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to my satisfaction, I coated it with a separation agent and took plaster moulds from it. At this point I treated it as I would any positive in my bronze foundry, taking moulds and making waxes, moulding with a ceramic shell system and casting in bronze.
One other way of using CNC machines is to have a small maquette digitally scanned, then digitally enlarged and cut on a CNC machine. This appears to be a more used process by sculptors now, but I believe that will change as more sculptors become conversant with 3-D design programs, a cleaner and more efficient CNC cutting.
THE UPSIDE One of the biggest benefits to sculptors is the amount of time needed to create a positive. For a large sculpture the amount of time saved is considerable. To create the top portion of ‘Herons Landing’ a third and most intricate part of the sculpture, took the CNC machine two days to produce in Styrofoam, a job that would have taken two or three months to do by hand.
This of course allows much more time for sculptors to simply be creative. The whole digital process also allows sculptors to sculpt as long as they can use the computer.
Physical ability is no longer a real factor for sculptors in terms of creation.
THE DOWNSIDE The down side of digital sculpture is primarily expense. The cost of computer equipment and programming can easily run into many thousands of dollars. Most sculptors and designers will simply contract CNC machine use. CNC machines are however not always available within the immediate vicinity, necessitating travel and transportation. This is especially true for very large pieces.
Learning to use the programs is really a trial and error process by sculptors. Although most programs come with a manual and videos, classes for these products are far and few between. In most places they are simply not available, and for the average sculptor, traveling and taking these specialized classes may well be cost prohibitive.
3-D Programs and Techniques While there are many programs available to create digital sculpture, all are some variations of computer aided design programs. Most usage of these programs is by computer animators such as game makers and movie animators. They are also used by engineers in creating industrial
computer generated 3-D file
completed CNC positive
traditional plaster mold making
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