Life casting is a beautiful art of capturing the shape, form and other details of the human body in all its glory! It begins with making a body mold which is then cast to make the life casting. The process involves the use of different kinds of materials, techniques, supplies and other paraphernalia to bring the final life cast to life!
Plaster bandages are one of the many ‘tools’ in the life casting artist’s arsenal. The primary purpose of these plaster-infused gauze rolls is to make a shell mold that will reinforce the delicate alginate molds or flexible silicone molds. The plaster in the bandages will dry to form a rigid structure that will help the body mold retain its shape to ensure a proper casting.
However, not many people may be aware that the same plaster bandages can also be directly used to make a body mold. It is the preferred resource for making form molds like of the abdomen, especially for pregnancy castings. In fact, the use can extend for making full torso casts – i.e., from the neck down to the thighs – as this section of the body does not call for excessive detailing.
Apart from this, these bandages can also be used for mask making. The plaster gauze is applied on the face to capture the basic shape and form without emphasis on the features. It will set easily and can then be carved, built on or painted to form the mask!
How to use?
When it comes to using the plaster bandages, they cannot be randomly applied one over the other or to cover the entire space. There has to be a method to the madness so to speak!
The gauze has to be cut in long strips n wetted before being applied – either on the body mold or directly on the skin. In case it is being used on the skin, a release agent (like petroleum jelly) is essential to prevent the plaster from entangling in the body hair.
Start applying the plaster strips from the top and move to the bottom. Each strip should overlap the previous one to ensure proper bonding. Smooth out each strip with a gentle hand. This should remove the air bubbles without pressing down too hard as this can cause dents in the plaster mold.
Continue building a few layers even after the entire area has been covered. Change the directions but ensure there is always some overlap. Also build extra thickness at the edges as this will provide a grip for the demolding.
The work has to be done in a systematic manner without wasting time as the plaster dries quickly. Demolding is easy after the bandages have set.
EnvironMolds offers quality plaster gauze along with other materials and supplies.