Sand Sculpture Festival 2010, Blankenberge, Belgium

Some sandcastle artists are purists, using no artificial materials, formwork, coloring, adhesive or heavy machinery. One such purist is G. Augustine Lynas, who has been building public sand sculptures for over 50 years. However, in sand sculpting competitions, the rules often require that the finished sculpture be sprayed with a stabilizing coating that preserves it and allows the work to be properly judged and enjoyed by spectators. Coated sculptures can last for months.
Drip castles
A variant on the sandcastle is the drip castle, made by mixing the sand with water and dripping it from a fist held above. Some refer to the technique as "dribbling." When the slurry of sand and water lands on existing sand structures, the effect is Gaudi-esque.