Art and Design A comprehensive guide for creative artists - Aaltodoc

Maquette
A maquette is a translation of a sketch. Actually, it is the
sketch model of a sculpture artwork.
A maquette can be produced from materials within easy
reach of the sculptors’ surroundings. For example clay,
papers, sticks, plant fibers, soap, stones, a sponge, wires, saw
dust and a pop-corn (is also a source of inspiration).
The advantage of using a maquette to produce a sculpture
is that; it gives a sculptor freedom of exploration with
various obtainable materials using a considerable amount
of ideas. Ashwin (1982, 212) adds, “preparatory studies for a
sculpture tend to take form easily by using small” models
of “clay or wax, ... they are easy to view by rotation from
many positions in round form.” In other words, it is easier to
visualise a maquette on every side than using drawings for
the time of executing a sculpture artwork.
Certainly, some sculpture experts recommend that, before
starting to work on a planned or provided task. It is feasible
to produce a maquette from an actual material in which
the final artwork shall be created. For example, if you plan
to make the final design of a sculpture with cement, try to
make a maquette with the same material. Under normal
circumstances, there is no official size a maquette should be.
Nonetheless, in various school situations “sculpture over
76cm in any dimension cannot be accepted.” This is a rule
stated by the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education,
Regulations and Syllabuses, 2009 – 2012 (Uganda National
Examinations Board, 2008, 226). That being so, avoid making
very big maquettes, which go further away in height above
30cm—below is substantially reasonable and appropriate.
An armature
In the words of Hale (1994, 156), “The inner armature
structure should be well engineered so that there is a core
of solidity and support to the whole sculpture.” Certainly,
the armature is an inner framework on which a sculpture is
shaped to support the working material for example clay,
wood, bricks, fibreglass, papier-mâché, plastics, mortar,
grass, fodder or straw and any other available material for
making a sculpture artwork. Almost always, the armature
operates as a skeleton.
As a consequence, some sculptors use materials like sticks, a
mesh, metal, “strapping wire, aluminium armature wire, thin
steel or brass rods and anything else that can curve, bend,
hold its shape and be joined to other wires and to the base”
(Peck 2007, 89) to work as the supporting framework.
Almost always, the armatures of a sculpture assist to
obtain a better shape by using a wire mesh and tie wires
although the main purpose is to enforce the shape on the
(iron bars) material. It also helps to reduce excess weight
and extravagant use of the expensive scarce materials.
Apart from that, other sculptors use only the armature to
thoroughly make complete or finished sculptures.
It is important for learners to be properly guided and be
given enough assistance at the critical stages of building an
armature.
Sculpture from wood
Artworks of such a kind are also known as 'wooden
sculpture' because of the material in which they are
extracted.
Wood is among the frequently used material to make
sculpture by the majority of African sculpture artists.
Currently, very many artists with access to wood have used
it to make outstanding sculpture artworks.
Mujjuzi (2009, 2, 4) reminds us, “It is only wood as a
component part of a plant material, which has been
explored for sculptural practices.” Probably because wood
is strong, easy to carve without using great effort and it is
highly appreciated.
Sculptors who make artworks out of wood use mature
and well-grown tree logs. Well kept, to dry before turning
them into sculpture artworks. Using green wood to make a
sculpture is a practice considered as working with recently
cut wood.
Rich (1988, 305) asserts, “The use of a 'green wood' may
result in irreparable damage to a finished carving if a wood
is not adequately seasoned.” That is to say, by seasoning a
wood is taken through various stages of drying.
Seasoning is crucial for making a sculpture stay longer
in shape and the final artwork will be in a better position
to withstand potential wood attacking insects as well as
resisting bad weather.
194 195