Lifecasting and where to from there?

[Zendragon]

Hey everyone,

So I know that there are a number of great sculpters, mask makers, etc... here so this seemed like the best place to come for answers.

I am going to be doing a lifecast of my wife's (Tracy) head tomorrow with the help of friends, and plan to use Smoothon's Body Double for this. I think we are pretty good on that front unless anyone has any suggestions... but I plan to use something I saw DavidR1 post, where he did it in two parts, back first and then bandage and then front, to reduce the amount of time that the model had to be in the silicone/alginate. I want to do that as well for Tracy.

Once we get the mold, I plan to use Ultracal to make the bust... and from everything I have read and watched, the final bust will not be totally solid?

Providing we get a good positive... the next steps will be to use the cast for a couple of projects for Tracy, one of which will be new Catwoman goggles and the other a Kabuki Mask for a new costume.

I have heard people suggest a clear coat on the head cast... so the clay doesn't stick after the fact? Is there something else I should use?

Ok... so next steps. Clay. I believe that I am going to use silicone to make a mold of whatever I sculpt later and that I should use sulfer free clay? Should I be using water or oil base?

Well that's the start of my questions...thanks in advance for the help.

 

[patsmear]

Depends on what you are making. If you are doing latex pieces, Any clay will work. If you clear coat the sculpture, that will help it to pull out of the mold easier. You may still have clay in the mold but it is easy enough to get out.Make sure that you paint on the first layer of plaster on the sculpture. If there are airbubbles blow on them. you want to make sure that the base coat picks up all of the detail.


Pat

Here ya go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gebbSVpjrD0


Pat

 

[Zendragon]

Thanks..

 

[Cyberman]

The best DVD out there is the first part in a series of tutorials by the award winning make-up effects artist Neill Gorton. www.mfxreplicas.com

It covers the creation of a lifecast in part one.

Cyb.

 

[RacerX45]

I don't know how much detail you need for the back of the head, but I usually just use plaster bandages for the back of the head. It will cut the amount of Body Double you'll need and speed up the process a little. The link below shows how to do it.

http://www.sapsema.org/lifecast.html

Just a suggestion. Give your wife a pad of paper and pen so she can communicate with you from under the silicone. Also you might want to have a signal that if she gives it, you know she wants out from underneath immediately.

Once the mold is finished, brush in the first layer of UC30 to make sure you don't get any bubbles in the detail layer. After that you can add thicker layers and leave the middle hollow (otherwise it will weigh a ton).

I usually seal my lifecasts with shellac so the clay doesn't stick to it. If you plan to make a silicone mold, then you are correct, sulfur based clays can inhibit the curing of silicone. I use Chavant NSP which is oil based clay. I like the oil based clays because I never have the time to sit down and bust out a complete sculpture in one sitting. Water clay is easier to smooth out, but requires more care to keep it moist.

Good luck and have fun.

Randy

 

[Zendragon]

thanks for the info

 

[Treadwell]

Maybe Sarge will chime in. He was prepping a lifecast of a comely lass once upon a time. We never heard how that came out. Hmm, Sarge?

 

[clonesix]

Here is a walk through for ya:

http://www.accu-cast.us/proc_head.html