Sculpture: English Vocabulary List

a style of sculpture in which shapes are formed in a way that they are marginally elevated from the background

"Bas-relief is slightly raised."

"Bas relief projects only slightly from the background surface like coins or architectural decorations."

a large object created to look like a person or animal from hard materials such as stone, metal, or wood

"The statue is tall."

"Tourists took photos of the statue in the square."

a framework or structure made of metal wire or other materials used as a support for shaping and securing the clay, plaster or other materials used in the creation of the sculpture

"Armature supports clay sculpture."

"An armature is an internal frame that supports a sculpture made of clay or other soft materials."

a small-scale model or sculpture that is created as a preliminary study or prototype for a larger work, often used to visualize and refine the form and composition of a sculpture before it is created on a larger scale

"Maquette is small sculpture model."

"A maquette is a small scale model of a larger sculpture used to study form and proportions before final work."

a type of artwork that is created by taking an everyday object and transforming it into art by presenting it in a new context or by altering its form, often associated with the works of French artist Marcel Duchamp

"Readymade is art object."

"A readymade is an ordinary object presented as art without any modification by the artist."

a thin layer that forms on the surface of some materials because of exposure to different factors

"Patina forms on old bronze."

"Patina is a colored layer that develops on metal over time from oxidation or chemical treatment."

a tool that has stiff hairs or fibers attached to a handle

"Bristle brush cleans surfaces."

"A bristle brush uses stiff natural hairs for oil painting and working with thick paints."

a metal tool with a handle and a strong flat-edged blade that is used to shape hard objects, such as wood, metal, etc.

"Wood chisel is sharp."

"The sculptor used a chisel and mallet to carve the block of marble into the shape of a beautiful seated figure."

a tool that has two parts that can be moved together by tightening a screw or a lever to hold an object firmly while work is being done on it

"Vise holds object tightly."

"A vise holds a workpiece firmly in place for shaping cutting or drilling with hand or power tools."

a type of furnace or oven that is used for baking or drying pottery, ceramics, or bricks

"Kiln bakes pottery pieces."

"A kiln is a high temperature oven for firing clay and glass to harden them permanently."

a small metal tool with two jaws used for gripping, bending, or cutting materials such as wires, pipes, or small objects

"Pliers grip well."

"He used pliers to grip the small metal ring and twist it into place because his fingers were too large to fit into the tight space."

a type of pottery wheel used to shape clay into pottery and other ceramic objects

"Potter's wheel shapes clay."

"A potter's wheel spins clay while the potter shapes it with their hands and tools."

a type of paper that has sand or another rough material stuck to one side, used for making surfaces smoother or shinier

"Sandpaper makes wood smooth."

"Sandpaper smooths surfaces with an abrasive coating attached to strong paper for woodworking and metalworking."

a tool for removing dirt, paint, or other unwanted matter from a surface by scraping

"Paint scraper tool."

"He used a sharp paint scraper to remove the old layers from the wooden door carefully."

a type of scissors that are used for cutting metal or other hard materials

"Snips cut thin metal."

"Snips cut sheet metal like scissors cut paper using compound action for extra leverage."

a process of joining two materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by melting them with high heat and allowing them to cool and fuse

"Arc welding involves melting metal with an electric arc."

"Friction stir welding is a solid-state joining process that uses a non-consumable rotating tool to soften and mix the two workpieces together"

a tool that uses a very hot flame to cut metal or other hard materials by melting and removing them with a jet of oxygen

"Cutting torch melts metal."

"A cutting torch uses hot flame to slice through metal by burning it with oxygen and fuel gas."

a hand tool specifically designed for cutting wires and cables

"Cut the wire."

"She used wire cutters to trim the excess wire from the fence after repairing the broken section near the gate."

a technique used in sculpture in which at least half of the circumference of the modeled object is raised form the background

"High relief stands out."

"High relief projects far from the background surface creating deep shadows and dramatic effects in sculpture."

a type of stone monument used to commemorate or record an event or person

"Stele marks ancient grave."

"A stele is an upright stone slab or pillar inscribed with text or relief carving for monuments or graves."

a type of sculpture made from ice. It is usually created by carving a block of ice with a variety of tools, and can be used to create decorative pieces or functional objects

"Ice sculpture melts slowly."

"Ice sculpture carves temporary artworks from frozen water using chainsaws chisels and melting tools."

a type of sculpture made from sand, usually created by packing sand into a mold or form and then shaping it with a variety of tools

"Sandcastle built on beach."

"Sandcastle is a temporary sculpture made from wet sand often built on beaches as a fun activity."

a type of sculpture made from wire that is usually created by bending and twisting wire into a variety of shapes and figures

"Wire sculpture forms shapes."

"Wire sculpture creates three dimensional forms using bent twisted and welded metal wire."