Sculpture FAQs

Select a design

Either discover a stone that suggests a design to you by the color or grain, or begin with a design idea, model it out of clay to work out the details and then find a stone that suits your idea.


Choose the carving stone

Stones have varying degrees of hardness. Soapstone and alabaster are common soft carving stones, granite and marble are the hardest, and limestone is somewhere in the middle. Each of these stones has different colors, textures and polishing ability.


Decide how you want to carve the stone

Stones have varying degrees of hardness. Soapstone and alabaster are common soft carving stones, granite and marble are the hardest, and limestone is somewhere in the middle. Each of these stones has different colors, textures and polishing ability.


Decide what you want to create

Decide whether you want to create a relief sculpture where you carve an image that stands out from a flat surface, or a three-dimensional sculpture that you view from all sides.


Mark the stone

Mark the stone with a pencil or crayon according to the shape you want the stone to take.


Rough out your carving

Rough out your carving with the pitching tool by hitting the top of the tool with a sharp blow of the hammer. Angle the tool toward the edge of the stone you want to remove. Use your chisels to cut parallel lines about an inch apart, being careful to avoid going too deeply into the stone. Crosshatch the ridges you made and then chisel along to pop off the cross-hatched ridges. Continue this process, removing the stone you don't want to remain in the final sculpture. Work the entire carving to the same stage all around to keep the sculpture at the same stage; this helps you visualize the finished sculpture.


Polish the surface

Rub the entire surface with silicon carbide wet/dry sandpaper.