EMMA FREEMAN
SPECIALIST PRACTICE
Models head and neck measurements:
Top of the neck: 31 cm
Around the face: 56 cm
Back of the head to the forehead: 54cm
Back of the head to the ears: 51 cm
Crown of the head: 55 cm
LIFE CASTING PRACTICAL
Large Heading
My Model
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LIFE CAST PREPERATION
Before life casting I made sure to prepare my workspace with all the materials needed. I prepared all my plaster bandages cut into three different sizes, three cups empty three cups full with water plus one spare, prosade, proclean waterbased paint, duct tape and a bucket for filling. I followed my written notes with a list of the items I would need and a step by step process of how to life cast after researching different avenues of life casting. I organised two helpers to help for my life cast, to each of which I assigned a duty- i.e. nose watch and left side of the head.
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Lukasz Kurasinski:
Age: 27
Nationality: Polish
I have chosen Lukasz to be my model as he is of a very slim build. From my research of prison films and documentaries I have noticed a common attribute to their physique is weight loss due to their controlled diets. He also has very masculine features such as a prominent nose and a chiseled jaw. I saw Lukasz as a blank canvas as he has very short hair and little facial hair giving me a wider opportunity for my design process. Due to my designing process I decided it was neccessary to cast Lukaz head, as I plan to create facial prosthetics and a silicone bald cap in order to give him a realistic looking hairline.
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I made sure to fully prepare my model of the process of life casting, and asked him if he was claustrophobic or if he had any breathing problems before starting
I chose to buy my bald cap instead of pre-making it. This was due to the time I had available and the costs. I was able to source a generic bald cap for £2.88 which was very cheap and also saved me the time it would take to make it and wait for it to dry for 24hours. This bald cap was latex which was acceptable for a alginate cast, if I was casting in silicone I could not have used a latex bald cap as this would have inhibited the curing process of the silicone.
I wanted to cast my model in alginate and plaster. This was so that I would be able to clean up my plaster life cast, make a silicone jacket and have a fibreglass version of my models head. This would be the core that I could now sculpt onto. As this was my first head cast I was very apprehesive about the process, I began researching how I could slow down the process of the setting time of the alginate. I did not cast my models shoulders as I only needed his head and wanted to reduce the amount of materials used so that I could stick to my budget.
(no date) Available at: https://www.fxsupply.com/print_shop/PDF_docs/alginate_instructions.pdf (Accessed: 27 October 2015)
As the alginate had a working time of 8 minutes I decided to use very cold water to slow down the setting time, as well as adding a little extra. This gave me and my assistants enough time to thoroughly cover the face and nose properly. I used water based paint to draw on the hairline, which transferred perfectly onto the alginate. I made sure nivea was used all over the head as a release agent. I used a small amount of cotton wool on the alginate to act as a mechanical bond before adding the plaster bandage. I applied the three layers of plaster bandages and added strips down the face to add extra strength. When removing, I removed the back first and then the front. I asked my model to move his face around and warned him the light will be very bright when it is removed.
CLEANING UP THE CAST
I waited a day for the plaster to dry (although it would need 1-2weeks to fully dry) I needed to clean it up ready for the next step. I used a rasp to file down the ridge where the bald cap covered the hair, as well as the ears to make a smooth head. If I needed the ears for my makeup I would make a seperate cast. My hairline had transferred perfectly onto my cast which enabled me to drill holes to make the hairline transfer after the silicone stage. I used sand paper to smooth it over which did not work as well as the plaster had not fully dried out. Using the rasp was much easier to knock off the air bubbles. I made up some more plaster to fill in the holes and cracks. I made up some thick plaster to board up my head. I originally made a circular shape to board my piece which was difficult to create a perfect sphere and did not look to a professional standard. I made a square shape to make it more symmetrical and so that it could stand up freely.
To make sure the head measurements were the same as my models head I measured his head and my plaster cast with a tape measure. Once I had achieved the measurements needed, I began cutting up wed clay and creating the touchdown areas around the core, the touchdowns required cut out key sections to ensure the fibreglass would sit securely around the silicone locking it in place whilst the mould is being filled.
