Quite a few questions sorry. I've done some googling but there seem to be as many techniques as there are articles and videos...
I'm looking to make a silicone face mask. It won't be a full head - I'm really just covering the front half, partway down the neck, over the forehead, and along the sides to in front of the ears. I will need to attach this mask to a hard "skull", which again doesn't need to be full head either, but as much as I can get away with yet still be able to put it on over my head. The top of the mask/skull will be a few inches higher than my head so there is some leeway there.
First question: I'm a little nervous about letting anyone lose on me with alginate (although I will give it a go as a last resort!). As an alternative I have seen the clingfilm (saran wrap), duct tape and expanding foam approach. Would this bust be sturdy enough to use as a base for clay modelling? Could I use plaster instead of foam, or would the duct tape be too flimsy? Could I strengthen it up with plaster bandages?
Moving on, once I have my plaster "bust" with clay head sculpt, what is a good material to make a mould from this?
Next, once I have *this* mould, what technique should I use to make the final silicone mask? Most articles seem to use the "injection" method, but I was wondering why I can't just paint the silicone onto the inside of of the mould?
Lastly, do I just use the same mould for both the silicone mask and the fibreglass "skull"? They would obviously turn out exactly the same size, but I assume this isn't a problem as the mask would obviously be flexible enough to glue to the skull.
Thanks in advance.
I'm looking to make a silicone face mask. It won't be a full head - I'm really just covering the front half, partway down the neck, over the forehead, and along the sides to in front of the ears. I will need to attach this mask to a hard "skull", which again doesn't need to be full head either, but as much as I can get away with yet still be able to put it on over my head. The top of the mask/skull will be a few inches higher than my head so there is some leeway there.
First question: I'm a little nervous about letting anyone lose on me with alginate (although I will give it a go as a last resort!). As an alternative I have seen the clingfilm (saran wrap), duct tape and expanding foam approach. Would this bust be sturdy enough to use as a base for clay modelling? Could I use plaster instead of foam, or would the duct tape be too flimsy? Could I strengthen it up with plaster bandages?
Moving on, once I have my plaster "bust" with clay head sculpt, what is a good material to make a mould from this?
Next, once I have *this* mould, what technique should I use to make the final silicone mask? Most articles seem to use the "injection" method, but I was wondering why I can't just paint the silicone onto the inside of of the mould?
Lastly, do I just use the same mould for both the silicone mask and the fibreglass "skull"? They would obviously turn out exactly the same size, but I assume this isn't a problem as the mask would obviously be flexible enough to glue to the skull.
Thanks in advance.