@ Anna Gabi, I cant seem to find a reply button to reply to your comment, so here it is as another comment: What do you mean 'framing'? The sculpting material is oil based clay, known as plastiline.
You use the same material as the core usually. A tough stone such as Ultracal is okay for small stuff, and usually larger moulds are made with lighter materials such as resins or fibreglass. The mould is then cleaned out and then the space which was occupied by the sculpt is then filled (rather than brushed) with silicone or gelatine. In the case of silicone being used, a skin of cap plastic is usually applied to the mould surfaces first to create an encapsulating skin.
Stuart, Your videos continue to illustrate the fact that you are truly a stellar special effects artist! Thank you very much for educating those of us who dabble in special effects makeup. The techniques that you unselfishly choose to share will allow all who view your videos to improve dramatically.
Excellent Video Stuart. These are all techniques that I was aware of in theory and have played around with a bit; but seeing you execute them definitely helps me feel a bit more sure about attempting more and stepping out of my comfort zone. It's easy to get scared when you've spent so much time on a sculpt and you get a hint of that blank canvas syndrome. for me it usually results in slamming on the brakes and undoing what I've done. It's nice to see the result of pushing through it. Thanks!
Absolutely amazing. As a newcomer to the special FX field, I was having a lot of difficulty finding out how such detail was made in this stage and you answered just about every question I had. Thank you!
Yes, you can mix the clay into a slip - a runny mixture. In pottery, water based clay is mixed with water but oil clays can be thinned with naphtha (zippo lighter fluid) or car panel wipe. Small bits of the clay soaked overnight in naphtha can be mixed into a thin paste and dropped on or flicked using a brush.
Brilliant man! thanks for the tutorial! please do a demo on building the overflow and cutting edges, keys etc. for casting the prosthetic! This was really helpful!
This is a smaller piece that will be glued onto a face, whereas a mask usually covers the whole face or head and doesn't require glue to apply. I suggest checking 'Monster Makers' as they have a kit and instructional stuff (even a download book I believe) which shows you the process.
@arattin Cheers me dears. That's really kind - I basically like to show things in a way that I want to see them explained. Doesn't suit everyone, but I can only spout it the way I see it. Thanks for watching - will be more soon! -Stuart
Also, digging a series of holes in using a pin, then lifting the pin slightly to create a raised edge, leaving a small 'slot' where the pin was. Do rows of these as natural bumps are distributed on wherever it is you are doing them (the neck seems to be in rows, the body less evenly) and then brush the slurry of thinned clay over the top. It catches in the holes filling them and the bumps remain, resulting in a passable goosebump effect. -Stuart
aaaah, thank you sooo sooo much for charing your amazing skills and knowledge with us.... i appreciate this soooo much!! really, thank you!! love your videos...... nice voice also :) .... many greetings from germany :)
Cling film will work, just fold it over on itself to get thicker plastic. Wrappers on electrical goods, food packaging etc, any plastic you find otherwise, pref, clear plastic. Talc stopc it sticking and allows bits that roll off when using a brush to not stick. This is a Neill Gorton technique as far as I am aware! I didn't mould this piece but check out the Coraline videos I did which does cover the whole process on a different makeup. Stuart
@tokyorose1123 I know that feeling! The sweep of fear never really goes - you just remember that it gets beaten into shape bit by bit. Don't stop until it's right. Thanks for checking it out. Just gotta get stuck into the next one now, starting sculpting tomorrow. -Stuart
Some cool ideas for skin texture that I never thought of, I have used a stiple brush in the past but never thought of using cling film as well :-) And I Echo what the last person said would be great to see this turned from sculpt to mould thand then see the application of it.
