How to make a sculpture from plaster. Making garden sculptures with your own hands

Create on suburban area An extraordinary atmosphere can be created by adding garden sculptures to its exterior. them in wide range offer in specialized stores “everything for the garden”: from classic products in the Greek style to cartoon and fairy-tale heroes. But those who like to give their property not only a well-groomed, but also a unique look, will, of course, prefer to sculpt garden figurines themselves, which is what we’ll talk about.

Let's reveal the secrets of garden sculptures

Since ancient times, sculptures and figurines located in the garden created a certain atmosphere and mood in it. It is believed that wooden and stone sculptures can influence not only the plants growing in the garden, but also the fate of the owners themselves.

Here are some of the meanings attributed to various statues:

• Dwarf family small size brings good luck and a good harvest.

• Figurines of various animals rewarded with health and longevity.
• Marble sculptures of a man protect from loneliness.
• Fairy tale characters They promise an interesting, non-boring life full of magical events.

Many may be skeptical about the above words, but not to believe that using sculptures skillfully placed in the garden creates a unique style for each garden plot - that would be the height of ignorance.

Both old masters and modern design wizards are well acquainted with the intricacies of garden decoration, where each figure has its own correct location.

In order not to create a cacophony of tastelessly scattered figures in your garden, before you choose something specific, read the advice of experts.

Is not clear instructions, and several general rules by choosing the type of garden composition and placing it in the garden:

• Since a garden sculpture is difficult to try on (like a dress), to determine whether it is suitable, draw a plan of your garden and try it on graphically various options ready or planned for hand-made.
• Each sculpture is suited to a specific background, which will either emphasize its beauty and style, or muffle and obscure it:
  • Open spaces are great for small figures:
    • Against the background of fences.
    • Near .
    • Near garden benches and paths.
    • Near artificial reservoirs.
  • Large, tall sculptures white harmonizes perfectly with:
    • Tall green trees.
    • Neatly trimmed bushes.
    • Fountains.
  • Harmony of style. Of course, everything in the garden, from the plants to the last tile on the path, should be in harmony.
    And, of course, garden sculptures should organically fit into the ensemble of the garden, only enhancing the direction of its image:
    • For a romantic garden with openwork gazebos and delicate flowers monochromatic graceful figures of people, plants or magical compositions with refined lines are suitable.
    • The village garden is impressed by sculptures from various tree species, images of domestic animals or colorful items of national folklore.
    • A Art Nouveau garden can be decorated with the most unexpected sculptures made of metal, stone and concrete.
  • Garden sculpture should be “in place”. Compliance implied semantic load item of decoration and its location. A mediocre approach to the placement of a product can greatly spoil the exterior of the most well-groomed and skillfully thought out landscape. And sometimes they can be simply inappropriate, like naked Nymphs and Apollo in the front garden of a children's institution.

When all the components for the success of placing a garden composition are met, it will join the ensemble of the garden, enhancing its atmosphere of comfort and aesthetic pleasure.

Homemade garden sculptures

Hand-made figurines for the garden do not necessarily have to be masterpieces of art. No one expects private sculptors to carve antique statues from marble, but even the simplest figurine, made with soul and positive emotions in the process, will be a pleasure to the eye. And then you can improve your skills, going from flat painted figures to three-dimensional products.

Wooden sculptures

If you are a skilled carver, then it will not be difficult for you to make decorations for your property from wood. But if not, then you shouldn’t be upset, because wooden sculptures for the garden with your own hands may not necessarily be carved. Use your imagination!

• Anyone can make a miniature well or a fairy-tale hut on chicken legs from planed branches.
• Various stumps, snags and logs can themselves suggest a decorative theme with their shape.

In general, there is room to roam “thoughts along the tree” and in our context this takes on direct meaning.

Note!
The only weak point of wooden sculptures can be considered the need to remove them from the open air indoors for storage during the winter.

Concrete and plaster sculptures

Another option easy to manufacture gardening decorative elements for the garden – plaster casting. You can make flowerpots and figurines from it using homemade molds.

If you have already purchased a sculpture for your garden, you can make a clone of it from plaster.

