Carving Foam is great for Sculpture, Models, and large scale pattern work!

These pieces, along with the figure used in this book, were part of an installation titled Major Impact. They were all carved in foam. Various finish and mold techniques were tried for the final works over a period of eight years.

TJ has used this basic process for large industrial models and forms as well. Any type of project you want to create in 3D can benefit from this read. Whether you are a skilled sculptor or just a curious person with a project to consider, Tjs insights will be helpful to you.

Tj discovered how to produce finished works directly from these simple materials using polymer modified concrete formulas.

The mold form for this Japanese soak tub and the patterns for the flaming fender skirts on this hot rod Lincoln were carved using these same techniques.

To the sculptor: The 3 book series is a step by step explanation for creating big sculpture for very little money. Tjs studio photographs and notes have been laid out to best show the process he developed over several years. The text includes discussion on tools and techniques as they are used on the pieces, as well as errors and how to fix them. All three books are intended as studio guides for experienced sculptors, yet they stress simple, inexpensive tools and materials. Some items reappear from earlier books for the artist who has just that volume. The final book illustrates the formula developed for stone coating the pieces with a new process using polymer modified concrete.

Content - The Carving Process Outlined

Creating a Block for carving the piece (covered in Book 1, Scaling Up) About foam 7

Tools and their uses

1. Lay out, line work, basic carving technique 2. Sneaking up on the form Fixtures for holding 3. Hogging Viewing the work 4. Carving major forms

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12 14 17 19 20 21

Adding on to the block

Carving progression5. Errors oversights and additions 6. Piecing in intricate areas Finishing methods & materials choices7. Sanding 8. Gaps

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24 25 29 39 40 42

Coating the Piece This process is in Book 3, Stone Coating

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Advantage of Foam
Foam is often thought of as a cheap, weak material. It is inexpensive and you can snap an appendage easily, but in compression this stuff is fantastic. It will hold hundreds of pounds of force. Cheap means that you can use a lot for larger pieces and afford to throw away scrap and mistakes. Speed is a huge plus. Foam can be cut, glued and shaped extremely quickly, enabling a sculpture to proceed at a rapid pace. The fidelity that you can get with a little practice is astonishing. Dow extruded foam plank will sand to a smooth surface that will satisfy most pattern making needs. It is available at your DIY store.

There are certain techniques required for working with foam. It must be handled with a delicate touch when carving and sanding to avoid tearing. Once you have most of the surface complete you must be careful not to scar it before the surface coat goes on. But practice will make you good at this. Changing your piece is also quite easy. Cut away, flatten the area and glue in a new piece. Your change is done in minutes. Light weight means easy lifting, moving and repositioning with no heavy equipment needed.

The final advantage comes from breakthroughs in concrete formulas. With a thin skin of glass-filled, polymer-modified cement, your foam carving becomes a light weight rock, able to withstand a lot more abuse than you would think due to great compressive strength.

C Novus Resource Inc. no reproduction without permission - SculptureByTj.com

Carving Major Lines Against Secondary Forms

At this point you are blocking in major forms and getting your proportions and major lines where they need to be. Slice away material constantly checking the drawing, your work lines, and the maquette for reference. Try to keep section labels visible as long as possible and constantly place marks on the surface for guides. (The blue line along torso and leg represents edge of profile and needs to be cut in). Bring the whole piece along at the same rate of refinement. It is important not to go too far in one area. This way, if you have to make a major change you do not loose too much effort.

Some lines come from a panel edge. Some are drawn on a surface and V cut, deepened and cut again after new detail is drawn on. (Note the start of wavy detail just below the red mark).

Here a major step has been defined and deepening the detail below has been started..

(Same area later).

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Piecing in Intricate Detail Areas

Working these details as separate pieces allows the intricate development of an area like this form surrounding the thumb. The hand is carved sanded and set in, and so is the form just beneath the thumb. The areas marked in red just to the left had material removed. This was a lot easier without the hand in the way.