fill in the mold at a time, then for the bust you will need a detachable mold of two parts or otherwise a split mold.

You can do it in two ways:

1. Immediately pour the model completely, and then cut the mold.
2. Fill in two or three steps.

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

The second way is much more difficult. In fact, we remove at least two forms from the model, one from each side.

Now we have to close part of the model, leaving only the side from which we will take the impression. To do this, we use plasticine, and even better sculptural clay.

The model is placed in a formwork box. We fill the box with clay or plasticine 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 try to keep the section as flat as possible. This is not required at all. The dividing line is unlikely to be strictly in the same plane, which means that the entire boundary of the division of the form will turn out to be embossed.

Fill the model with silicone. Let's wait until it gains sufficient strength (usually from 3 to 6 hours). Now without taking off (!) 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 “clip” with a release agent. Pour another portion of liquid silicone and wait until it seizes.

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

Advice. To ensure that the parts of the mold match exactly, press a few balls, for example, from a bearing into the separating surface. When poured, they form corresponding depressions and bulges on the cast, allowing you to accurately align the parts of the mold for pouring gypsum.

Laying concrete on the frame

To lay the mixture, you will need a pair of spatulas, a trowel, a plaster ladle. To cover the concrete from drying out, stock up on an opaque plastic film.

A sculpture 1.5 m high and above cannot be made without a goat, or at least a stepladder.

The pedestal of the sculpture, 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 it has time to set.

We prepare a mixture for the body of the sculpture (see the section "Concrete for sculpting") and start laying it on the frame from the simplest places.

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

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

After filling in a certain area, we smooth the mixture, shape its surface with spatulas, templates and just fingers.

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

In addition, a wide variety of objects are sometimes suitable for templates and stamps. For example, a texture imitating short hair can be made with a short, hard brush, furrows “under the bark” can be pressed with a fine comb, and animal hair with a metal comb.

Interesting patterns are obtained by knurling with textured rollers.

Repeating relief can be done with a textured roller

Advice. On vertical and "reverse" surfaces, concrete thicker than 2-2.5 cm does not hold. The desired array is obtained by laying the mixture in several layers. Don't rush though. The mixture after half an hour - an hour may seem to be quite "grasped" (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 a classic approach used for wood sculpture, stone sculpture (the most common material is marble, but also granite) and even for metals cast into ingots. Totem poles are a great example of wooden sculpture, while the ancient Greeks and Romans used marble.

Sculptures made of wood

Wood is relatively easy to work with steel tools. Modern technologies help us quickly process wood using lathes or CNC machines. Then the artist could work out the details and finish the surface by hand. The disadvantage of wood is that it has a short lifespan compared to other materials, but at some points aging can add to the appeal.

The material (which is essentially calcium carbonate) is difficult to process. Considering the value of the material, most sculptors would create clay models, then preforms, and try to find the right proportions and textures before working on a piece of marble.

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

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

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

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

sunken sculptures

Figures that seem to “swim up” from a green lawn or hide in other corners of the garden look very funny and unusual. Given the complexity and the need to give them "movement", they are usually molded in 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 it should, it should be poured into the finished form or made from clay yourself. Soak the mold with grease and fill it with plaster. When it hardens, you will have one half ready.

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

Then make your other half. Glue both halves with moisture-resistant glue, and clean the irregularities with sandpaper and cut with a knife.

What is a sculpture mold

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

Gypsum molds are durable, accurately reflect the smallest details models and, importantly, they are inexpensive. . Alas, it is the strength of the hardened gypsum that sometimes leads to the fact that the form clings to the protrusions on the model and forms a kind of “castle” with it.

An attempt to separate them by force leads to breakage of the model or form.

Alas, it is the strength of the hardened gypsum that sometimes leads to the fact that the form clings to the protrusions on the model and forms a kind of “castle” with it. An attempt to separate them by force leads to breakage of the model or form.
Since a more or less complex product, when poured, necessarily forms locks, either the model is cut into simple elements, cast them separately and then glued, or the shape is taken in separate sections that do not form locks.

From practice. At the beginning of the 2000s, creating a form based on the model of the famous monument “Oath” (Museum of the “Young Guard”, Krasnodon), the author of these lines filled in 14 fragments.

These shortcomings are devoid of silicone. He 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 quite flexible, which allows you not to worry that it will catch on the protrusion or depression of the model.

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

Important! Ordinary silicone sealant not suitable for the form. You need a special molding compound. The most popular two-component of the base resin and catalyst. Moreover, the latter requires only about 1.5-2%.

Original ideas for making figurines from plaster with your own hands

If the assortment of purchased figurines does not satisfy, it is worth trying your creative possibilities in creating an exclusive plaster mold. Experienced craftsmen offer options available to any novice "sculptor".

