Concrete or cement mortar can be used not only as a building material, but also as an excellent material for the implementation of creative ideas - the manufacture of landscape gardening sculptures.

What is required for manufacturing?

In order to decorate your local area, garden or landscape design with concrete sculptures, no special education, special equipment and special skills are required. You will need - desire, spatial thinking, the ability to work with concrete and a sense of beauty. You may need to know how to work with a welding machine.

Depending on the accepted technology of sculptures, the following materials and tools will be required:

• A container for mixing a solution or a concrete mixer;
• Trench tool: shovels, spatula, trowel;
• Steel or aluminum wire;
• Pliers and wire cutters;
• Portland cement M400 (white or gray), sand, water, plasticizer for concrete (for example, Fairy detergent or PVA glue);
• Polyethylene film;
• Plastic construction mesh;
• Paint and primer for exterior work "on concrete";
• Forms for filling (an option for making sculptures using fill in forms).

Options and technologies

Before you start kneading the material, you should decide on the type of sculpture manufacturing technology. It depends on the shape and size of the product. Simple sculptures such as mushrooms, koloboks, shapes in the form of spheres or hemispheres can be made using the technology of casting into forms, complex "realistic" sculptures in the form of animals, flowers, trees, birds, caricatures of people and other similar products are made according to a more complex - wireframe technology. Figures of relatively small sizes can be molded from concrete by hand, similar to plasticine.

Frame technology

This is one of the most complex technologies, which involves the manufacture of the frame of the future sculpture from steel or aluminum wire. There are no standard recipes here, except for recommending the use of any suitable unnecessary things as a basis: boxes, wood, rags, etc.

The frame can be made from aluminum wire by knitting, from steel wire by welding, or by a combined method - welding the base of the sculpture and knitting its individual elements.

If the sculpture is planned to be hollow (preferred option), the frame is very neatly and carefully covered with construction mesh. In the manufacture of a hollow figure, not only expensive concrete components are saved, but also there is no need to order lifting devices to move it and install it in a permanent place.

The mortar is applied to the frame in layers, with a spatula and a trowel. Each new layer is applied after the beginning of the setting of the previous layer. After the last layer has been applied, and the concrete has set, but has not yet dried, the defects of the sculpture (sagging, sagging, burrs, etc.) should be corrected. This can be done with a spatula, knife or coarse sandpaper.

Pouring technology into ready-made molds

The technology provides for the purchase or manufacture of special forms by analogy with construction formwork. For example, to fill the mushroom cap, you can use a bowl, bowl or half of the ball lined with plastic wrap, and for the leg - a plastic bottle, which, after the concrete has set, is cut and removed.

When making the mold, ensure that there are no large slots through which the solution may flow out. Also, in order to save concrete, you can put a plastic bottle inside the mold, or fill the space with unnecessary rags.

Technology for preparing concrete mortar for pouring sculpture

• The sand is sieved and mixed with cement in a 3: 1 ratio. When choosing between white and gray Portland cement, it should be borne in mind that paints applied to white cement will look brighter, richer and more natural. At the same time, white cement is much more expensive than conventional "gray" binder;
• Pure water and plasticizer are added to the resulting homogeneous mixture in small portions in the proportion of 200 ml of liquid per bag of cement weighing 50 kg. Mixing is carried out until smooth. Control of the "thick sour cream" consistency. If the concrete is too thick, add water and mix again.

After obtaining the consistency of thick sour cream, the solution is ready to be applied to the frame or shell mold.

The creation of a foresketch is the first stage in the creation of a sculptural work, a plastic and thematic proposal. Foresketch is performed in a graphic or volumetric solution. In some cases, when creating a monumental and monumental-decorative sculpture, an artistic concept of the designed sculptural work is developed.

1. Development of the sketch design of the sculpture

2. Creation of a working model of a sculpture in a soft material (clay or plasticine) at a given scale.

4.Creating a model in soft material in the size of the sculptural work:

5. Removing the shape from the sculpture model (for subsequent creation in solid material). Molds can be plaster (disposable) or rubber (for multiple use and more accurate casting)

6. Creation of a wax model of the sculpture (for subsequent casting of the sculpture in bronze or cast iron).

7. Creation of a sculptural work in solid material.

The ancient sculptors of beautiful sculptures and works of art who "survived" to this day, in their work preferred materials of natural origin. Such as granite, marble, and others.

To date, technology has stepped forward and sculptors in their work can use both natural materials and artificially created ones.

In this article, we want to tell you about materials for sculpture such as concrete, wood and plaster. And although wood is not a newly created sculptural material at hand, it has been widely used in our time.

So concrete.

If you apply a little imagination and dreams, then the Sami's banal city flower bed can turn into a truly open-air art museum in a moment.

