Body Casting Manual Casting Manual Casting Manual

Transcription

Body Casting Manual
Body Casting Manual
A complete body casting instruction manual explaining in
details how to make a realistic, life size and very elegant plaster
sculpture of someone’s torso (or any other body part)
Olivier Duhamel
Body Casting Manual
Body Casting Manual
Olivier O. Duhamel
“Body Casting Manual”
Olivier O. Duhamel
Published May 2010, Version 3.5
First publication July 2009
©copyright Olivier Duhamel 2009-2010
Unless otherwise specified all images ©copyright Jill Varani 2008
Bodyscape is a New Zealand registered New Zealand Trade Name of Bodyscape Waiheke Sculpture Studio
Forton MG is a registered trademark of Forton BV, The Netherlands.
www.bodyscape.net.nz
Limitations of liability
W e assume no responsibility and will not be liable for any damages to persons or properties
caused by or arising from your access to this tutorial. We assume no responsibility and will not
be liable for any accident or injuries caused by or arising from your utilisation of the techniques
described in this manual.
Page 1
Body Casting Manual
Table of contents
Introduction ............................................................... 4
About Life casting...................................................... 5
Part one - A simple project
Materials and equipment........................................... 6
Process overview........................................................ 8
Before starting............................................................ 9
Choosing a pose ........................................................ 11
Applying the alginate skin ....................................... 12
Embedding cotton wool............................................14
Constructing the plaster shell .................................. 15
Releasing the mold....................................................17
Casting the plaster ....................................................19
Unmolding ................................................................ 21
Finishing ...................................................................22
Trouble shooting.......................................................25
Part two - Advanced techniques
Taking it further ...................................................... 28
Casting a face ........................................................... 29
Casting hands ...........................................................32
Casting hands – Wax mold..................................... 34
Baby’s hands and feet .............................................. 36
A cleaner, stronger mold ......................................... 37
Casting a pregnant belly.......................................... 39
Alternative to cotton wool ...................................... 40
Alternative to plaster gauze .....................................41
Casting in Forton MG............................................. 42
Other tips ................................................................. 44
Mother mold – The wax method............................ 47
Last words .................................................................52
Appendix A – Suppliers ...........................................53
Appendix B – Body casting artists.......................... 58
About the author...................................................... 62
Page 2
Body Casting Manual
Page 3
Body Casting Manual – Introduction
Introduction
Written by Waiheke Island
sculptor and life caster Olivier
Duhamel, this life casting guide
documents in detail all the steps
necessary to make a mold and
plaster casting of someone’s
chest.
ensure that your project is a
success.
The resulting sculpture will
be an amazingly detailed
reproduction of someone’s body,
a durable, faithful and elegant
memento.
The second part of the manual
discusses some more advanced
techniques and methods and
explains how to approach some
other casting projects such as
pregnant belly, face, hands and
feet.
This is an easy, safe, fun and
inexpensive
project.
These
simple, detailed and complete
instructions and illustrations will
Although this guide uses a
woman’s bust as an example, the
same techniques can be applied to
cast any other body part.
All
measurements
are
expressed in both metric and US
customary units.
Page 4
Body Casting Manual – About life casting
About Life casting
Before delving into the heart
of the matter, I thought that I
would write a bit more about life
casting and body casting in
general. You can choose to skip
this section but make sure to read
everything else
What is life casting?
Life casting, also called body
casting is the art of making a
mold of a live model to make a
life size, life like three
dimensional reproduction of
someone’s body or part of the
body.
A bit of history
The ancient Egyptians are the
first recorded life casting
craftsmen. Indeed some of their
works survived centuries and can
be admired in museums around
the world. However, more
modern techniques and materials
have allowed life casting artists
to make much more realistic
pieces. This guide will show you
how to achieve the most
incredibly detailed reproduction
at very little costs.
Famous body casters
Body casting has long been
dismissed a “just body casting”
on the pretence that it was
simply copying life instead of
interpreting it though the artist’s
hands. The very respectable
Auguste Rodin was once accused
of having cast one of his
sculptures. The master was
greatly offended by these
accusations.
In more recent times, artists
such as George Segal, John
deAndrea and Duane Hanson
have done work of such
excellence that they have given
to the medium its letters of
nobility.
Page 5
Body Casting Manual – Materials and equipment
Materials and equipment
This is the list of tools and
materials you will need to
complete the project. It should all
cost no more than a restaurant
meal for two and a bottle of
wine.
-
One plastic bucket
One bag of 1 kg of Alginate
(35 oz or 2 lbs)
5 rolls of plaster bandage (10
cm * 3.5 m) (4 in * 4 yd)
A few pairs of latex gloves
10 kg of Plaster of Paris (20
lbs)
2 or 3 empty soft drink
bottles
A plastic bowl
A power drill and a paint
mixer attachment
One chip brush of medium
size
Scissors
Cotton balls
A kitchen scale
A clean towel
tooth impression. It is organic
and skin safe.
Which alginate to buy?
I am using an alginate called
Aroma fine DF III made by GC
Corporation of Japan.
Dentists want their alginate to
set as fast as possible for the
comfort of their patient. The
body caster wants an alginate
that sets more slowly. (3 minutes
at room temperature). Do not
buy anything advertised as “fast
setting”. Other than that, most
alginate will work for your
purpose.
Which plaster gauze to buy?
P laster gauze is what doctors
use to cast a broken limb. My
preferred plaster gauze is
Gypsona 10 cm wide by 3.5metres
long. (4 in * 4 yd) but anything
else will work just as well.
Alginate
is
a
natural
compound made from seaweed.
It is sold as a fine powder which
when mixed with water makes a
paste that will set and harden in a
few
minutes.
Dentists
traditionally use alginate to take
Where to buy?
To find suppliers in your area,
search for the name of your
nearest city and the following
keywords:
dental
supplies,
alginate, medical supplies, plaster
gauze, mold (or mould) making
supplies. To make it quick and
Page 6
Body Casting Manual – Materials and equipment
easy to find a supplier in your
area, We have listed a selection
of online shops in the appendix
at the back of the manual.
Additional materials
You may also need
following:
-
P laster of Paris, plastic
buckets, chip brushes and latex
gloves can be purchased from
most hardware stores. You will
only need 6 to 7 Kg. of plaster (12
lbs) but it generally comes in
larger bags. You want standard
Plaster of Paris. Do not buy any
kind of fast setting plaster.
-
A large sheet of plastic to
cover and protect the floor of
your work area
A pile of old clothes
An arm’s length of strong
electric cable or chain
A small pot of plaster filler
A small bag of white shellac
A sponge
This is about all the materials you will need.
Page 7
the
Body Casting Manual Process overview
Process overview
This section describes the
body casting process in broad
lines.
There are two major steps in
the process:
-
The first step consists of
making a mold of the live
model.
The second, casting plaster
into that mold.
This
is
not
unlike
photography where you first
record an image and then print it
on paper.
The mold is made of two
separate layers. A first layer,
which I call the “alginate skin”,
captures the skin texture but is
too flexible to remember the pose
and too fragile to receive liquid
plaster. A second layer of plaster
bandages must be applied over
the alginate to set its position and
give the mold enough strength to
receive the liquid plaster. This
second layer is called the “plaster
shell” or “mother mold”.
You will apply a layer of
alginate directly on your model’s
skin. You will then cover this
alginate skin with several layers
of plaster bandages to encase the
alginate skin in a plaster shell.
These are the same kind of
bandages that a doctor would use
to cast a broken arm. When the
plaster bandages have set, the
entire mold is removed from the
model and set on the floor, open
side up. The whole operation
takes no more than half an hour.
A batch of liquid plaster is
then mixed and painted or
poured inside the alginate mold.
After a few hours, the plaster has
set and the alginate and bandage
mold can be removed to reveal a
solid plaster replicate of your
model’s body. The first part of
this manual describes in more
detail this simple procedure
Page 8
Body Casting Manual Before starting
Before starting
First read this entire manual
to familiarise yourself with the
process and make sure you
understand every step.
Before starting you must have
prepared a few things:
-
Decided on a time and
location
Put water in the fridge
Have briefed your model
Pre-cut plaster gauzes
Have all materials and tools
ready
Keep this manual with you
for easy reference
You must set aside at least a
couple of hours. You must also
decide where to operate, bearing
in mind that nudity may be
involved (privacy) and that the
process can be a bit messy with
alginate and plaster drips. There
will be plaster on the floor. A
garage is preferable to your
lounge, but if necessary the work
area can be protected with a drop
cloth or plastic sheet. In summer,
outdoors is perfect. Easy access to
a source of water such as garden
hose or laundry tub is preferable.
The day before, find and clean
soft drink bottles, fill them with
2.8 litres of clean water. (2.9 qt or
5.9 pt) and put them in your
fridge overnight. This water
must be as clean as possible,
filtered water is preferable as
impurities in tap water may
interfere with the alginate’s
properties.
On the day, instruct your
model not to wear any underwear
or tight clothing that may mark
the skin. Such marks take a long
time to fade away and would
show in the final casting.
Cut the plaster gauze in length of
about 50cm (1.5 ft) and loosely
roll these strips again. Pile them
in the plastic bowl. Attach the
mixer blade to your power drill.
(or find a strong mixing spatula.)
