Sand Sculpture
What is sand sculpture? Do you have to be a recognized artist to make a sand sculpture? To put it simply, sand sculpture is building creating a work of art using as a medium the sand. It is obvious tha a sand sculpture is a construction made only of sand and water. Ephemeral as it is sand sculpture attracts both artists and amateurs. It is actually the beauty of the sand sculpture and the easiness with which it can be done that make it so appealing. Besides, where can you make a sand sculpture if not on a sunny beach near the sea or the ocean?
What shapes and sizes can a sand sculpture be? Whatever you want. Just use your imagination and you can come up with the most incredible ideas to put into a sand sculpture. A sand sculpture could be a castle, a human figure, an animal or bird or a composition, a combination of elements. If you use the right sand and technique, and with a little imagination, patients and skill, you can make a wonderful sand sculpture that can even get a prize in a sand sculpture competition. And they organize lots of sand sculpture competitions. Apparently sand sculpture is a form of art which was used in ancient Egypt, in 4000 BC.
Although sand may look the same it is actually quite different. Its origin, organic or mineral, can greatly influence the sand sculpture you want to make. A sand sculpture can be made of any kind of sand but the shape and height of the final sand sculpture is definitely determined by the sand. To get the desired sand sculpture you need to use the dice type sand which will fit and hold together better than the marble-like sand. Only sand and water are used when making a sand sculpture and no other materials. To make a sand sculpture you will need a number of tools, but these are tools and objects you have around your home. You will need a shovel with a long handle, a bucket, masonry trowels, spatulas, chisels, Popsickle sticks, brushes, knives, pastry brushes and spoons.
After scooping out the web mud with your hands, depositing it near your building site, use a form or tamping. This can be a wooden box or a plastic trash can without a bottom. Place the form on a flat spot and put in water and sand alternately, stomping constantly. When the form is filled, slowly lift it while tapping the base with a mallet or another tool. You can create the upper forms directly on top of the base form. When the rough structure is ready for carving you can begin the actual sculpting work.