Making a face casting forms the pinnacle of casting and life casting projects. The challenge of working on a living person is amplified by the prospects of covering the eyes, mouth, nose and so on!
There are castings, life castings and then there is a face cast! Indeed, making the cast of a face is about the most complicated and challenging of all art works. But the satisfaction remains unparalleled as well!
Indeed, imagine being able to create a spitting likeness of a person’s face. That too, in three-dimensional form!
Indeed, imagine being able to create a spitting likeness of a person’s face. That too, in three-dimensional form!
The ins and outs
A face casting is just that – a life cast of a person’s face that captures everything from the contours of the nose and lips to the pores and indentations on the skin to even the expression of the person!
The process begins with making a mold of the face. For this, skin safe materials like alginate or special silicone rubber are used. Most artists prefer to use alginate which is basically a dental impression material.
Prepping the model for what lies in store is crucial. The skin should also be prepared by applying a suitable release agent. A fine layer of petroleum jelly is usually preferred as it will keep the alginate from snagging in the fine hair on the face. Go little thicker on the eyebrows and lashes.
The alginate is mixed with water in the requisite proportions before being patted on to the face. It should be applied gently on the eyes and lips with special care not to clog the nostrils. Note that different types of alginate are available with varying set times, soft set options and even silica free variations.
Once an even layer of alginate is in place, it has to be reinforced with plaster reinforced strips. This will form a stiff shell mold that will enable the inner alginate one to retain its shape. Otherwise, it will be too flexible and tends to flop over during the casting process which will distort the final output. The plaster bandages have to be applied while the alginate is damp to the touch.
The process may sound long and cumbersome. While it does take practice, the face mold should usually be complete in about 20 to 25 minutes. It sets quickly and can be demolded simply by twitching the face a bit while inserting a finger from any of the sides.
Once the face mold is ready, making the cast just requires preparing the plaster and pouring it into the mold. The cured cast can again be demolded and finished as required before being presented to the model or put on display.
While face casting is a straightforward process, beginners may still feel overwhelmed with the minute details. In such cases, they can opt for a ArtMolds Face Casting Kit instead. Indeed, EnvironMolds offers the Face EZ CastKit which is very popular among new artists who want to try their hand at making a face cast!
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