"Thundercloud"
Custom sculpture awards are probably the most traditional and popular form of custom award that we create. Sculpture awards, as their name implies, are based on a sculpted model that serves as the “master” model for the production of the awards. In most cases this model is hand-sculpted; however, with the advent of 3D printing, some of these models are created using this automated methodology. In either case, this model is used as the form upon which a mold is made, and this mold serves as the “reusable” starting point for the casting of each individual award. The steps involved to cast sculpture awards vary depending on the material used for the awards.
While many custom award designs can be successfully realized utilizing alternative production processes (casting, fabricating, etc.), there are some attributes of sculpture awards that make them ideal for specific types of custom projects. Some of the advantages of sculpture awards include their design flexibility, the high degree of handcrafted artistry inherent in their design and production, their ability to support large quantity production, and the variety of material and finish variations they offer.
Typically, sculpture trophies and awards are cast using metal. The metals we typically work with are bronze and pewter. Bronze sculpture awards can support a multitude of finish colors and textures through a patina process, while pewter sculpture awards can feature a natural brushed pewter finish, or be plated with gold, silver or bronze for a high-quality appearance. Sculpture awards can also be cast from resin at a slightly lower cost. Resin sculpture awards can feature a variety of surface finishes as well, and are ideally suited to paint applications.