Sculpting

Sculpting

A Sim posing for the sculptor

For other meanings, see Sculpting (disambiguation).

Sculpting is a skill introduced in the expansion pack The Sims 3: Ambitions. This skill benefits from the Savvy Sculptor trait. Sims with the Handiness skill improve this skill more rapidly.

Sculptors can sculpt with a variety of media, but when they start out, they can only use clay. Once they learn to sculpt with ice, they can use Sims as models. Using the Pedestrian Sculpting Station, Sculptors can sculpt useful objects like chairs, or decorative objects like the 'silly dancing gator'. They can create breathtaking masterpieces which can then be sold for profit. Sculptors unlock new media as they progress: "Sims learn different media as they advance in the sculpting skill, and each one requires a bit of a learning curve. The topiary is a high-level sculpting medium, but that won't keep your sims from accidentally decapitating their leafy lawn ornaments from time to time." Ice sculptures will melt over time, unless the character has completed the Ice Personality challenge, which involves creating a total of 25 ice sculptures. Players can also register as a self-employed sculptor.

Sculptors can unlock new materials by increasing their skills. When sculptors create something they can make one or more at a time.

Known sculpting media

A Sim is given the option of choosing one of six different media, five of which are only unlocked as the Sim improves their sculpting.

• Clay, which is sculpted using a hammer and chisel
• Metal, which is sculpted using a blowtorch
• Wood, which is sculpted using a hammer and chisel
• Ice, which is sculpted using a chainsaw
• Stone, which is sculpted using a hammer and chisel
• Topiary, which is sculpted using a chainsaw

Notes

• The Sim needs to have 3 pieces of Scrap in their inventory to craft anything out of metal.
• Ice will eventually melt some time after the sculpture is crafted, unless the challenge involving Ice sculpture is completed.
• If a wooden statue is placed in front of a fireplace, it's likely that a fire will start.

Challenges

There are several challenges for Sculpting which your Sim can complete to unlock rewards.

Chiselmaster 

Make 20 Sculptures. This shaves about 25% off the time it takes to make all sculpture types.

Prolific Sculptor 

Make 35 Sculptures. All materials (even scrap) are free.

Master Sculptor 

Make 5 of each type. Sculptures are about 25% more valuable.

Ice Personality 

Make 25 Ice sculptures and new ones will no longer melt.

Sculptures Available

Statue - Clay, Wood, Stone, Ice Rodent Repellent Perfect Piece Medusa Victim Out of Water Gloria Lenny the Evil Feezer Bunny Siren's Call Socratic Therapy Bust Gator Modernist's Flame Phillippe of Aznac You've Got a Big Head Just a Kitten Deep Thoughts Peanuts Viva El Mano Fab Fabled Filly A Show of Force Alexia Full of Hair Fabu Foo Gally de Orleans Octavian The Gazing Pharaoh The Guardian Griffin The Tiki Lord Bar Stool - Clay, Wood, Stone, Ice Old Sam's Barstool Bab's Towering Barstool Barstool de Mish Parlor Perch Barstool Sturdy Stool Dining Chair - Clay, Wood, Stone, Ice The Cozinator 450 Dinner Party Perfect Chair Old Sam's Dining Chair The Elsinore Mount of Comfort Dining Chair The Muga Sitzer Rafkin's Dining Chair Simmer Down Chair Sit-up Straight Dining Chair Stone Seat from Tomb Dining Inc. Yankee Doodle Dining Chair Living Chair - Clay, Wood, Stone, Ice Lazy Lounger Passable Mission Chair The Avant Bracken Living Room Chair The Olafian Pete's Living Room Chair Practically Yours The Regal Rester The Savannah Simply Elegant Seating Swank Living Room Chair

Bathroom Stuff - Clay, Wood, Stone, Ice The Porcelain Throne Bargain John First Step Potty Chair Plain Basin Sink in Despair The Thru-Flush Toilet Coffee Table - Clay, Wood, Stone, Ice Case Closed Coffee Table The Mission Coffee Table by Lulu Designs Two-Ton Table Dining Table - Clay, Wood, Stone, Ice Another Era Dining Table Knack Outdoor Table Table de Bistro by Bourgeois Creations Table-licious End Table - Clay, Wood, Stone, Ice Royale Francios Endtable from XIV Antiquities Chaible End of the Line Table Le Petit Table MetaTable Tabla Del Extremo Other - Clay, Wood, Stone, Ice Rory's Display Pedestal - France Rory's Display Pedestal - Egypt Antique-But-Not Lotus Pot Globe Sculpture Immoderate Water Fountain The Urn of Franco Furniture - Clay, Wood, Stone, Ice Epic 10th Anniversary Chess Set Artsy Easel The Clothing Hamper by Full Load Inc. Flavor Savor Nectar Rack Infinitoy Imaginary Station Miragé Garbagé The Necteaux Yummer's High Chair Metal Shiney Things Metal Chair SimBot Scraps The Steely Stallion Larger Than Life Sculpture Shapely Conundrum Topiary Penguinopoly Felix the Giraffe Anna the Panda Dragon Dougherty

Some of the listed materials come with additional risks and opportunities that vary in importance:

An example of failed topiary.

• Sims may accidentally cut off an important part of their topiary sculpture (i.e. the head) near completion, reducing the value of the sculpture. This can be avoided with the Savvy Sculptor trait, as Sims with this trait will never decapitate their sculptures.
• Metal is one of the riskiest to deal with, as a Sim operates a blowtorch that can ignite the Sim and lead to death if no other Sims are available to help or there isn't a shower near to put out the fire. The same risk is present during inventing, and occurs regardless of the Sims' sculpting skill level.
• An ice sculpture can collapse midway through sculpting, destroying it. In addition, it is also possible to end up sculpting the Goblin Ice Sculpture instead of a posing Sim; the sculpture will be worth less than expected, and the blunder may negatively affect the Sims' relationship with the Sim who posed for the sculpture. Sometimes Sims will lick the block of ice before sculpting, sometimes their tongue will get stuck, and on rare occasions freeing the tongue shatters the block into a completed sculpture.
• Stone blocks may contain raw gems or metals which can be found midway through sculpting. The discovery of the item comes at the cost of losing the stone sculpture which is being worked on.

Trivia

• There are already decorative plant objects in the The Sims 3 which claim to be topiary.
• If a Sim is partway through sculpting a hamper, and you don't have laundry enabled, laundry will start showing up on the floor anyway until the hamper is finished and sold/deleted or scrapped.