Sculpture and 3D art

Sculptures are real forms that take up space. You can walk around them, and they change as you move.

Practise this lesson free (7 questions)

Ways to make sculpture

Carving (subtractive): removing material from a block, such as stone, wood or soap.
Modelling (additive): building up a soft material such as clay or wax.
Constructing (additive): joining materials, such as card, wire or metal.
Casting: pouring a liquid material, such as plaster or molten bronze, into a mould. In lost-wax casting a wax model is covered in a mould, the wax is melted out, and metal is poured into the space.
Assemblage: building sculpture from found objects.

Key words

In the round: free-standing sculpture you can walk all around.
Relief: sculpture that stands out from a flat background, like the head on a coin.
Armature: an inner frame, often wire, that supports a sculpture while it is built.
Maquette: a small model made to plan a larger sculpture.
Plinth: the base a sculpture stands on.

Sculptors

Barbara Hepworth (English, 1903 to 1975) made smooth abstract forms, often with holes pierced through them.
Henry Moore (English, 1898 to 1986) is known for large reclining figures.
Louise Bourgeois (French-American, 1911 to 2010) made Maman (1999), a giant spider sculpture over 9 metres tall.
Antony Gormley (British, born 1950) made the Angel of the North in Gateshead (1998): it is 20 metres tall with wings 54 metres wide, made of weathering steel.
Worked example

A student carves a fish from a bar of soap, while another builds a fish from clay coils. Which process is subtractive, and which is additive?

  1. Subtractive means taking material away.
  2. Carving soap removes material, so it is subtractive.
  3. Building with clay coils adds material, so it is additive (modelling).

Answer: Carving the soap is subtractive; building with clay coils is additive.

Key idea

Sculpture can be carved (subtractive), modelled or constructed (additive), cast in a mould, or assembled from found objects. Key words: in the round, relief, armature, maquette. Hepworth, Moore, Bourgeois and Gormley are major sculptors.

Key words
Subtractive
Making a sculpture by removing material, as in carving.
Additive
Making a sculpture by building up or joining material, as in modelling clay or constructing with card.
Armature
An inner frame, often of wire, that supports a sculpture while it is built.
Maquette
A small model made to plan a larger sculpture.
Casting
Making a sculpture by pouring a liquid material, such as plaster or molten metal, into a mould.
Lost-wax casting
A casting method in which a wax model is covered in a mould, melted out, and replaced with molten metal.

All KS3 Art and Design key terms and definitions →

Quick check

Try two quick questions

See if it has sunk in. Answers are marked straight away.

Extra practice

2 more questions

Try each one, then tap to check.

  1. Which process is additive?

    1. Carving wood
    2. Modelling with clay
    3. Carving stone
    4. Chiselling marble
    Show the answer

    Answer: Modelling with clay

    Additive means building up material.

  2. Which material is often used to make an armature?

    1. Glaze
    2. Wire
    3. Paint
    4. Paper only
    Show the answer

    Answer: Wire

    Wire armatures support clay or papier mâché.

Check you have got it

Answer 7 quick questions with instant marking. If you get one wrong, GCSE-ready shows you why and gives you another go. It is free, and you do not need an account.

Practise this lesson free (7 questions)All KS3 Art and Design lessons

Video for this lesson coming soon. Subscribe on YouTube

Sources and references

Last updated 2 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it.