If you first decided to try yourself as a sculptor, then gypsum carving can be a great initial step. This will help to get basic ideas about this work, to feel the mechanics of the process and to decide for yourself how personally and personally this is interesting to you.
Plaster Carving: Pros and Cons
Of the advantages of this work, the following can be noted. Firstly, gypsum, unlike wood and stone, the material is soft and pliable. Cutting it is a pleasure. Secondly, raw materials, as well as a set of basic tools for gypsum carving, are inexpensive and available in any store for creativity.
Of the significant disadvantages of this lesson, you can highlight a large amount of dust generated during the processing of gypsum. When working with him, you must definitely 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
You can buy a finished gypsum slab or make it yourself without much difficulty. To do this, you need a gypsum mixture, water and a mold. As the last, 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 form of wooden battens directly on the table.
The manufacturing process of the plate itself is quite simple: you need to dilute the dry gypsum mixture, following the instructions on the etiquette, mix it well (at least 5-15 minutes) and pour into the mold. Cures gypsum very quickly. Already after 10-15 minutes, the stove can be taken out and proceed to processing.
As a basic set of tools for carving gypsum, you can use those that are already in your home: a good knife, a scalpel, a nail. Perhaps, since school times, a set of incisors for linocut has been littered somewhere. If you still decide to purchase special knives, kosyachki and chisels, then each of these tools costs about 500 rubles.
And it looks like a set of professional tools worth 540 euros:
Plaster carving: a workshop for beginners
For the first time, we recommend that you don’t immediately wave to a complex volumetric figure, but try your hand at carving a small bas-relief.
As in any other creative activity, we recommend starting with a sketch. Draw your favorite one-to-one picture. Then it needs to be transferred directly to the gypsum board. There are many ways - from using ordinary stationery carbon paper to the more professional method that artists use.
It is as follows: pierce holes with a thick needle or an awl along the lines of the sketch drawing, apply to the gypsum base and sprinkle with dry pigment (for example, grated charcoal). In any case, to begin with, it is worth avoiding small details, since subsequently difficulties may arise when cutting them.
Further, the process of carving on gypsum seems rather straightforward. So said the great sculptor Michelangelo Buonarotti:
I take a stone and cut off all unnecessary.
During the cutting process, do not forget to wet the surface of the gypsum 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 prettier if you cover it with ordinary paints.