Best Of
Re: Silicone mold for latex prosthetics
Thanks for your reply Kai. I will be using foam latex and baking it at 150 degrees for a few hours. I have made some molds of my pieces using Smooth-on moldstar 30. The molds came out nice and I'm going to bake it and see what comes of it.
cheers!
cheers!
Re: Mold making for a figure made of Chavant
Hey Nikolas, welcome on board ;-)
The question about the mold depends on which material you want to cast.
If you want to cast a hard material like Resin, epoxy, plaster etc.- the mold has to be soft- like silicone.
If you want to cast soft materials like platinum silicone, latex, oilbased clay etc.- the mold has to be hard- like plaster, stone, epoxy etc.
Imagine what happens to the cast and mold, when you have some undercuts and you are casting resin into a platster mold.
I will be locked in really hard xD.
You are able to do a hard material mold for hard casting materials, but you have to make sure, that the mold is a multiple part mold without any undercuts which could be locked in. And you have also to make sure, that you are using the right sealants and release agents.
Otherwise, you can cast platinum silicone in a silicone mold, too.
Castingmaterials like latex, should be casted in a mold which soaks the moisture out of the latex. For example a hard plaster mold.
I tried to cast latex in a non soaking epoxy mold,.. it took me 5! (five) ! days to cast two alien gloves,... I had to brush in a layer of latex and let it fully dry by air and a hairdryer,.. layer after layer,.. two molds,.. five days,.. 3-4 hours a day,.. brushing- drying, brushing- drying and so on xDD
That are my suggestions and i hope they will help.
Have fun with your projects and never stop creating ;-)
Greets
Kai
The question about the mold depends on which material you want to cast.
If you want to cast a hard material like Resin, epoxy, plaster etc.- the mold has to be soft- like silicone.
If you want to cast soft materials like platinum silicone, latex, oilbased clay etc.- the mold has to be hard- like plaster, stone, epoxy etc.
Imagine what happens to the cast and mold, when you have some undercuts and you are casting resin into a platster mold.
I will be locked in really hard xD.
You are able to do a hard material mold for hard casting materials, but you have to make sure, that the mold is a multiple part mold without any undercuts which could be locked in. And you have also to make sure, that you are using the right sealants and release agents.
Otherwise, you can cast platinum silicone in a silicone mold, too.
Castingmaterials like latex, should be casted in a mold which soaks the moisture out of the latex. For example a hard plaster mold.
I tried to cast latex in a non soaking epoxy mold,.. it took me 5! (five) ! days to cast two alien gloves,... I had to brush in a layer of latex and let it fully dry by air and a hairdryer,.. layer after layer,.. two molds,.. five days,.. 3-4 hours a day,.. brushing- drying, brushing- drying and so on xDD
That are my suggestions and i hope they will help.
Have fun with your projects and never stop creating ;-)
Greets
Kai
One more puppet class from Bill Diamond
One thing Bill briefly talks about in his course is the use of two arm rods, but he doesn't go into any detail.
I am struggling to learn this on my own and what is found on YouTube is not very good at all. I would really like to suggest an addition to his class focusing on this overlooked subject.
Thanks!
I am struggling to learn this on my own and what is found on YouTube is not very good at all. I would really like to suggest an addition to his class focusing on this overlooked subject.
Thanks!
Re: Bulk Yak hair?
Here’s my youtube channel
https://youtube.com/channel/UCDD5tIEmjR4g_c54vMvZLqg
u can checkout my gorilla costume here….innthis one i used yak hair but mixed it with nylon hair which, I realised, I shudn’t have done…its very difficult to maintain it.
And my insta handle is
probotix01
https://youtube.com/channel/UCDD5tIEmjR4g_c54vMvZLqg
u can checkout my gorilla costume here….innthis one i used yak hair but mixed it with nylon hair which, I realised, I shudn’t have done…its very difficult to maintain it.
And my insta handle is
probotix01
Re: Bulk Yak hair?
Hi, I’m Prasun from India, I’m a member of SWS for more than 4 yrs and learnt a lot here. I’m currently working on an Animatronic Bear costume and we are using 100% real yak hair. After a lot of searching I’ve managed to find a source in Sikkim for real yak hair and then I get it cleaned and processed from a wig maker in Calcutta…If there are no restrictions in sending Yak hair from here I can definitely arrange for you….how much and which color u need
Re: Anybody here have experience with the Stan Winston School of Character Arts?
I spent a ton of time watching youtube/instructables/skillshare and then did the 7 day trial for Stan Winston. There is no comparison, Stan Winston is perfect processes by life long professionals in the industry. Sculpture is covered seven ways to Sunday in all clay types. The list of skills covered, in depth, is endless. I am nearly at the end of a one year subscription. I always find what I want and come back for more. Questions are answered by the same pros. At the very least, try the 7 day trial to find what you want for proof of quality and content. I am a twenty year veteran in Photoshop and still learned twice as much here on Stan Winston.