For this you will need:

• Prepare dry clay, sifted through a large sieve (purchase or dig up in a quarry). Dilute it in a bowl of water until thick.
• Now we will make a stencil mold by pressing the existing figure into the clay: first from the front side, then from the “rear”.
• The forms are exposed to the sun and dried well. If cracks form during drying, fill them with plasticine.
• Let's cook gypsum mortar without lumps of water and dry plaster to the state of liquid sour cream.

Important!
Before filling, the molds must be lubricated with wax or paraffin, Vaseline.

• Pour the gypsum mixture into the molds and leave to harden for about 20 hours at a temperature of 16 to 25 degrees.
• We glue the finished halves of the sculpture with moisture-resistant glue.
• Uneven joints can be smoothed out with sandpaper.
• Next is the fun part works - painting figurines.

Remember that paints should also be moisture resistant.

Advice!
You can decorate the base of a concrete sculpture with elements cast from plaster in silicone baking molds, which every housewife has in her kitchen.

DIY concrete garden sculptures can come in a wide variety of shapes.

To make them you need:

• First, assemble the frame of the future figurine or container from any available materials.
• Then gradually apply the solution to the frame, allowing the bottom layer to dry a little.
• The mortar for modeling is prepared in a 1:3 ratio from cement and sand.

Using cement mortar can be built old castle with stone masonry and decoration made of broken tiles and ceramics. The price of such decor in any case will be much lower than finished sculpture. After all, you will only have to spend money on the purchase of cement, sand and gypsum.

Sculptures from “what was”

A person with creative abilities in every thing that seems completely unsuitable for this, sees an object for translating his ideas into reality.

Such craftsmen make garden sculptures with their own hands from scrap materials such as:

• Plastic bottles.
• Car tires.
• Broken dishes.
• Branches after pruning trees.

• Old furniture and much more.

In general, by using your imagination and showing ingenuity, you can make an individual decoration for your site from almost anything.

Interesting!
If you have an old car or bicycle that is not suitable for transportation, they can also be used to transform them into original sculptures for the garden.

Green sculptures

Topiary - the technology of curly pruning of plants is one of the oldest techniques of landscape design. To create decorative forms from green spaces, in addition to imagination, you need serious patience and special tools.

There are three ways to create living decorations in the garden:

• Traditional, that is, pruning and trimming a living plant, performed according to the frame or “by eye.”
• Figures grown on the basis of peat.
• Ivy sculptures.

You can decorate your garden by planting flowers in the most unexpected objects - an old teapot, a shoe, etc.

Conclusion

As you can see, inexpensive and handmade sculpture is not a myth, but a reality, the creation of which does not require specific skills, abilities or special tools. All you need is imagination, a piece of free land and the desire to decorate it, creating an extraordinary decoration for your suburban area.

In the video presented in this article you will find additional information on this topic.

Since ancient times, small sculptures have decorated gardens and parks. If you choose them correctly, their presence will only emphasize the style and image of your site. Despite the fact that stores now offer a huge selection of all kinds of... decorative ornaments for every taste and budget, all made with your own hands garden decorations They will bring unforgettable flavor and originality to your site. The main thing is to have the right goal and not deviate from the basic design, then turn on your imagination and start getting creative! In this article we will talk about making garden sculptures with your own hands from scrap materials. And if you want to decorate your garden with something beautiful, then garden sculpture will be an excellent option, but we’ll find out how to make them a little lower.

Sculptures for the garden made of plaster or concrete

Such sculptures are certainly a classic decoration of gardens and parks. You don’t need to immediately take on the images of Greek goddesses; for starters, you can get your hands on figurines of mushrooms, for example, fly agaric, which, of course, come from different masters will look completely different, having their own originality in any case.
What you will need for a master class on making garden fly agaric.

• log or stump,
• gypsum,
• bowl and mixing container,
• plastic bag,
• water,
• white and red paints,
• fine sandpaper,
• a pair of brushes.

Progress:

This version of garden decorations will fit perfectly into any landscape design, you can place them anywhere in your garden.

Concrete sculptures

You can also create exclusive sculptures from concrete that no one but you will have.

To make them you will need a metal frame.

It is made in the shape of the desired figure, and then we apply concrete mortar to it.

To obtain thick parts of the figure, it is necessary to wind small wire around these places.

