From primitive man to the present sculpture has been present. Primitive man used stone to create artifacts, weapons and instruments of everyday life. Larger than life examples are Stonehenge, the pyramids, and the Great Sphinx. Throughout the centuries, the Greeks, Romans, and the Italians furthered the art of sculpture. For every culture, Asian, African, Indian, European, et al, you will find sculpture represented in the arts of that culture.

What is sculpture? Sculpture is three dimensional. However, in order to accomplish a successful sculpture you need to understand the fundamentals of sculpture, the elements of design and the principles of order. The fundamentals of sculpture are technique, form and content. Technique encompasses the physical ability to perform the work and the necessary knowledge of tool usage and material chosen for a specific work. The shape you choose to present your idea is the form. And the content is the emotion, or message of the work.

The elements of design are shape, texture, space, plane and value of the work. Shape is the outline of the piece, the total of all its parts, the form it takes. Texture can be accomplished by tooling, or the degree of sanding and finish applied. The way light plays on the sculpture can be manipulated with texture. Space is the actual area around the sculpture, its surroundings; this will help define the message. Planes are the various surface areas of a piece and how they integrate with each other. Value encompasses all of the above, how the plans, textures and shape of the work allow the light and or dark areas to play off each other.

To employ the elements of design you will use the principles of order to accomplish your work. These principles are balance, proportion, unity, variety, repetition and movement. Balance may imply either the actual or visual balance. Proportion is the scale or size of the work. Unity is how all the parts work together. The planes, color and grain of the stone, its negative spaces, and how they relate to one another. The Variety of a piece will consist of its shape and the textures, and how they work together. Repetition is where a form or shape is repeated, although it may be larger or smaller. And Movement or Rhythm is manipulating the solid material to show motion.

A work that incorporates these fundamentals will draw the viewer in and around the piece. The viewer will linger, and if allowed, will explore the form with their hands. The finished work is a feast for the senses.