What about taking it further and making sculpting more than a hobby? “A mini-studio with all the tools, equipment, materials and storage space will likely set you back over $1,000,” says Lisa. Video: Learn how to create your own (cheap) sculpting tools “I’ve been known to use a dental rubber-tip gum massager when I needed a pointed tip with softer impact!,” laughs Lisa. There are also many tools that you can make yourself for a fraction of the cost of store-bought versions as Lisa often does. Another $50 will get you a silicone or casting resin in case you want a permanent copy of your sculpture.

Traditional: If you’re looking to get your hands dirty, a few basic tools and one type of clay will cost you $50 to $100. First things First: What are the Starter Costs? In digital sculpting (or sculpt modeling) we use tools to manipulate digital objects as if they were made of clay or another real-life material. So what are they? Traditional sculpting, considered one of the plastic arts, is the process of shaping a material to create a three-dimensional object.

We asked our two sculptors, Lisa Schindler (traditional sculpting) and Kent Trammell (Blender) how their two worlds compare. 'I’ve been asked over and over again: ‘Why bother sculpting a figurine in clay, making a mold and finally casting a copy of the clay original in resin when you could do it all digitally?’'

Digital sculpting