The process of creating a sculpture from stone is really all about subtraction.Check out this link here. That is, the sculptor must remove parts of the stone that won’t belong to the finished project. Many sculptors like to make the process easier on themselves by working with a stone that is roughly the size and shape of what they want to create. They use the medium to their advantage and work with the basic structure of the stone instead of against it.

The first step of creating a stone sculpture besides choosing the right stone is to “rough out” the basic shape of the finished sculpture with masonry rod saws. This step isn’t all that difficult for experienced sculptors; it mainly involves removing enough of the stone to make it closer to the shape of the finished product. After the basic shape is formed, finer work can be done with files. This is where the artist can create the finer details of the work and smooth out some of the rough spots that come from removing large chunks of stone. Perhaps the most important part of creating a stone sculpture would be finishing it. This is usually done with sand paper to achieve a polished look. While softer stone such as soapstone can be smoothed out with steel wool, most sculptors opt for silicone carbide sandpaper. The best technique is to start with 180 grit sandpaper and move onto higher grit levels as the stone becomes more polished. Finally, soft-stone sculptures are often polished with a finish such as linseed oil, although harder stones don’t usually require this kind of attention.

1. Home Security: If you have a home security system, Nanny Cam or any kind of home surveillance or monitoring equipment, consider aiming your creativity toward a piece of modern art cleverly used to conceal a camera or motion detector.

2. Bookends: Organize those books and maybe accentuate your collection with a little bit of cultural flare by crafting some modern art-styled bookends. Make sure the stone is heavy enough to hold the books but not too heavy for the shelves.

3. Flagstones: Create a path to your front door with some smooth and uneven flagstones to combine both the sophistication of a path and the primal sense of nature.

4. Decorative Paperweight: Craft something interesting and thought-provoking and combine the outside world with the indoor professionalism of the office with a stone sculpture paperweight.

5. Keychain Ornament: You’ll need keen hands and a light stone but it is possible to make a neat conversation piece out of your keychain with a small stone sculpture.

1. A turtle: You can sculpt the shell with a head and forego the legs and tail and it will look fantastic.
2. Dice: These would be square with the dots on each side. This would help for getting straight edges and would be fun for you or your children to play with when they are completed.
3. A canoe: You do not have to complicate your sculpture by making the canoe sides too thin. Work on the rounding of the edges with this project.
4. A small chair: This you can make as simple or elaborate and as big or small as you would like, depending on your sculpting level
5. A doorstop: This can be as plain or as ornate as you feel like doing. This would also be a project that could start out simple, and as your skills progress you can continue to sculpt more difficult patterns.

These are a few projects to get you going. Once you get the basics down then you can progress on to more difficult creations. Do not be afraid to experiment.

Stones used for sculpting need to be soft enough to shape effectively, yet firm enough to hold their shape. Choosing to soft a stone can put sculptors at risk of having a muddled, confusing presentation. Stones that are too dense can be extremely difficult to shape. In fact, working with too dense of a material can cause artists to use too much force in their efforts, resulting in cracking, chipping, or even eventually ruining a project.

The beauty of the material can not be overlooked, either. Marble, a traditional choice for sculptors and stone masons alike, is gorgeous to behold and feels smooth to the touch. While expensive, experienced sculptors know that choosing a great base material can make all the difference in the final outcome of their labors.

The softest and easiest types of stone to sculpt is soapstone, alabaster and wonder-stone (Pyrophyllite). Out of these choices, the softest and easiest to sculpt would be a soapstone and is typically a choice that beginning sculptures should experiment with and consider using for initial sculptures. For more advanced sculptures harder stone is typically used, because it requires more skill with sculpting tools. Harder sculpting stones include, marble, granite and jade. Harder stones also seem to stand up to the test of time and the elements better then softer stones, so before picking a stone consider where the piece will be on display.

There are supply companies online that offer a great selection of tools for stone cutting. Dick Blick, as well as stonesculptorssupplies.com, offer a broad range of tools, from hand tools such as hammers, chisels, pointers and rifflers to the latest equipment in power tools that can help the artist create contemporary pieces. It is a good rule that most beginning artists should have a good working set of hand tools to include a variety of hammers, chisels, rifflers, as well as measuring tools and sanding tools to shape pieces to a more workable form.

Many contemporary artists use power tools to create their work extensively, and while this is time consuming, operation safety should be learned for each tool used and safety equipment should be worn at all times.