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What does a sculptor do?
by Evan Levy >> more about the author

Sculptors are artists who often work with hard materials like marble, glass, metal, wood or stone to create three-dimensional works of art, like statues. They can also use materials like fabric, clay, gold, or rubber. A sculptor’s job is to carve or assemble the material into a particular form. 

Hard materials are generally carved with tools called chisels. Different kinds of chisels are used to carve away the stone, shape the forms, and finish the details. Depending on the materials used, a sculptor may also use techniques ranging from sewing to molding to cutting.  

Sculptures often show historical figures as well as figures from myths and stories, but they can also be abstract—shapes and forms that don’t represent a particular object, but instead may represent the artist’s mood or feelings, or an exploration of the use of different forms. Some sculptures are painted, but they often lose their paint over time.

For many hundreds of years, some form of stone was the main material used for a sculpture. These days, the word “sculpture” can also mean works of art made with light or sound; or even moving water! The artist Pablo Picasso used bicycle parts to make a sculpture, and many sculptors use natural materials like tree bark and leaves.





  • A sculptor may be hired by a museum to create a particular piece for an exhibition or collection, or by someone who wants to put a sculpture in a public space like a park or garden or even the lobby of an office building! Sometimes private collectors commission work—they ask for a particular piece to be made.
  • Since a sculpture is often a huge work designed to be shown in a public space, sculptors sometimes make small versions first; these are known as maquettes.
  • Creating sculpture is a very old art form; some Chinese sculptures date back to 10,000 BC! It’s a form of art found all over the world; from Africa to Central America and North America.





Try sculpting out of different materials--clay, foam, even cotton balls! What materials do you like to work with? Why?