Cut, saw, file, and sand.

Soapstone - the stone of freedom

The principal quality of soapstone is its softness. Thanks to its particular geological composition, the thickest blocks can easily be reduced in size with simple hand tools. This makes it suitable for all and certainly doesn't limit it to the master sculptor in his studio.

From monumental statues to earrings

With soapstone, all ambitions are allowed. You can make megaliths up to 2m tall to decorate a park or tiny objects to place on a windowsill or wear as an earring. Most soapstone sculptors produce these smaller articles exclusively or from off cuts from larger projects.

3000 years ago Chinese artists were already working with soapstone.

What's more amazing is that some of these pieces survive to the present day in a perfect state of conservation.
Being geologically stable, solid, and unaffected by humidity, these stone pieces have been able to survive centuries and cultures to give a rare insight into their cultures.

A world tour of soapstone artists.

Not only popular in China, but also in Africa and Iran, soapstone is the artisans choice by excellence. In Asia the tradition of working with soapstone goes back thousands of years as we have seen above, not only for the creation of pieces of art but for cooking utensils, plates, vases, teapots, or boxes. In China, it was during the Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644) in particular that the use of soapstone had its boom, here it replaced the use of jade which was much more expensive. Ancient Greece and in particular the Cretan artisans also had recourse to this stone for the production of receptacles and stamps - many are on display at the Museum of Crete in Heraklion.
The Indians, Afghans, Egyptians, and even Vikings used soapstone to make jewellery or silver bars. In Africa soapstone figures had their glory days in Zimbabwe between the 11th and 16th centuries.
The fact that this stone is so easily worked - not only in terms of effort, but with tools, gives rise to the variety of pieces seen around the world.

An authentic art form

Until then unknown in western art, soapstone appeared in Europe in the 17th century. First of all it was used in craftwork, from where it moved into Art Deco where the research into new forms loved new materials. These days apart from its use in sculpture, soapstone is also used in traditional cooking pans in Scandinavian countries.

Brazilian, Chinese, Indian - a stone of multiple origins.

Soapstone comes from all over the world, but mostly from Brazil, China, India, although some also comes from Australia and Canada, and some from closer to home in Germany. Stones from different countries have different properties, but all are chosen according to their quality.

Gerstaecker soapstone currently comes from Brazil, India, China, and North Africa.

Ten times softer than diamond

Soapstone which is 1 on the hardness scale, compared with 10 for diamond is nonetheless quite hard. Its trick is to combine softness with solidity - this stone is quite widely used in industry and technical domains - used in construction as an insulator for example or in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics to make talcum.
Soapstone, so called because it feels like a dry bar of soap, is also known by its chemical name of steatite (from the Greek 'steatos' or grease), or sometimes as oil stone. A malleable stone, with an exceptional density, this stone weighs 3g/cm3. It's only after polishing that the stone reveals its true colours and finish.

The first choice of the artist - which stone to use?

A rock or piece of stone is never an inert and homogenous mass - rather it can be seen as a potential masterpiece. With a bit of practice you will learn to pick out what the stone is suitable for, be it a simple geometric shape, or an exploit of its weirdness.

Each stone is unique

Because soapstone is a gift of nature, it is difficult to influence its colours, patterns and make up. However when you make your order we do say that you can give a preference for the colour you require: white, brown, green, yellowish, grey or pink. Whatever you choose remember the final colour won't appear until you polish or varnish it right at the end.

Choose a stone the right size for your idea.

According to what you want to produce select a big or smaller stone. Start off with a medium sized stone or small one. Look at the stone from all angles to appreciate its volume. On the artistic side there are two angles - either your idea is pretty predetermined in terms of size and form, in which case take a block slightly bigger and work back, or you take a random piece and then work out what it is suitable for - this is by far the most interesting way of proceeding.


Create in total freedom

At first, start off with simple shapes and small work to get an idea of how the tools work. Rasp, saw, scratch and hollow out with little sense of direction and marvel at what you can achieve. Sculpture is, above all else, all about sensation of achievement, don't set out saying I'm going to create a perfect whale - then if it looks more like a dolphin or salmon you won't be really disappointed! Rather start off in the right direction and see what looks best - it may only be after a few hours work, or when a too larger lump breaks off that it looks really good. If you find that your ideas aren't working maybe they are too difficult - try something easier and maybe more abstract.


