6th Grade - Plaster Relief Sculptures

My 6th graders really enjoy this lesson because it's something completely different than what they are used to.  We begin by looking at pictures of relief sculptures in Greek and Roman art/architecture.  I talk them through the brief version of the entire process so they can understand what they have ahead of them.  Next, I choose a theme, and this year it was animals, and they do a sketch of the animal, which will be the relief part of their sculpture.  The shape of their mold has to have some association with that animal (for example, a giraffe inside of a leaf shape, or a penguin inside of an iceberg shape).  Next, they begin building the mold out of plasticine clay (tip: we use a microwave to soften hard clay).  They start with forming the shape of their mold, and then carve out their animal.  Lastly, they form 2" tall walls around the bottom of their mold.

Working with the clay is definitely the hardest part.  After that, they love pouring the plaster into their molds.  We let those set until the next art class.

 

What's great about using plasticine clay for the entire mold, is that it peels off the plaster in one or two big pieces.  Then, they use a variety of carving tools to "clean-up" their sculpture.  They also can use sanding blocks to smooth their edges.

The whole process is a huge mess, but they love it.  I just make sure I give them extra time to clean their tables and sweep the floor!  The last step is optional, and that is to add color with watercolor paints.