Make sure that your model
understands the whole procedure
and knows what to expect.
Page 9
Body Casting Manual – Before starting
Do not open plaster gauze bags earlier than a few hours before using
them. Humidity in the atmosphere may cause them to set and render
them unusable.
Prepare everything before the model arrives.
Body piercings can be cast as long as they will not get trapped in the
alginate. As a rule, I advise to remove them.
Page 10
Body Casting Manual – Choosing a pose
Choosing a pose
The pose must be comfortable
enough for the model to keep still
for about twenty minutes.
The model can be standing,
sitting or lying on the side or on
the back but remember that a
casting made on a prone female
model will look very odd if
displayed vertically or hung on a
wall.
Memorise the casting area by
drawing with your finger an
imaginary line starting from the
neck, following the top of the
shoulder, cutting across the arm
over to the chest, across the rib
cage a couple of inches below the
breasts and up again on the
opposite side. This is roughly
the area of the casting illustration
on the next page.
You
may
obviously decide
to cast some
other part of
your
model’s
body but bear in
mind
that
a
bigger
area
would
require
more
material
than indicated in
this manual.
Raising arms above the head
will make the breast perk up but
you will be casting armpits. One
arm up and the other down will
give a nice movement to the final
sculpture. Play around, have fun.
Ask your model to wear old
clothes from the waist down.
This is because these clothes will
most likely be soiled with
alginate and plaster drip.
Page 11
Body Casting Manual – Applying the alginate skin
Applying the alginate skin
This is the most difficult part
of the casting process and much
of the success of your casting will
depend on how well you have
done this part.
quickly and decisively. Your
model is ready and waiting.
P lunge the power drill mixing
blade into the bucket to mix the
alginate to a thick creamy
texture. This should be
achieved in less than 1 minute.
Mixing by hand if you do not
have a power drill is also
possible.
Applying the alginate
Mixing the Alginate
Bring the water bottles from
the fridge and empty them in
your clean plastic bucket. There
must be 2.8 litres (2.9 qt or 5.9 pt)
of cold water. Put on your latex
gloves. Cut open the bag of
alginate and pour its entire
contents (1 kg) (35 oz or 2 lbs) in
the water. You now need to act
Scoop a bit of the alginate
paste in each hand and apply it
firmly on your model’s skin.
Start from the top of the
casting area and work your
way down. Do not be shy as
you want to push out any air
bubble out of the alginate,
massage it in firmly in a
wiping motion to push out any
air. Repeat to construct a thin
layer over the entire casting area.
Make sure to push some
alginate in any fold of skin, like
under the breasts, (but not too
much as it may distort the
natural fall of the breasts.) or
between arms and rib cage.
Page 12
Body Casting Manual – Applying the alginate skin
alginate skin about 1 cm
(1/3 in) thick or more.
Make sure not to leave any
thin spots. You do not want
to see any skin showing
through the alginate.
You should have about 5
minutes to complete this
step before the alginate
starts to set to the point
where it no longer sticks to
itself.
The colder the water,
the slower the setting time
and the more time you have
to work.
Your model will find it rather
cold. This will raise goose bumps
that will show in the final casting
and enhance the realistic effect.
After this first thin layer,
apply the rest of the alginate to
build up thickness all over the
casting area. Expect to build an
You do not have to use
all the alginate mix. Apply
just enough to construct a
layer 1cm thick all over the
casting area. Be careful not to set
too much alginate on top of the
breast as the weight of too much
alginate may distort the breast
soft tissues which will result in
breast looking flatten in the final
sculpture.
Mixing the alginate with the power drill will make some dust. This is
best done outdoor.
The water to alginate mixing ratio of 2.8 l for 1kg is for my Aroma brand
alginate. If you use a different brand, follow the manufacturer’s
instructions.
Page 13
Body Casting Manual – Embedding cotton wool
Embedding cotton wool
In this step of the process we
will attempt to make the two
parts of the mold (the alginate
skin and the yet to be made
plaster shell) to adhere to each
other. This is not absolutely
necessary for a simple casting
such as our small torso example
but will be very useful if not
absolutely essential for more
elaborate castings.
When you are done applying
the alginate and it is still a bit
wet, grab one cotton ball in each
hand and press them gently
against the alginate skin. When
pulling the ball off, some of the
cotton fibres will stick to the
alginate. Start around the edge of
the alginate skin. Then repeat
and continue across the rest of
the casting area. There is no
absolute need to cover the entire
alginate skin in cotton fibres.
Keep doing this until the alginate
has set and the cotton no longer
sticks to it.
These cotton fibres will
embed themselves in the still wet
alginate and will later get trapped
in the plaster shell, effectively
making the alginate and the
plaster layers of the mold adhere
to each other.
If you have been a bit slow in
applying the alginate and it is
already set, you will find that the
cotton fibres do not stick to the
alginate. If that happens, you
can skip this step without any
major detrimental effect.
.
You can watch a video clip published on www.bodyscape.net.nz. This is
recommended viewing before you start his project as it shows you every
step of the process in live action.
Page 14
Body Casting Manual – Constructing the plaster shell
Constructing the plaster shell
This is done by applying the
wet plaster gauzes over the
alginate skin. Three layers are
sufficient.
Remove your latex gloves.
Pour some water to fill a third of
the bucket where you mixed the
alginate. It does not matter if
there are still bits of leftover
alginate in the bucket. This water
can be warm.
Soak one roll of plaster gauze
by holding it for one second or
less in the water, squeeze out
excess water and unroll it
carefully over the alginate
making sure it adheres closely to
the alginate as you do not want
to create gaps between the soft
alginate and the hard plaster
shell. Tap gently, do not press it
in too strongly or it may distort
the underlying alginate. If a strip
is too long, you can fold it back
onto itself. Repeat with another
roll until you have covered the
entire casting area, each strip
slightly
overlapping
its
neighbour.
You may slightly overlap the
alginate skin and have some ends
of the plaster gauze applied
directly on the model’s skin
around the alginate.
Start again for a second layer
and then a third if there is
Page 15
Body Casting Manual – Constructing the plaster shell
enough gauze. If you have some
gauze left after the third layer,
use it for a fourth layer,
reinforcing the edge of the mold.
to set. This should take no more
than 5 to 10 minutes. Your model
may feel the mold getting heavy
and even starting to fall off, do
not panic, it will not fall.
When all done, you simply
need to wait for the plaster shell
Page 16
Body Casting Manual – Releasing the mold
Releasing the mold
When the plaster has set, after
5 to 10 minutes, the mold is ready
to be released and the model set
free. This must not be rushed or
you’ll risk ripping off the fragile
alginate.
You will know that the
plaster has set when it feels hard.
First slide the tip of one or
two fingers between the mold
and the model’s skin all around
the edge of the mold to slowly set
it free. Then grab hold of the
mold with both hands and ask
your model to gently wriggle. It
should come free fairly easily. If
the model feels that the mold is
getting stuck somewhere, reach
underneath with one hand and
try to free it delicately.
You want to prevent the
alginate skin from getting
separated from its plaster shell as
it will be difficult to lay it back
together
without
risking
damaging the fragile alginate
skin. This is why we tried earlier
to make the alginate skin and the
plaster shell adhere to each other.
If the pose allows it, ask the
model to lean forward so that the
alginate skin rests on the plaster
shell.
When free, set the mold on a
pile of old clothes on the floor,
open side up as show on the
picture next page. Prop the side
walls of the mold with some old
clothes to prevent the shell’s
walls from opening up and
distorting the shape of the mold.
The model can now have a
shower to wash off alginate
and plaster drips.
Page 17
Body Casting Manual – Releasing the mold
Please note: all alginates are not pink…Each brand has a different color.
Safety tip…. Never use plaster directly against the skin.
Any questions? Visit our forum on www.bodyscape.net.nz
You can see more pictures illustrating the whole procedure on
Page 18
Body Casting Manual – Casting the plaster
Casting the plaster
This must be done shortly
after the mold has been made. By
all means do not wait overnight
as the alginate will dry very
quickly and become brittle and
fragile.
Fixing
Fixing defects in the mold
Before casting plaster in your
mold, examine it closely for
defects.
There may be areas where air
got trapped in the alginate. This
will show as small holes in the
alginate. These holes will fill
with plaster and show as little
bubbles on the surface of the
sculpture. They are easy to plane
out of the plaster but it is also
possible to fill the holes with a
bit of petroleum jelly before
pouring the plaster. Wipe out
any excess.
The alginate skin may come
off the edge of the plaster wall in
some places. You can use dress
makers pin or cloth pegs to affix
these “flaps” against the plaster
shell.
Mixing the Plaster
Carefully clean the plastic
bucket completely free of
alginate bits and fill it with 3.5
litres of water (3.5 qt). Using the
plastic bowl, sprinkle 5 kg (11 lb)
of plaster powder in the water, do
not simply dump it in. You may
have weighted the plaster
beforehand or weigh each bowl as
you go until you have used the
required quantity. When you
have added all the plaster, it
should form a small island at the
surface of the water; if not,
sprinkle a bit more until it does.
Let the plaster soak for a few
minutes then stir it gently. Let it
rest 5 minutes.
Casting
With a paint brush, paint a
thin layer of plaster on the inside
of the mold. At first it will be
very liquid, run down the walls
and puddle at the bottom of the
mold. It will soon become
creamier and heavier.
