Why I particularly Like Silicone Rubber!

Of all the mold making materials, I really like silicone mold rubber for my mold making and casting works. Silicone rubber is definitely a very versatile material as it can be used to reproduce almost anything.

The molds come out very detailed as silicone is primed to capture the minutest of details in full clarity. They are flexible and can be used as you wish. Apart from being easy and safe to use, silicone rubber molds turn out to be quite long lasting. You can continue to use the same mold for reproducing casts again and again which kind of puts paid to the higher cost of silicone rubber.

What’s more, the same silicone rubber compound can double up for both mold making and casting works. Indeed, the same silicone can be used for making casts as easily as for molds! However, the only point is that as silicone does not stick to anything apart from itself, I do not prefer to make silicone molds and casts of the same object!

Of all the varied silicone mold rubbers available in the market, my particular favorite is the Five Minute Molding Putty offered by the house of EnvironMolds. The product stands up to its name as I can make a traditional silicone mold or cast very quickly and easily, that too without using a box. I use it often for making quick impressions and also for food molds as it complies with FDA standards.

Enjoy mold making and casting!

The ArtMolds Collection!

You couldn’t be more mistaken if you thought EnvironMolds was just about supplying art materials for making quality latex molds, plaster casting or life casting along with the tools and equipment needed for them.

EnvironMolds truly supports art and artists in every sense of the word. The company, under the aegis of noted life caster, Ed McCormick, does everything from providing instruction materials and organizing workshops to spreading awareness about the beautiful art of life casting.

In a bid to support fine life casting artists and build confidence in their abilities, EnvironMolds makes selective purchases from the artists’ life casting works and displays them in ‘The ArtMolds Collection’. Some of the artists whose works are currently on display are Jamie Brick, Roy Butler, Brent Cairns, Richard Tilloston, Seth Wolfson, MurSyeir and so on.

Their beautiful works like the Brennangel, Bisque Torso, Within Reach, Half Time, Metro Man and Communion occupy pride of place along with McCormick’s own works like the Las Crusix. You will be pleased to know that most of these works have been created (at least in part) by using the studio quality products manufactured and sold by ArtMolds.

Anybody can log on to the ArtMolds website and view these amazing works in ‘The ArtMolds Collection’. For those who want to know more about a particular artist, helpful links are provided to every artist’s website and his other works, wherever available. Viewers can also click on the pictures of the life casts to view the creation in all its beauty!

Why Do We Need Latex Rubber?

Latex rubber is being used just about everywhere. This natural ingredient derived mainly from rubber trees is used for making balloons, chewing gums, gloves, band-aids, catheters, condoms, swimming caps, sporting goods, mattresses and skin tight clothing, to name a few. Now even synthetic versions of latex are being developed and used mostly in the tires and components industry.

Latex rubber plays a special role inthe art world. Liquid latex is made by combining latex with water and a bit of ammonia and enjoys great usage in mask making and special effects makeup (like natural looking wrinkles, scars and gashes).

Latex has a natural ability to shrink around any object and can therefore capture the finest details with great ease. This proves especially useful in reproducing anything by way of casts and molds. It works as a wonderful adhesive too.
Other things that work in favor of liquid latex is that it is durable, long lasting and one of the least expensive mold making materials. Therefore it is very commonly used for making latex molds for casting plaster, polyester resin or urethane parts. Thin skin latex products like masks and other props can be very effectively and easily made with liquid latex. The masks capture a realistic look and latex paints can be used to make them all the more believable.

In sum, latex rubber is a very versatile and useful product for artists and well as other industries!

Make Duplicates of Missing Parts - the Mold Making and Casting Way!



A beautiful antique table occupies pride of place in my drawing room. But one of its rear legs had developed cracks and finally gave way with age. While this definitely did not look good, I was loathe to discard the lovely table that always brings back so many of my childhood memories.

Finding a replacement leg was obviously not possible and get a custom replacement made on order did not seem worth the high price.

