TOOLS, MATERIALS & TERMS

Among the most common materials that sculptures are made from are bronze, stones such as alabaster and marble, stainless steel and wood. Sculptors will employ a variety of tools to create their work, such as chisels and their hands to mold clay, and for bronze they use processes including the lost-wax casting or create bas-reliefs.

There are maquettes, which are small preliminary models or sketches made of the works, as well as monumental pieces that are often meant to be displayed outdoors. Sculptures can be one-of-a-kind works or have a limited-edition run, which is the number of pieces that are created from a mold before it is destroyed.