@Flurry0fFun To some degree yes, although the grit/grain size of most clays will limit the smaller stuff like pores and small dots. It is quicker in clay as you can just smooth it with water - and most people use a sponge to wipe and stipple the skin texture on. For appliances, it is better to use oil based clay as the thin edges dry quickly on thin edges. -Stuart
Essentially, as with wrinkles, you key in the main directional lines, then smooth them by using a coarse brush. This works well for diagonal scales (as there are many types, and how they graduate into less scaley skin). Otherwise, cutting up thin sheets of plasteline into squares or making a tool to punch them out the desired shape so you can literally lay them like roof times, starting at the bottom and overlapping as you go up. Then, apply the same method of smoothing. -Stuart
Amazing stuff man! I creat silicone masks for Halloween every year and though I am getting better at sculpting each time I make one I wish I would have seen these videos long ago! This will definitely help me get better at my craft! Thanks so much man! Would love to get your opinion on my work some time.
Amazing work and GREAT tutorial as well. do you have a finished product video of this? couple of questions. 1. what does the powder do for you when you use it? just keep the plastic from sticking? 2. plastics. i can find thin plastic but am having a harder time finding somewhere that sells thicker plastic like you were suggesting. any pointers where i might locate some unused plastics? Thank you again. absolutely brilliant video!
This red clay (Le Beau Touche) is very sticky and soft which is great for quick sculpting but when you start doing the fine detail, often the sticky clay bonds a little to the plastic so I talk it to take the tackiness away. Also, the clay slides a little against the plastic as you press in with a sharp tool, giving it a cleaner finish. If the plastic grips the clay, it tends to not be so crisp and neat. -Stuart
Hi Tim. If you search my blog (I can't post links here) or email me direct, there is a post there called "Sculpting Tools For Prosthetics". That covers the tools in more detail. In the UK, a good supplier is Tiranti, and in the US, 'Kens Tools' are amazing, as well as 'The Compleat Sculptor' (spelling is correct!). Scales are many and varied, but Neill Gorton covers scales of sorts in a DVD on sculpting appliances ' The Art of Silicone Prosthetics.
@jaspearianpictures This red clay (Le Beau Touche) is very sticky and soft which is great for quick sculpting but when you start doing the fine detail, often the sticky clay bonds a little to the plastic so I talk it to take the tackiness away. Also, the clay slides a little against the plastic as you press in with a sharp tool, giving it a cleaner finish. If the plastic grips the clay, it tends to not be so crisp and neat. -Stuart
@gorilla4SOLD Hardware stores will sell the brushes. You could also use a stiff toothbrush. As to the plastic, you will find rolls of plastic in different thicknesses in hardware stores often used as protective sheeting in building/decorating or as a liner in concrete to stop moisture. Try and ask for a sample as you need so little, and also fold thinner plastic over on itself to increase thickness on thinner plastic. -Stuart
i really wants to get into this making masks etc how would i go about starting? your tutorials were amazing now you have the sculpt what would you do to turn it into a mask?
Stuart, GREAT videos! These will be a great help! Where can one purchase the plastic brush and the different "gauges" of plastic? I have no idea where I'd find the thicker plastics... Thanks again!
So if doing this sculpture in water or oil based clay, what would be the easiest way to end up with a final appliance piece made out of either silicone or gelatin? I'm confused on the exact process of what would come next. Would I just do a mould on top of this with say, Ultra Cal 30? Then take out the clay and brush in a silicone or gelatin, pull out once dry and apply it to my face?
You take a mould of the sculpt in situ, so you have the sculpt in reverse. Then open the mould and clean out the clay, so when the mould and core are assembled there is a void which is exactly the same as the sculpted piece. This is filled with the appliance material of choice (foam latex/gelatine/silicone-whatever) to recreate the sculpt as a flesh-like appliance stuck on the skin. Check my 'Coraline Button Eyes Makeup Part 3: Moulding' video, you can see the process in better detail. Stuart
I have a series of videos covering the making of a gelatine piece from start to finish here - this is part 1: Coraline Button Eyes Makeup Part 1: Making Cores I also have a downloadable ecourse here: www.learnmakeupeffects.com/awesome_latex_ecourse_pp/
@stuartbray. Love all your videos! You are the best! And you're videos offer the most educational value :) I'm sorry to both you, but how would one go about cleaning the life cast when all is said and done?? I'm having trouble getting it back to a clean surface. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks again
Victoria Verderame Hi Victoria - that is a great great idea for a video tutorial! Thanks for the suggestion. Essentially I use small tools and sand/chip/pick the offending artefacts off with care, trying to avoid scratching into the good textures which surround these occasional nubbins. -Stuart
hi:) im new to this whole sculpting thing lol. im trying to learn how to texturerize now and was wondering how you would texture scales? im trying to do something like turtle skin/scales. also what kind of tools are you using in this video and where can i get them?