After much lament, I decided to put my polyurethanes mold making and casting skills to use and make a duplicate leg on my own. I began by carefully screwing out the other rear leg and then made a rubber mold of the same. This took some cautious preparation and I was always wary of not damaging the original leg in any manner. And I have to admit that the leg mold did capture the entire carving and engraving patterns down to the finest details.

My next task was to make a polyurethanes cast from the mold and the leg turned out to be an exact copy of the one that had given way. The shape, texture and patterns were precise but I wanted a wooden piece to match the look and color of the table.

An artist friend then introduced me to cold casting powders that can replicate the look of wood and we worked together to get the right finishing to match the other legs of the table.

And viola! Now no one can even say that a leg has been replaced from the lovely table!

Order a Product Catalog, If you Wish!



The ArtMolds website features a comprehensive collection of different kinds of mold making, casting and life casting products along with various art supplies, tools and equipment. 

But those artists who would like to keep the ArtMolds offerings more handy (when offline), the company also provides a printed catalog to complement its online offerings. There is a ‘Request our Catalog’ tab on the right hand side of the website and all you have to do is provide your email address to receive a copy. 

This physical catalog contains all the products that are on the website – right from various mold making and casting supplies to art supplies and studio accessories. Those who are interested in the instructional offerings can check out the list of books and videos that feature various titles like how to make a mold, hands and feet casting, fine figure finishing and so on.

Along with product list, the catalog provides short studio tricks and trips that are very useful for artists. It even features a ‘Use and Application’ chart about the various product categories and also recommends best applications of different products. 

But it is still better to keep checking back on the website as it will provide you with more detailed information about the products, like its description, method of preparation and application, examples of use, reviews, safety precautions and the like. 
  
Moreover, the catalog offerings are also constantly expanding as EnvironMolds keeps adding many new and useful items to its already extensive collection.

Have You Checked Out the New Teachers Section Yet?

The ArtMolds website is renowned for providing access to an exhaustive range of mold making, casting and life casting products, supplies and equipment along with useful books, videos and workshops on everything to do with clay modeling, mold making and life casting.

To further expand its utility, the website has recently revamped its look and added a useful Teachers Section as well. This is especially useful for Visual Arts teachers and consists of the following sections:
  • The Lesson Plans section comprises of national standards based lesson plans that facilitate cross-curriculum learning by enabling teachers to combine art with other subjects like history, science, technology and social studies. It includes fun projects on encapsulation and preservation, paleontology, wizardry, Punk’d art and much more.
  •  There is a Students Kits section that provides school kits containing all the materials for a lesson plan and can easily suffice for up to 25 students.
  • A specially dedicated Teacher Discounts section offers an attractive 15% discount on the website prices. Teachers can even call EnvironMolds to seek assistance with their project ideas or lesson plans.
  • An interesting section on Project Ideas is in the works and will be active very soon. It will provide interesting ideas for clay modeling, casting and life casting that can be done by students in the classroom itself.
Quite useful, isn’t it!

Have You Checked Out the EnvironMolds Website Yet?

I have always admired the EnvironMolds website for both its ease of access as well as the humungous catalogue of art supplies. Indeed, the website provides you everything from mold making supplies, casting supplies and life casting kits to studio accessories, tools and equipment to varied books and videos on life casting.

Say you happen to be looking for polyurethanes; you will find a variety of offerings of both polyurethane rubbers and polyurethane resins on the EnvironMolds website. The products on offer include both the in-house brand ArtMolds as well as other leading brands in the market like Mehron, Chavant, Sculpture House and Skulduggery to name a few. ArtMolds offers a range of user safe, environment friendly and biodegradable products, so you need not worry about harming yourself, your model or the environment around you.

Again, when it comes to polyurethanes, you will gain access to information about the benefits of using mold making polyurethane rubber, the properties of polyurethane molds and other such details. Similarly, the casting polyurethane resin section provides information about the different varieties of resins available and their specific properties.

You just have to click on any of the items in the product list displayed at the bottom and it will give you further details about the specific product, its uses and directions for use. Product pictures and reviews are also included for additional assistance. You get access to the price of the product and can directly add it to your cart before browsing other items as you wish.

An easy and satisfying experience indeed!