Do you know what it takes to create this miracle? Quite a bit - to arrange in the correct order and in the appropriate style made concrete statues and sculptures. It should be remembered that in order to create a concrete sculpture, you need to use concrete grade no lower than B two hundred and fifty. In addition, you should also be aware that there are two methods of sculpture from concrete. The first is that the sculpture that you would like to get in the end is carved from a previously poured monolithic piece of concrete.

But there is also a method in which a previously made form is poured with concrete and then a concrete hollow sculpture is created from it.

Today, almost half of all sculptures made are made of concrete. It has long taken its rightful place in the ranking of materials for the manufacture of sculptures. Its most important advantages are manufacturability and affordability. In addition, the concrete form looks very beautiful and aesthetically pleasing.

Probably the oldest material from which various sculptures were made is wood. But along with this, the tree is not so durable, which is why the sculptures of the ancient world from wood have not survived almost in their original form. The structure of the tree can dry out, rot, decay. Therefore, sculptures from it are made in such a way that they will not stand for too long.

Gypsum has also been used in sculpture for a long time. We all remember very well the sculptures "girl with an oar", various fish, boys and animals. We love and respect gypsum masters very much. Until recently, all stucco moldings were exclusively made of plaster. Of course, it is not as long-lived as bronze, but still it is able to withstand various external destroyers for a long period of time.

Most professional sculptors are skeptical about concrete. It is not easy to work with it, the mixture requires lengthy preparation and kneading, it is difficult to give thin lines to it. But this material is great for decorating a personal plot, since even a novice artisan can get simple, beautiful figures. You can make sculptures out of concrete with your own hands using several auxiliary elements.

Necessary materials

The set of additional tools and items largely depends on the complexity of the product. Making the vast majority of sculptures does not require special education, special skills and numerous expensive tools. However, for the successful implementation of the project, preliminary preparation is necessary. In order not to miss important details, it is worth sticking to the following plan:

The list of preparatory work can seem long and costly in financial and time terms. But it is not so.

Most of the tools are standard and cannot be dispensed with when working with cement. In addition, many items are always found in summer cottages.

Manufacturing technology

When choosing a model for a future sculpture, one should take into account not only the dimensions, design and aesthetic component, but also the complexity of production. Today There are three main methods of making concrete sculptures:

• frame technology;
• filling in ready-made forms;
• modeling by hand.

The latter technique has practically no nuances, and the process of work can be compared to modeling a model from clay or plasticine. The only condition is the consistency of the cement. The composition should not be too liquid so that sculpting does not cause a lot of trouble. This technique is suitable for creating only the simplest and smallest crafts. A good use would be to create many small figures that can decorate the facade of a house, potted flowers, a backyard with tiles.

Subtleties of the frame method

This technique is considered the most difficult. To create a sculpture, a preliminary wire structure is required, which will serve as the basis for the future product. The wire model does not have to replicate all structural elements. Its main purpose is to obtain a base, which will allow the sculptor to stick around the frame with shaping. There is no universal recipe for production. Any unnecessary things are suitable for the product: wood, rags, boxes. But it is best to create a base of aluminum or steel wire.

There are several ways to make a model. Medium to small shapes can be made from aluminum wire. In this case, it is enough to use a regular ligament, since the material is elastic. Steel wire will require a combined method. Some parts of the future frame can be tied with pliers or another tool, other elements will have to be welded.

Most experts suggest making the sculptures hollow. This option is considered preferable and has several advantages:

• Saving materials. A large sculpture will require a decent amount of cement to be poured, and the material is not cheap.
• Ease. Do not forget that it may be necessary to move or move the statue. The weight of a cement-filled figure can be impressive.
• The hollow model is fabricated using construction mesh. The mesh frame is neatly and carefully covered with this material, after which the creation of a sculpture from concrete is simple.

It is worth applying cement to the frame with a spatula and a trowel. Each new layer can be added after the previous one has dried. Movements should be light and gentle. After completing the work, do not wait for the concrete to dry completely.

When the solution has set, but not completely frozen, it is important to correct all the shortcomings: to eliminate irregularities and smudges.

Pouring into ready-made shapes

The success of the implementation of the conceived project using the technology of pouring into molds depends on the preparation of the solution and the availability of the mold. The base can be purchased in the store or made by yourself. Due to the difficulties with the assortment at the points of sale, the latter option remains the preferred one. It is not necessary to perform complex elements in exact accordance with the dimensions of the future sculpture. The means at hand will do.

For example, a small and neat mushroom can be made using an old bowl, a ball, and a plastic bottle. The cap is obtained by pouring cement into a basin. The leg is even easier: just pour the solution into a plastic bottle and cut the material after the material has hardened.

