plaster of paris?

[policegurl]

I want to make a sculpture of my husband and I holding hands using plaster of paris what do I do ? Need to make a mold? how??

[jwebb]

That's a huge request. It's like saying you want to draw a picture of your husband, you've got a pencil, now what? Go to a library. Read a book on Sculpture. Research the subject on the web. Do a bit of work for godsakes.

[policegurl]

That's a huge request. It's like saying you want to draw a picture of your husband, you've got a pencil, now what? Go to a library. Read a book on Sculpture. Research the subject on the web. Do a bit of work for godsakes.
omg either you wanna help me or not :confused:

[ALH]

Probably the easiest way to go about this is to create a support frame, the bones if you will. You can do this with coat hangers, rebar, hot glued wood or, well, just about anything that will support the weight of the plaster.

Then build up the plaster, over the frame, using cloth (burlap, gauze etc.) makes this a snap. Using hardware tools force the matter into whatever shape your intellect demands. If the sculpture isn't quite right keep working it with the tools (rasps, files, chisels - whatever) and adding more plaster.

By adding and subtracting you can make whatever you like. For more detail check out a good sculpture book, this is a pretty basic technique so it won't be hard to locate in your local library. This method really beats molds and all that for a starter project and will result in a great little (start small-trust me on this) work of art that will survive a few moves.

put down plastic sheeting, have fun and good luck.

[Araich]

Do you mean to make an actual mold of yourselves?

[Stephen Casey]

Consider making reference photos with the best camera you have available. Digital is nice for speed and keeping the cost down. Once you set up the shots you want; take a few of each shot with the light source coming from diferant direction.

If you were thinking large scale, start with a small scale first. Refered to as a maquette in sculpture lingo. A small mach-up that helps you narrow down the options to your concept. Adding and elliminating details, in a small scale say 16" sculpture is faster than working large scale and a whole lot less expensive. Also if you are new consider, polymer clay (Premo! is my favorite for several reasons, workability, speed in conditioning amung them), plasicene, Chevant (oil based), web clay (water based). (If you go with an oil based make certain it is sulpher free.) Polymer is actually a varient of PVC poly-vinal cloride, that you cure at 275 degrees in a houshold oven. Its cheap, won't dry out for weeks, fast and capable of tremendous detail (finger prints are our worst enemy, some of us use latex gloves). Plus you can add to it after a curing and sand, carve and drill it afterwards. www.clayfactoryinc.com is the place to buy cheap and efficiently. With shipping it is still cheaper than Michaels Craft stores.

Your local library may have few, or a great many books on sculpting, also search their directory for material specific or brand specific - you will likely find more titles that way, polymer clay, clay, Scupey, Premo, Fimo, Chevant. Amazon is the least expensive rout to purchasing such books.

Jwebb can be very crasp sometimes. But he can also be extremely helpful and generous at other times.

If any of this is helpful and you would like to ask me other questions, pop me an e-mail as I haven't been brousing this site much lately. Project devouring my time. stephen_casey_1964@yahoo.com

Best of luck to you.

[policegurl]

Probably the easiest way to go about this is to create a support frame, the bones if you will. You can do this with coat hangers, rebar, hot glued wood or, well, just about anything that will support the weight of the plaster.

Then build up the plaster, over the frame, using cloth (burlap, gauze etc.) makes this a snap. Using hardware tools force the matter into whatever shape your intellect demands. If the sculpture isn't quite right keep working it with the tools (rasps, files, chisels - whatever) and adding more plaster.

By adding and subtracting you can make whatever you like. For more detail check out a good sculpture book, this is a pretty basic technique so it won't be hard to locate in your local library. This method really beats molds and all that for a starter project and will result in a great little (start small-trust me on this) work of art that will survive a few moves.

put down plastic sheeting, have fun and good luck.
Thank you so very much!

[policegurl]

Do you mean to make an actual mold of yourselves?
Just of our hands (holding hands)
Ive seen the gel molds you can buy for childrens hands and/or feet
but they do not have the gel mold for bigger projects ex. adult hands. all I wanted to know really is what I can use for our hands as a mold then pour in the plaster of paris.
although thank you for responding. ;)

[policegurl]

Consider making reference photos with the best camera you have available. Digital is nice for speed and keeping the cost down. Once you set up the shots you want; take a few of each shot with the light source coming from diferant direction.

If you were thinking large scale, start with a small scale first. Refered to as a maquette in sculpture lingo. A small mach-up that helps you narrow down the options to your concept. Adding and elliminating details, in a small scale say 16" sculpture is faster than working large scale and a whole lot less expensive. Also if you are new consider, polymer clay (Premo! is my favorite for several reasons, workability, speed in conditioning amung them), plasicene, Chevant (oil based), web clay (water based). (If you go with an oil based make certain it is sulpher free.) Polymer is actually a varient of PVC poly-vinal cloride, that you cure at 275 degrees in a houshold oven. Its cheap, won't dry out for weeks, fast and capable of tremendous detail (finger prints are our worst enemy, some of us use latex gloves). Plus you can add to it after a curing and sand, carve and drill it afterwards. www.clayfactoryinc.com is the place to buy cheap and efficiently. With shipping it is still cheaper than Michaels Craft stores.

Your local library may have few, or a great many books on sculpting, also search their directory for material specific or brand specific - you will likely find more titles that way, polymer clay, clay, Scupey, Premo, Fimo, Chevant. Amazon is the least expensive rout to purchasing such books.

Jwebb can be very crasp sometimes. But he can also be extremely helpful and generous at other times.

If any of this is helpful and you would like to ask me other questions, pop me an e-mail as I haven't been brousing this site much lately. Project devouring my time. stephen_casey_1964@yahoo.com

Best of luck to you.
your help is greatly appreciated thank you so much for taking your time...

[jwebb]

I confess to being "very crasp" sometimes. Thank you, Steven. I don't know exactly what that means, but something between crisp, crass and crap, I'd guess. And sometimes that's me. The comment I made above was the same thing I'd say to one of my children. I'm reminded of one of my old professors, who used to say that "Anyone who can be discouraged from being an Artist, probably should be". At the time I thought that was mean, but later I came to understand and am beginning to share that view. However, people have been kind to me on this site, and I will restrain myself in the future. The good responses you others have given here put me to shame.

[Stephen Casey]

Jwebb we all have our moments. Some good some rough. Myself, if i forget my medications I am a regular Jeckle and Hyde, every half hour or so. (Mainic-depressive.)

You brought up an interesting point, that gave me pause.

I used to agree with the view anyone easily discouraged is probably best on another path. But I lean the other way now-a-days. Some unfortunate people have led a life filled with gardians or family that brow beat them to the point of having practically no self confedence. Yet art to my way of thinking tonight is beneficial as long as one person finds even the slightest joy or catharsis in it. Whether the participant is a moron or genius, skilled or novice, self motivated or initially down right cohersed into active participation in the artistic endeavor.

Well I took my night meds and my brain is melting. So off to bed I go.

[rjustin]

you might want to try using aliginate i think that is how it is spelled. It is what your doctor uses to make molds of your teeth. I am pretty sure that you can get it from most rubber supply companies. I get it from cast-tec in kansas city kansas. It is a little expensive but it gives amazing detail

YOu have to mix to powder with water and you want to be exact!!! you would first make a box that you can put your hands in and pour the alginate over. let it cure 15 mins. And cut your way out carfully. tape it back together and pour plaster into it to make the positive.

if you have any questions please e-mail me me@rjustin.com

rjustin
www.rjustin.com