Can Sculpture Basic Techniques

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Can SculptureBasic Techniques

• with Recycled Materials

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• Equipment
• Only simple equipment is required
• Aluminium Cans
• Copper wire
• Soft Iron Wire
• Scrap washers etc
• Scissors
• Wire cutters
• Pliers
• Masking tape
• - Small hammer
• Hole punch or nail
• Wood block
• Sandpaper

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Thinking in 3-D

• Techniques
• Wire armature, clad or woven with sheet metal
  from cans
• e.g. Fish, Animals, Figure
• Build from a pattern (net or development) joining
  elements with wire (Use a card model template or
  work out your own using paper)e.g. Stag Beetle

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Cutting a can

• Make holes near ends with punch, nail or
  screw-driver.
• Cut ends off with small scissors.

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• Cut down length easier to go half way from each
  end
• Trim off any rough edges and flatten

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• -Mark out shape.
• -Cut out with scissors.
• -Mark position of foldcuts and holes but do not
  cut them until texture is applied prevents
  metal from splitting.
• -A small hole can also be punched at the end of
  fold cuts to prevent splitting.

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Applying Texture
Rest metal sheet on firm textured surface, or
wire pattern and burnish with wooden or metal
object. Bottom right was burnished on a wooden
fabric printing block.
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Hammer metal sheet on a wooden block and
sandpaper the painted surface.
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Building Sculpture on Armature

• Build armature with wire or chicken-wire

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How could I add strength?

• Make stronger wires for structural element, twist
  wires together.
• Twist the wires together at one end and secure
  firmly.
• Use a vice, wrap around a fixed handle or get
  another student to hold them securely in pliers.

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Building from Pattern

• Make your own from paper/card
• Imagine the finished object (looking at a real
  object as the starting point will help a lot).
• You may find that drawing the object helps you to
  visualise the surface planes that form it.
• Simplify the shapes.

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• Stiffen edges of wings etc. with wire by
  stitching.
• See Dragonfly wing below

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Make your templates

• Imagine the surfaces made of paper.
• Look at a section and imagine what it would look
  like if you made cuts where needed, unfolded and
  flattened it.

Trim as required
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Some finished examples
Look closely, can you see evidence of the
techniques used?
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Some finished examples
Look closely, can you see evidence of the
techniques used?