Some features exist in the technology of preparing a concrete solution. It is recommended to adhere to the following rules:

1. The sand must be carefully sieved so that large particles of stones or other debris do not get into the future solution.
2. It is worth mixing sand with cement in a ratio of 3: 1, and when choosing between white and gray Portland cement, it is worth considering the future color: paints on a white base look brighter. But the cost of the gray version is significantly lower.
3. In the resulting solution, you need to gradually add ordinary clean water and a plasticizer in the amount of 200 ml per 50 kg of cement.
4. Mixing must be done very carefully. The consistency of the finished mixture should be in the form of thick sour cream.

After completing all the work, you need to cover the sculpture with a film and leave to dry completely for 10-12 hours. Protection against rain and moisture will avoid unpleasant consequences if liquid gets on an uncured substrate. After complete hardening, you can cover the product with a primer and paints of the desired colors.

Craft Ideas for Beginners

Without the necessary experience, it is not worth starting to create complex statues from concrete. Large-scale, large products will require the use of frame technology, which can significantly complicate life. Today, there are many options for crafts that look great, but do not require special skills in production.

Concrete fungus

A bright fly agaric, boletus or any other mushroom is easy to create. Trying to get an exact copy of any model of the mushroom out of concrete is not worth it; you can achieve the desired similarity with the help of paints. For such a sculpture, it is best to use concrete, which in its state of aggregation should resemble melted butter. There are many step-by-step instructions, one of the options is this set of actions:

To create complete compositions, you can make several mushrooms of different sizes and place them on the base. Thus, real mushroom glades will appear on the site, which look very harmonious on the green lawn.

Leaves use

With the help of burdocks, mallow, rhubarb or other plants, amazing concrete blanks can be obtained. The manufacturing process is simple. The mortar is obtained by mixing 1 part Portland cement and 3 parts sand and water. You need to add liquid gradually, mixing the mixture thoroughly. As a result, you should get a consistency like a curd mass. On top it is worth pouring a small pile of sand and putting a whole leaf of the plant. It remains only to fill the entire surface with a cement mixture. After drying, a sheet with an excellent relief shape is detached. You can paint such details with any paint.

Similar methods can be used to obtain imitation boulders, concrete balls and hemispherical figures. Painting is an important step. Thanks to the good combination of colors and careful work, the product takes on its final appearance and becomes a decoration of any area.

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The silence of the great statues holds many secrets.

When Auguste Rodin was asked how he creates his statues, the sculptor repeated the words of the great Michelangelo: "I take a block of marble and cut off everything unnecessary from it." This is probably why the sculpture of a real master always creates a feeling of a miracle: it seems that only a genius is capable of seeing the beauty that is hiding in a piece of stone.

We are in site we are sure that in almost every significant work of art there is a riddle, a "double bottom" or a secret story that you want to reveal. Today we will share a few of them.

Horned Moses

Michelangelo Buanarotti, "Moses", 1513-1515

Michelangelo depicted Moses with horns on his sculpture. Many art historians attribute this to a misinterpretation of the Bible. The Book of Exodus says that when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the tablets, it was difficult for the Jews to look into his face. At this point in the Bible, a word is used that can be translated from Hebrew both as "rays" and as "horns." However, according to the context, we can unequivocally say that we are talking about the rays of light - that the face of Moses shone, and was not horned.

Colored Antiquity

Augustus from Prima Porta, antique statue.

For a long time it was believed that ancient Greek and Roman sculptures made of white marble were initially colorless. However, recent research by scientists has confirmed the hypothesis that the statues were painted in a wide range of colors, which eventually disappeared under prolonged exposure to light and air.

The Little Mermaid's Suffering

Edward Eriksen, The Little Mermaid, 1913

The statue of the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen is one of the most distressing in the world: it is she who is most loved by vandals. The history of its existence was very turbulent. It was broken and cut into pieces many times. And now you can still find barely noticeable "scars" on the neck, which appeared from the need to replace the head of the sculpture. The little mermaid was beheaded twice: in 1964 and 1998. In 1984, her right arm was sawed off. On March 8, 2006, a dildo was hoisted on the mermaid's hand, and the unfortunate woman herself was splattered with green paint. In addition, on the back there was a scrawled inscription "From March 8!" In 2007, Copenhagen authorities announced that the statue could be relocated further into the harbor to avoid further incidents of vandalism and to prevent the constant attempts of tourists to climb it.