You will not be filling up
your mold to the brim with
plaster.
You will construct
instead a layer 3 cm thick ( 1 1/3
in) on the entire inside surface of
the mold.
You can use the plastic bowl
to pour large amounts and then
Page 19
Body Casting Manual – Casting the plaster
spread it around and push it
against the walls with the brush.
If the edges of the plaster cast
are untidy, you can smooth them
with a wet sponge but I
recommend that you do not
interfere with freshly poured
plaster. Let it set and do any
cleaning and finishing required
afterwards. Let it set for 3 to 4
hours or more before attempting
to unmold, preferably overnight.
Plaster that has just started to set and no longer runs, can be made to run
again by shaking or vibrating it (thixotropy).
Plaster is fine… What about using chocolate instead? Yummy !
You can use some other specialised materials instead of plaster. I
nevertheless would recommend that you use plain Plaster of Paris for your
first attempt and only use more expensive materials once you are familiar
with the casting process.
Page 20
Body Casting Manual – Unmolding
Unmolding
To unmold your casting, turn
it over and gently peel the plaster
gauzes and alginate off the
plaster casting. Both plaster shell
and alginate skin will be ripped
and destroyed in the process. It is
therefore a one-off mold that
cannot be reused. Pieces of
alginate may get stuck in narrow
spaces such as skin fold.
Delicately pick them up with a
small tool, being careful not to
scratch the fresh plaster.
Page 21
Admire….
Body Casting Manual – Finishing
Finishing
A fresh cast is still full of
water and very heavy. It is set
but wet. You would normally let
it dry for several weeks before
attempting any sort of finishing.
However there are a few things
you can do on your wet plaster.
Fixing defects
Close observation may reveal
some small defects in your
casting. The most common
defects are small holes and small
bubbles on the plaster surface.
The later are caused by air
bubbles in the alginate that have
been filled with plaster causing
small bumps on the surface. The
holes are air bubbles trapped i the
plaster when pouring it in the
alginate mold.
Using the tip of a kitchen
knife you can gently cut off all
the small protruding bubbles.
Resist the temptation to use sand
paper as this would ruin the skin
texture of your casting.
The tiny holes can be filled by
pushing in some plaster filler
with your fingers and carefully
washing the excess with a wet
sponge before it has set.
If you notice areas of your
casting that you think may be too
thin, you can simply turn it
over, rest it face down on a pile
of old clothes, mix some more
plaster and apply it over any thin
patches of the still wet plaster.
Hanging
If you are planning to hang
your casting on the wall you
must attach some sort of handle
or hook on the back of it. This is
best done on very freshly set
plaster.
Be careful not to stain your new plaster casting. Once soiled, it will be
difficult to clean…
Page 22
Gluing
It is possible that
some small parts of your
casting broke off if you
have not been careful
enough
when
unmolding. (Nipples for
instance.)
Use some
household glue to glue it
back while the plaster is
still fresh.
Drying
Let your casting dry
for
several
weeks,
depending
on
the
weather. This can be
accelerated by placing it
in front of a fan on low
speed.
Cut a length of strong electric
cable; tie a knot at each end. Mix
a small batch of plaster and
embed the two knots in two
lumps of plaster to form a
handle. Let it set. You can also
use a length of chain for that
purpose.
If you do that after the casting
has dried, you will have to wet it
again first as fresh plaster does
not bond very strongly to cured
plaster. The best time to actually
attach this handle is before
unmolding the casting.
Cleaning the contour
When the plaster is
dry it becomes easier to
cut off the rough edges (with a
hand saw or an angle grinder)
and sand down any imperfection.
Tools and sand paper would
instantly clog with wet plaster.
You can also use a belt sander
with a coarse grade belt to
reshape the contours. This will
make lots of dust and is best done
outdoors.
Sealing
There are many ways to do
that but you can also decide to do
nothing and leave the plaster
bare. A traditional way to seal
plaster is to paint it with full
Page 23
milk. This will give it a nice egg
shell finish. The only problem is
that a bad smell will persist for
several weeks. Several coats are
required.
- I often simply spray paint a
couple of thin layers of white
automotive primer. Wait till
the plaster is bone dry (3
weeks).
- You can also paint your
sculpture. First seal it with a
primer as described above.
- My favourite finish is a
couple of layers of white
shellac
varnish.
White
shellac is dissolved in
methylated spirits (denatured
-
alcohol) and painted on. The
advantage is that shellac can
be applied on wet plaster.
Shellac is found in good
artist’s supplies shops.
Another simple and excellent
sealant is PVA glue diluted
in water to a ratio of one to
one.
Care
Care and maintenance
P laster is a durable material
that will not deteriorate over
time. However it is not very
strong and will easily mark and
chip if banged against a hard
surface. Handle with care.
Page 24
Body Casting Manual – Trouble shooting
Trouble shooting
Many things could go wrong;
I have learnt the hard way and I
have done my best to give you
instructions that will allow you
to succeed at your first attempt.
However, read below some
further advice on how to avoid or
remedy the most common
mistakes.
The alginate
alginate is lumpy instead
of creamy.
creamy.
This is not necessarily a major
problem. It may be caused by one
or both of two factors. It was not
well mixed, or the water you
used had traces of chemicals that
interfered with the alginate: Use
a power drill to mix, use filtered
water.
The alginate
alginate sets too quickly
and it stops sticking to itself
before you have built enough
thickness. This may be because
you have the wrong kind of
alginate, make sure not to buy a
very fast setting alginate. It could
also be because the water is too
warm or you have spent too
much time mixing it. You can
buy an alginate bonder from
most moulding and special
effects supplies shop. Spray this
on top of your set but still fresh
alginate before mixing
applying a second layer.
and
The casting is beautiful but
the breasts
breasts look a bit flat?
The weight of the mold
pushing on the soft tissues is the
culprit. Be careful not to apply
too much alginate on top of the
breasts. The heavier part of the
mold is the plaster bandage. This
too can create distortion in your
thin alginate layer. The first
layer of bandage must adhere
closely to the alginate but one
must be careful not to press it too
firmly. Tap it gently against the
alginate. Then let the first layer
of bandages to harden a bit before
applying the second and third
layers. When this first layer is
almost set, you can then work
quickly to construct the rest of
the shell.
The plaster shell does not set
and stays wet and flexible. This
may happen if your plaster
gauzes have been left open for
several days. Humidity in the air
will have caused the plaster to set
before used. If you have some
extra, unopened gauze, apply on
top of the bad ones. You can also
mix some plaster and apply it
Page 25
over the gauze but your model
would have to wait another half
an hour.
There are some
some bumps and
misshape in the plaster sculpture
sculpture.
pture.
This typically occurs on an
otherwise perfect casting and is
infuriating. This is caused by
thin spot in the alginate skin that
are not adequately supported by
the plaster shell or by pressing
too hard when applying the
plaster gauze over the alginate.
There is no effective remedial
action. Sanding the high bumps
or filling the low depressions will
result in a very messy surface
indeed. Leave these defects;
you’ll have a story to tell about
them
The finished plaster sculpture
goes mouldy.
mouldy. This manifests
itself by dark spots appearing on
the surface of the plaster and is
particularly frequent in humid
climates. Brush it all over with
diluted bleach.
To avoid this happening in
the first place, get the plaster dry
as quickly as possible by placing
the freshly cast sculpture in
front of a fan for several days.
I accidentally dropped the
sculpture
ture and it broke off in
sculp
pieces.
pieces.
Do not swear. Buy some
household glue. Glue two broken
pieces back together. Let the glue
set keeping the back of the
casting facing up. When set, mix
a bit of plaster. While the plaster
batch is soaking, liberally wet the
back of the casting, especially if
it was already dry when the
accident happened and then
apply a thick layer of plaster over
the join, overlapping both sides.
Remember that fresh plaster
does not stick very well to dry
plaster, wet it again thoroughly
for a strong bond. Let the fresh
plaster set for several hours.
Repeat the same operation for the
next piece until the whole
sculpture is back together. When
solid again, mask any visible join
lines on the surface by filling
them with a plaster filler, wiping
out any excess with a wet sponge
before the filler sets…. or let
them visible for an antique
effect.
There are small cracks in the
finished plaster.
plaster. This is probably
because the mold moved while
the freshly poured plaster was
setting. The bandage shell is not
extremely strong and the alginate
is very flexible. Any movement
can distort the shape of the mold.
If the plaster is not fully set, such
movement may cause small
cracks. To avoid this, set your
mold so that it will not move
while pouring plaster in it. I use
piles of old clothes to hold the
mold in place.
Page 26
Other problems.
problems.
P lease visit our casting forum
and
discussion
board
on
where
you can ask further questions and
read what others are suggesting.
Page 27
Body Casting Manual – Taking it further
Taking it further
I suspect that you have
enjoyed making this sculpture,
that the result is amazing and
that you want to make more.
You want to work with other
models, other body parts, make
larger sculptures, use stronger
material than plaster, decorate
them with different finish, sell
them, cast more than just one
copy of the same mold and
generally let your creative
inspiration fully explore this
fantastic medium.
A number of articles are
published on:
along with some other tutorials
discussing a variety of topics,
from mold making techniques to
casting in bronze with the lost
wax technique.
