Media: Sculpture — Casting Casts of characters Most of us have appreciated bronze statues or busts, but we may not fully appreciate the elaborate casting process required to create them. For practical and aesthetic reasons, an artist usually begins making a bronze sculpture by creating a version of the sculpture in clay. A skilled artist can capture the basic features of the model in this clay version relatively quickly, without requiring that model to pose for the artist for the many weeks it takes to create a sculpture in bronze. Creating a preliminary version in clay also allows the artist to create rich textures and fluid lines that are otherwise hard to achieve in large metal sculptures. Art that breaks the mold Leslie Enders Lee A plaster mold is then built over the clay version, and the clay is removed as soon as the mold is set. Next, the mold is put back together and filled with plaster or other self-setting material to create a new, durable version. This plaster version is the preliminary cast, or core model. The core model is coated with wax and covered with plaster to create a mold that is slightly larger than the core model. The wax is then melted away, leaving a gap between the core model and the mold where the molten metal can be poured. When the metal has set, the mold and core model are broken or removed and the bronze statue is complete. Click on a technique to learn more about sculpture methods. Carving  Modeling  Casting  Constructing