I am in the process of finishing my sculpture and I have a lot of burs in deep crevasses. What is the best way to do finishing touches on my sculpture? I am using monster clay and I am trying to get a wooden texture. I've tried using 99% alcohol to smooth things out but it's not working that well.
No, this is just the plastiline original. It is completely malleable and open to change and modification. Once the sculpt is complete, it is moulded and then the shape of the sculpture is reproduced exactly. You can see an appliance being cast out of it's mould here if that helps fill in some blanks of the process: Coraline Button Eyes Makeup Part 4: Casting Appliances
Hi Stuart, Thanks for all the videos! I am currently sculpting on a cast and using chavant le beau touche but the clay keeps sliding off, picking up and sticking to my finger more than the cast when I'm blocking out, have you got any advice that would help the clay stick to the cast?
You can, but the details will be on the inside - the many layers of latex you add will soften the details so it will become rounded off and form only. The detail will be on the inside of the latex and so you are better off making a mould of the sculpt so each cast from that mould will have the details exactly as you sculpted them. Check out this old blog post to explain: www.learnprostheticmakeup.com/page2.htm
Scrape off what will come away with plastic or wooden tools to avoid scratching the plaster surface, ten use a solvent such as naphtha or white spirit to wipe out the residue.
you put the whole face cast in a tub of water and leave it on for 24 hours and make sure you smear a release agent on your cast before you sculpt so you will be able to take it out :)
What do you do to get those very feathered edges in the appliance? On the clay, my work is as thing or moreso than what is in your video, but I never get a truly perfect edge once the gelatin is pulled from the mold. This goes for flat molds, and positve/negative molds. Do you think the gelatin is solidifying once it hits a threshold of thinness?
Possibly. Gelatine is unique in that it cools and stiffens quickly. there is lots more time with silicone so I suspect it is down to how quickly you scrape after pouring - it needs to be on smooth, fluid move in one go. This may help: www.learnmakeupeffects.com/all-about-edges/
stuart bray I ran one of my own homemade flat molds again, and heated it in the microwave; I got much better edges, half was undetectable. This time I was able to scrape about 3-5 times, whereas, unheated it would start to get sticky after two scrapes. I found a person's blog who makes prosthetics. Her work is pretty exceptional. She said she always heats both positive and negative to keep the edges fine for gelatine, and noted that it took her seven casts to get the right edges for her planet of the apes piece. My only problem now is figuring out what temperature it is safe to heat my positive and negative molds to. I've done 150 F for my negative but never tried for the the positive.
Polarcupcheck It doesn.t need to boil - you are not actively heating the gelatine with the moulds so much as reducing the cooling effect a room temperature mould will have. It also depends on whether you are doing a pour/close filling method or assembling the mould first and then injecting the molten gelatine afterwards. I did a video with this technique here: Coraline Button Eyes Makeup Part 4: Casting Appliances It is one of the reasons why silicone is easier to work with, especially as pieces get larger. -Stuart
This particular piece was not moulded as it was just a sculpt demo, but usually I use the same material for the core and mould. Nowadays I'd go for an epoxy gelcoat and an epoxy dough, as this is good for larger pieces and most stable with no noticeable shrinkage, making accurate and lightweight moulds. Also very good release properties when getting cast appliances out. You can use hard plasters such as dental stones used in the denture making world, and on occasion I will make a mould using a combination. Large neck appliances for example or something with a lot of deep texture or u undercuts in the sculpt may use a rigid core and then the mould could be a silicone insert, supported with a rigid shell to keep the silicone insert in the correct shape. These are a lot more work though, so isn't often the case.
+Cat Special FX You can indeed but the plastic rounds off the hard edge caused when you drag a tool over the plastiline surface. The thicker the plastic, the more pronounced this softening effect is, so you can get a great amount of variety and subtle effects using plastic sheeting.
