Sculpting

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

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


 * Chiselmaster
 * Make 20 Sculptures. This shaves about 33% off the time it takes to make all sculpture types (x0.66 modifier)


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


 * Master Sculptor
 * Make 5 of each type. Sculptures are 30% more valuable. (x1.3 modifier)


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

Sculpture Quality and Value
The base value of the sculpture is increase based on Sculpting level.

The chance to get a higher quality sculpture is also based on Sculpting level.

Each sculpture made with the same material also increases the value of the sculpture

The game will check the chances from highest to lowest quality (Masterpiece > Brilliant > High > Medium > Low) and give the first quality that it hits.

Appreciation

Appreciation bonus affects sculptures made with at least level 5 sculpting. The value of the sculpture increases by 2% of the initial value every day. Upon the sculptor's death the appreciation rate is doubled and a flat 2500 simoleons will be added to the total price.

Sculpting speed

Chiselmaster adds a x0.66 modifier to the time it takes to sculpt.

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:
 * 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 (10% chance); 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.
 * A sculpture's environment score is 3% of the sculpture's value
 * In The Sims Pets Stories, Stephen Loyal has to look after Diva, and during this time, he gets the Ice Sculpture station. He can use the object to make an ice swan and place the swan in his inventory. There is no object stacking in the game, so every ice swan will get its own slot in the inventory instead of being stacked on top of each other. This may be the precursor to the ice sculpting skill.