Bronze sculptures are three-dimensional works of art that are made by pouring bronze that is molten into a mold, and then allowing it to harden.
Bronze is a mixture of copper and zinc, which is made by melting the metals and then cooling them. Bronze is only considered today if a metal adheres to the strict ratio of 88% tin and 12% copper.
Bronze compositions have varied over the years. Early bronzes, however, were made of copper and arsenic. Many ancient bronzes have been found to be brass, a copper-zinc alloy.
The process of making bronze sculptures is known as casting. This involves pouring molten metals into a mold and letting it solidify.
Casting is very different from the carving and chiselling associated with marble sculpture or the modelling associated in ceramics. However, it is used to achieve similar effects.
Why did artists make bronze sculptures?
Bronze is a great medium for artists and sculptors. Bronze is harder than marble, which can be hard to work with and easily damaged.
Bronze is preferred over other metals, because it can be cast with both consistency and detail.
The molten bronze expands as it solidifies, which allows for the capture of every detail in the mold. As it cools, it will contract again, allowing the mold to be easily removed.
Bronze can have a lasting property that allows it to be reused. This means bronze sculptures are easier to reproduce than stone sculptures. For Bronze Animal Sculptures, visit https://www.gillparker.com
Bronze is a popular choice for artists due to its vibrant colour. Bronze develops over time a unique patina that gives bronze pieces their intensity.
Bronze sculptures can be gilded (producing gilt bronze or ormolu) as well as patinated. This gives them a wide range of applications, from furniture and clocks to jewellery.
How is a bronze sculpture made?
Bronze sculptures can be cast in a variety of ways.
These techniques all share the same basic principle: applying bronze molten into a mold and letting it set before removing it, chasing (fine-tuning and defining an object with a hammer), and applying a Patina.
Technical variations occur in the way the molds are manufactured and how the liquid bronze is applied to the mold.
For centuries, bronze molds have been produced in Europe by foundries. A founder makes a bronze-casting mold.
These foundries used a number of techniques to make bronze sculptures. They included sand casting, “lost wax” casting, and centrifugal casting. These methods were used in antiquity. The ‘lost wax’ method is by far the most popular technique to produce bronze sculpture.