You can also read the next
chapters of this book. Although
the same techniques can be
applied to cast any other body
parts, these chapters gives you
some important information on
how to cast some other body
parts and how to use stronger
alternatives to plaster of Paris. It
is not necessary to read these
chapters for the purposes of the
simple torso casting project.
The easiest way to clean a container of leftover plaster is to let it set. It
can then be popped out into a trash can easily by turning it upside down
and hitting the bottom and sides of the bucket.
Never empty liquid plaster down a drain.
Page 28
Body Casting Manual – Casting a face
Casting a face
A head is the most difficult
part of the body to cast properly
and it would deserve a
completely separate tutorial but I
am giving you here a few leads
that should allow you to attempt
the project successfully.
The basic principle is exactly
the same as for casting a torso
but there is a few areas hat
require some extra attention.
Safety precaution
Never attempt to cast a face
on your own. Always have an
assistant present. Remember that
the entire face will be covered
with alginate and plaster for
extended period of time. Warn
your
model;
ask
about
claustrophobia
or
other
respiratory conditions such as
asthma.
Ears
Ears
Please do include the ears in
your casting. Their delicately
crafted folds will add to the
realistic and amazing effect of
the final sculpture.
Buy some ear putty and ask
the models to push a small
amount deep inside the ear before
you start. This is because the
alginate is very cold and cold
liquid against the ear drums can
be very unpleasant.
When applying the alginate
make sure to push the paste
inside every recess and folds,
pack some paste behind the ears
but not so much as to make them
stick out. You will also be careful
when unmolding the ears as the
plaster cast will be fragile.
Eyes, Eye brows
brows and eyes
lashes
One of the major problems of
casting someone’s face is that the
eyes must be shut. This is very
unfortunate as the eyes are the
window of the soul and a portrait
with closed eyes looks a bit like a
death mask.
There are only two solutions.
• The eyes can be manually
reopened in the plaster.
However and no matter how
talented a sculptor you are,
this will never be as realistic
as the rest of the casting and
will always look a bit odd.
• The other solution is to
choose a pose or facial
expression in which closed
eyes are naturally expected, a
Page 29
•
scream, a pensive pose, a
laugh.
Apply some petroleum jelly
on eye brows and eye lashes.
Nostril
This is the questions that
everyone always asks. How does
your model breathe?
amounts of a strong styling gel
and letting it set in an attempt to
make the hair stiff enough to
sustain the weight of the alginate
and plaster shell. This does not
work and almost always end up
in
unsatisfactory
and
disappointing results that need a
lot of rework.
This is what I do instead.
There are two different
techniques.
•
The
drinking
straw
technique. Ask your model to
hold one drinking straw in
each
nostril until the
alginates sets and keeps them
in
place.
This
is
uncomfortable to the model
and can distort the shape of
the nostril.
•
The wipe and clean
technique
is
a
better
approach. You will be careful
not to completely cover the
nostril openings and wipe out
any excess blocking air
passage. Likewise the plaster
gauze will leave small gap
open for your model to
breathe.
Hair
Hair is difficult to cast. It can
be sculpted by applying liberal
I ask the model to wear a
swimming cap and make a “bald”
casting. Then I paint plaster on
the skull to reconstruct the hair.
With practice you will be able to
make very convincing and
realistic hair matching your
model’s style.
Facial expression
It is difficult to keep a facial
expression for 20 minutes. Start
applying the alginate on the
outside of the casting area and
only cover eyes nose and mouth
last. That way the model only
has to adopt the expression for a
few minutes. Once the alginate
has set, it is no longer necessary
to keep the expression and the
model can relax its facial muscles
while you construct the plaster
shell.
Page 30
It is advised not to cast a pregnant woman or a full head on your own.
Have an assistant present during the whole procedure. An assistant can
help with any unexpected situation. .
Page 31
Body Casting Manual – Casting hands
Casting hands
Hands make a very personal
sculpture. The method described
here is by no means the only way
to cast hands but it is very quick
and easy to implement. It can be
expensive as you will need a
rather large amount of alginate.
With this technique there is
no need to make a plaster shell.
Find a suitable container. It
must be deep enough to allow the
hands to fit in it above the wrist
but not too wide as it would
require vast amount of alginate
to fill it.
To calculate the amount of
alginate required. Fill about
two third of the container
with water. Measure that
amount of water and divide it
by 2.5 to find the Kg weight of
alginate you need to add to
that volume of water. Divide
by 1.25 for a weight in Pounds.
The process consists of filling
a container with alginate paste,
dipping your hand or hands in it
and waiting a few minutes for
the alginate to set; then slowly
and carefully removing the hands
form the alginate. Liquid plaster
is then poured into this mold.
When the alginate is
thoroughly mixed, plunge in
it the hand or hands to cast
and wait a few minutes
without moving until the
alginate sets completely.
Gently wiggle your hand out
of the mold. It is possible that the
opening edges of the mold rip
apart to let the hand out. These
rips should fall back into place
almost exactly.
Page 32
Body Casting Manual – Casting hands
Mix a batch of plaster and let
it rest 5 minutes. Fill the mold
and slush the plaster out back
into the plaster container using a
rotating motion and making sure
to gradually tip the mold upside
down. Repeat this operation
several times, rotating in a
different direction every time.
This is to ensure that wet plaster
properly invades all cavities of
the mold, including all finger
tips. After a while the plaster will
be too creamy to slush out
properly. Fill your mold to the
brim.
If you do not have enough
plaster, mix another batch, let it
rest 5 minutes and fill your mold.
Let the plaster sets for 3 to 4
hours before unmolding. For a
complex hand casting such as the
illustration above, removing all
the alginate from the narrow
spaces will keep you occupied for
a couple of hours. Do not use any
sharp tool that could scratch and
damage the surface of your
plaster. Use a butter knife for
large pieces or a tooth pick for
small bits.
Gently tap the outside of the
container to make all air bubbles
rise to the surface.
Done.
Filling and emptying a mold from liquid plaster can be a messy
business. Wear old clothing and protect your work area.
Page 33
Body Casting Manual – Baby’s hands and feet
Casting hands – Wax mold
The second method for
casting hand involves building a
mold in wax instead of alginate.
It is a cheaper method as the wax
can be reused. It will not capture
as much details as alginate will.
It consists of repeatedly
dipping the hand to be cast in a
batch of molten wax until a wax
skin of about ½ centimetre (1/8
in) has be build. The hand must
then glide out of the mold in
which plaster or other casting
material can be poured.
A low temperature wax must
be used for this purpose. Paraffin
wax is liquid at 40°C (104°F).
This is a temperature that is very
comfortable and will not burn.
Paraffin wax is often sold as
preserving wax but the cheapest
source is candle making wax sold
in most craft stores.
You can also use wax
specially formulated for skin
casting such as Polytec’s Poly
Skin Wax.
You will need about 3kg (6lb)
of paraffin wax.
The procedure is as follows.
Melt all your wax. Wax is
very flammable. The temperate
above
which
it
will
spontaneously catch fire (flash
point) is very low. Never melt it
over a direct flame such as a gas
burner. Always use either an
electric frying pan or a crock-pot
equipped with a thermostat or
the double boiler method by
which the wax container is
melted inside a pot of hot water.
Have a thermometer to make
sure your wax is at 45 to 50°C (113
to 122°F)
Cover your hand with baby
oil or petroleum jelly. This is to
facilitate the release of the mold
and to allow fine hairs to glide
out of the wax mold.
Dip the hand in the container
of molten wax for less than one
second and remove.
From that point on, make sure
not to move the hand position.
Dip it again several times
until you have a thickness of
about ½ centimetre (1/8 in)
around the hand.
Page 34
Dip it in a bucket of cold
water for a minute or more so
that the wax cools down and
becomes rigid.
To facilitate the removal of
the hand you can also pierce a
tiny hole in the wax skin over
each finger tips.
You can now remove the
hand from the wax mold. If you
have molded the wrist, the wax
skin must tear open in places to
let the hand out. Instead of
randomly ripping the wax skin
open, you can cleanly cut out the
opening of the mold with a hot
butter knife.
The rips or cuts can easily be
welded back together using a hot
metal knife and painting some
more liquid wax over the seam
line.
The mold is immediately
ready for casting.
Page 35
Baby’s hands and feet
Such castings are wonderful
mementos that can be easily
made yourself in the comfort of
your own home in less than one
hour.
1-
23-
4-
5-
In a plastic drinking cup
using a kitchen knife, mix
two volumes of alginate
powder (about two eggcups
full ) with three volumes of
water at room temperature
Plunge baby’s hand or feet
in the cup full of creamy
alginate.
The baby will wriggle its
hand but the alginate will
gradually set and prevent
movements.
When the alginate has set
(2 to 3 minutes) gently pull
the hand out of the
alginate.
Mix a small batch of
plaster: sprinkle plaster
powder in a plastic cup 2/3
full of water until a small
67-
8-
910111213-
Page 36
island forms at the surface.
Let soak for 3 minutes and
stir gently. It is important
to sprinkle the plaster
powder to avoid lumps in
your mixture.
Pour the liquid plaster
inside the alginate cavity
filling it to 2/3
Slush the plaster inside the
mould rotating it on its side
and pour out the plaster
back into the cup making
sure to turn the cup upside
down.