"Kiss" without a kiss

Auguste Rodin, The Kiss, 1882

The famous sculpture by Auguste Rodin "The Kiss" was originally called "Francesca da Rimini", in honor of the noble Italian lady of the 13th century depicted on it, whose name was immortalized by Dante's Divine Comedy (Circle Two, Fifth Canto). The lady fell in love with her husband's younger brother, Giovanni Malatesta, Paolo. When they read the story of Lancelot and Guinevere, they were discovered and then killed by her husband. The sculpture shows Paolo holding a book in his hand. But in fact, lovers do not touch each other with their lips, as if hinting that they were killed without committing a sin.

The renaming of the sculpture to a more abstract one - The Kiss (Le Baiser) - was made by critics who first saw it in 1887.

The secret of the marble veil

Raphael Monti, Marble Veil, mid-19th century.

When you look at the statues covered with a translucent marble veil, one involuntarily thinks about how it is even possible to make such a thing out of stone. It's all about the special structure of the marble used for these sculptures. The lump, which was to become a statue, had to have two layers - one more transparent, the other more dense. Such natural stones are difficult to find, but they are. The master had a plot in his head, he knew what kind of lump he was looking for. He worked with it, respecting the texture of a normal surface, and walked along the border separating the denser and more transparent part of the stone. As a result, the remnants of this transparent part "shone through", which gave the effect of a veil.

Perfect David made of tainted marble

Michelangelo Buanarotti, "David", 1501-1504

The famous statue of David was made by Michelangelo from a piece of white marble left over from another sculptor, Agostino di Duccio, who unsuccessfully tried to work with this piece and then threw it away.

By the way, David, who has been considered a model of male beauty for centuries, is not so perfect. The fact is that he was squint. This is the conclusion reached by the American scientist Mark Levoy from Stanford University, who examined the statue using laser-computer technology. The "visual defect" of the more than five-meter sculpture is invisible, since it is erected on a high pedestal. According to experts, Michelangelo deliberately endowed his brainchild with this flaw, since he wanted David's profile to look perfect from any side.

Death that inspired creativity

Kiss of Death, 1930

The most mysterious statue in the Poblenou cemetery in Catalonia is called the Kiss of Death. The sculptor who created it remains unknown to this day. Usually authorship of "The Kiss" is attributed to Jaume Barba, but there are those who are sure that the monument was sculpted by Joan Fonbernat. The sculpture is located in one of the far corners of the Poblenou cemetery. It was she who inspired the filmmaker Bergman to create the painting "The Seventh Seal" - about the communication of the Knight and Death.

The hands of Venus de Milo

Agesander (?), "Venus de Milo", c. 130-100 BC

The figure of Venus takes pride of place in the Parisian Louvre. A certain Greek peasant found her in 1820 on the island of Milos. At the time of discovery, the figure was broken into two large fragments. In her left hand, the goddess held an apple, and in her right she held the falling robe. Realizing the historical significance of this ancient sculpture, the officers of the French navy ordered the removal of the marble statue from the island. As Venus was being dragged over the cliffs to the waiting ship, a fight broke out between the bearers, and both hands broke off. The tired sailors flatly refused to return and look for the remaining parts.

Nice imperfection of Nika of Samothrace

Nika of Samothrace ", II century BC

The statue of Niki was found on the island of Samothrace in 1863 by Charles Champoiseau, French consul and archaeologist. A statue carved from golden Parian marble on the island crowned the altar of sea deities. Researchers believe that an unknown sculptor created Nika in the 2nd century BC as a sign of Greek naval victories. The arms and head of the goddess are irretrievably lost. Attempts were also made to restore the original position of the goddess's hands. It is assumed that the right hand, raised upward, was holding a goblet, wreath or horn. Interestingly, multiple attempts to restore the statue's arms were unsuccessful - they all spoiled the masterpiece. These failures force us to admit: Nika is beautiful just like that, perfect in her imperfection.

Mystical Bronze Horseman

Etienne Falconet, Monument to Peter I, 1768-1770

The Bronze Horseman is a monument surrounded by mystical and otherworldly stories. One of the legends associated with him says that during the Patriotic War of 1812, Alexander I ordered to take out of the city especially valuable works of art, including the monument to Peter I. At this time, a certain major Baturin made a meeting with the personal friend of the tsar, Prince Golitsyn. and told him that he, Baturin, was haunted by the same dream. He sees himself in Senate Square. Peter's face turns. The rider drives off his cliff and goes along the Petersburg streets to Kamenny Island, where Alexander I then lived. The rider enters the courtyard of the Kamennoostrovsky palace, from which the sovereign comes out to meet him. “Young man, what have you brought my Russia to,” Peter the Great tells him, “but as long as I’m in place, my city has nothing to fear!” Then the rider turns back, and again there is a "heavy-ringing gallop". Struck by Baturin's story, Prince Golitsyn conveyed the dream to the emperor. As a result, Alexander I canceled his decision to evacuate the monument. The monument remained in place.