Depends on the type, there are more reptile textures than human I think. There are repeated scales of different sizes, wrinkly loose skin and bobbly lumps. Essentially the principles of creating textures remain the same. 1. Find reference. 2. Establish a pattern or direction. 3. Rough out the lines of the texture and then 4. Gradually refine it, smoothing out hard lines and 5. Building up occaisionally to create variation. Sounds like a good tutorial to do with video....
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@ Anna Gabi, I cant seem to find a reply button to reply to your comment, so here it is as another comment: What do you mean 'framing'? The sculpting material is oil based clay, known as plastiline.
You use the same material as the core usually. A tough stone such as Ultracal is okay for small stuff, and usually larger moulds are made with lighter materials such as resins or fibreglass.
The mould is then cleaned out and then the space which was occupied by the sculpt is then filled (rather than brushed) with silicone or gelatine. In the case of silicone being used, a skin of cap plastic is usually applied to the mould surfaces first to create an encapsulating skin.
Stuart,
Your videos continue to illustrate the fact that you are truly a stellar special effects artist! Thank you very much for educating those of us who dabble in special effects makeup. The techniques that you unselfishly choose to share will allow all who view your videos to improve dramatically.
Excellent Video Stuart. These are all techniques that I was aware of in theory and have played around with a bit; but seeing you execute them definitely helps me feel a bit more sure about attempting more and stepping out of my comfort zone. It's easy to get scared when you've spent so much time on a sculpt and you get a hint of that blank canvas syndrome. for me it usually results in slamming on the brakes and undoing what I've done. It's nice to see the result of pushing through it. Thanks!
Thank you for taking the time to make these videos and pass on this knowledge, I sincerely appreciate them. Very best to you
Absolutely amazing. As a newcomer to the special FX field, I was having a lot of difficulty finding out how such detail was made in this stage and you answered just about every question I had. Thank you!
Yes, you can mix the clay into a slip - a runny mixture. In pottery, water based clay is mixed with water but oil clays can be thinned with naphtha (zippo lighter fluid) or car panel wipe. Small bits of the clay soaked overnight in naphtha can be mixed into a thin paste and dropped on or flicked using a brush.
Brilliant man! thanks for the tutorial! please do a demo on building the overflow and cutting edges, keys etc. for casting the prosthetic! This was really helpful!
So great. I didn't know about the plastic film technique. Thanks!
That was amazing. Thank you
You are so welcome!
This is a smaller piece that will be glued onto a face, whereas a mask usually covers the whole face or head and doesn't require glue to apply.
I suggest checking 'Monster Makers' as they have a kit and instructional stuff (even a download book I believe) which shows you the process.
@arattin Cheers me dears. That's really kind - I basically like to show things in a way that I want to see them explained. Doesn't suit everyone, but I can only spout it the way I see it. Thanks for watching - will be more soon!
-Stuart
Also, digging a series of holes in using a pin, then lifting the pin slightly to create a raised edge, leaving a small 'slot' where the pin was. Do rows of these as natural bumps are distributed on wherever it is you are doing them (the neck seems to be in rows, the body less evenly) and then brush the slurry of thinned clay over the top.
It catches in the holes filling them and the bumps remain, resulting in a passable goosebump effect.
-Stuart
aaaah, thank you sooo sooo much for charing your amazing skills and knowledge with us.... i appreciate this soooo much!! really, thank you!! love your videos...... nice voice also :) .... many greetings from germany :)
Brilliant video as always, Stuart.
Some great techniques here, lovely sculpt
Cling film will work, just fold it over on itself to get thicker plastic. Wrappers on electrical goods, food packaging etc, any plastic you find otherwise, pref, clear plastic.
Talc stopc it sticking and allows bits that roll off when using a brush to not stick. This is a Neill Gorton technique as far as I am aware!
I didn't mould this piece but check out the Coraline videos I did which does cover the whole process on a different makeup.
Stuart
@tokyorose1123 I know that feeling! The sweep of fear never really goes - you just remember that it gets beaten into shape bit by bit. Don't stop until it's right. Thanks for checking it out. Just gotta get stuck into the next one now, starting sculpting tomorrow.