• "Mushrooms" different kind and size are performed using a plastic bottle and a bowl. Such work is interesting to do with children.

You can make a whole mushroom family.

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

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

• "Ladybugs" can be molded using halves of a rubber ball.
• For more complex shapes, frames are needed. You can use those sold at garden centers for topiary purposes.

Preparation of the silicone mixture for the mold

We measure 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 stir it with rotational movements, like sugar in a glass. When the mass begins to move, without stopping to interfere, gradually pour in the catalyst.

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

After mixing the composition, we immediately begin pouring.

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

So that the silicone does not stick 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 the bank. For small home crafts, paraffin, petroleum jelly and even ordinary soap are suitable in this capacity.

Garden decor

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

Paths in the garden do not have to be tiled. You can simply fill them with concrete, and from above, until the concrete has hardened, decorate with pebbles, pieces of tiles, fragments flower pots and the remains of broken bricks. All this wealth must be painted in bright colors and arrange in any order you like. The concrete has hardened - the path is ready. Borders can be decorated with flowers in pots dug halfway into the ground. Even in a gray autumn, multi-colored paths will look bright and elegant. In this way, you can decorate the borders around the trees by laying patterns of flowers and leaves on them.

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

Another simple decoration is a small pond surrounded by animal figures for the garden. To create such a reservoir, you need a regular tire. One of its edges is cut off, and it completely digs 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 to the bottom. So that the edges are not visible, plant creeping plants, ornamental moss, in close proximity to the pond. You can make a backlight in the pond, which will bring a drop of magic to your garden, and various decorative figures for the garden will create an atmosphere of a fairy tale.

Now all kinds of figurines can be bought very easily, but it is much more pleasant to make them yourself. Nobody will have those for sure.

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 a great material for creating animals. For example, a sheep or a ram. To make their figures come in handy plastic bottles, adhesive tape, about five cans of mounting foam and isolon.

The first thing that is done is a frame of bottles and scotch tape. Then the isolon is cut into strips, which envelop the frame and fix it with adhesive tape. A small tail and hooves are immediately attached. And the very last stage is pouring with polyurethane foam and creating a muzzle.

And here are some more foam sculptures.

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. Most of them do-it-yourself 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 peep in various books and Internet pages. Only desire and shown creativity will decorate any garden, even if it is not very filled with vegetation and other small architectural forms.

Sculpture made of composite materials and resin.

At present, in the production of modern sculptures, composite materials are becoming increasingly common, in particular, fiberglass - a material made from glass fiber filler (reinforcing material) and a binder (polymer).

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

At the same time, in terms of its physical characteristics, it is much more resistant to weather conditions than other materials, therefore, in addition to small sculptures, fiberglass is increasingly used to make garden and park sculptures and various street art objects.

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

Invariably attract everyone's attention and admire modern

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

Sculptures on frames

If the work will be done 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 sheet will give the future sculpture wrinkles and irregularities, reminiscent of the real structure of the hat. If the sculpture is made of concrete in winter, then you can simply wrap a suitable bowl with cellophane and fill it with concrete. After about half an hour, a few nails or a piece of pipe should be inserted into the center of the hat if the hat is very large. This will improve the ligament, make the figure stronger. Now you can do the leg, and leave the finished product to dry completely.

The main requirement for gypsum garden figurines is that they must be durable and resistant to precipitation. Academic image accuracy is generally not needed. A small figurine can be sculpted without a base, but a large sculpture that has legs, arms, or a tail needs a reinforced frame. To do 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 the eye of an artist who can see a sleeping cat in an ordinary boulder, a dog that seeks the attention of the owner, funny turtles, a newborn deer or a whole family of ladybugs. Elements of nature that can be used as decorations have always been and remain very popular. Finishing materials (paints, varnishes, etc.).

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

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

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

Kinds

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

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

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

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

You can not worry that the shapeless mass, if left untouched for a long time, will suddenly become a hardening paste. Under influence high temperature sculptural clay softens, 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 dimensions from the model to the original, we will make a simple fixture.

It consists of two rectangular "arbors" made of rods, with a mesh-like roof, with stretched threads or thin wire, or a welded mesh. Such a device is called a copy frame. A small one is placed above the model, and a proportionally enlarged one is placed at the place where the sculpture was made. Using a plumb line, we measure the size on the model with a tape measure and transfer it. First on the frame, then on the sculpture. How to do this is clear from Fig. 2.

Using a plumb line, we 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, and if necessary, return to exactly the same place.

Gardeners' mistakes when creating plaster figures

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

Mistake #1. Pour water into 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 heavier the form, the more likely it is to be damaged. At the slightest crack, a sculpture without a base can fall apart.

Mistake #3. Mixing a large amount of plaster.

