Foam Latex?

[trader jason]

Hello all Hunters!

I've been doing a LOT of research on making masks. Everyone here has such excellent ideas, I just can't seem to find a link (it's probably here somewhere, I'm just being a noob) about what material is best to create a lite, Rubbery mask? I think I've figured out the following:
- Silicon seems fairly expensive.
- Latex looks like it is too thin (the mask would fold in on itself unless made solid?).
- Liquid Latex Foam looks like the right thing, but you have to cook it???

What do you experts use? How do you do it?

I've already sculpted a mask using Plasticine (bad choice?) and I plan to make a cast using Cal 30 or Alginate with Plaster bandages. Any thoughts on that too would be great!

Thanks so MUCH!
(and please if there is a post about this already I'd love to be directed to it)

Happy Hunting, I plan to see you all at San Diego Comic Con soon
Jason

 

[ptgreek]

Make a stone mold using hydacal or ultracal ( not sure why you would be using the alginate) after your two part mold cures, clean out the clay then run a thin coat of slip latex to clean out rest of mold. Then start the process.. Paint in a beauty coat... Carful of bubbles in the cast... Then dwell slip latex back into the
mold to desired thickness. Foam latex is an entirely different monster... Do not go that route unless you have an oven, a core for you mask and a knowlage of how to mix foam latex

 

[trader jason]

Make a stone mold using hydacal or ultracal ( not sure why you would be using the alginate) after your two part mold cures, clean out the clay then run a thin coat of slip latex to clean out rest of mold. Then start the process.. Paint in a beauty coat... Carful of bubbles in the cast... Then dwell slip latex back into the
mold to desired thickness. Foam latex is an entirely different monster... Do not go that route unless you have an oven, a core for you mask and a knowlage of how to mix foam latex

Got it PT, I knew I could count on someone knowledgeable to set me straight
I'll post how things go on this topic. The alginate was just something I saw people doing on live casts so I thought maybe it was another typical practice. Must just be when you're working with live people who need to breathe

Anyone else is welcome to chime in if they have some do's and don't.

Someone aught to write a book

Jason

 

[Elkman]

Hello all Hunters!

I've been doing a LOT of research on making masks. Everyone here has such excellent ideas, I just can't seem to find a link (it's probably here somewhere, I'm just being a noob) about what material is best to create a lite, Rubbery mask? I think I've figured out the following:
- Silicon seems fairly expensive.
- Latex looks like it is too thin (the mask would fold in on itself unless made solid?).
- Liquid Latex Foam looks like the right thing, but you have to cook it???

What do you experts use? How do you do it?

I've already sculpted a mask using Plasticine (bad choice?) and I plan to make a cast using Cal 30 or Alginate with Plaster bandages. Any thoughts on that too would be great!

Thanks so MUCH!
(and please if there is a post about this already I'd love to be directed to it)

Happy Hunting, I plan to see you all at San Diego Comic Con soon
Jason

Plasticine clay should work just fine for your sculpt. It's a good choice, because it's oil-based and doesn't try. As far as doing the mold goes, ptgreek is right -- you should do a two-part mold in Ultracal 30. Make one half of the mold, using a brush coat of plaster followed by a "drip coat" or two to thicken it up, then burlap strips dipped in Ultracal 30 to create a solid shell with lots of reinforcement. (Sort of like reinforced concrete.) Then, you can mold the other half. Once that's done, you can slush-cast the latex in your mold. If you cast it for 30 to 40 minutes, you'll get a nice thickness that will hold its shape. You won't have to worry about using foam for support, unless there are parts that really need the support. (My Gamera mask, which had two big tusks on either side, was an example.)

Any other questions, feel free to ask.