-Stuart
Some cool ideas for skin texture that I never thought of, I have used a stiple brush in the past but never thought of using cling film as well :-)
And I Echo what the last person said would be great to see this turned from sculpt to mould thand then see the application of it.
@Flurry0fFun To some degree yes, although the grit/grain size of most clays will limit the smaller stuff like pores and small dots. It is quicker in clay as you can just smooth it with water - and most people use a sponge to wipe and stipple the skin texture on.
For appliances, it is better to use oil based clay as the thin edges dry quickly on thin edges.
-Stuart
Yup...only fair really. As soon as i can...have a cool idea and already booked a model for a shoot day! Stay tuned.
-Stuart
Essentially, as with wrinkles, you key in the main directional lines, then smooth them by using a coarse brush. This works well for diagonal scales (as there are many types, and how they graduate into less scaley skin).
Otherwise, cutting up thin sheets of plasteline into squares or making a tool to punch them out the desired shape so you can literally lay them like roof times, starting at the bottom and overlapping as you go up. Then, apply the same method of smoothing.
-Stuart
This has been extremely helpful! There are some really awesome tips in here:-) thanks for sharing
very informative !!! nice texture. and thanks for sharing this .
It's so amazing ! Really, thank you !
Can I acheive a skin texture like this if using clay ?
Amazing stuff man! I creat silicone masks for Halloween every year and though I am getting better at sculpting each time I make one I wish I would have seen these videos long ago! This will definitely help me get better at my craft! Thanks so much man! Would love to get your opinion on my work some time.
Amazing work and GREAT tutorial as well.
do you have a finished product video of this?
couple of questions. 1. what does the powder do for you when you use it? just keep the plastic from sticking?
2. plastics. i can find thin plastic but am having a harder time finding somewhere that sells thicker plastic like you were suggesting. any pointers where i might locate some unused plastics?
Thank you again. absolutely brilliant video!
This red clay (Le Beau Touche) is very sticky and soft which is great for quick sculpting but when you start doing the fine detail, often the sticky clay bonds a little to the plastic so I talk it to take the tackiness away.
Also, the clay slides a little against the plastic as you press in with a sharp tool, giving it a cleaner finish. If the plastic grips the clay, it tends to not be so crisp and neat.
-Stuart
very nice techinic!
Thank you 😊
Thank you very much!
Hi Tim. If you search my blog (I can't post links here) or email me direct, there is a post there called "Sculpting Tools For Prosthetics". That covers the tools in more detail. In the UK, a good supplier is Tiranti, and in the US, 'Kens Tools' are amazing, as well as 'The Compleat Sculptor' (spelling is correct!).
Scales are many and varied, but Neill Gorton covers scales of sorts in a DVD on sculpting appliances ' The Art of Silicone Prosthetics.
You can us it with NSP but may not need it - or as much, anyway - as it is not as sticy as the LBT.
-Stuart
@jaspearianpictures This red clay (Le Beau Touche) is very sticky and soft which is great for quick sculpting but when you start doing the fine detail, often the sticky clay bonds a little to the plastic so I talk it to take the tackiness away.
Also, the clay slides a little against the plastic as you press in with a sharp tool, giving it a cleaner finish. If the plastic grips the clay, it tends to not be so crisp and neat.
-Stuart
Really good series, can't wait to try some of this stuff out myself :)
Will you be doing a follow up that shows the casting and application as well?
thank you
So helpful once again, thank you so much :)
x
@gorilla4SOLD Hardware stores will sell the brushes. You could also use a stiff toothbrush. As to the plastic, you will find rolls of plastic in different thicknesses in hardware stores often used as protective sheeting in building/decorating or as a liner in concrete to stop moisture. Try and ask for a sample as you need so little, and also fold thinner plastic over on itself to increase thickness on thinner plastic.
-Stuart
this is great, it was really pleasant and inspiring. got to ask, why the talcum powder?
i really wants to get into this making masks etc how would i go about starting? your tutorials were amazing now you have the sculpt what would you do to turn it into a mask?