There is also the option of pouring concrete into ready-made forms. But be prepared for the fact that you won’t get the perfect sculpture right away, the first time, without certain experience creating such figures.

Do you want to know how to make a garden sculpture with your own hands? Then know that it is not difficult. But, of course, you need to study. Let's start our tutorial on how to make garden figurines with a gnome. They will also ideally settle in any place on your site and will playfully peek out from under the green bushes, or hide behind flowers. We make the frame from rods or wire. Then we pour the concrete and wait for it to harden. All that remains is to color our gnome as needed. If you want to study the process of creating such a sculpture in more detail, you can watch the video.

In the same way, you can make sculptures for your site from polyurethane foam or clay.

You can consider an angel figurine as an option.

How to make an angel:

Don't forget about the good old papier-mâché

You can make your own garden sculptures from papier-mâché material. AND next photo will show you such a craft. If earlier this technique of creating crafts was used more for creating some small things, now I am using it more and more in creating garden decorations.

As we remember, papier mache is made from crumpled paper soaked in glue. And strength can be given to it with the help of multi-layers of paint and varnish.

For the consciousness of sculpture in this technique we take:

• Unnecessary sheets of cardboard and paper.
• PVA or wallpaper glue.
• Paints.
• Oilcloth.
• Liquid soap or vegetable oil.
• Scissors.
• Now let's look at several options for creating papier-mâché figures.

Option 1.

1. It is more suitable for beginners, those who do not have great experience work in this technique.
2. Let's take the desired model and apply at least a hundred layers of paper on it.
3. As a result, we get a figure that is hollow inside.

Option 2.

1. Place finely chopped paper in water.
2. She must lie there for a day.
3. Next, boil the paper, squeeze it out and dry it.
4. Mix dried paper with chalk and glue.
5. Place the resulting mass in a mold or apply it to the frame.
6. Next, you should prime the figure with water-repellent putty and, after painting, apply varnish.

Sculptures made from all kinds of trash

If you want to learn how to make garden sculptures with your own hands, then carefully study any proposed master class. As for the material, it is not necessary to make your sculptures from classical material. Any material, even waste or improvised material, is suitable for this, you just need to use your imagination.

The figures created from old furniture, some stumps or planks, barrels.

A wooden figure of any animal is perfect not only for a garden plot, but also for a children's playground.

A wooden pedestal is perfect for any figure, be it an angel or a gnome.

And if your landscape design is in the style of the East, then a decorative Buddha on a pedestal will come in handy.

And how many interesting things can you come up with and create from old ones? car tires! A flower bed is perhaps the easiest and most common option. You just need to start by cutting it, turning it inside out, making a frame for the desired shape, fastening it, and painting it.

Finally

Now you know that making garden sculptures with your own hands is not some kind of difficult undertaking. Only garden decorations created with your own hands will give your site originality and individuality, creativity and completeness, and will emphasize its image, designed in a certain style. All you need is desire, imagination and creativity.

DIY garden sculptures. Ideas:

Concrete or cement mortar can be used not only as construction material, including as an excellent material for implementation creative ideas– production of garden and park sculptures.

What will be required for production?

To decorate your local area, garden or landscape design with concrete sculptures does not require special education, special equipment and special skills. What you will need is desire, spatial thinking, ability to work with concrete and a sense of beauty. Ability to operate a welding machine may be required.

Depending on the sculpture technology adopted, you will need following materials and tools:

• Container for mixing mortar or concrete mixer;
• Entrenching tools: shovels, spatula, trowel;
• Steel or aluminum wire;
• Pliers and wire cutters;
• Portland cement M400 (white or grey), sand, water, plasticizer for concrete (for example, detergent Fairy or PVA glue);
• Polyethylene film;
• Plastic construction mesh;
• Paint and primer for external work “on concrete”;
• Molds for pouring (an option for making sculptures by pouring into molds).

Options and technologies

Before you start mixing the material, you should decide on the type of technology for making the sculpture. It depends on the shape and size of the product. Simple sculptures such as: mushrooms, koloboks, figures in the form of spheres or hemispheres can be made using the technology of pouring into molds, complex “realistic” sculptures in the form of animals, flowers, trees, birds, caricatures of people and other similar products are made using a more complex - frame technology. Relatively small figures can be sculpted from concrete by hand, similar to plasticine.