STUART BRAY-FIBREGLASS MASTER MOULD PRO TIPS AND ADVICE
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To make my silicone jacket I mixed up silicone 3841 with 10% catalyst. To ensure an accurate measurement I measured my silicone in two seperate cups. I mixed thoroughly and poured my first layer of silicone (detail layer) from a distance to stretch the silicone reducing any air bubbles. I used 1.5 kg of silicone in total and one pot of catalyst. I waited a few hours for the first layer of silicone to set before adding the second layer. The second layer had thixo added into the mixture (2%) which gave it a thick whipped cream texture. I tried to use soap to smooth over the surface, however, the mixture had already started to cure so I was unable to smooth it out as much as I would have liked. To make the keys for my mould I filled ice cube trays with silicone to make silicone cubes. I placed the keys around my core along the seamline, front and back of the neck to make it as secure as possible.
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Master mould- for moulding other pieces
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Cut even slices of wed clay
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Go on the top of the head and around the ears
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He fibreglass’s the back and uses silicone at the front as he did not need the detail of the back
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Wall needs to be 2-2 ½ inches
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Going around the ears as the ears have a lot of detail
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The tissue on the front of the face protects the face, and also peels off very easily
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Wraps plaster bandage onto the back of the plaster wall to support the clay wall
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Uses flat tools to smooth out the clay
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The neater the smoother it is the neater your fibreglass will be which will be easier to clean up
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Cuts a small groove so that when the mould is put together it lines up correctly
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Sprays 2-3 layers of wax over the plaster. Drying with a hairdryer between layers
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Sprinkles talc over the back layer to stop it from being too slippery and too waxy, it also allows you to see where you have been with the gel coat
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Gel coat is applied to capture the detail of the mould surface
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Uses slightly more catalyst than normal this is because of the moisture in the plaster head. The cold temperature can slow down the resin
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Mix thoroughly with a brush thoroughly
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Paint the whole head make sure there is no air bubbles
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Chunky keys are added to make sure the front and back halves of the fibreglass line up correctly
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Wax layer will reduce the effect of moisture against the resin surface
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You can use car ‘clear lacquer’ spray as a sealer first and then spray wax release over the top
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Go right to the edge of the wall with the gel coat and onto the moulding board too
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Check the edges if it is set or not.
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He uses lots of loose strands to stick to all of the gel coat
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The next coat of resin has less catalyst as you need more working time
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The resin is applied to the loose strands to reduce any chances of air bubbles
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Lay onto the edges first, overlapping each edge to ensure good strength and coverage
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Wet the glass out first before applying it, making it more applicable
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After 25minutes, the resin is almost set. Now is a good time to trim it. This method is called green trimming. This will save a lot of time sawing/grinding later on
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Remove the clay and plaster when the resin is still slightly warm
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Part 2:
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He has fibre glassed straight onto the back f the plaster head as this is just a smooth shape that requires little detail. This also saves resources of the silicone
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BUILDING THE CLAY WALL
For the clay wall I rolled out wed clay, sliced into sections and built upon one another. I tried to keep the clay pushed up against the silicone to reduce any gaps, which would interfere with my fibreglass process. I spent a long time trying to neaten the clay wall with certain sharp tools, however, I really struggled to get the clay to have strength and stability which became problamatic. As a result of the weak clay wall, my clay fell apart (as shown in the images above). To improve my technique I will research some further methods on how to do this.
I learnt a lot of tips from this DVD which helped me to restart my clay wall again. I also used a new batch of clay as after speaking with a technitian it became obvious the clay I was using became too dry to work with. When making the clay wall with water based clay I felt it was important to do all of the steps on the same day, having to leave the clay overnight (although covered in damp paper towels) became problematic and can result in starting again if the clay has started to crack or lose its shape.
The images to the left show a much more improved clay wall. I made sure to roll out the clay and cut it in a neat organised manner which helped to keep it the same width and height throughout. My keys have also improved after referring to reference images and watching DVDs. I have learnt to have as many keys as possible to ensure a tight lock in the mould.
What I have learnt:
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The clay wall needs to be a minimum of 2 1/2 inches (65mm) high around the core. It is important to consider the undercuts.
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you do not neccessarily need to silicone the back of the head as you do'nt need the detail from this
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use moist clay and a clay cutter to get a smooth finish
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the keys need to go inwards on the iside to ensure a tighter lock
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To support the clay wall on the second attempt I used a bulk of wed clay behind it as well as some plaster bandage. This helped to keep it in place ready for fibreglassing.