Stuart, GREAT videos! These will be a great help! Where can one purchase the plastic brush and the different "gauges" of plastic? I have no idea where I'd find the thicker plastics... Thanks again!
So if doing this sculpture in water or oil based clay, what would be the easiest way to end up with a final appliance piece made out of either silicone or gelatin? I'm confused on the exact process of what would come next. Would I just do a mould on top of this with say, Ultra Cal 30? Then take out the clay and brush in a silicone or gelatin, pull out once dry and apply it to my face?
You take a mould of the sculpt in situ, so you have the sculpt in reverse. Then open the mould and clean out the clay, so when the mould and core are assembled there is a void which is exactly the same as the sculpted piece. This is filled with the appliance material of choice (foam latex/gelatine/silicone-whatever) to recreate the sculpt as a flesh-like appliance stuck on the skin.
Check my 'Coraline Button Eyes Makeup Part 3: Moulding' video, you can see the process in better detail.
Stuart
It stops the little bits of plastiline from sticking to itself when you brush the surface.
Are there anymore videos on next steps. How do you turn that into a latex prosthetic?
I have a series of videos covering the making of a gelatine piece from start to finish here - this is part 1: Coraline Button Eyes Makeup Part 1: Making Cores
I also have a downloadable ecourse here: www.learnmakeupeffects.com/awesome_latex_ecourse_pp/
man you are an incrediable sculptor ,
Why put latex on top of the sculpt?
awsome
@stuartbray. Love all your videos! You are the best! And you're videos offer the most educational value :) I'm sorry to both you, but how would one go about cleaning the life cast when all is said and done?? I'm having trouble getting it back to a clean surface. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks again
Victoria Verderame Hi Victoria - that is a great great idea for a video tutorial! Thanks for the suggestion.
Essentially I use small tools and sand/chip/pick the offending artefacts off with care, trying to avoid scratching into the good textures which surround these occasional nubbins.
-Stuart
hi:) im new to this whole sculpting thing lol. im trying to learn how to texturerize now and was wondering how you would texture scales? im trying to do something like turtle skin/scales. also what kind of tools are you using in this video and where can i get them?
Hi Stuart,
Can you please tell me the reasoning for the talc being used?
Thanks!
jamesjddj23 It stops the little bits of plastiline from sticking to itself when you brush the surface.
I am in the process of finishing my sculpture and I have a lot of burs in deep crevasses. What is the best way to do finishing touches on my sculpture? I am using monster clay and I am trying to get a wooden texture. I've tried using 99% alcohol to smooth things out but it's not working that well.
Burs can be smoothed out with stiff brushes or coarse sponges. This video may help too: Sculpting Prosthetics: Skin Textures
amazing work, great detail. so does this piece dry and then you peel it off?... I am trying to make a rubber prosthetic forehead x
No, this is just the plastiline original. It is completely malleable and open to change and modification. Once the sculpt is complete, it is moulded and then the shape of the sculpture is reproduced exactly.
You can see an appliance being cast out of it's mould here if that helps fill in some blanks of the process: Coraline Button Eyes Makeup Part 4: Casting Appliances
wow thank you Stuart! thats just what i want!! :)
Hi Stuart,
Thanks for all the videos! I am currently sculpting on a cast and using chavant le beau touche but the clay keeps sliding off, picking up and sticking to my finger more than the cast when I'm blocking out, have you got any advice that would help the clay stick to the cast?
LBT is a rather sticky clay so a thin film of vaseline on the cast will help. the tiniest amount.
If I use the same clay you are using, which is oil based, can i apply liquid latex and peal it off for my face mask?
You can, but the details will be on the inside - the many layers of latex you add will soften the details so it will become rounded off and form only. The detail will be on the inside of the latex and so you are better off making a mould of the sculpt so each cast from that mould will have the details exactly as you sculpted them.
Check out this old blog post to explain: www.learnprostheticmakeup.com/page2.htm
thank you! :o)
why do you powder the clay and can i use the powder with nsp clay?
How do you cast the prosthetic from the face? Great tips btw
This video I did of moulding an appliance sculpt should help: ruclips.net/video/EygIOng-r1o/видео.html
Hi thanks for that. I watched all the 5parts really informative brilliant. Thank you for taking time out to reply!