Re: Learning with ADHD??
I was diagnosed with ADD (no hyperactivity) when I was in 9th grade...I am now 44. I have had times in my life when I have struggled and other times when my diagnosis has actually been a help. My suggestion is to know your limits and your strengths. My son was also diagnosed and at first he was saddened by the diagnosis. I joke a bit and call it a "superpower" - he knows now what will draw his attention away and can avoid those things. He also knows one of the rarely-talked about conditions of those of us with ADD/ADHD can be a big help, namely hyper-focus.
Everyone is different, of course, but I work best under pressure when something is on the line. In times like these, my problem-solving skills go into overdrive and as long as there is forward-progress, I find that I stay on task and my brain taps into something "extra" - it's like a mental "problem solving bin" that others can't get to in their own head! I am blessed to work with others who understand how I function and how I am organized, and they respect that. They know the difference between "disorganized" (when items are lost or damaged due to organizational negligence) and "differently-organized" (When items are categorized and kept in a non-conventional manner, but safe and accounted for when needed), and many are happy to help with mundane, repetitive tasks that will quickly degrade my focus.
I think that this industry/hobby lends itself well to those of us with this ability. Know your limits and focus on your strengths. Farm out your weaknesses, and never be ashamed of how you operate (so long as it isn't hurting anyone else).
Medication also helps. Talk to a specialist/doctor and don't be ashamed. This isn't a new discovery with experimental meds out there. Before I was diagnosed I was failing school, I am now working on my doctorate. You can do this. Remember, you aren't like everyone else, so don't expect what works for non-ADHD people to work the same for you. Think outside the box - heck, throw away the box!
Everyone is different, of course, but I work best under pressure when something is on the line. In times like these, my problem-solving skills go into overdrive and as long as there is forward-progress, I find that I stay on task and my brain taps into something "extra" - it's like a mental "problem solving bin" that others can't get to in their own head! I am blessed to work with others who understand how I function and how I am organized, and they respect that. They know the difference between "disorganized" (when items are lost or damaged due to organizational negligence) and "differently-organized" (When items are categorized and kept in a non-conventional manner, but safe and accounted for when needed), and many are happy to help with mundane, repetitive tasks that will quickly degrade my focus.
I think that this industry/hobby lends itself well to those of us with this ability. Know your limits and focus on your strengths. Farm out your weaknesses, and never be ashamed of how you operate (so long as it isn't hurting anyone else).
Medication also helps. Talk to a specialist/doctor and don't be ashamed. This isn't a new discovery with experimental meds out there. Before I was diagnosed I was failing school, I am now working on my doctorate. You can do this. Remember, you aren't like everyone else, so don't expect what works for non-ADHD people to work the same for you. Think outside the box - heck, throw away the box!
Re: Grizzly needed
There are a number of sellers on Etsy that appear to have some ok quality faux fur with a bit of good length to it. Getting a large enough piece may be a challenge, but a few did list it by the yard when I did a search.
If you have the budget, you could reach out to National Fiber Technology (NFT) https://www.nftech.com/ and see what they have in stock.
https://hairymannscloset.com/ has overrun NFT fur. Basically what is left over when other customers order large batches, test runs, etc.
You'll likely want to do some work to any fur you find in order to best match your reference. Things like styling, matting, airbrushing, highlighting, etc.
Hope that helps!
/Chris
If you have the budget, you could reach out to National Fiber Technology (NFT) https://www.nftech.com/ and see what they have in stock.
https://hairymannscloset.com/ has overrun NFT fur. Basically what is left over when other customers order large batches, test runs, etc.
You'll likely want to do some work to any fur you find in order to best match your reference. Things like styling, matting, airbrushing, highlighting, etc.
Hope that helps!
/Chris
Re: Ultracal thickness for foam latex
I usually keep my molds fairly thick, aiming for at least an inch, depending on the mold size. If you are worried about a mold cracking because it's large or the shape may make it prone to break, you can embed wooden supports in the ultraclal to help. You can also add reinforcing fibers like hemp or sisil to the ultracal (after you make your detail coat so the fibers are not on the mold surface) to strengthen the mold.
This course has a lot of great tips for making stone molds: https://www.stanwinstonschool.com/tutorials/character-creation-stone-mold-making-tutorial
/Chris
This course has a lot of great tips for making stone molds: https://www.stanwinstonschool.com/tutorials/character-creation-stone-mold-making-tutorial
/Chris
Hyperendocrin Carnotaurus - The Isle
Hello!
This is my Hyperendocrin Carnotaurus puppet that I completely handcrafted from scratch. The head, hands and feet are polymer clay with plastic claws. The body is soft, made with hand sewn elastic fabric that I painted with special paints by my hand. The large armour scales on its back are leather. The puppet has posable skeleton combination of copper wire and plastic ball and socket armature. Can be used for stop motion animations
Carno is around 60cm long
Character is from "The Isle" videogame