Use the characteristics of the stone.

In its natural state soapstone blocks are layered rather like silica or slate, if you are a beginner it may be an idea to avoid these stones as they can break rather easily - similarly if your work is destined to live outside again avoid these types of stones - if water gets in they become very fragile. On a general point all stones have small fissures in which generally interlace with each other and in no way disturb the sculptor. Like knots in wood they add to the charm of the stone, and with a bit of experience you soon learn to exploit these characteristics in an artistic way.

How to begin with a big stone.

Choose your size.

If you want to split your block into two halves, you can use a puk saw, which gives a straight and neat cut. To get several blocks you can continue cutting or use a hammer and chisel. In this way the stone will split along fissures or natural break lines in the stone - the stone will break up the same way if dropped on a hard floor. Breaking the stone as opposed to cutting it can avoid surprises later on when working. Always keep the fragments that break off as these can be used for smaller projects - see 'soapstone ideas' for more information.

Reduce the block.

Before starting, beginners often mark the stone with a felt tip pen with the outline of their project. Begin then by using a hammer and chisel to chip off small lumps - watch to begin with to see how the chisels work. Don't concern yourself too much with the final shape at this stage - make more of a general shape to be refined later.

Know how to work in 3 dimensions.

The opposite to a painting that is always looked at face on, a sculpture is looked at from all angles. As a result take time to walk around your work and look at it from all angles as you work, including from a distance - especially with big pieces. Along similar lines don't get too stuck working on one face - keep moving around.

Use the right tools.

From a general point of view, all wood working and carving tools can also be used for soapstone although they may blunt faster. Rasps, saws, chisels, knives and files can all be used - especially for downsizing, however smaller detailed work will normally require rifflers to be used. These small rasps allow for precision carving of relief and detail. Use a wire brush to clean up tools as this effectively removes the dust build up in the teeth of the tools.

A masterpiece develops step by step in the studio.

Once you have reduced your block in size, the general form of your sculpture can begin to take shape.

The real creation work can begin, from the biggest block to something more precise

For medium sized stones, ie between 5 and 10kg, the piece is normally started with rasps, which quickly bring out the lines of what will be the finished piece. The combination of surfaces on the rasp from rounded edges to flat faces allows many possible results from one tool. Let the tool do the work, working over the surface of the piece, remember this is a tool for removing larger areas, smaller areas are best removed with a riffler. To remove slices or to leave flat surfaces, small saws can also be used.

Miniatures.

To make smaller objects such as jewellery, it's necessary to use smaller more precise tools right from the start. The needle riffler is perfect for this job. If you make bowls or cups a round riffler will be very useful, this tool allows you dig out the stone in a very regular fashion and leaves a uniform cut.

Megaliths and masterpieces

To create larger and more complex structures with cavities, holes, tunnels and so on the pointed riffler or big puk saw are your tools of choice. Soapstone allows you to create sculptures up to 2m tall!

Create textures.

Coarse, smooth, rugged, criss-cross, pointed - all surfaces are possible in soapstone. A mixture of surfaces enriches the visual impact of the piece, by breaking up the light and casting shadows as it hits the surface, whilst also creating different textures to touch. At this stage colours of the end result can be hard to judge due to the dust and fact that the piece is as yet unpolished, but to get a rough idea it can sprayed with water, bear in mind that colours will be further brought out by the final polish or varnish.

The stone reveals all of its character.

Be it a huge masterpiece or a small figurine a soapstone sculpture reveals its best after the sanding stage. Colours finally emerge, and contours are suddenly more defined.

Sand for finesse

The first step is to sand away the marks left by the larger tools. Use a medium or even coarse grain sandpaper. With really big pieces work in a series of stages to avoid boredom!

Correct those last imperfections.

By this stage you would consider your work to be 98% finished, especially in terms of filing and rasping, but as you sand it is not uncommon to find little areas that need a little more work. No special method is needed, just carry on where you left off. The final sand of the piece should be with fine grain sandpaper, as coarse grain will have left marks that will show through even after varnishing or polishing.


Wash the stone with clean water.

During sanding it is important to get rid of the build up of dust that occurs as you work, using wet sandpaper or even wire wool (which must be a new piece each time as it rusts quickly), but the best thing is to sponge off or even rinse the stone now and again under the tap. The detail in your work becomes more and more apparent all the time.