Please what material you use for framing?
Once you are done with your prosthetic how do you get it off of the plaster piece?
Scrape off what will come away with plastic or wooden tools to avoid scratching the plaster surface, ten use a solvent such as naphtha or white spirit to wipe out the residue.
do you have the latex finished project?? :0
👌👌😊🌷
so Stuart how do you get the face off of the molding? I'm new to this
you put the whole face cast in a tub of water and leave it on for 24 hours and make sure you smear a release agent on your cast before you sculpt so you will be able to take it out :)
What do you do to get those very feathered edges in the appliance? On the clay, my work is as thing or moreso than what is in your video, but I never get a truly perfect edge once the gelatin is pulled from the mold. This goes for flat molds, and positve/negative molds. Do you think the gelatin is solidifying once it hits a threshold of thinness?
Possibly. Gelatine is unique in that it cools and stiffens quickly. there is lots more time with silicone so I suspect it is down to how quickly you scrape after pouring - it needs to be on smooth, fluid move in one go.
This may help: www.learnmakeupeffects.com/all-about-edges/
stuart bray I ran one of my own homemade flat molds again, and heated it in the microwave; I got much better edges, half was undetectable. This time I was able to scrape about 3-5 times, whereas, unheated it would start to get sticky after two scrapes.
I found a person's blog who makes prosthetics. Her work is pretty exceptional. She said she always heats both positive and negative to keep the edges fine for gelatine, and noted that it took her seven casts to get the right edges for her planet of the apes piece.
My only problem now is figuring out what temperature it is safe to heat my positive and negative molds to. I've done 150 F for my negative but never tried for the the positive.
Polarcupcheck
It doesn.t need to boil - you are not actively heating the gelatine with the moulds so much as reducing the cooling effect a room temperature mould will have. It also depends on whether you are doing a pour/close filling method or assembling the mould first and then injecting the molten gelatine afterwards.
I did a video with this technique here: Coraline Button Eyes Makeup Part 4: Casting Appliances
It is one of the reasons why silicone is easier to work with, especially as pieces get larger.
-Stuart
stuart bray I use a pour/close method. That video reflects my experiences. Thanks
Do you mold this with plaster or silicone?
This particular piece was not moulded as it was just a sculpt demo, but usually I use the same material for the core and mould.
Nowadays I'd go for an epoxy gelcoat and an epoxy dough, as this is good for larger pieces and most stable with no noticeable shrinkage, making accurate and lightweight moulds. Also very good release properties when getting cast appliances out.
You can use hard plasters such as dental stones used in the denture making world, and on occasion I will make a mould using a combination.
Large neck appliances for example or something with a lot of deep texture or u undercuts in the sculpt may use a rigid core and then the mould could be a silicone insert, supported with a rigid shell to keep the silicone insert in the correct shape.
These are a lot more work though, so isn't often the case.
stuart bray thank you very much for taking the time to write this reply! I really admire your work!
Why is the plastic used ? Can you not do without it ?
+Cat Special FX You can indeed but the plastic rounds off the hard edge caused when you drag a tool over the plastiline surface. The thicker the plastic, the more pronounced this softening effect is, so you can get a great amount of variety and subtle effects using plastic sheeting.
How do you sculp Dino or reptillian skin?
Depends on the type, there are more reptile textures than human I think. There are repeated scales of different sizes, wrinkly loose skin and bobbly lumps. Essentially the principles of creating textures remain the same.
1. Find reference.
2. Establish a pattern or direction.
3. Rough out the lines of the texture and then
4. Gradually refine it, smoothing out hard lines and
5. Building up occaisionally to create variation.
Sounds like a good tutorial to do with video....
stuart bray
Thank you very much for your tips. But it would be indeed a good tutorial video can't find it anywhere.
Oh! I see. :D
I love you o O
I was told i could only use pottery clay
By whom? This video shows otherwise.
Nope! This was a just a sculpt exercise and was never moulded.
TY!
subbed
This has been extremely helpful! There are some really awesome tips in here:-) thanks for sharing