There are a number of differences in the lifecasting techniques between
special effects and life casting for pure art. Special effects lifecasters
usually begin by either making or affixing a bald cap to their models head
to protect the hair. The bald cap is marked in several places using a
permanent ink pen so that registration or key mark made be made. In
lifecasting for art the artist often wants to capture the hair so the hair
is not covered, but conditioned with a mold release such as MoldEZ. In our
example we are going to do a face. A face cast is usually the front part
of the face without the ears and usually without hair. But for
demonstration purposes we will mold a section of the hair line so that you
can see hold to mold the hair.
Making a face cast takes about 30-minutes not including
the wait time for your casting material to set and any repairs needed
after the cast is removed from the mold. Small repairs are often needed to
clear up air bubbles and to shape the edges which are normally ragged
after removal from the mold.
A Different Approach
We are going to teach you a number of new and better techniques to
creating a perfect face cast. Here are the differences
- A new type of alginate - highly tear resistant
- A new bonding method to hold the alginate fast to the
shell mold without lumps
- Elimination of plaster bandages as a shell
Eliminating Casting Bulges
The technique used in this casting eliminates plaster bandages. Instead we
will use cheese cloth and a liquid plaster mix for our shell mold. This
method reduces the possibility of casting bulges. Casting bulges are
caused when the shell mold does not fit flush against the surface of the
alginate mold. This often happens when applying the casting material, it
will push out against the shell mold creating a bulge a dimple.
Eliminating Casting Dimples
Some artists create a flexible mold and a rigid mold without bonding them
together. A highly experienced artist can get away with this. But
most of us will find that if the rubber-like mold separates from the shell
mold in the act of removing it from the face it is difficult to get the
two pieces to fit back together exactly. If the pieces do not fit
precisely casting irregularities will manifest. The standard way to
laminate the to different materials is to embed fiber into the alginate
before it sets. The plaster in the bandages will adhere to the fiber
bonding them together as one piece. However getting the fiber on think
enough and even enough is a challenge. It often lumps up. The symptom of
lumping fibers is casting dimples or depressions. The new method make
adding fiber easy while eliminating casting dimples. |