Repeat the same operation 3
or 4 times, rotating in a
different direction every
time.
Fill the alginate cavity to
the brim.
Gently tap the sides of the
cup to make any air bubble
rise to the surface.
Let set 3 hours.
Carefully unmold.
Admire.
Body Casting Manual – A cleaner, stronger mold
A cleaner, stronger mold
This chapter describes a
method allowing to produce
cleaner and more robust molds. It
is particularly recommended
when making a large or complex
mold.
Before applying the alginate
on your model’s skin you would
delimit the casting area by laying
a strip of wet plaster gauze on the
outer edges of the casting area.
When applying the alginate
skin inside this delimited surface
you will spread the alginate so its
overlaps the inner edge of this
delimiting plaster strip, leaving
half of its width uncovered.
When constructing the plaster
shell over the alginate skin you
will also overlap the edge of the
alginate and have the plaster
shell cover and join with the
plaster delimiting band of gauze.
This will have the dual effect
of embedding the edges of the
alginate skin between two layers
of plaster, thus helping the
alginate skin to stay nicely
against the plaster shell when
removing the mold off the
model’s skin and to have nicely
delimited mold with clean edges.
These illustrations explain it
more clearly.
1- Buy on roll of plaster gauze
more than normally required
2- Pre-cut this roll in 30 cm (12
inches ) strips and fold them
over lengthwise.
3- Before mixing and applying
the alginate skin. Wet these
strips in water (use tepid
water for the model’s
comfort ) and lay them all
around your casting area as
shown.
One
layer
is
sufficient. Make sure that
each strip slightly overlaps
the previous one.
4- Wash excess water off your
model’s skin.
Page 37
Body Casting Manual – A cleaner, stronger mold
5- You can then mix your
alginate while this plaster
sets.
6- Apply the alginate skin
overlapping half of the
delimiting strip as shown
from the plaster shell when
removing the mold from the
model’s body.
7- Construct the plaster shell
over the alginate to cover and
join with the delimiting strip.
Once the plaster shell has set,
the outer edges of the
alginate skin will be trapped
between the two layers of
plaster as shown.
A mold constructed with this
method will be much easier to
cast and the resulting casting will
have clean, well delimited edges.
It will also be more difficult for
the alginate skin to get separated
Before casting plaster in such
a mold, paint a layer of
petroleum jelly on the outer
plaster strip. This will prevent
your plaster cast to adhere to the
shell and limit the amount of
cleaning required afterwards.
Page 38
Body Casting Manual – Casting a pregnant belly
Casting a pregnant belly
Casting a larger area than
explained in this manual is no
different. You will follow exactly
the same process, simply using
larger quantities of material. The
main problem when making a
larger casting is that you do not
have enough time to apply all the
alginate required. There are two
solutions:
to already set alginate. After
having applied a first layer,
spray it liberally while it is
still wet with an alginate
bonder. The alginate bonder
will have the effect of
slowing down the setting
time of the first layer, thus
giving you enough time to
mix a second batch and apply
1- Work with an assistant. You
can then work almost twice
as fast
2- Apply two successive layers.
The problem here is that
fresh alginate does not bond
it on top of the first one.
Alginate bonder can be
bought from mold making
supply shops. A saturated
solution of baking soda will
work with most alginate.
Page 39
Body Casting Manual – Alternative to cotton wool
Alternative to cotton wool
Instead of using cotton wool
to make alginate and plaster
adhere to each other you can also
use dry plaster gauze. This
method will only work if the
alginate is still very wet and has
not started to set.
Before starting everything,
you will have pre-cut small strips
of plaster gauze of about 10 cm (3
inches).
Immediately
after
having applied the alginate,
gently press these strips against
the wet alginate skin, starting on
the edges of the alginate skin.
These strips will embed
themselves in the wet alginate
and will later embed themselves
in the plaster shell that you are
about to lay on top of the alginate
skin.
Remember to buy one extra
roll of plaster gauze for that
purpose.
Which method works best?
It largely depends of the kind
of alginate you are using.
Standard
dental
alginate
normally sets too quickly and the
cotton wool method is preferable
as it is faster to implement. If
you are using a slow setting
alginate you will most likely
have enough time to use the
more robust plaster gauze
method.
For a project such as the small
torso described in this manual, it
is not absolutely necessary to
have the two layers of the mold
adhere to each other and this step
can be skipped altogether.
A third method
There is always many ways to
skin a cat. There is yet another
technique to achieve the same
effect. Read “Alternatives to
plaster gauze” chapter
Page 40
Body Casting Manual – Alternative to plaster gauze
Alternative to plaster gauze
Constructing the plaster shell
part of the mold with plaster
bandages is the most commonly
used technique. There are
however
some
alternative
techniques.
Here is one have tried with
good success. It presents the
advantage of making a mold
where alginate and plaster shell
are tightly embedded to each
other.
You will need a light cotton
fabric with a very loose mesh.
(cheese cloth or similar) and a
fast setting plaster such as dental
plaster.
1-
2-
3-
4-
56-
78-
Pre cut the fabric in squares
and rectangles of various
sizes in enough quantity to
cover your casting area
three times over, plus some
long bands as wide as your
hand.
When you have finished
applying the alginate and it
is still wet, gently lay your
pieces of fabric onto the
alginate.
Mix a small batch of dental
plaster and paint it over the
Page 41
fabric, starting from the
top.
Mix a second batch of
plaster and repeat the same
operation but this time dip
your pieces of fabric in the
liquid plaster before laying
them.
Repeat for a third layer.
Mix a last batch of plaster.
Dip the long strips in the
liquid plaster and twist
them before applying them
along the outer edges of the
mold for reinforcing.
Let set.
Release.
This method can be faster
to implement than using
plaster gauze and produce a
stronger mold. However I
recommend you experiment
and practice on a log of timber
before using it on a live model
as the method takes some
training to master. It will also
vary depending on the kind of
fabric you use.
Yet another alternative is
described in the section
labelled “Mother Mold – a
better method”
Body Casting Manual – Casting in Forton MG
Casting in Forton MG
Casting in plaster is cheap and
easy and the results are
amazingly detailed. However,
plaster is fragile. There are many
other casting materials available.
Forton MG is, after metal, the
strongest
casting
product
available.
Forton MG is a casting
system bringing together the best
of gypsum plaster or cement and
mix it with the attributes of
epoxy resin. The resulting
material is strong, light weight,
weather proof, non toxic and non
hazardous. It is used widely in
the building industry to make
architectural ornaments, panels
and facades. Artists and sculptors
have been quick to see its
potential application for art
castings.
The product is sold in two
parts. A white powder which is a
modified gypsum cement and a
white liquid which is a polymer
resin. Before application the two
are mixed together to a creamy
slurry One volume of resin is
mixed with two volumes of
gypsum powder. Mixing is best
achieved with a mechanical
mixer. This slurry has a pot life
of about half an hour
You would apply it as
standard plaster. I normally paint
on 3 successive layers. The final
casting is much thinner than a
plaster casting. A one centimetre
thickness is very strong. (one
third of an inch) Once fully
cured (24 hours) it will not mark
or scratch easily.
It can also be reinforced with
fibreglass. This is recommended
for larger castings and will give
the
sculpture
even
more
resistance to shock. After the
first layer is almost set, cover it
with shredded fibreglass strands
and apply the last two layers on
top.
The other advantage of
Forton MG is that it can be
mixed with all kinds of other
materials to achieve all kinds of
effects. For instance, mix sand
with the gypsum powder and
then mix this with half a volume
of resin. Use this slurry for your
first layer and use a normal mix
for subsequent layers. Once your
casting has set, a light sand
blasting will bring out the grain
Page 42
Body Casting Manual – Casting in Forton MG
of the sand and give your
sculpture a realistic sand stone
appearance.
Forton MG is more expensive
than plain plaster but you will
use far less of it. If you are
planning to do commercial
castings, I would strongly
recommend that you familiarise
yourself with Forton MG.
Other casting materials
There is on the market a wide
range of products that can be
used to cast in your alginate
mold. I would encourage you to
explore these medium and
unleash your creativity.
- Wax. Wax is a very durable
material.
- Hydrostone. A very strong
gypsum based cement.
- Winterstone. A very strong
and easy to use casting
medium.
- Resins. Talk to panelbeaters.
- Papier maché. (Paper pulp)
Cheap but attractive.
- Chocolate.
Its
main
advantages are that it is
edible and delicious.
A roll of cheese cloth.
Page 43
Body Casting Manual – Other tips
Other tips
Including hands in the casting
A female torso can be
enhanced and made even more
personal by including the model’s
hand resting on her chest or
shoulder. You can also have
someone’s else hands resting on
or touching the model.
This does not present any
particular difficulty and can be
done at your first attempt.
You must simply be aware
than that the casting area cannot
have any empty spaces that
would fill with alginate thus
encasing a part such as wrist or
finger and preventing it to be
removed from the mold. In other
words, all parts of the hand must
be in contact with the skin of
your model.
Including
Including clothing in the
casting
The folds of the fabric of a
shirt or sarong can make a
beautiful draping effect like in a
classical
Greek
sculpture.
Likewise, the delicate laces of
fine underwear can make the
sculpture very seductive indeed.
This is obviously possible.
