Alternative to Hard Molding?
in General
So I've made 3 masks over the years, following the latex monster mask course here. One thing I struggle with though, and hate, is the molding process. With Halloween on the horizon, I find myself thinking- molding- I'm just not that great at it and it's a big struggle every time and I end up losing a lot of my sculpt detail by the end, especially along edges, or struggle with locked molds, etc. For someone that does this for fun once a year for Halloween... is there another way? Especially if I'm not worried about cost (it's a once a year hobby splurge). I get that making a hard mold will allow you to make many future pours, that it's porous so the latex can dwell and dry, but I only ever pour once. It's my one mask I'm gonna make for the year. Is there a different method I could do that would save me the headache and safeguard all my sculpting hard work?
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Comments
You could do a brush on silicone mold and back it with plaster bandages or make an epoxy/fiberglass mother mold, but if you are making latex masks the dwelling process would change in a silicone mold.
My suggestion would be to make a list of all the challenges you are running into, see how each might be individually addressed without drastic changes, and then make a goal to eliminate each issue in your next mold/casting. Having a checklist handy when making the mold is also a great idea. Even the most seasoned mold makers occasionally forget to add a key or a pry point.
The challenge with doing something complicated once a year is that making mistakes and making improvements both take repetition. Mold making, regardless of materials or methods, is a skill that many artists spend years, or even a lifetime, perfecting.
My advice for Halloween projects is to do them early, that way you have time to start over if things don't go right. And if you ever run into an issue while planning or making a mold, we're here to help!
/Chris
Some of my biggest challenges with molding:
-I have a hard time determining the best case line and determining undercuts.
-I have such hard time doing the clay border, I feel like I always have gaps between the clay and my sculpture.
-I struggle to go fast enough with my burlap mixture, it always starts to harden on me and I'm not done. And I never know how much to mix up- I feel like I always underestimate or overestimate.
-So much mold damage once I've demolded, especially along the seams and I end up doing a ton of cement epoxy repair and losing valuable details.
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What are the best ways to strengthen these areas? Would it make sense to make a lot of mini sculpts/molds to practice? Or is that pretty useless compared to the complexities of a full head mask mold?