Relief sculpture: between flat and full 3D
Art & Design · Key Stage 2 · The School
Halfway between a drawing and a statue
A RELIEF sculpture is attached to a flat background. It sticks out from that surface, but it is never fully separate from it. It sits somewhere between a flat picture and a sculpture you could walk all the way round. Cathedrals are covered in this kind of carving.
Low relief and high relief
LOW RELIEF barely rises from its background — old coins are a good example. HIGH RELIEF stands out much further, sometimes almost fully rounded at the front, while still joined to the surface behind. The higher the relief, the closer it gets to full sculpture. Run a finger over each and the difference is obvious.
Why use relief at all
A relief can be seen properly from only the front, unlike a sculpture in the round. That makes it perfect for a wall, a door, or a building's front. It also uses far less material than a full statue, while still giving real depth and shadow. It is cheaper, and quicker, to make. Many old buildings are covered in exactly this compromise.
Cut a simple tree shape from thick card, and glue it flat onto a backing board. That is your lowest layer. Cut a slightly smaller leaf cluster and glue it on top of the tree shape. That is a higher layer, raised further from the board. Cut one single small leaf and glue it on top of the leaf cluster, higher still. Light the finished piece from one side. Each layer now casts its own shadow onto the layer below, giving real depth from only three flat pieces of card.