You must simply be aware than
that such element of clothing will
most likely be permanently
soiled and damaged in the
process.
Lingerie adhering closely to
the skin can be cast without any
form of preparation but lighter
fabrics such as a sarong or a
cotton shirt must be made rigid
before casting or the weight of
the alginate will compress them
in a very unsightly mess.
In fact, it will most likely end
up in an unsightly mess, no
matter what. I have been trying
spraying all kind of products on
fabric to stiffen the material
while on the model’s skin: oil,
starch, spray paints, varnishes,
etc… such products are perhaps
not really hypoallergenic and can
be skin irritants. It also makes
the casting process much longer
and unpleasant for the model and
the results are rarely satisfactory.
I have stopped trying altogether
This is what I do instead.
I first make the mold on the
nude model. Cast it in plaster as
Page 44
usual. Fix any defects and make
that plaster good as usual. I then
dress this plaster with the desired
effect of clothing and soak it in
varnish, support it underneath
with clay and use all kind of
tricks to obtain the desired effect.
(Try sculpting the draping in
clay and pressing fabric against
the leather dry clay to replicate
its texture.) Then I make a
secondary alginate mold which I
use to cast the final sculpture.
This is by far the easier and most
effective manner to make a
convincingly realistic draping
effect.
Unmolding underwear or
clothing can present another
problem; the fabric gets stuck in
the alginate. To avoid damaging
the alginate skin when removing
the mold, cut off or unhook the
underwear so that it comes off
the model with the mold. You
then have more time to remove it
carefully from the alginate after
the model has been set free.
Intimate castings
The sensuous and playful
artist will obviously want to
make a casting of his or her
lover’s most intimate body part.
This is very safe and very easy to
do.
If you understand how to cast
a torso you already know how to
cast a vulva, If you already know
how to cast a hand, you already
know how to cast a penis. You
will be using exactly the same
technique. Being organic and
skin safe, the alginate can be used
on genitals.
You only have to be very
careful when removing the
alginate skin from the plaster
casting. Labia delicately crafted
in plaster are fragile and may
break off when peeling off the
alginate skin.
Make sure to apply petroleum
jelly on abundant pubic hair.
Short and fine hairs will easily
and painlessly glide out of the
alginate.
Casting a penis can be a bit
more complicated. Casting a
flaccid penis does not present any
particular difficulty and can be
done with the same method used
for any other body part.
Casting an erect penis is done
using the same method as for
casting hands.
Alternatives
alginate
to
dental
The dental alginate we are
recommending in this manual is
not the only product available.
Dental
alginate
has
the
advantage of being affordable.
There are on the market a
number of alginate specifically
Page 45
formulated for body casting
applications. Such product tends
to be more expensive that dental
alginate. The following products
are recommended:
- Moldgel (Environ Molds)
- Hydrogel (Polytek)
-
Page 46
Accu-Cast (Accu-Cast)
Alja-Safe (Smooth-on)
Body Double (Smooth-on)
CloneFX
Body Casting Manual – Mother mold – The wax method
Mother mold – The wax method
This section describes an
innovative
method
of
constructing the mother mold
using wax.
Using plaster bandages is the
most commonly used technique
to build a rigid mother mold over
the flexible alginate skin. The
cheese cloth and fast setting
plaster is an improvement on the
plaster gauze technique.
There is however a much
better way to construct this
mother mold, using wax instead
of plaster. This method is
particularly suited to professional
life casters as it requires some
additional equipment which
would be an unnecessary expense
for a one-off project.
Wax allows to make a mother
mold that
• is stronger and more rigid
than a plaster bandages mold,
• is quicker to apply, thus
reducing the model’s pose
time and allowing some more
complex and difficult poses
to be cast.
• adheres perfectly to the
alginate, avoiding completely
•
•
•
the risk of ripples and
dimples in the final casting
where the alginate skin is too
thin and not adequately
supported by the plaster
shell.
is much lighter than plaster
thus eliminating the risk of
distortion and making it
more comfortable for the
model.
It
also
reduces
the
preparation time as there is
no need to pre-cut lengths of
bandages or cheese cloth.
Finally, it is extremely cheap
by virtue of being reusable.
A 4kg (8lb) slab of paraffin
Principle
The basic principle remains
the same. You first apply
alginate on the model’s skin and
embed cotton wool in the
Page 47
alginate before it sets as you
would normally do.
You then paint molten wax
over the alginate. Being liquid,
the wax will perfectly cover all
anfractuosities of the alginate.
More wax is painted over and
reinforcing fiber glass applied
until a layer of about 2.5 mm
(1/10 in) has been build. Once the
wax has cooled down you can
release the mold as you would
normally do. The cooling down
of the wax can be accelerated
with cold water applied with a
sponge or sprayed on. You will
find this being much quicker
than any plaster based method.
Tools and equipment
You
will
need
some
additional tools and equipments
over what you normally use:
• an electric frying pan or a
crock pot equipped with a
thermostat,
• a thermometer,
• an old saucepan,
• a large paintbrush,
• a small paint brush,
• a block of about 2.5 kg ( 5lb)
of paraffin wax,
• fibreglass fine mesh.
What kind of wax to use?
Any kind of wax would work
for the purpose. However there is
a risk that the molten hot wax
will splash or drip on the model
skin. This is why you want to
use a wax that has a very low
melting point. A low temperature
wax will be very comfortable and
will cool down quicker than any
other kind of wax allowing for a
quick release of the mold.
Paraffin wax is liquid at 40°C
(104°F). This is a temperature
that is very comfortable and will
not burn. Paraffin wax is often
sold as preserving wax but the
cheapest source is candle making
wax sold in most craft stores.
You can also use wax
specially formulated for skin
casting such as Polytec’s Poly
Skin Wax.
How much wax to use?
Most mold will weight less
than 1 kg (2lb) and 2.5 Kg (5 lbs)
Page 48
of paraffin will be more than
enough for the largest castings.
Most craft supplies stores
stock candle making paraffin. A
4kg (8lb) slab should cost you
about US$20
You can also buy Polytec’s
Poly skin wax
Preparation
You will need to melt it in an
old electric frying pan equipped
with a thermostat. Paraffin will
melt at very low temperature.
You want to find the thermostat
position that will keep the
paraffin at 45 °C (113 °F). At that
temperature, it will be liquid
enough to be easily painted and
cold enough not to present any
danger if accidentally in contact
with the model’s skin or your
own.
Cold paraffin wax is brittle.
To ensure that the wax mother
mold is strong enough to
adequately support the weight of
the alginate and to received the
casting material it must be
reinforced with fibre glass.
Pre-cut a number of fibreglass
mesh rectangles, squares and
bands of various sizes, enough to
cover the casting area twice.
How to apply the wax?
wax?
When you have finished
applying the alginate and
embedded cotton wool in it, you
are ready to paint the wax
mother mold.
Pour half of your wax out of
the frying pan into an old
saucepan.
Put on latex gloves and paint
the liquid wax over the alginate,
starting from the top. Because
the wax is very cold you can
safely overlap the alginate over
the model’s skin. You will have
covered the model’s skin with
baby oil outside the casting area.
Baby oil will make it easy for the
wax to be removed from the skin
and will allow fine hairs to
painlessly glide out of the wax.
Use a large paintbrush to
quickly cover most of the
alginate and then use a smaller
brush
to
fill
smaller
anfractuosities or hard to reach
areas.
Once you have made one or
two thin layers, you must apply a
layer of reinforcing fibreglass.
Pour any leftover wax back into
the pan. Dip one rectangle of
fibreglass in molten wax and
stretch it over the first layer of
wax. Repeat with more mesh,
each piece slightly overlapping
its neighbour. Pay special
attention to the edges of the
mold. Then paint some more
Page 49
liquid wax over the fibreglass to
embed it in the layer.
What thickness?
thickness?
The thickness of the wax
mold must be right…. If it is too
thick it will take a long time to
cool down to the point it becomes
rigid and strong enough for the
mold to be safely removed
without any risk of opening itself
up under the weight of the
alginate. If it is too thin it may
not have enough strength to
support the weight of the
alginate.
A thickness of 2.5 mm (1/10
in) is the right balance. At first
you will be tempted to build a
thick layer, but with experience
you will discover than a thinner
layer properly reinforced with
fibreglass will make a very strong
mold indeed.
Once you are satisfied you
have build a strong enough layer
of wax over the alginate. You can
cool it down by rinsing it off
with cold water by either
spraying over or rinsing it with a
sponge.
When to remove the mold?
The mold is ready to be
removed from the model almost
as soon as you have finished
applying it. If you have built a
thick layer of wax, you will have
to wait for it to cool down before
releasing the mold. With practice
you will find a thin layer gives
sufficient strength, is faster to
build and allows for a quick mold
release.
Casting
Casting in the alginate is done
in the normal fashion.
Demolding
Demolding
presents
no
particular problem. The wax
shell will easily come off the
alginate as cotton wool is not
very strong.
Reusable
Once your casting is cured
inside the mold. The wax shell
can be separated from the
alginate skin and remelt for
future use. One of he advantages
of this method is that the wax
can be reused for many molds.
Once you have unmolded your
casting you simply remelt all the
wax. Pick up the fibreglass mesh
rectangles, let excess wax drip
and set aside for future use. Then
sieve out all bits of alginate,
plaster and cotton wool.
