Carving Foam is great for Sculpture, Models, and large scale pattern work! pdf

Carving Foam is great for Sculpture, Models, and large scale pattern work!. These pieces, along with the figure used in this book, were part of an installation titled Major Impact.. TJ h

Carving Foam is great for Sculpture, Models, and large scale pattern work!

These pieces, along with the figure used in this book, were part

of an installation titled Major Impact

TJ has used this basic process for large industrial

models and forms as well Any type of project

you want to create in 3D can benefit from this

read Whether you are a skilled sculptor or just a

curious person with a project to consider, Tj’s

insights will be helpful to you

They were all carved in foam Various finish and mold techniques were tried for the final works over a period of eight years

Tj discovered how to produce finished works directly from these simple materials using polymer modified concrete formulas

The mold form for this Japanese soak tub and the patterns for the flaming fender skirts on this hot rod Lincoln were carved using these same techniques

To the sculptor:

The 3 book series is a step by step explanation for creating big sculpture for very little money

Tj’s studio photographs and notes have been laid out to best show the process he developed over several years The text includes discussion on tools and techniques as they are used on the pieces, as well as errors and how to fix them All three books are intended as studio guides for experienced sculptors, yet they stress simple, inexpensive tools and materials Some items reappear from earlier books for the artist who has just that volume The final book illustrates the formula developed for stone coating the pieces with a new process using polymer modified concrete

Creating a Block for carving the piece (covered in Book 1, Scaling Up)

1 Lay out, line work, basic carving technique 12

Finishing methods & materials choices- 39

Coating the Piece This process is in Book 3, Stone Coating

2

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Foam is often thought of as a cheap, weak material It is inexpensive and you can snap an appendage easily, but in compression this stuff is fantastic It will hold hundreds of pounds of force Cheap means that you can use a lot for larger pieces and afford to throw away scrap and mistakes Speed is a huge plus Foam can be cut, glued and shaped extremely quickly, enabling a sculpture to proceed at a rapid pace The fidelity that you can get with a little practice is astonishing Dow extruded foam plank will sand to a smooth surface that will satisfy most pattern making needs It is available at your DIY store

There are certain techniques required for working with foam It must be handled with a delicate touch when carving and sanding to avoid

“tearing” Once you have most of the surface complete you must be careful not to scar it before the surface coat goes on But practice will make you good at this

Changing your piece is also quite easy Cut away, flatten the area and glue in a new piece Your change is done in minutes Light weight means easy lifting, moving and repositioning with no heavy equipment needed

The final advantage comes from breakthroughs in concrete formulas With a thin skin of glass-filled, polymer-modified cement, your foam carving becomes a light weight rock, able to withstand a lot

more abuse than you would think due to great compressive strength

Advantage of Foam

Carving Major Lines Against Secondary Forms

21

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Some lines come from a panel edge Some are drawn on a

surface and V cut, deepened and cut again after new detail is

drawn on (Note the start of wavy detail just below the red mark)

At this point you are blocking in major forms and getting your proportions and major lines where they need

to be Slice away material constantly checking the drawing, your work lines, and the maquette for

reference Try to keep section labels visible as long as possible and constantly place marks on the surface for guides (The blue line along torso and leg represents edge of profile and needs to be cut in)

Bring the whole piece along at the same rate of refinement It is important not to

go too far in one area This way, if you have

to make a major change you do not loose too much effort

Here a major step has been defined and deepening the detail

below has been started

(Same area later)

Piecing in Intricate

intricate development of an area like this form surrounding the thumb The hand is carved sanded and set in, and so is the form just beneath the thumb The areas marked in red just to the left had material removed This was a lot easier without the hand in the way