How to Make Figures Out of Stone

Select the stone to fit the project. For smaller figures, choose a softer stone like alabaster, which can be hand-carved using only a Dremel tool. Larger, more permanent sculptures such as gallery pieces should be chiseled from marble or another hard stone.

Set the stone on a industrial bench or another hard, indestructible surface. Place a towel around the base of the stone to cushion the impact of chunks of stone as they fall from the main block.

Draw a general outline around the edges of the stone to determine where to start carving. For example, if the stone is to become the bust of a person or animal, draw an outline around the sides of the stone for the amount of material to be removed to separate the shoulders from the head.

Place the chisel at a 45-degree angle to the surface of the stone and hit it with the hammer until a significant amount of stone is extracted. For harder stone, hit the hammer with ample force to remove larger chunks. Always leave more stone than necessary after the initial chiseling to allow for room to add detail with other specialized tools.

Grind the stone smooth and detail it using a heavy-duty Dremel tool. Dremel tools have many adapters to fit specific needs, such as sanding or drilling. For example, after chiseling away stone to reveal the basic outline of a person's head, detail the hair strands and facial features using the Dremel engraving adapter.