Face Mask Sculpting for Animatronics

Gustavo Alcantara

Hey guys, 

I'm about to start sculpting a new face mask for an animatronic head. And I'm thinking, which one is best, to sculpt the eyes lids and the mouth closed, so that after casting it in silicone we cut the eyes and mouth open or if is better to sculpt it half-way open, or even fully open?

What do you guys think it is the best approach? I'm trying to figure out how it will work after the casting... 

Chris Ellerby

If you want to include the eyelids in the sculpture the cast skin, I would have them half-open.  This way you don't have to fight the silicone too much when opening/closing the eyes, as silicone only wants to stretch or compress a set amount.  Stretching is also much easier than compressing.    I would also advise sculpting and casting a test eye section and eyelid to see how the stretching and compressing work for your application.  Better to find out in a small test or two than to waste an entire sculpture/mold if it does not work the way you like.

For the mouth, I would have it just slightly open, so you don't have to cut the lips on your cast skin.  If the mouth is too far open you may have trouble getting it to close properly without the skin buckling/bunching.  

That's just how I would approach it.

This course series may also help you:
https://www.stanwinstonschool.com/tutorials/character-animatronics-how-to-build-an-animatronic-head-part-1-mechanical-underskull

/Chris

Gustavo Alcantara

Got it, I'll try that way, thanks Chris!