Jesse Nusbaum
Realist Bronze Animal Sculptures
Making Bronze Sculptures
The Inspiration
My sculptures begin with a three-dimensional vision, an internal blueprint that stays with me throughout the entire bronze sculpting process.
Although my hands are the tools to make a sculpture, 90% of the work comes from my mind. Once the sculpture mirrors my initial vision, I know I am successful in my mission.
Attention to details
Expressing detail is very important to me as the intense precision results in a more in-depth finished piece. My goal is to captivate my audience; inspiring a sense of creativity and familiarity with each sculpture.
Once the clay sculpture is finished, it is hollowed to a 1” thickness and fired in the kiln. Copper, bronze, or silver paint is used to highlight dimension and accentuate details that were not visible before.
Occasionally, I’ll add organic parts of the animal to the sculpture. These are physiological features that were once essential to the animal's survival such as horns or teeth.
Casting & Finishing
My final step of the bronze sculpting process is to cast each piece into 100% hot cast bronze or aluminum. This process takes place at a foundry; a workshop that specializes in casting different metals. It can take anywhere from eight weeks to four months to produce a single piece.
the foundry
First, a silicon mold is made for the fired clay sculpture. The silicon consists of two pieces and a thick ceramic shell. Both molds are mirrored indentations of the original sculpture. Hot wax is poured into the depressions of the silicon mold and then poured out, evenly coating the interior walls.
A thin ceramic shell is applied to the mold by dipping it into a heat resistant liquid and then coating it with a heat resistant sand or stucco. After the shell is completely dry, the piece is placed in a kiln at 1800℉ to make the shell strong.
The Hot Cast ProcesS
Molten bronze or aluminum heated to 2200 °F, is then poured into the cavities of the shell. This dissolves the wax and takes the exact shape of the original wax replica. This is known as the “Lost Wax Method”.
After a cooling period, the thinner, protective ceramic shell is chipped away and sand blasted, revealing the metal casting. All pieces are 100% aluminum or bronze.
The final step is to give the bronze or aluminum sculpture an aged look, known as the patina process. This is done by using various chemicals and/or an application of a heavy flame to control the lightness or darkness of the bronze or aluminum.
The casting process can take anywhere from 2 to 4 months, depending upon the level of intricacy and detail, to produce a single piece after the entire sculpting process and mold making process is completed.
