Relief Sculpture: The Other Side of Scratch Blocks

Relief Sculpture: The Other Side of Scratch Blocks is a class that explores the additive side of sculpture—inviting students to build up their designs rather than carve into them. As a counterpart to Liberty Arts’ popular scratch blocks, this class focuses on creating raised, dimensional imagery using clay as the starting point.

In this single-session workshop, students will sculpt their own relief designs by adding material to a flat surface, developing form, texture, and depth through an intuitive, hands-on process. This approach allows for more organic shapes and layered compositions, opening up a different way of thinking about mark-making and surface.

After the class, Liberty Arts foundry staff will translate your own clay relief into a bonded sand mold. Students will then return during Third Friday in May to watch their pieces being poured in aluminum.

This class offers a unique opportunity to engage with the foundry process from a different perspective—focusing on building form rather than carving it away.

Schedule

This class takes place in two parts:

Tuesday, May 12 : 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Students will sculpt their relief designs using water-based clay, building up their forms and preparing their pieces for casting.

Third Friday in May
Students are invited back to observe the aluminum pour as their pieces are cast by the Liberty Arts foundry team.

Location

This class will meet at the Liberty Arts Foundry, located on Foster St., Durham, NC, within Durham Central Park.

Pre-requisites

This class does not require any prior foundry or sculpting experience.

Participants should be comfortable working with their hands and in an active studio environment.

Skills and Equipment

Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of additive sculpture and its relationship to the casting process.

Students will learn:
Basic relief sculpture techniques using water-based clay
How to build up forms and create dimensional surfaces
How relief designs translate into cast metal
An overview of the sand casting process and foundry workflow

Materials

Students will work with water-based clay and base forms to create their relief sculptures.

After the class, pieces will be cast in aluminum by the foundry team. All materials are included in the cost of the class.

Safety and PPE

Standard studio safety guidelines apply. Foundry staff will handle all high-heat casting processes during the pour event.

What to Wear

Students should wear comfortable clothing that can get dirty. Clay work may be messy, and the foundry environment can be dusty.

Closed-toe shoes are recommended. Hair should be tied back.

Notes / Important Info

This class takes place around an active foundry environment.

Students will leave with a completed aluminum cast of their original relief. Timing for pickup of finished pieces will be communicated during class.