Refers to the act or process of shaping a material such as clay or plastic into a form, often in artistic or industrial contexts.
塑造の技術を学ぶために美術学校に通っている。
I attend an art school to learn modeling techniques.
この彫刻は塑造によって作られた。
This sculpture was made by molding.
Composed of 塑 (so, 'model, mold') and 造 (zō, 'make, build'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji combination directly reflects the meaning of shaping or molding.