Making Bronze Sculptures

Using bronze to make a metal sculpture results in a sculpture that is just called a bronze. Bronze sculptures are the most popular type of sculptures. Artists that specialize in making human figures often will do them in bronze because bronze is the best material to use for a statue or a sculpture that is highly detailed.

One of the reasons that bronze is a material that sculptors like to work with is because bronze has a unique characteristic. When bronze is heated and poured into a mold or a cast of the statue or sculpture it will expand just before it hardens. That expansion usually will fill in any extra fine details or ornate sculpting that the artist has created so that the artist can create extremely detailed sculptures.

By means of welding techniques, bronze sculpture can be cast in pieces and then joined together afterwards. This method is highly valuable and effective for the creation of extensive projects. Bronze sculpture also requires special polishing that will prevent the decay process, protecting the finish and color at the same time.

Making bronze sculptures can be quite complicated...

Even though making bronze sculptures is very popular among artists the process of making an actual bronze can be complicated. Sculptors usually use the lost wax cast method to create wax models of the artwork that they want to produce first to make sure that they have the design right.  

Lost wax casting is a tedious process but a very important one in making bronzes. First the artist will make a full scale model of the statue or sculpture, usually in plastic. A mold is made from that plastic model. That mold is usually made from plaster and will serve as the master version of the statue.

Once there is a plaster mold that is empty the artist will pour hot wax into that mold and let it set. Once the wax hardens that figure is removed and checked for any mistakes or problems. If that figure is perfect then another mold is made around that figure that has vents. Then the max is melted to liquid form and then is released as vapor through the vents in the model. Finally the molten bronze is poured into the mold. Once it has set, the sculpture is ready to be displayed or to be polished with a little more detailing.

Bronze is the material of choice for any sculptor that creates human statues or statues that are in action poses. Bronze is much more durable than most of the other metals used for sculpting because it holds up well under most conditions and it’s not as soft or as breakable as other types of metal.

Bronzes are all very popular when making bronze sculptures for home decoration. A lot of artists that want to sell home decor items use a bronze process known as ormolu. Ormolu is the process of gilding a bronze sculpture like a wall sconce for candles, or a sculptural element that is going to be used in a lamp or on a table.  

Ormolu (a method of gold coating) first become popular in France in the 18th century but is still used a lot today by sculptors that want to make fun sculptures that are useful and pretty to have in the home as well. This practice consisted in the use of a gold layer over a soft bronze alloy. The gold actually played the role of preventing corrosion or time deterioration.