If the solution is not used within 5 minutes, it becomes hard as a stone. It cannot be dissolved again. That is why gypsum is used in parts.

Sculpture can be made using various 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 home-made mold made of plastic or styrofoam, or purchased at 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 contents of the bag. Typically, 36 kg of mixture requires about 2.8 liters of water. Add about two-thirds of the water to the concrete mix.

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

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

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

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

You can apply a small amount of motor oil to the surface of the mold before pouring the concrete mixture. 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 sorted out within a day. The product is removed and the form remains intact, sometimes the form has to be cut.

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

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

Concrete carving

Choose your tools. Need to find cutting tools- knives, scrapers, loop stacks, etc., which 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 one that is convenient for you.

Prepare a sketch that will help you follow the idea. Draw outlines on the surface with a pencil or chalk.

Prepare concrete mix. You can follow the instructions on the bag. Mix the mixture in a trough or wheelbarrow. Typically, 36 kg of mixture 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 the dry mix. You will most likely need it if the consistency becomes too liquid.

Make sure you have the correct ratio of water to dry ingredients

The amount of time you need to wait will depend on the thickness of the concrete surface to be applied. Concrete is ready to be cut when it is sufficiently dense but still malleable and holds its shape well.

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

If you're working with bare hands, smear Vaseline on your hands to help protect your skin.

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

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

Making a sculpture using a grid

We cut the grid. Cut out the metal mesh. You can use the usual 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 hold the wet concrete until it dries and serve as a reinforcing layer.

Use a mesh that can hold its shape

Wrap the mesh around something dense. If you're having trouble shaping the mesh into the shape you want, try wrapping the mesh around something dense, like cardboard or styrofoam, to form the desired shape of the sculpture.

Typically, 36 kg of mixture requires about 2.8 liters of water. Add about two-thirds of the water to the concrete mixture. 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 finished concrete mixture should hold its shape if you squeeze it into a fist.

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

Apply concrete to the grid. Use a trowel or spatula to apply the solution to the mesh surface. Apply in thin layers and try to gain the desired shape. In the beginning, apply general forms without going into details. Details can be worked out when the concrete becomes dense, but remains sufficiently pliable.

Too much 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 a product can be made in 7 days. Use acrylic paints, they are more vibrant.

Today you can admire sculptures not only in museums and at exhibitions. All you have to do is go to any a private house and you will see that the lawn is decorated with cute figurines of gnomes, birds, flowers and much more.

Of course, buying a finished product is not a problem, but it is much more interesting to make a sculpture with your own hands. Moreover, it is not so difficult, you just need to know some of the subtleties of technology and have a fantasy!

Varieties of sculptures

You can make a sculpture from concrete, gypsum, polymer and simple clay, polyurethane foam. It all depends on what you want to create a sculpture for and where it will stand, indoors or outdoors.

In fact, the cost of sculpture is low, the main expense is your time and patience.

For example, garden sculptures are best made from gypsum and polyurethane foam, but when you fill your hand and have a minimal idea of ​​​​skills and technology, you can switch to concrete mixed with sand.

There are several ways to make a sculpture. Professionals sculpt sculpture from scratch, while amateurs are better off using auxiliary materials that will help create truly beautiful sculptures with their own hands.

For this purpose, you can use silicone molds, wire, frames.

Today we will tell you how to make a sculpture with your own hands, and soon you will have a lot of your own creations!

How to make a sculpture with your own hands

Today we offer you to create the simplest garden sculpture. From this master class, you will gain good knowledge and skills, and in the future it will be easier for you to master more complex work.

To create this sculpture with your own hands you will need:

• Sculptural plaster or cement mixture,
• PVA glue,
• Any lacquer
• Acrylic paints,
• Compasses, brushes, pencil,
• stationery knife,
• food film,
• small plastic bottle,
• 2 containers for the mushroom cap and stem.

The set is simple and quite affordable. Everything you need to create a sculpture can be found at home, and specialized materials are widely available in foreign online stores!

We take a bottle with a large neck and cut off the top, this will be the shape for the mushroom leg.

In order for the solution to then easily lag behind the plastic, it is necessary to treat the bottle with a mixture of soap, sunflower oil and water in a ratio of 2 to 1 to 7. Rub the soap on a fine grater.

The next step is to dilute a small amount of gypsum to create a leg. To save gypsum, you can put a small bottle in the leg and then pour the gypsum and leave the leg to harden.

When the plaster hardens, cut the bottle and remove it.

Now you need to take a bowl, which will be a mold for the mushroom cap. Cover it well with cling film as tightly as possible so that there are as few wrinkles as possible.

Pour the next portion of gypsum into it and insert the leg. In this form, we leave the sculpture to harden for about 40 minutes.

The last step is to create the base of the figurine.

