How to Build a Sand Sculpture

_Elsa_

Return phone calls start coming in on Tiffi’s phone. She begins to create a list of who wants to participate. By the time she gets to her last call it looks like everyone is interested. Tiffi tells them all that when she gets a definite day she will get back to them. She tells them to make sure that they have a pail and shovel. She has to find out how to build these sculptures so she begins to search for how to build articles.

‘When building sand sculptures, you must pay keen attention to the level of compaction of the sand, the undercutting of the sand as well as the sand quality. Your sculpture can be destroyed if any of these aforementioned factors is not given appropriate attention. However, as a new sand sculptor, you do not have to give up when you sculpture fails. You simply have to find out the problem in order to build a better sculpture.

Choosing a Good Sand - You can make your life a lot easier by choosing the right sand. It is obvious that you have to choose your sand carefully but the question is: how do you locate the suitable sand type to be used in your sculpture? The building of sand sculptures can be made so much easier when you locate a beach with the proper sand. You might have to dig down the sand surrounding the beach to get the suitable sand for sculpting because the surface sand may be poor for the job while the deep sand is suitable.

It is also important that you avoid sand containing large amounts of debris, shells rocks and so forth. The importance of choosing the right sand for sculpting cannot be overstated as the “wrong” sand will go a long way in discouraging you.

Building Forms - When it comes to building sand sculptures, your preparation is very important. You have to set up a pedestal of sand in order to create the exact structure you want. Thus, you need to build forms to the height of the sand sculpture you want to build. Your form can be rectangular or square shaped and it is usually built with wood. Having built your form, the next step is to fill it up with sand from bottom to top and create a giant sandbox. If the form is not the exact height of the sculpture you want to build, you can still build additional pounds on top of the first one.

One of the most important tools you need in building sand sculptures is water. You need water to make your sculpture stick together and also you need it to ensure that your sculpture does not get dry. Dry sculptures are difficult to work on. The sculptor needs to water the sculpture, pound it and even jump on it to ensure that it sets appropriately in the form. However, you should be careful with the pressure you apply on the form as high pressure might result in the cracking of the form.

Carving and Sculpting - Having built your sandpit, it is finally time you do some actual sculpting. The best kind of tools for sculpting are kitchen tools, garden tools and tools for masonry. However, some sculptors use various other tools while a few others even use their bare hands for the work. You should be careful with the use of these tools as you might hurt yourself when careless.

It is better you stick the tools on the sand with the handle up rather than laying them flat on the sand. When sculpting, it is important that you carve from top to bottom. This will ensure that your waste sand does not fall on the parts you have already carved. You have to dampen your sculpture while carving as it is difficult to carve dry sand.’ (Source)

Let’s continue - How to Build a Sand Castle Like a Pro

Start at the beginning - Let’s build a sandcastle!