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Neil Gorton used dental tools and sand paper to smooth out the face cast and removes any unwanted blobs
As the nostrils are left open, they are often misshapen or are messy. Before pouring the plaster clay needs to be put into the nostrils to stop it from spilling. I had to re-sculpt mine in as some plaster had leaked.
Shave away any noticeable hairs and smooth over that with sand paper, Measure your models head and the cast to make sure all the proportions are correct. Smooth over with water for a final smooth appearance
This DVD was very useful for me as I am still learning so it is possible I will get some of my cast wrong for example air bubbles etc., this DVD has taught me the best way to clean up my face cast.
Gorton, N. (no date) NEILL GORTON: THE ART OF SILICONE PROSTHETICS. PART 3: CONFORMING MOULDS FOR 3D SILICONE TRANSFER (DISCS 1 & 2) [DVD]. Neill Gorton Prosthetics Studio.
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I used waterbased paint to draw on the hairline which has been successfully transferred. I chose to mark this in black in anticipation it may not be visible. As I can see this has been successfully transferred I can next time use small dots to mark where I can drill my hairline holes. I applied superglue to the alginate on inside of the cast, and around the edges of the nostrils. I also added to the back of the cast and pushed a very thick mix of alginate through the cast to fill the nostrils. From the inside, the nostril holes are blocked up, however, when the positive is cast from the negative they are inverted and the holes look tidier.
I added release agent (petroleum jelly) to the back of the plaster cast to ensure the plaster being poured would not adhere to the back half. I then super glued all of the edges of the alginate to the plaster bandage jacket to keep the material in a fixed position whilst filling the mould. Afterwards I fixed the two halves together and secured them with duct tape. The material was left to dry and placed upside down in a bucket and left overnight.
BEFORE/AFTER
I used reference images of professional mould making sites to confirm each stage I carried out was correct. I checked the shape pf the keys and discovered they have to become narrower on the inside for a tighter lock
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FIBREGLASSING
PROBLEMS FACED:
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I used a layer of gel coat catalysed with 2% catalyst for my first layer. I used the choppy strands of fibreglass as seen in the Stuart Bray tutorial, which helps the fibreglass stick to the gel coat.
One error I made at this stage was pigmenting my gel coat. The two sides of gel coat can be pigmented to differentiate between the front and back when de-moulding. I pigmented the next stages hoping this might help me see between the layers.
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For future reference I found it much easier to clean the wed clay off when it had dried out totally. It was very difficult to clean whilst still moist. After it had been cleaned up I painted two layers of blue pva to act as a release agent. I fibreglassed the second half and left to set over night.
I drilled holes around my flashing before de-moulding in order to bolt the head back together in the exact locked position.
To improve next time:
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use powder and resin in the undercuts around the keys to reduce air bubbles
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make sure the fibreglass reaches past the flashing so it is stronger on the outside
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trim when resin is half way set
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pigment (very small amount) in the gel coat layer
It was quite difficult to see between the front and back layers, however with some wooden wedges and a hamme I managed to crack open the fibreglass. In the future I need to be careful when demoulding as it can crack the fibreglass.
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When cutting the silicone I realised I should have cut centrally through all my keys, this resulted in the silicone jacket being very floppy and unstable. To fix this I used a silicone bathroom sealer to glue the silicone jacket into place. I could have used superglue for this but I felt it may create more problems with how rigid it would make it. The silicone allowed it to stay into place firmly but with flexibility. I pigmented the gel coat grey as I wanted it to be similar to my clay to view my piece as a whole. I used a thick paste of choppy strands and resin the seam the two halves together.
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FINAL RESULT
Overall, I was happy with how my core had turned out. I patched up the seamline (which was better than I had expected) with car body filler and pigmented it greay to match my head. I neatened up the base of my head with the vibrasaw, and sanded down the fibreglass and carbody. For health and safety I made sure to sand down in a well ventilated room with my mask on. The glass is easily enhaled whilst sanding it down.
This method of creating the core is useful as you can make several cores from the silicone jacket. For my face pieces I will be able to make another face to sculpt onto. However, the process took me much longer than I had anticipated so for future reference I will research different options into making a core such as using crystal-cal plaster (this is a stronger form of plaster but I opted away from this as it has been said it is extremely hard to clean up.