Now the design of the figure: with the help of a compass and a simple pencil, we draw all the necessary elements.

Using a clerical knife or a gypsy needle, we make cuts according to the sketch.

In a ratio of 1 to 2, we dilute the PVA and water and thoroughly prime the fungus, give it time to dry and proceed to painting the sculpture.

After the paint has completely dried, varnish the fungus!

You can buy everything you need here:

The Chinese platform Aliexpress offers not only spatulas and all kinds of auxiliary tools, but also small decorative items that can complement your work.

Now you know how to make a sculpture with your own hands! To create the following masterpieces, you will only need to dream a little and you will definitely succeed.

You can create an unusual atmosphere on a suburban area by adding garden sculptures to its exterior. They are offered in a wide range 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, will prefer to sculpt garden figurines on their own, and we'll 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 that are attributed to various sculptures:

• gnome family small size brings good luck, a good harvest.

• Figurines of various animals rewarded with health and longevity.
• Marble statues of a man protected from loneliness.
• Fairy tale characters promise an interesting, boring life full of magical events.

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

Both old masters and modern design wizards are well aware of the intricacies of decorating a garden, where each figurine has its own correct 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 a few general rules by choosing the type of garden composition and placing it in the garden:

• Since garden sculpture is difficult to try on (like a dress), to determine if it fits, draw a plan of your garden and try it on graphically various options ready or planned for handmade.
• Each sculpture suits a certain background, which will either emphasize its beauty and style, or drown out and obscure it:
  • Open spaces are great for small figurines:
    • Against the background of fences, fences.
    • Near .
    • Near garden benches and paths.
    • At artificial reservoirs.
  • Large, tall sculptures white color harmonizes perfectly with:
    • Tall green trees.
    • Neatly cut shrubs.
    • Fountains.
  • style harmony. 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 reinforcing the direction of its image:
    • For a romantic garden with openwork gazebos and delicate flowers monophonic graceful figures of people, plants or magical compositions with refined lines will do.
    • The village garden is impressed by sculptures from various tree species, images of domestic animals or colorful objects of national folklore.
    • Art Nouveau garden can be decorated with the most unexpected sculptures made of metal, stone and concrete.
  • Garden sculpture should be "out of place". It 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 artfully designed landscape. And sometimes they can be simply out of place, like 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 join the garden ensemble, enhancing the atmosphere of comfort and aesthetic pleasure in it.

Garden sculptures of own production

Hand-made figurines for the garden do not have to be masterpieces of art. No one expects private sculptors to carve antique statues from marble, but even the simplest figurine, made with soul and positive emotions in the process, will please the eye. And then you can improve your skills, going from flat painted figures to voluminous 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 do-it-yourself wooden sculptures for the garden may not necessarily be carved. Connect fantasy!

• Anyone can make a miniature well or a fabulous hut on chicken legs from planed branches.
• Various stumps, snags and logs can themselves suggest a decor theme with their shape.

In general, there is a place to roam with “thought on the tree” and in our context this takes on a direct meaning.

Note!
The only weak point of wooden sculpture can be considered the need to remove them from the open air to the storage room in the winter.

Concrete and plaster sculptures

Another option simple manufacturing garden decorative elements for the garden - gypsum casting. From it you can make flowerpots, 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, sifted through a large sieve, clay (purchase or dig up in a quarry). Dilute it in a basin with water until the density of standing.
• Now we will make a stencil shape by pressing the existing figure into the clay: first from the front side, then from the “rear”.
• Forms are exposed to the sun and dry well. If cracks form during drying, fill them with plasticine.
• Let's prepare a gypsum mortar without lumps from water and dry gypsum to the state of liquid sour cream.

Important!
Forms before pouring must be lubricated with wax or paraffin, petroleum jelly.

• Pour the gypsum 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 pleasant part of the work is painting the figurine.

Remember that paints should also be used moisture resistant.

Advice!
You can decorate the base of the concrete sculpture with elements cast from plaster in silicone baking molds that every housewife has in the kitchen.

garden sculptures from concrete with their own hands 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 bottom layer to dry a little.
• The solution for modeling is prepared in a ratio of 1: 3 from cement and sand.

Using cement mortar you can build an old 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 a finished sculpture. After all, you will have to spend money only on the purchase of cement, sand and gypsum.

Sculptures from "what was"

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

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

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

• Old furniture and more.

In general, by connecting imagination and being smart, an individual decoration for the site can be made from almost anything.

Interesting!
if you have old car or a bicycle that is not suitable for movement, they can also be used to transform into original sculptures for the garden.

green sculptures

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

There are three ways to create living decorations in the garden:

• Traditional, that is, pruning and shearing of a living plant, performed 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 teapot, a shoe, etc.

Conclusion

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

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