User:Ajptsculptor/sandbox

Why bronze rather then resin?

About the only advantage resin has over actual bronze material in casting sculpture is price. Resin is far cheaper for the artist to use and consequently, cheaper to the art buyer.

However, hear are some time tested facts about the value of bronze casting over resin and other such materials.

Bronze: Is more durable as many ancient castings now in museums can demonstrate. The Met, in NYC, for example have bronze sculpture older than 3,000 years. Considering all the world history they have come through, that's saying a lot!

Bronze is much heavier than resin and similar material. One of my sculptures is cast in both resin and bronze. The resin copy weighs 10 pounds while the bronze cast is almost 26 pounds - (about 2 & 1/2 times as much).

Resin and similar material is more prone to chirping and breaking then is bronze. When bronze does break, the break is usually an even on and can be readily repaired.

Bronze takes a much better patina finish then resin and other materials. It has a richer luster and depth then the others and definitely lasts longer out doors. That is why it is used for major art statues such as those found in parks, squares, church statues and other outdoor monuments. . Probably the most important advantage of a bronze casting to the art buyer is the rate of appreciation of any bronze sculpture over other forms of casting material. "Wouldn't that depend upon who the artist is?" you may ask.? Well not entirely, while it is true that a Remington or Degas sculpture even though reproduced hundreds of times may out price most any other popular artist's works, there is an other factor that drives bronze work values and that is the cost of bronze itself. Did you know that in the past ten years copper (as used in bronze casting) has jumped in over 400 percent! That's an average of 40 percent per year!

It seems that the emerging economies of China. India, the middle east and Pacific rim countries have a ferocious demand for all forms of ferris metals is and will continue to drive up those prices in the world market. There is a finite limit to raw material such as the copper used in making bronze and in other products such as printing. Therefore, it appears this rapid raise in the cost of that material will be continuous well into the future.

This is why I recommend bronze to all who have purchased my work or who may be interested in doing so. Thank you for stoping by and taking the time to read this article.

Alan J. P. Thompson, Sculptor web page : ajptsculptor.comm