Advice: It is sometimes difficult to access deep and awkward places in a sculpture. Bear in mind when you are working to maybe leave certain parts in a natural state. To reach awkward places you can rollup the sandpaper or wrap it round a pointed tool for example. Also note that unpolished bits risk reappearing as a lighter shade than polished bits. For really complex pieces we advise you to sand entirely by hand - bigger and flatter surfaces could be sanded by a small electric sander if desired.

The magic of the finishing touch.

Your masterpiece is nearly finished... you can now add the final touches to make your work even better. Finishing off shows off the faces of the stone and protects the surface for the future.

Good to know - to look after your sculpture we recommend you use the same product that you used for the varnishing. This will not only have a hardening effect but also a protective one.

A natural and durable brilliance

First of all check that the sculpture is dust free and dry. Then apply wax polish or varnish in the usual way. Wax polish can be applied with a simple cloth and for varnish we recommend a soft brush. Cover the surface of the piece with an even coat all over, leave to dry, and then buff with a cloth. The colour of the soapstone and the lines in it take on another dimension, especially in good light.

Tip: Accidental scratches in the stone can be easily filled when varnishing or waxing!

Stone - an eternal material.

To obtain a smooth glossy surface it is sometimes necessary to repeat this stage several times, making sure that all coats have dried before the next is applied. It is also favoured to use products with longer drying times that penetrate the stone deeper, and therefore protect the stone for longer.


Touching art

The final piece retains the specific properties of soapstone, its softness in particular. However this factor does not rule out touching the object, in fact hand contact contributes to the natural polishing of the stone. People love to touch a sculpture and to feel how smooth it is - so make sure that the piece is secure and stable when displayed!

Personal Ideas - up to your imagination.

Group ideas  - bringing people together.

Up to your imagination

You have probably never done any sculpture, but you really want to have a go! Well try soapstone - it will forgive your beginners errors and still give a real sense of achievement and satisfaction.


Make something simple!

Simple shapes such as standing stones or totem poles are within everyone's capabilities. And if your first attempts look like prehistoric art - all the better! For some the simplicity is the beauty for others the complexity.

Take a leaf out of the master's book.

Imitation is an excellent school. Start by copying easy things with easy forms, look at all sources - antique art, renaissance, African arts, and marine projects. Keep it simple to start with - maybe just copying a part of a work such as a hand, foot, or face.


Make outdoor pieces

Create ornaments to adorn your patio or garden. Be inspired by traditional statues at garden centres or in parks or go for something more abstract. Carve water features, sun dials, or gargoyles.

Create fantasy jewellery

Keep all the bits you chip off larger blocks to make smaller pieces such as pendants, earrings, broaches, or rings. Look for inspiration in jewellers windows or copy ancient jewellery shown in museums. Everyone will be greatly impressed when you tell them you made it yourself.

Create different presents.

From the simplest to the most complicated nothing is more interesting than receiving a gift that has been handmade. The list is endless - ash trays, paper weights, chess pieces, dominos etc.

Group ideas 

Soapstone - bringing sculptors together.

As it is so easy to carve, soapstone is greatly appreciated by art studios and art teachers, not only is it great for kids to get great results, but for more advanced artists it is a great stepping stone into hard stone sculpture.


A very affordable way into sculpture

One of the main advantages of soapstone is that the first investment is relatively low. Stone is very economical and only simple tools are needed to work it. For comparison a discovery set with 30kg of stone and a dozen tools is £80, go for the same in marble and you are looking at £800!


A shared experience in creation.

From experience in schools, we have seen that soapstone is very popular both among students and teachers. Each student can work on their own stone and the end result is a very close reflection of their effort as the student has been with their piece of work from start to finish and has been the master of creation. One of the main reasons for this is that you don't have to stop as you work like with pottery or painting, it's also interesting to note that a student who had difficulty putting paint on paper can produce amazing results in soapstone very easily.

From individual to collective work

Soapstone also allows for very easy group work. Every one works on the same theme - for example flowers or fish, and at the end we see a group piece made up of many individual pieces.

Some precautions during use.

Tools used for soapstone carving are simple but none the less dangerous. Many are pointed or have sharp edges, and must therefore be handled with care. A supervising adult should always be present in schools or when groups are working. As always protective clothing should be worn including goggles.