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Mix
your first batch of plaster in a large
bowl or bucket to a consistency a
little thicker than pancake
batter. Coat the sculpture with
hand soap to make de-molding
easier. Brush on the first coat
(called the detail coat). Make
sure to spread the plaster over every
surface. The plaster may slide
off the face because of the
soap. Don't worry. Just
keep dabbing it on.
Air
trapped beneath the plaster will form
cavities that will crack. They
may cause the mold to break at worst,
or cause un-planned deformities and
pimples. You'll likely get fewer
casts from your mold, too. As
the plaster begins to set up, work it
with your fingers. Press it,
smooth it, make it conform to the
face.
After
the first coat is dry (about 24
hours), add a second coat. After
that is dry, soak strips of cloth in
plaster and apply them in a crosshatch
pattern over the entire face and
neck. This will add strength to
the mold.
I
added one more coat after the cloth
strip coat. I suppose you can
add several more coats to make the
thing really heavy but the first coat
was the most important one, and if you
screwed that one up you're
doomed. Give your creation at
least 2 days to cure before attempting
to de-mold.
De-molding
can be extremely frustrating.
Especially if you break the
mold. Don't expect the plaster
to pull right off the armature.
In fact, sacrifice
the styrofoam head. They only
cost about $3.00 When you get
all the styrofoam out, the clay will
easily peel away from the cured
plaster. |
