A sculpture is a piece of artwork that is 3-D and carved out of hard materials. Sculpting has been used by many people throughout history to express their religious beliefs and to create art as a remembrance of the dead. Today, most sculpting is performed by artists for the home and yard. A lot of people use sculptures to decorate their front yards and make their home more expressive.
Stone is a material used for sculpture. Any type of hard stone can be used to form the art, including marble, soapstone, alabaster and limestone. Stone is a challenging material to use to form this kind of artwork, because one mistake can ruin the sculpture. Using stone for sculpture has its advantages. Most stone sculptures will last throughout the ages and command high prices at auctions.
In ancient times, bronze was used to form sculptures, but in the modern age, many artists use all types of metal. You can find sculptures made from iron since the invention of welding equipment has made working with this hard metal easier. Molten bronze is poured into a sand mold filled with a carved wax impression. As the wax melts, it runs out an escape channel, leaving the bronze sculpture.
Wood is a material used for sculpting artwork. Even primitive civilizations used wood to form sculptures. Native American Indians, as well as the Amazon natives, use wood to create artwork, such as totem poles and other spiritual sculptures. Wood is easier to use than the other two materials, because it is softer. A disadvantage of using wood for a sculpture is it can deteriorate over time, unless you maintain the material.