Frame technology

This is one of the most complex technologies, which involves making the frame of a future sculpture from steel or aluminum wire. There are no standard recipes here, except for recommendations to use any suitable unnecessary things as a basis: boxes, wood, rags, etc.

The frame can be made from aluminum wire by knitting, from steel wire by welding, or by a combined method - welding the base of the sculpture and knitting its individual elements.

If the sculpture is planned as hollow (the preferred option), the frame is very carefully and carefully covered construction mesh. When manufacturing a hollow figure, not only are expensive concrete components saved, but there is also no need to order lifting devices to move it and install it in a permanent place.

The solution is applied to the frame in layers using a spatula and a trowel. Each new layer is applied after the previous layer begins to set. After it is applied last layer, and the concrete will set, but will not dry yet, defects in the sculpture (sagging, drips, burrs, etc.) should be corrected. This can be done with a spatula, knife or coarse sandpaper.

Technology of pouring into ready-made molds

The technology involves the purchase or production special forms by analogy with construction formwork. For example, to fill a mushroom cap, you can use a bowl, basin or half a ball lined with plastic film, and for the leg – plastic bottle, which, after the concrete has set, is cut and removed.

When making the mold, you should ensure that there are no large gaps through which the solution could leak out. Also, in order to save concrete, you can put a plastic bottle inside the mold, or fill the space with unnecessary rags.

Technology for preparing concrete mortar for pouring sculpture

• The sand is sifted and mixed with cement in a ratio of 3:1. When choosing between white and gray Portland cement, you should keep in mind that paints applied to white cement will look brighter, richer and more natural. At the same time, white cement is much more expensive than the usual “gray” binder;
• Add to the resulting homogeneous mixture in small portions pure water and a plasticizer in the proportion of 200 ml of liquid per bag of cement weighing 50 kg. Mix until smooth. Controlling the consistency of “thick sour cream”. If the concrete is too thick, add water and mix again.

After obtaining the consistency of thick sour cream, the solution is ready to be applied to the frame or shell mold.

Almost no garden or park is complete without garden sculptures made from a variety of materials. The easiest way is to order the production of an ordinary mushroom or a fascinating castle from professionals. It’s more interesting to make a figure or composition with your own hands. For garden crafts will fit different materials: wood, stones, plaster. However, the most durable will undoubtedly be large or small forms made of concrete. How to make such sculptures yourself, using the simplest technologies?

A concrete sculpture made by yourself can look more original than a custom-made one.

For those who have never made concrete figures with their own hands, you can start with the simplest thing - making a concrete mushroom yourself. Colorized bright colors, it will be appropriate on garden plot, and on the playground, and near the entrance of an apartment building.

Concrete for crafts should be like butter: not so liquid that it drips, but not so thick that you can sculpt from it.

Fungus is the easiest concrete sculpture for beginners.

If the work will be done in the summer, then it is recommended to make a depression in the sand for the mushroom cap (preferably with a bowl resembling a cap), and place a burdock leaf on its bottom. The leaf will give the future sculpture wrinkles and irregularities, reminiscent of the real structure of the cap. If a concrete sculpture is made in winter, then you can simply wrap a suitable bowl in cellophane and fill it with concrete. After about half an hour, you need to insert several nails or a piece of pipe into the center of the cap if the cap is very large. This will improve the ligament and make the figure stronger. Now you can take care of the leg, and ready product leave until completely dry.

For the leg, we first make a mold: old roofing felt, linoleum, a plastic bottle, any other, a variety of materials that can be rolled into a tube and filled with solution will do. The reinforcement will also have to be buried in the middle of the leg. When both halves are dry, sprinkle the stem of the mushroom with wet sand, compacting it well, fill the joint with mortar, and install the cap. In 3-4 days simple sculpture ready. All that remains is to paint it and install it in the right place.

Other concrete figures

If the sculpture is supposed small size, then it can be made in a workshop, and if a large structure is planned, then it is better to make it at the installation site.

Such products can be different sizes. Large ones can completely replace a sculpture in a garden plot. Little ones can decorate a house or apartment. In order to make an interesting shape out of concrete with your own hands, you will need:

• spray for concrete. It is expensive, so you can buy non-stick kitchen spray instead;
• container for the mold. Important: if the finished flowerpot cannot be removed from the mold, it will have to be broken. This is why it is not recommended to use exclusive vessels to create statues;
• rod for compacting concrete.

