It looks solid, and it's very heavy, but it's actually very fragile. I have to be extremely careful as I carve to keep from knocking it down. It has taken many years for me to learn just how to touch the sand so I can shape it without destroying the sculpture. Even with that experience, I lose about one sculpture in seven starts. That's how I learn.
Sand provides the entire structure, but water holds the sand grains together.
How I Do It section of this document. I frequently have a basic idea, which is embellished as I work and the sand speaks to me. Sometimes I have a specific idea I want to make, and I adhere to that. Occasionally, I have no idea what to do, and simply start carving. Sand sculpture is real.