Living in Australia means inspiration comes from every angle, from bushland tones to bright city walls. I have found that working with concrete opens up new dimensions in sculpture that clay or wood sometimes cannot deliver.
Concrete offers strength, texture, and flexibility, making it a go-to option for those wanting to push boundaries in art and craft. It is not just for footpaths and buildings; concrete lets artists, beginners and seasoned creators alike, craft robust outdoor pieces and detailed indoor artworks.
For those dipping their toes into sculpture kits or exploring concrete for the first time, the material brings a sense of accomplishment and joy. Mixing, pouring, shaping, and colouring concrete becomes an art in itself, letting creators feel the weight and permanence of their craft.
At Elzinga Art guidance and hands-on advice are always at the heart of every project shared, nurturing the curiosity needed to transform creative minds and spaces alike.
Understanding Tools And Techniques For Building With Concrete
Concrete sculpture might sound tough at first, but the right tools and know-how turn it into a pleasant, even relaxing, creative process. When starting out, I find the essentials include:
Silicone or plastic moulds in various shapes
Mixing vessels that can handle the weight and stickiness of the blend
Protective gloves and dust mask for safety (if you don't wear plastic gloves, your hands will feel incredibly dry afterwards, the reason for this is cement loves moisture and it doesnt discriminate where it gets it from, including the moisture in your skin. Beside that it also likes to get under your nails, get my drift!
Trowels or wooden sticks for detailed sculpting
Medium soft brush (this can be moistened and used to smooth surfaces)
Ready-to-use concrete mix or cement and sand for custom blends
Mixing concrete is straightforward: measure, add water, stir until smooth. For those working on a small sculpture or a DIY kit with a mould, consistency is key—a mixture too wet may break easily, too dry, and it will crumble.
Once poured, it is vital to tap the mould gently to release air bubbles, helping achieve a smooth finish.
Sculpting with concrete isn’t just about pouring; carving, embedding objects, or applying textured surfaces to create endless customisation.
Some enjoy blending in colour pigments, shells, glass beads or recycled materials for unique effects.
Over time, layers can be added, or textures smoothed with sandpaper. Watching a raw, grey lump transform into a bold sculpture is truly rewarding.
Embracing Creative Possibilities With Local Inspiration
Living amongst Australia's changing scenery and vibrant colour palettes, I find concrete the perfect medium to reflect these dynamic elements. Create garden statues that echo the native flora, or experiment with lettered plaques inspired by local street art.
Concrete gives artists the freedom to make robust, weather-resistant pieces that become long-lasting features in any home or garden.
Beyond its durability, concrete gives room for creativity.
I like to share simple project ideas—like making hanging birds or character wall hangings—making it easy for anyone to try something new. Little projects can evolve into bigger works: planters, fountains, or even mixed-media sculptures incorporating wood, wire, or mosaic elements. There is satisfaction in seeing concrete creations age gracefully, gathering character with each passing season.
Elzinga Art's free art education downloads offer step-by-step guides for those keen to get started. Inspiration is everywhere—sometimes all it takes is a walk down the street to spark a concrete idea.
Shaping A Colourful Creative Journey With Concrete
Bringing concrete into sculpture is about more than building; it is about expressing visions that last and reflect the world around in bold forms. The adaptability of concrete encourages both new and experienced creators to try, learn, and succeed in their own unique ways. By exploring concrete, I discover not just new techniques, but new ways of seeing my community. With every project, I add colour and character to mine and others lives and invite others to pick up the tools and join the journey into the world of artistic possibilities utilizing concrete.
So, how do you do it, well its actually very simple. Buy a bag of ready made cement from Bunnings, l buy the light blue bag with no rocks in it, its just smooth powder.
Add water to an old plastic container, not too much about 250ml to start. Add some cement powder and form a "bad" mud pie, what l mean is, it has to be really dry and crumbly but so that its holding most of the cement together without feeling wet but has a crumbly look. Drier the better.
Now add to a plastic surface- a tip is to wet a surface and lay gladwrap over it, the water will hold the plastic gladwrap in place. Then you can dump your concrete mix on top of it meaning less table clean up at the end.
Now tip out your mix and dry bits and kneed it, as if you were making bread.
Slowly the cement mixes with the water inside it and starts to form a dough like substance. If this isnt happening add a tiny bit of water to your fingers, it doesn't take much, you do not want it to feel wet or sticky, add more cement if it does.
Now, as you kneed you'll start to notice the cement blend will get shinny and just look right, very smooth, not sticky, looking like your bread dough was ready for the oven. It should feel slighty dry and be able to hold its shape. This takes a little time to perfect but basically if its not right the cement when you make your shape will start to spread out like an inflating water puddle. This means theres too much water in your mix, so add more cement. The reverse is also true, if its too dry it will appear dry and cracked at the edges of your shape, so add a tiny bit more water and re kneed it.
To make any shape, just break of a section and round it into a ball using both hands together, then flatten with one hand, you don't want anything thinner than about 1cm.
Shape into any shape by simply patting it with your fingers, start with something easy like this bird shape below.
Layering concrete
You can layer concrete, just ensure the layer to go on is extra dry, if its not it will sink into the bottom layer and just appear like a blob. Once the layer is placed it cannot be removed, remember this is not clay, cement grabs 100%, so if you make a mistake, no drama, just pat it into the bottom layer to make it disappear and refine your outer shape as it may have stretched out in places.
You can make any flat shapes with cement, l used metal eye and hooks as joint joiners so my people or creatures have moveable parts.
You can also try 3D sculptures using a soft toy as an armature. It does need to be quite a sterdy soft toy, one that can hold its own weight, do not try floppy toys until you have mastered it, or you may never finish it.
Than simply ice it like a cake, your cement mix needs to be runnier like cake mix for this job. You will need to do multiple layers and build up your thickness ensuring you wet down your concrete between layers.
Concrete will draw water out of your next wet cement batch, so wet down well on your dry coat before applying your wet coat or the concrete may crack. You're looking to get at least a thickness of 1.5cm all over your soft toy so your sculpture doesn't break.
Drying time
Keep out of the sun when drying, cement/concrete at a thickness of 1cm will do better drying in the shade and in a cooler spot. Trying to quicken the drying time will end in tears, so chill and let it do its thing. It will be dry overnight to pick up or move. To paint, wait a couple more days for it to cure completely. You will see a different lighter colour, a lighter grey when it is ready to paint.
Use some smooth sandpaper just to smooth off any rough edges.
I suggest adding a white coat of paint first, as your colours will appear more bright and vivid going over white then grey.
Add a gloss varnish to complete and protect your paint.
Hanging
I add a metal circle with screw base, an eyelet of sorts from bunnings and l embed it into the cement whilst its wet, l tap around the edges so l know the cement has reformed around it, then l add some thin wire and thread beads, and finally add a curtain hoop (op shops) to hang it from. It works very well.
Enjoy creating with concrete!
