Mold Making

There is many a reason that makes silicone rubber the material of choice for amateurs and experienced artists alike.

The simple art of mold making takes a complicated twist when complex models and multi-part molds enter the picture. But help is always at hand that will enable you to master this technique as well. 

Life casting can result in a beautiful piece of art that with the right pose. Usually that take an experienced artist to visual a final casting even before laying out the lifecasting materials. An interesting pose usually means that a model must place his or her body in extreme positions. So that good prior planning by the artist is essential to keep the model comfortable during unusual positions.

Of course, when working on small and easy-to-mold body parts such as the hands and feet, the body mold making process is quite straightforward. The artist simply mixes the mold making material in an appropriately sized container before immersing the hand or foot in the desired pose. The alginate quickly sets around the limb to form the body mold. The model can slowly wiggle out the hand after only a few minutes and the mold is ready for casting.

However, this technique does not work for larger sections of the body. For instance, if

MoldEZ Hair release is an important tool for life casting artists.

Summary – Hair presents a challenge when making a lifecasting of the head or face. Following the correct procedures in molding hair will add to the comfort of your model as well as the quality of your life cast.

Body casting is not a difficult procedure as there are many YouTube videos to teach the newcomer. However, a bit more care is needed when molding specific parts of the face and head such as the nostrils, ears and especially the facial and head hair. Improperly applied mold material will result in a distorted cast, or worse tangled hair that will certainly tear the mold apart when demolding, not to mention upsetting the model.

In protecting hair from tangling in the mold material, the traditional method is to slather on petroleum jelly. However, though this will minimize tangling, petroleum jelly is difficult to remove from the model’s hair, oft

Engaging an artistic sensibility often leaves people confused and hesitant. Getting the vision in your head into the real world takes a thorough knowledge of techniques and skills.

The real problem for many is how to get started on that journey. Well, when it comes to lifecasting for creating keepsakes, film effects, or cosplay accessories the secret is in knowing how to make a mold.

To learn what you need to do to create a proper cast you need to start with an understanding of the basics of mold making.

This quick guide will explain the theory behind mold making a. We'll also cover the materials and how they act so you can adjust and learn as you create.

How To Make a Mold

Making a mold

By David E. Parvin, A.L.I.  - Sculpture Journal December 2000

Unless you are so well established that you are immune to a downturn, you have to be aware of and affected by the current softness in the art market. I suspect that the only beneficiaries are collectors; it has to be a buyers’ market. Those of us who create, manufacture, or sell art are carrying on the best we can in lean times. We sculptors have an especially difficult path to follow because of the high “development” cost in bringing a new piece to market. Consider the painter who only has to purchase a canvas, some paint, and a frame and in some relatively short amount of time has something that might be turned into cold hard cash. We sculptors also have to purchase raw materials, but our creations often ta