The Art of sand sculpture by Paul Hoggard & Remy Geerts

Only wet sand is used, so the working area is wetted. You can do this with a watering can, by pouring buckets of water out on the ground or using a hose pipe. Or simply build your sculpture on the wet tide line. Once the ground is saturated pat firmly with the palms of the hands, until the surface is smooth and hard. On the prepared surface we draw a basic out line of our sculpture.
Damp to wet sand can then be piled with a shovel or you hands on to the centre of the outline.
The sand is then gently patted into a basic shape with the hands or the back of a shovel. Now we give the appearing sculpture a good watering and also water around the outside edges. This gives us very wet sand (mud) that can easily be scoop up by hand and put straight were it is needed. Patting of the sand removes the air in the structure which allows the sand particles to bond together tightly. Slowly scooping and gently patting the wet sand evenly. Smooth the sculpture with the hands while it is taking its basic form. Stepping away and looking at the progress is very important so we can see were we might need to put more sand or take some away. Always make the structure slightly larger than the required finished size.
The sculpture can now be shaped and carved from the top to the bottom. Brushes are good for smoothing the sand. Many different textures are possible to make in the sand, always clean away any excess sand and smooth the area around the base of the sculpture.

How to build a sand sculpture (hard pack)

Position and secure your forms in the desired space. Place the sand inside, wet it evenly and then pound it into a solid sand block. The forms allow the sand to be piled and compacted higher and higher and acts as a big brace, which helps maintain the structural integrity of the compacted sand.
To make a reductive sculpture you can use wooden or plastic forms, a bucket or a dustbin with the bottom removed and tubes. Place the forms on the sand so they close off a space. Water the surface before you start. Fill the forms with sand, a layer as deep as a spade blade. Mix this sand with water, make sure all the sand is evenly wetted. You can test if you used enough water by taking a handful and squeeze it. If it stays together and forms a hard ball it’s okay. Then you can compact the layer with a compacting tool or by stamping with your feet. When the layer is hard and doesn’t compact any further you can start a new layer. If your form is full, you can put another smaller form on top of this one and work your way up. Remember that with beach sand you can’t usually build higher than 1 meter.
Once the sand has settled you remove the top form. Carve roughly the desired shape before you remove the next form in order to reduce weight. Take only as much forms off as you can reach when carving.
The exposed sand is carved to a finished standard down to the next form. Remove a lower form and repete the process. Remember to work down symmetrically. Don’t take to much off one side, this can destabilise the structure, always be aware of weight distribution,
Always make sure you finish the top first, sometimes it can be hard to reach when you have worked your way down. And be careful, wet sand is very heavy and it does sometimes fall.

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