There are several types of plaster, usually divided according to content, such as gypsum, lime or cement plasters, with similar characteristics. Larger sculptures usually have some form of armature upon which plaster is applied such as wire mesh or cloth. Different from other materials, plaster can be easily molded but due to its brittleness it often requires support.
Plaster ranks among the most used materials, and plaster sculpture persisted in original artistic practices throughout the centuries. You can paint or seal your final design if you would like.Different materials of sculpture are integral part of its later aesthetic charm.
You can then use sand paper or nail files to smooth out the surface. When you have your design set, let it harden complete. Use any air bubbles or holes as part of the design. We had a hammer and pick left over from one of those digging for dinosaur bones kit, old spoons, a spread knife, and the favorite… a paint can opener. Use metal utensils to scratch away the plaster to create your sculpture. You may want to work with it while it is still a bit soft to do the initial carving (removing the biggest pieces). Check out how warm the plaster gets as it hardens. Let your plaster harden for about 20-30 minutes. Mix 2/3 cup plaster with 1/3 of a cup of water in your cup and mix thoroughly. Write your name on the bottom of your cup. optional – craft paint to paint finished sculptureĬover your work area.metal spoons, nails, or other utensils for scratching the plaster.mixing device (we used old plastic forks).Wax coated paper cups or cardboard milk cartons.This is a process not product project and can be pulled out again and again. We worked on it several times over the course of two weeks… and my kids still don’t feel like they are done. You may want to wear goggles while working on this project… if you are aggressive in your sculpting, pieces may fly. Pixie had a very hard time trying to work on it. This project is better suited to older elementary school children and up.
You may find some content inappropriate for your kids. I suggest looking at work by Henry Moore and Jean Hans Arp… but be careful and pre-screen art websites. You may want to research modern art sculpture (as a modern looking pieces will be more easily accomplished by young artists). After reading about Mount Rushmore in our State Studies, I thought this would be a perfect time to do this project with the kids. Although the finished pieces were hardly masterpieces… I still remember enjoying the projects. I still remember how the Plaster grew warm as it set. That time we mixed up the Plaster of Paris and let it set up in a baggie that we held in our hand to create an abstract shape. We repeated the project with a slight variation in middle school. We mixed up a batch of Plaster of Paris, let it set in a recycled small milk carton (the ones from the school cafeteria) and then used spoons to scratch out a sculpture. I remember doing this project in elementary school.
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