3D Art Project

A third dimension gives art a powerful presence.

Three-dimensional artwork brings life and vitality into a space. Whether a work of art actually has dimensions, or just creates the illusion, art that occupies space and mass in our own reality is eye-catching. There are many ways to create 3D art projects of your own, using various mediums and materials.

Subtractive Sculpture

A subtractive sculpture is a sculpture that started with a solid piece, and parts were taken away to give it a new aesthetic form. Shapes and contours should capture highlights and cast shadows for variation in tones. Use of varying textures can also bring interest to the piece. Start with a block of plaster, which you can make by mixing and pouring plaster into a gallon-sized milk carton or plastic ice cream container. Once you un-mold it and allow it to cure, carve it with a chisel, butter knife, ice pick or whatever other tools you find that help you shave down the block into a form that you conceptualized.

Additive Sculpture

Additive sculpting is a method by which you create a form by adding and shaping the medium over a frame. The frame, or armature, is like the sculpture's skeleton. It will never be seen, so it doesn't matter what it is made of or looks like, as long as it is sturdy and holds the shape. You can make a skeleton out of wood nailed together, pipes, cardboard, metal wire, chicken wire or whatever else you feel is strong enough to hold the form. Once the framework is complete, cover it with pieces of clay, paper mache or other materials to build on the frame and shape the final form of the sculpture.

Assemblage Art

Assemblage art is when you combine various items together, most of which were never intended to be part of a work of art. In assemblage art, you might find items found in household trash cans, pieces of automobile wreckage or objects from nature. Anything goes. Glue, weld, solder, tie, embed in plaster or assemble items in whatever method would work best to hold them. An assemblage sculpture can be free-standing, or form a collage on a board or canvas. It can have a definable form, such as a portrait or cityscape, or be completely abstract. Dig around and see what you find to inspire you.

Decoupage

The word "decoupage" is derived from the French word meaning "to cut out." The art of decoupage is to cut out intricate designs, shapes and images and glue them on a surface. Decoupage can be elevated to 3D, which adds the illusion of greater depth and volume than there actually is. For example, instead of cutting out an image of a flower printed on thin paper and pasting it to a piece of cardstock, print it on thick paper and cut out each individual petal. Assemble them on your surface, giving each layer of petals a bit more height with bits of foam to elevate them. This creates a play of shadows and light. You can create decoupage forms on greeting cards, canvas, boxes, lampshades, frames or any flat surface.

References

• State University of New York at Oneonta: Subtractive Sculpture
• Douglas County School District: Sculpture Vocabulary
• Museum of Modern Art: Art Terms
• "Three Dimensional Decoupage"; Letty Oates; 1997