Often, it’s necessary to add pieces of ice to a sculpture as many designs won’t fit within the confines of an ice block.



*updated 12/7/11

You’re facing a 300 lb. block of clear ice that you have to make into something. The only problem is that you’re having trouble fitting all of the subject into the block. Fortunately, you don’t have to fit it all in 40 inches by 20 inches. By thinking outside of the block and properly adding ice to the edges of your design, you can create a much more effective sculpture without much additional effort. For example, if you have to carve a person, sometimes it’s easier to add another piece of ice to the top of the block for the head, rather than try to cram everything into the block. For ways to add ice to your sculpture, check out tips on ice welding.

Another approach is to tilt the block some. By cutting the bottom of the block so that it sits at an angle, you may be able to fit more of a particular design into an ice block than you could if it were standing straight upright. However, to take full advantage of this tip, you need to do your homework. Take a drawing of your design and see how you might fit it into a rectangle with the proportions of a block. Turn it and see how the sculpture might work in different ways. Even better, use computer software (such as my favorite, Adobe Illustrator) to rotate and resize your design until you get the most efficient combination of sculpture size and ease of carving.


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Tags: aluminum welding method, design