Full 360
360 molds
If you are building a full in
the round mold, you can easily
paint two half shells and then
weld then back together using a
hot knife and painting more
molten wax over the weld for a
very strong shell. It can be
Page 50
quickly further reinforced by
simply painting more molten
wax over it.
Safety considerations
Wax is very flammable. The
temperate above which it will
spontaneously catch fire (flash
point) is very low.
To put down a wax fire, never
use water. Simply smother it
with a lid or blanket or use a
powder extinguisher.
To avoid setting wax on fire
in the first place, never melt it
over a direct flame such as a gas
burner. Always use either an
electric frying pan or the double
boiler method by which the wax
container is put inside a pot of
hot water.
it’s low temperature will not
constitute a hazard. It is a good
idea to reassure your model by
having her or him dip one finger
in the molten wax before starting
and realise that it does not
present any danger.
P lease familiarise yourself
with wax working and the
temperature of your particular
wax before using it on a live
model. Always check the
temperature of your wax pot
with a thermometer before
starting as it is possible that the
position of the pot’s thermostat
has been accidentally moved up.
As with plaster, any hairs
near the casting area must be
either protected or covered in
petroleum jelly.
Hot wax may burn the skin.
This is why you must use a wax
that melts at low temperature. 45
°C (113 °F). is very comfortable to
the skin. Anything above that
will be uncomfortable at best or
will severely burn skin at worst.
Dress appropriately. Wax is a
very good glue that will stick to
anything but water. It will
permanently soil any item of
clothing it lands on. Skin being
mostly water, wax will easily
peel off the skin.
With this technique you will
be using wax at 45 °C (113 °F) and
applying it over the alginate so
that it should not get into contact
with you model’s skin other than
around the edges of the alginate
skin. If it accidently does splash
or drip over your model’s skin,
Conclusion
I have successfully used this
method on many molds and find
it vastly superior to any other
method. Once you have tried it, I
suspect that you will never use
plaster ever again.
Page 51
Body Casting Manual – Last words
Last words
I hope that you have enjoyed
making this sculpture. If you
have followed my instructions
you should now have a beautiful
sculpture to grace your home or
garden with.
P lease send me comments,
feedback and suggestions for
improvements at:
info@bodyscape.net.nz
Post photos of your casting on
our forum for the world to see:
www.bodyscape.net.nz/forum.htm
You may prefer to have it
done rather than attempting it
yourself. Do not hesitate to
contact me and make a booking
for your next visit to beautiful
Waiheke Island, the jewel of the
gulf. I am also listing many other
lifecasting artists around the
world in Appendix B of this
manual.
My workshop at the end of a busy week.
Page 52
Body Casting Manual – Appendix A - Suppliers
Appendix A – Suppliers
This list of vendors will make it easy to find alginate, plaster gauze
and body casting kits . An updated list can be requested from
info@bodyscape.net.nz
Australia
www.smith-nephew.com.au
crystalkeepsakes.com.au
www.aldaxstore.com.au
www.barnesonline.com.au
www.amcsupplies.com.au
www.rowetrading.com.au
www.dalchem.com.au
www.rgmedical.com.au
www.solidisolutions.com.au
www.kirkside.com.au
All states
All states
NSW
NSW, VIC
SA
SA
VIC
VIC
VIC
WA
Plaster gauze
Alginate, Plaster gauze
Alginate, plaster gauze
Alginate, plaster gauze
Alginate
Alginate
Plaster gauze
Austria
www.blond-braun.at
Alginate
Belgium
www.brico.be
www.mwdental.be
www.obeeliks.com
Alginate
Alginate
Alginate
Brazil
www.tekbrasil.com
Alginate
Canada
www.gyptek.com
www.vikingplastics.ca
www.2care4medical.com
www.bmsports.com
www.bsnmedical.ca
www.snap2alginate.com
plastics@shaw.ca
www.hollynorth.com
www.artistsemporium.net
www.currys.com
AB
AB
All states
All states
All states
All states
BC
BC
MB
ON
Page 53
Alginate
Plaster gauze
Alginate
Plaster gauze
Alginate
Alginate
Alginate
Alginate
www.ghbronze.com
www.jeservices.ca
www.lifecasting.ca
www.sculpturesupply.com
www.sial-canada.com
ON
ON
ON
ON
QC
Alginate
Alginate
Alginate
Alginate
Cyprus
www.dentalcon.com.cy
Alginate
Denmark
www.kappercreations.com
Alginate
France
www.adam18.com
www.instruments-rotatifs.com
www.bsnmedical.fr
www.dsmdentaire.com
www.braultbouthillier.com
www.arts-fx.com
www.omls.biz
www.sos-cadeaux.com
www.vaissiere-peintures.fr
www.imagicreation.eu
www.10doigts.fr
www.espritcomposite.com
www.mwdental.fr
www.boulevarts.com
www.artgate.fr
www.ateliermagique.com
www.schleiper.com
www.cultura.com
www.art-var.fr
www.creastore.com
www.passionceramique.com
www.lemondedesdoigts.com
www.resines-et-moulages.com
www.espritcomposite.com
Alginate, Bandes plâtrées
Alginate
Bandes plâtrées
Alginate
Alginate
Alginate
Alginate
Alginate
Alginate
Alginate
Alginate
Alginate
Alginate
Alginate
Alginate
Alginate
Germany
www.kaupo.de
www.mwdental.de
Alginate
Alginate
Page 54
Greece
www.abio.gr
Alginate
Hungary
www.smoothon.hu
Alginate
Ireland
www.bsnmedical.ie
Plaster gauze
Martinique/Guadeloupe
www.10doigts.fr
Alginate
Netherlands
www.formfx.eu
Alginate
New Caledonia
www.intermed.nc
www.10doigts.fr
Alginate
New Zealand
www.topmark.co.nz
www.sculptureworkshop.co.nz
henryscheinshalfoon.co.nz
www.uslmedical.co.nz
Alginate
Plaster gauze
Norway
www.effektmakeren.no
Alginate
Philippines
www.zechnar.com
Alginate
Poland
www.kauposil.com
Alginate
Reunion
www.10doigts.fr
Alginate
South
South Africa
www.dentalwarehouse.co.za
www.bsnmedical.co.za
www.amtcomposites.co.za
Alginate
Plaster gauze
Alginate
Spain
www.formfx.es
Page 55
Switzerland
www.studio41.ch
www.swissdentists.ch
Alginate
Alginate
Sri Lanka
www.yuandco.net
Alginate
Tahiti
www.10doigts.fr
Alginate
The Netherlands
www.formfx.eu
www.schleiper.com
UK
www.tiranti.co.uk
www.allsportmedical.co.uk
www.bsnmedical.co.uk
www.schleiper.com
www.securitydirect.co.uk
www.maragon.co.uk
www.craftwiseonline.co.uk
www.craftwiseuk.com
www.fredaldous.co.uk
castingandmoulding.co.uk
www.mouldlife.co.uk
www.tomps.com
www.westons.com
www.everlastingcastings.co.uk
Berkshire
Online
Online
Online
Online
Herts
Leeds
Leeds
Man.
Stockport
Suffolk
Sutton
W.Sussex
London
Ukraine
www.lifecasting.com.ua
USA
www.accu-cast.us
www.dickblick.com
www.smooth-on.com
www.utrechtart.com
www1.mooremedical.com
environmolds.com
www.arizonaartsupply.com
www.arizonasculpture.com
www.industriastudios.org
Motion Picture
Plaster gauze
Plaster gauze
Plaster gauze
Alginate
Alginate
Alginate
Plaster gauze
Alginate
All states
All states
All states
All states
All states
All states
AZ
AZ
AZ
CA
Page 56
Alginate
Alginate
Plaster gauze
Alginate
Alginate
Life casting classes
Alginate
www.artstuf.com
CA
www.bellymask.com
CA
Kits
www.burmanfoam.com
CA
Alginate
www.douglasandsturgess.com
CA
www.makeupmania.com
CA
Alginate
www.silpak.com
CA
www.makeupmania.com
CO
Alginate
www.monterclub.com
CO
Alginate
westernsculptingsupply.net
CO
Alginate
www.sculpturedepot.net
CO
www.fxwarehouse.info
FL
Alginate
www.theengineerguy.com
GA
www.castinggifts.com
IL
www.artistcraftsman.com
ME
Alginate
expertschoicemoldresinsupply.comMI
Alginate
www.7ceramic.com
NJ
Alginate
www.artmolds.com
NJ
www.nmclay.com
NM
www.desertartsupplies.com
NV
Alginate
www.bpmedicalsupplies.com
NY
Plaster gauze
www.makeupmania.com
NY
Alginate
www.sculpt.com
NY
www.sculptshop.com
NY
Alginate
www.surgicalsupplyservice.com NY
Plaster gauze
www.snap2alginate.com
OR
Alginate
www.stephensonpattern.com
OR
Alginate
www.orthotape.com
PA
Plaster gauze
lnjadvancedtechnology.com
SC
Alginate
www.lifecast-art.com
TN
Alginate
www.artplace.com
TX
www.bitymoldsupply.com
TX
www.shop.brickintheyard.com
TX
www.reynoldsam.com
TX, FL,
MA, CA, IL
www.ball-consulting-ltd.com
TX, NJ,
CA, AZ
www.fxsupply.com
UT
Alginate
www.zaskmedical.com
VA
Plaster gauze
www.pinkhouse.com
VT
www.farwestmaterials.com
WA
Alginate
www.seattlepotterysupply.com
WA
Alginate
Page 57
Body Casting Manual – Appendix B – Body casting artists
Appendix B – Body casting artists
Should you want to have a body casting done by a professional artist,
we recommend that you contact one of the companies listed in this
appendix.
