What is Relief Sculpture?

"Relief" simply means a sculpture is on a flat surface and not "in the round."
Low relief barely protrudes from the surface like the example to the right shows. 
High relief sculpture is a sculptural relief in which the projection from the background surface is significant and notable.
Relief Sculpture of Angkor Wat


Angkor Wat is a temple complex in Siem Reap, Cambodia and the largest religious monument in the world.  It was originally constructed as a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Vishnu for the Khmer Empire, gradually transforming into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century. 
Angkor Wat is a stunning example of low-relief sculpture in art history. 





Contemporary Artist Victoria Ellis- Relief Sculpture Process 

WHAT ARE YOU CREATING?

Your design is to create a low-relief carving using foreground, middle ground, and background to create depth that involves overlapping elements. Design should be based on an environment: ex... animals, florals, botanicals, sea life... Consider what lives in that environment such as plants and animals. The design needs to incorporate texture. 

OBJECTIVES:

  • Students will understand relief sculpture 
  • Students will create a design that incorporates foreground, middle ground, and background. 
  • ​Student will compare examples of relief sculpture from history with contemporay art examples
  • Students will roll an even slab.
  • Students will use subtractive sculpture to create a design.
  • Students will create at least three layers of relief.
  • Students will create texture in clay. ​​
  • Students will differentiate between foreground, middle ground, and background
  • Students will understand what texture is in clay

PROCESS:

IN YOUR SKETCHBOOK:

  • Create a design for your relief tile.  You should create your design the same size you will be making your tile/slab.
  • Add all the details, texture and foreground, middle-ground, and background. 
  • Add color.
  •  Minimum 7" x 7"
  • DON'T FORGET TO SUBMIT TO SCHOOLOGY

ROLLING YOUR SLAB
  • Cut paper template/drawing. You will use this as your template.
  • Roll a slab
  • Line a metal ruler up with the template's edge making sure you have a straight line guide. 
  • Cut slab edges straight up and down with a needle tool. Repeat on all four sides. 

​TRANSFERRING DESIGN:
  • Place your drawing over tile
  • Go over the design with pencil. 
  • Go over your line work with a needle tool if necessary to clean it up. 
  • Begin carving out background layer. 

CREATING YOUR RELLIEF:


  • Once you have your design transferred, begin carving away the background first. Carve the middle ground back but not as far as the background. 
  • Add dimension to your forground by building up and modeling with more clay. 
  • Carve texture into all 3 layers. 

EXAMPLES: