End of Year Show: Preperation

Over the past week I have been working on my end of year show piece. I’m working in a group with some of the really great girls in my year so I’m excited to see the final results on Thursday.

My role within the group was to design the facial makeup and create the gill and spine prosthetics – I also collaborated with Shona on some of the details of her body-paint role. We all discussed what each of us had worked on and brought our ideas together to create a final plan we were all happy with, updating each other regularly with our progress on our Facebook group.

Today I am in Uni, creating the PlasSil moulds. I was originally going to create 3D transfers using Pro-bondo however I have realised this won’t really work as I need to use the moulds to make several pieces. So I’m going to use liquid latex. I hate using liquid latex for prosthetics; alas, needs must. I’ve been speaking to Grace McComisky about how she creates her pieces as I need to work on more substantial materials for my appliances! (PS. Anyone want to give me some make-up work so I can earn the money to BUY these materials – much appreciate 😉 )

Onwards!

First Layer of PlatSil

 

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Creating a Silicone/Fiberglass Mould

STEP ONE – CREATING THE NEGATIVE

Step one was very similar to step two: once I has bedded in my hand, added the wall and then poured the silicone into the mould I allowed it to set. Once it has set I removed the clay walls and wiped down the silicone.

I then added a gel layer, followed by the two fiberglass layers. We shall talk through these processes in Step Two.

STEP TWO – CREATING THE POSITIVE.

YOU WILL NEED

• PPE
• Gel Coat
• Resin
• Catalyst
• Fiberglass strands
• Small square fiberglass sheets
• Covered board
• Clay (to stabilise mould)
• 2x Paper cups (plastic will melt)
• 2x Wooden mixing sticks
• 2x Disposable brushes

METHOD

1. Remove hand and clay from inside the Fiberglass/Silicone Negative – use water to wet the clay. You may need to remove the Outer Fiberglass shell to enable the silicone to be peeled away from the hand. Clean out the silicone mould – then sturdy horizontally with clay pieces.
   
2. Mix together the gel coat and catalyst, ensuring through mixing. Coat the silicone in this with a disposable brush, ensuring there are no bubbles being trapped in the mould. This should only be a coating, not a full layer. Make sue edges are neat and all areas are covered. Then add fiberglass stands to strengthen this and ensure the fiberglass mat fuses properly.
3. We then add the first fiberglass matt layer. After an hour, once it has “gone green” we cut the excess away and apply our second fiberglass matt layer (as second image). Once this has dried, we have our fiberglass positive and we are ready to start sculpting!

Creating a Plastaline Sculpt for Sponged Liquid Latex

Creating a plastiline sculpt for sponging latex layers onto, is quite easy as a huge amount of detail is not needed due to the top layer being what will be on show to the viewer – not the detailed under layer. However, it is important to ensure strong definition to allow the shape of the sculpt to show though. Below is a quick explanation of sculpting onto a plaster cast using plastaline.

YOU WILL NEED

• Plastaline
• Your Plaster Cast
• Vaseline & Brush
• A selection of Sculpting Tools
• Liquid Latex
• A Hair Dryer
• Talcum Powder &  Brush

METHOD

1. In order to create the sculpt, I found it was first best to create a smooth and even thin second skin for my hand in the area I would be wanting to create my sculpt – this would enable me to create small, smooth edges with my latex. I did this using plastaline, vaseline and a range of sculpt tools a long with a small paintbrush for the vaseline.
2. Next, I created my plastaline sculpt, using small pieces of the clay to create shapes as per my designs, blending them into my second skin.
3. I then vaselined my whole piece, to ensure the following liquid latex layers would not stick to my piece.
4. Once my sculpt was completed and sealed, I added liquid latex layer by layer – using a hair-dryer in between, on a cool setting so as to not melt my plastaline and alter the sculpt shape.
5. Having completed 7 layers of latex, leaving thinner areas around the edges, I peeled away my latex skin, powdering both the surface and underneath so they did not stick to one another.
   

   Pre-colouring/application

The above image was taken 2 weeks after being produced… it has gone hard and darker orange! I’m guessing the latex is deteriorating. I am shooting my piece this weekend so I will just need to perhaps alter my brief from “aged skinny hand” to “fantasy aged skin hand” unless I can colour correct it slightly.

I tried using this method with cap plastic, as cap plastic blends out much better than latex. This didn’t work – not even after moisture and release sealing my sculpt.

Failed Cap Plastic Experiement

Heres a shot of my ear sculpt so far, that I have been creating using the same method. This piece has been produced to match my foam latex hand for my final SFX piece.

Alginate Casting

Over the past couple of weeks I have been creating a plaster cast of my own hand, in order to then transform it into a fibreglass core, ready for sculpting onto for my final special effects project.

ALGINATE CASTING

YOU WILL NEED

• Tepid Water
• Mixing Bowl
• Alginate
• Drill with Squirrel attachment
• Plaster

METHOD

1. Mix together the alginate with tepid water until you have a porridge like mixture.
2. Pour 1/2 of this mixture into the casting receptacle. Then place the body part you wish to cast into the mixtures, in this case. the hand. It is important to remove and bubbles that will be attached to the hand, we need to rub out the areas around and under the nails in particular, rubbing the fingers together to rid ourselves of any bubbles that may cause imperfections.
   

   Hand in Alginate

3. Continue to pour the rest of the Alginate in, until the hand is covered and part of the wrist.Leave a 0.5-1″ gap at the top of the receptacle.
4. Leave the mixture for about 5minutes until it has gone off, then slowly wiggle your hand and finders until the suction is released. Be careful not to carry out this process too quickly as the suction strength may cause the interior to fold in on itself.
5. Mix up the plaster in a ventilated area, until the consistency of double cream. Pour a thin layer into the mould and rotate around the mould, ensuring the plaster coasts every orifice, then pour this plaster out again.
6. Pour in another layer of plaster, again coating the whole mould, allow to settle in the bottom, tapping gently to release any bubbles. repeat this process until the mould is filled to the brim and then leave for two hours to set.
7. Once the plaster has set, remove the receptacle and use a blunt wooden tool to carve away the alginate, ensuring the plaster mould is not touched.

Voila.

 

This method is particularly good as it picks up fine details very easily and efficiently. For information on the next step of this process, please look out for my “creating a fiberglass core” post.

Life Casting – Negative Creating & Silicone Running

Today I went into uni to catch up with my SFX work, having been off for work experience. Today I created my negative over the sculpted clay, to finish my mould and run my silicone piece.

Below you can see my finished sculpt, the top clay half is my primary piece, the lower half is a back up piece incase anything goes wrong with the top part.

To create the negative mould, we carried out the same steps as doing the initial life cast, only this time, we already have the facial mould to use. Check back through my earlier SFX posts to find more in depth details about this procedure, heres a quick run through –

1. Create the clay/modrock wall and cover the interior in Vaseline.

2. Fill with plaster, using a double skrim layer for support.

Clay/Modrock Wall

Creating the Plaster Negative

3. Allow to set for approximately 15min, then break open. remove all clay and particles from the interior to ensure the shape of the silicone run is not altered.

Plaster Negative

4. Once this has been done, we are ready to run! Place the mould on a stable horizontal surface, and pour in the silicone. Place the first part of the mould (the positive side) within the negative. Those holes we drilled earlier will help get positive to negative positioning correct. Silicone will run out the sides so watch out. Place a small dab of the silicone on top of the mould to help determine if the silicone has set.

Time to pour!

Running the Silicone

5. After about 45min, it’s time to break open! You’ll have to come back next week to see the silicone piece!

Breaking Open!

SFX: Sculpting

So it seems I have finally become a responsible adult.

Friday night, 10.30pm and Eve and I are sat in our newly forming studio, working.

Yes thats right, working.

Friday night.

Having sacrificed CircSoc as I practiced hoop earlier, I decided sculpting would a better use of my time as I need it for Monday.  For my prosthetic influence, I decided to look at fauns, leading on from my previous SFX work in Year One, Semester Two; which finally circled around Baphomet.

Having researched other fauns in film (such as Fauno/Pan’s Labyrinth and Mr. Tumnus/Chronicles of Narnia) and studying the heads of real goats, I decided to created a stylised faun, taking features I spotted in the imagery and producing them in my own way in the clay – focussing on what I was enjoying doing rather than being picky about exact details. As this is my first time sculpting, therefore I see it as more of an opportunity to understand how clay works, rather than the time to worry about specific looks.

Working hard!

Here are a few realisations (that could be helpful to beginners) I had whilst sculpting these first couple of session:

• My house is very cold. So initially heating clay in a bowl within a bowl of hot water, I begun to place the clay onto the face and push into a general shape. After finding it difficult to continue to mold the clay on my near to freezing house, I sought help from the experts, asking my friend Shaune Harrison; who kindly reminded me of the obvious solution: Hairdryer. Oops.
• I found the hairdryer very useful, though I need to buy a cheaper one to save me destroying my expensive hairdressing dryer. I found if useful to hold the hairdryer in my left hand and sculpt right my right hand – also stopping me from applying pressure on the mold/cast accidentally
• I had a mini epiphany, thinking; if only I had a heated rounded tool for these edges… answer: keep metal tools in hot water (and then dry off) before working into the clay. Boom.
• Leaning to see an image pretty much 90′ out of my line of sight when seated is not fun, or comfortable. I borrowed an easel from Eve as it made it vastly easier to see my work. It also made me feel much more like a professional artist which is always fun.
• I have realised, that like drawing, sculpting is best done in bursts – it’s easy to get bogged down in clay, rather than seeing the bigger pictures. When i come back to my sculpt I can always instantly see things that need changing.
• I have realised it is very hard to stop sculpting once you start.

The sculpt so far is very basic, with very hard shapes. I need to add softness, finer details and textures. I have also decided for my final piece I will create another set of horns to add to the overall look and make the look more specific to the faun character.

Session 1&2 of sculpting

Session 1&2 of sculpting

Now it’s time to write stories for all my makeup pieces. Tomorrow I shall be taking my template of John so I can start creating my English Moustache for my assessment on Tuesday. I’ll be posting on my progress tomorrow!

Eve doing loads of work.

SFX: Face Casting – Part 1

In our first semester of our second year, we are finally getting to work on some casting, moulding and sculpting!

Today we had our first lesson,  creating two part silicone-plaster face casts and  then using the casts we have made to form plaster models on which we can sculpt our pieces of work. I’ve got to say, I really don’t like having my face covered in the silicone – but art can come at a cost!

CREATING THE FACE CAST

To do this we used:

• 2x Plastic mixing bowls
• Blunt wooden tool
• Cheap brush for rubber application (will be thrown away after)
• Mouldlife life form silicone rubber (Part A)
• Mouldlife life form silicone rubber (Part B)
• Mod Rock bandages
• Plastic cover for model
• Vaseline
• Makeup pencil to draw on the model
• 2x Plastic spatula

Method:

1. Remove any makeup and piercings possible, if the subject has a beard or long hair on the face this will need to be removed. Any shorter hair such as long stubble, eyelashes and eyebrows can be vaselined down. Wrap model in the plastic sheet to protect their clothing. Assure the model that if at any time they need to stop the process, the whole piece can be removed by simply peeling it from the face.
2. Using the makeup pencil, dot around the area that will need to be covered.
3. Mix life form part A and B in equal parts using a spatula.
4. Lean the model’s head slightly backwards to discourage the silicone from dragging the face downwards and roll the mixture smoothly across the face, starting from the forehead and working downwards. DO NOT cover the nostrils as this is how the model will breath, throughout this process ensure the model is comfortable (ad they cannot speak use a thumbs up or down signal).
5. Once the mixture has been applied and is at least tacky, apply the modrock bandage, folding the bandage twice to give four layers of support. Ensure warm water is used to speed the developing process. Cover the silicone, ensuring to rub the modrock into the contours. Use a final piece of modrock length to wrap around the outer edge of the application to keep it together.
6. This entire process should take 10-15min, after this amount of time the mod rock and silicone should be dry. The model should blow outward and move their face to disrupt the suction that is keeping the silicone on the skin. Using a blunt wooden tool, peel away at any visible silicone edges; the two part mould will come away easily.

Me with some silicone rubber and plaster on my face.
As you can see, i also have a very sexy hairstyle going on here!

Two part silicone rubber-plaster fast cast.

Stella’s cast of my face.

My cast of Stella’s face!

CREATING THE PLASTER MODELS

To do this we used:

• 1x Plastic mixing bowl
• Brush (this can be washed out and re-used)
• Crystacal plaster
• Cold water
• Skrim
• Wooden board
• Modelling Clay

Method:

1. Place the face cast onto the wooden board and use the clay on the outside (plaster side) of the mask to cover up any cavities, such as the nostril holes. Then use two sausage shaped clay pieces to hold the face cast in position, level and ready for plaster to be used inside the cast.
2. Using Vaseline, create a barrier between any of the plaster inside the cast that is not covered, to ensure that the plaster model can be removed once dry.
3. Create the plaster mix by starting off with one cup of water and slowly adding the plaster, allowing the plaster to soak into the water before mixing, this should be done outside un in a mechanically ventilated area to insure no inhalation. Once all the plaster has socked in it needs to be mixed up and for this part the constancy should be that of buttercream.
4. Paint this plaster mixture into the mould, ensuring all the silicone rubber is covered.
5. once this has dried slightly, spray with water, add another layer of more watery plaster and apply a double layer of skrim. cover this with another layer of the watery plaster – no skrim should be seen. Allow this to set for 30-45min.

Covering the holes!

Me painting my cast.
PS. This is what my hair looks like if I don’t wash or brush it 😉

This bit requires some patience as the plaster doesn’t like to stick to the silicone…

Next week we shall be removing our models… check back for more info then! 😀