Simple manufacturing technologies differ little from the previous one. Spray the mold with non-stick spray, fill it with the solution, tamping it with a metal rod so that all air bubbles come out. After drying, the flowerpot is removed from the mold and painted. Flowerpots made in the form of sculptures look great. To produce them, you can use shaped hollow vessels as molds: plastic or glass bottles different forms.

Sculptures on frames

With use metal frame You can make a sculpture of any complexity.

This method can be used by people who have mastered working with concrete and have minimal creative skills. Using reinforcement, you can make a sculpture of any complexity, be it an antique statue, fairy tale character or an enchanted castle. This is roughly how sculptors create their masterpieces. However, this technology is simplified as much as possible, so even a schoolchild can use it to make a concrete decoration with his own hands if he has developed spatial imagination.

The operating algorithm is as follows:

• We make a frame from wire. The more accurately the base is made, the easier it will be to sculpt the plan;
• if you need to make the figure light and hollow, then the frame can be wrapped with construction mesh. If the creation is supposed to be monolithic, then concrete will have to be applied directly to the frame;
• The first layer of concrete is applied to the mesh or reinforcement. At this stage, only the general outline of the future sculpture is formed. When the layer has dried, you can apply the next one;
• when the future figure reaches the required volume, you can form the final forms and make small details with your own hands: eyes, ears, spines, turrets (if it is a concrete structure);
• Once the finished statue is completely dry, it can be painted. Important: if several layers of paint are required, then each subsequent one is applied only after the previous one has completely dried.

If the intended concrete figure has a small shape and light weight, it can be made in a workshop and then transferred to a permanent location. However, if you plan to build a heavy structure, you will have to do it either right at the installation site (and this is only possible in warm weather), or think over a mechanism by which the finished product will be installed in place.

DIY keeper

Another simple sculpture is the guardian. It's easy to do by following the instructions. After finishing the work, you can paint the sculpture to resemble natural stone.

If working with a wire frame seems too difficult for some, you can go another way. The Guardian, whose outline resembles the statues on Easter Island, will look great on the site or in the park. It's not difficult to make. In order to make a figure with your own hands, you will need:

• sand;
• solution;
• bucket without handle;
• fine mesh;
• a round plastic container that fits freely into the bucket;
• rectangular block of polystyrene foam;
• reinforcing wire;
• dye.

First, the bucket is tightly wrapped in two layers with mesh. It holds well, but for strength the mesh can be wrapped with wire. Pieces of polystyrene foam are attached to the wire, imitating facial features: nose and lips. If cutting them from one piece does not work, then the joints between the parts should be filled with regular polyurethane foam. It should dry completely. Again, wrap the future figure with two layers of mesh. All parts must be absolutely motionless. Now you can apply the solution on top of the mesh. As in the previous method, first the general outlines are formed and only at the end the small details. If seams appear after drying, they are cleaned up using a construction knife. After complete drying, the statue, made with your own hands from cement or concrete, must be painted. The Guardian can be painted to match natural stone(as on Easter Island), applying successively several layers of gray or any other paint. In the same way, you can make other characters from concrete with your own hands. Made with love, they will not only decorate the site, but also demonstrate the creativity and skill of their creator.

1. Frame base (Aluminum wire 3 mm and 1.5 mm).
2. Epoxy putty 2-component or cold welding. In auto stores you can find “POXIPOL” or “ABRD STEEL” for example.
3. Wire cutters.
4. Pliers or needle nose pliers, whichever is more convenient for you.
5. Nuts and bolts of any size, but they should be selected together with drills. The easiest way is to use a self-tapping screw and a nut if you do not intend to remove the figure from the platform later.
6. Washers.
7. Screwdriver.
8. Roulette.
9. One drill is no less than the diameter of the nut, the other is equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the bolt (not the head).
10. Aluminum foil from any household. store.
11. Wooden base (15×15×1 cm).
12. Paper A3 format (29.7×42 cm).