Australia
A lasting Impression
Belly of love
Bimmortal
Bodybitz
Bodycasting Sydney
Lifecasters Australia
Watusi
Serenity belly masking
Belly Babies
www.bodycastings.com.au
www.Bellyoflove.com
www.bimmortal.com
www.bodybitz.com
www.bodycastingsydney.com.au
lifecastersaustralia.bigpondhosting.com
www.watusi.com.au
www.serenitybellymasking.com
www.bellybabies.com.au
Belgium
Amnostro
www.bodycasting.be
Canada
A Lasting Impression
Bodycast
Creative Bodycasting
Elements of Art
Jean Provost
Lifecasting london
Lifeforms
Loves memory
Guy Louis-XVI
Memory castings
Ottawa Bellycast
Visionquest
www.LastingImpression.net
www.bodycast.com
www.creativebodycasting.com
www.artelements.ca
www.creations-jeanpronovost.com
www.lifecastinglondon.ca
www.lifeforms.ca
www.lovesmemory.com
www.louisxvimannequins.com
www.memorycastings.com
www.ottawabellycasts.com
www.lifecasting.ca
Denmark
Gipsteknik
www.gipsteknik.dk
France
Bernard Ducas
Bodymask
Book de l'atelier
ducadel.free.fr
www.bodymask.fr
latelier.bookfoto.com
Page 58
VIC
QLD
QLD
VIC
NSW
QLD
NSW
QLD
AB
QC
BC
QC
ON
ON
ON
BC
ON
ON
Empreinte moi
Fartham
Moulage de corps
Mouler le Ventre
Statue-silene
The Erotic Real Bodies
www.empreintemoi.com
www.fartham.com
site.voila.fr/moulage_de_corps
moulerleventre.free.fr
www.statue-silene.com
www.erbfactory.com
Germany
Marmorial
Sculptur;Raum
www.koerperform-im-detail.de
www.sculptur-raum.de
India
The Art of Immortality www.nahush.com
Ireland
Creation Casting
creationcasting@yahoo.ie
NewZealand
NewZealand
Bodyscape
Nakedart
Artform
Nobutze
Custom bodyart
Trudy Drinkwater
www.Bodyscape.net.nz
Auckland
www.foreveryoung.co.nz
Christchurch
www.artforms.co.nz
www.nobutze.co.nz
www.custombodyart.co.nz
casting_impressions@xtra.co.nz
Portugal
Pedro Couto
www.pedrocouto.com
Spain
Escultura y Realidad
Bodycopia
www.esculturayrealidad.es
www.bodycopia.com
South Africa
Moulded memories
www.mouldedmemories.co.za
The Netherlands
Linda Biemens
Your sculpture
www.lindabiemans.nl
www.beeldig.nl
UK
Andre Masters
Artmelt
Arts and Cast
Belly Mould
Bodycast studio
www.andremasters.co.uk
www.artmelt.com
www.artsandcasts.com
www.bellymould.com
www.bodycast-studio.co.uk
Page 59
Cork
Lincolnshire
Bodycasting studio
Bodyroc
Bodysculpture4U
Brighton Bodycasting
CAST
Cast for Life
Cast in time
Compulsion
Everlasting Castings
Exotic
Fancastique
Firsthand
Forever castings
frozen in time
Impression of Life
Jamie McCartney
Lifecast
Lifes culptures
Littlehands,littlefeet
Nowlifecasting
Paul Lockwood
Pure Experience
Pewtiful sculpture
Rachel Barker Casting
Rockabelly
Save The Moment
Sculptocast
Set in stone
Timeless castings
www.bodycastingstudio.co.uk
www.bodyroc.co.uk
www.bodysculpture4u.co.uk
www.brightonbodycasting.com
castmouldingspecialists.com
www.castforlife.co.uk
www.castintime.co.uk
www.compulsiongallery.com
www.everlastingcastings.co.uk
www.exotic.co.uk
www.bodycastings.co.uk
www.firsthandsculpture.co.uk
www.forevercastings.co.uk
www.frozenintime.co.uk
www.impressionsoflife.co.uk
www.jamiemccartney.com
www.lifecast.co.uk
www.lifesculptures.co.uk
www.littlehandslittlefeet.im
www.nowlifecasting.com
www.paul-lockwood.com
www.pureexperiences.com
www.pewtifulsculpture.com
www.rachelbarkercasting.co.uk
www.rockabelly.co.uk
www.savethemoment.co.uk
www.sculptocast.co.uk
set-in-stone-manchester.com
www.timelesscasting.co.uk
USA
FutureclassX
Gullwing Lifecasting
Marylin Draving
Massage-ology
Maternity Keepsake
BNG Lifecasting
Cherrie Laporte Cohen
Chris Fletcher
Contours
Covey editions
Diana Langell
James FX art
Kelly Tracy Art
Lifecast.net
www.futureclassx.com
www.lifecastaz.com
www.marilyndraving.com
www.massage-ology.com
www.maternitykeepsake.com
www.bnglifecasting.com
www.cherrielaporte.com
www.cfletchersart.com
www.contoursbycarlson.com
www.coveyeditions.com
www.dianalangell.com
www.jamesfxart.com
www.kellytracyart.com
www.lifecast.net
Page 60
Nottingham
Aberdeen
Brighton
London
Peterborough
East Sussex
London
Cardiff
Wiltshire
Surrey
Brighton
Herts
Isle of Man
Carmarthenshire
Leeds
Berkshire
W.Midlands
London
Dorset
Nottingham
Manchester
Surrey
AZ
AZ
AZ
AZ
AZ
CA
CA
CA
CA
CA
CA
CA
CA
CA
Lifecasting.com
www.lifecasting.com
Oudeman
www.oudemanartglass.com
Prima Bella
www.primabella.com
Sharon Zachary
www.sharonzachary.com
Dave Parvin
www.daveparvin.com
Forms of life
www.formsoflifecasting.com
Proudbody
www.proudbody.com
Timeless you
nsdiver@yahoo.com
Molded moment
www.moldedmoments.com
One Stop Prop Shop
www.propsetc.com
Souldance
www.souldancelifecasting.com
Casting Gifts
www.castinggifts.com
Artistics Creations
www.stenzelart.com
Kirkwood Studio
www.kirkwoodstudios.com
KC Bodycasting
www.kcbodycasting.com
D' Agostino Studio
www.dagostinostudios.com
Detroit Body Casting
www.detroitbodycasting.com
Alan Gibson
alangibsonart.com
John Hopson Design
www.johnhopsondesign.com
Duplicity Bodycasting www.bodycastingart.com
BreastCasting Studio
www.breastcastings.com
Philip Hitchcock
www.philiphitchcock.com
Da vinci
www.davincibodyart.com
Galatea Body Castings www.galateacasting.com
EJ McCormick
www.ejmccormick.com
Roy Butler
www.roywbutler.com
Breast cancer Art
www.breastcancerart.com
Kendall 3D
www.kendalls3d.com
Marla Samuel
www.msamuelfineart.com
Dan Spector
www.lifecast-art.com
Ann Lyneah Curtis
www.lifecasting.net
Face to face studio
www.facetofacestudio.com
Lifecast Sculpture
www.lifecastsculpture.com
Professional hand casting professionalhandcasting.com
Body and Soul
www.body-soul.biz
Wraith innovation
www.wraithinnovations.com
Creative impressions
www.lifecastingart.com
Ben Larson
www.crazy-mad-artist.com
Artistic bodycasting
www.artisticbodycasting.com
Art, Body and Soul
www.artbodyandsoul.com
Body2Art
www.body2art.com
Cape Cod Bodycasting www.capecodbodycasting.com
Clay of Spririt
www.clarityofspirit.com
Glowing bodyArt
www.glowingbodyart.com
Kozbods
www.kozbods.com
Page 61
CA
CA
CA
CA
CO
CO
CO
CT
FL
FL
GA
IL
IL
KA
KS
MD
MI
MI
MI
MI
NC
MO
MO
NC
NJ
NV, TN
OK
OK
OR
TN
TX
TX
TX
UT
VI
WA
WI
WI
Body Casting Manual – About the author
About the author
A New Zealander since 1987,
French born Olivier Duhamel
lives on Waiheke Island near
Auckland, New Zealand with his
wife Marie-France and their 3
children.
He is a sculptor specialising in
the female human form and
makes delicately crafted small
bronze figurines.
message, do not attempt any
conceptual
or
symbolist
exploration, nor do they search to
be innovative at all cost. They
are rather trying to simply
capture the beauty and sensuality
of his subject of study.
His bronze works are sold in
art galleries across New Zealand
and also in Australia, China,
France and Belgium.
Olivier Duhamel’ s creations
do not convey any particular
Page 62

Body Casting Manual Casting Manual Casting Manual

Transcription

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