3D Material Design
2026
Fine Art Sculpting Material
Sculpting Tools
3D Conceptualization
Ever since I was in kindergarten, I loved sculpting and building with my hands. From Playdoh to Sculpey Primo, I have developed these fine art skills over the years.
Projects include creating wire frame maquettes, sculpting with clays, carving materials such as wood and soap, mixing medias, and adding colored paints and textures to surfaces.
For this project, I picked 3 principles of 3D design to focus on (balance, unity, and scale). I designed and created 3 sculptures, one of balsa wood, one of clay, and one incorporating both building materials.
From the top row (balsa wood only), I felt my mini-giant-squid pencil holder concept had the most potential, given its fun play on perspective.
From the second row (clay only), I evaluated that the surfer and wave created a dynamic sense of balance that appeared to be in motion.
And lastly, I assessed that the cat tower would incorporate a cohesive mix of my two mediums together.
Mini Giant Squid Pencil Wrestler
That's right -- I turned a vicious giant squid into a desktop trinket. I think the balsa wood reinforces this idea with its delicate wood grain, which is preserved through the watercolor paint. The pencil is also crafted from balsa wood and retains its natural texture. My hope is that viewers recognize that this piece is a remix of iconic illustrations of giant squids wrestling with ships, just scaled down into fun-size.
Surfer in Balance
The wave makes for a stable and aesthetically cohesive base. With a sturdy armature, this surfer will float on. I think it is a visually balanced composition, too, because there is a dichotomy between the surfer and the wave. They are dancing together, like yin and yang. This stance shows that the surfer and the wave exert the same amount of force to achieve the balance of a steady board.
Cat Condos
I designed this cat condominium to have many places for cats to sit and I produced many of the same shapes to give the piece unity. I emphasized this principle with the placement of balsa dowels, which connect all the parts. I sculpted nine cats out of Sculpey and made each one unique, creating more unity and variety. Five different toys also dangle from the platforms. Lastly, I painted the parts with analogous colors to emphasize how the platforms are separate but connected.
You may notice how the analogous colors of the condos lead the eye around in a circle, drawing attention to each cat, detail, and relationship between the cats as they play.
Fun fact! Two of the cats are modeled after my own pets, Dipper and Mr. Business!
Music Emporium Concept
My goal with this sculpture concept was to design a monument for a musical instrument emporium to reflect the idea that there are no wrong ways to play music and to inspire all types of musicians to follow the beat of their own drum. I want the monument to be a recognizable instrument with a surrealistic aesthetic to give viewers the idea that their imagination is the only limitation. This will be a larger-than-life sculpture, with its own lighting installed, centered inside where it is the first object customers see as they enter the store.