Sketch. Draw an example of a figure. Step 1

Draw for yourself clear example of a person on paper 16" or 40.5 cm high. But this part is optional, and you can print a drawing of a person from the Internet.

YOU CAN USE THE DRAWING OF A PERSON BY DOWNLOADING IT FROM THE LINKS: FIGURE-1 and FIGURE-2.

You need to have basic knowledge or find reference literature that will help you correctly check the proportions at all stages of creating the frame.

Construction of the legs of the future figure. Step 2

You need to measure a piece of wire 48" or 1.2 meters long. Make another piece. They are needed to create the legs of the figure.

Twisting the leg reinforcement. Step 3

Fold a piece of wire in half and make a loop. The loop must be large enough for the bolt to pass through it to the head. You should end up with a round loop. Pinch it with pliers, but not too tightly (the wire will crimp and weaken). Twist the 10" or 25.5 cm long wire evenly. Repeat on the second piece of wire.

Creating the foot and thigh. Step 4

Using pliers, bend the loop 90 degrees. This will be the foot, which we will screw to the plane. Repeat on another piece of wire. Once you are able to make the feet, you need to measure approximately 1" or 2.5 cm from the folded end and bend this part to the side. One piece to the left, the other to the right, so you will get the hips of the frame. Align the ends of the non-twisted reinforcement on both pieces.

STAGE OF CONNECTING TWO LEGS PARTS. STEP 5

This stage may seem more difficult, but if you do everything correctly, you will have a strong connection between the parts and will not even need putty to secure it. Connect both pieces together and bend additional pieces of wire on the opposite side over the adjacent piece's bar and under the thigh to create a loop. Twist the 2 top ends together. This will be the spine of our figure.

Don't be discouraged if you don't get a strong connection. Unroll the wire and try again

STRENGTHENING THE SPINAL FRAMEWORK. STEP 6

The spine should be tight. Now you can strengthen it with the remaining pieces by winding them along the spine, but not all the way. We will use these pieces to secure the shoulders, arms and neck.

CREATING A LIGAMENT OF THE SHOULDERS AND NECK. STEP 7

It's time to check the proportions according to your drawing and edits in the frame. Cut a new piece of wire about 20" or 50 cm long. We will use this piece to create the shoulders, which will be connected to the additional wire from the legs.

Make a loop in the center of the cut piece. Thread one of the back wires through the loop. Twist the spine wire to form the neck. This will tie the shoulders together well.

Creating the shoulders and arms of the sculpture frame. Step 8

Twist the remaining rods from the spine to shoulder level. Wrap the rod around your left shoulder and right hand tight coils. Cut off the remaining ends. Place the frame on the drawing along the center line and bend your shoulders.

Creating the head of the figure. Arm length. Step 9

First, twist the part that forms the neck to the end. Twist this part and form a circle that will be the head (photo 3). Check the length of the arms using the sketch and cut the wire at the fingertips. DO NOT CUT ON YOUR WRIST! Later we will twist the wire and form a palm.

Shaping the palm. Step 10

Create loops on both sides at the ends of the arms to form the palm. Use pliers, but don't make too big loops. When you start sculpting and adding material, for example, clay, your palms will turn out to be normal size. Be sure to check the frame with the drawing.

Create the fingers. Step 11

Now we can take a thinner wire. Cut a long piece 3" or 7.5 cm and fold in half. Repeat one more time. You will get two wires folded in half. Place them on the loops of your palm (photo 3). Squeeze the loop with pliers. We will secure these places later with putty.

Create a thumb. Step 12

Cut another piece of thin wire about 2" or 5 cm. Fasten the piece at one end in front of your palm around the thick wire. Now you can repeat the steps to form the second palm.

Using 2-component putty. Step 13

Open the putty and take it a large number of. Typically, such putties consist of two components that must be mixed as prescribed in the instructions. Press the prepared putty into the loop where the fingers and palm meet. The composition will become stone when hardened. You should not use a large amount of putty, as this will prevent the brush from forming in the future.

Fastening all joints of the sculpture's skeleton. Step 14

Use the remaining putty and seal any loose parts of the frame. In area hip joint You can use a small amount if it is not so tightly connected. Do not use a large amount of putty, as it will be difficult to get rid of later. After all the nodes are coated, let the composition dry. Drying time is individual and indicated on the packaging.