MIRROR IMAGE
ONES ALTER EGO OR HIGHER SELF
HEAD CASTING
FULL HEAD CAST DEMONSTRATION AND TECHNIQUE RESEARCH
Tindall, P. and Humphrey, W. (2015). BA Hons Make-up for Media and Performance. Arts University Bournemouth. 26 March.
PREPERATION
-3 buckets of warm water
-Bucket for mixing
-All of the plaster bandage is prepared into strips and laid out
-Alginate / life cast silicone
-Nivea hand cream
-AQUAcolour (Kryolan) to draw the hairline onto the bald-cap.
Alginates to avoid using: Fibregel (alginate with flock- this can be very itchy on the models skin) and dental alginate (is often minty- and will burn the eyes).
Tape to use: Medical tape & zinc oxide tape, both safe on the skin.
-Apply bald cap and cut out the ears if desired. Take reference images. and measurements to file and rasp the plaster head down to the correct size afterwards. Mark the bald cap with water based makeup/ AQUA colour to transfer the models hairline.
-The back of the head will be recorded with plaster bandage and the front of the head/ face will be recorded with alginate. This is often how it would be done in industry because there is no need to have the detail of the back of the head, only the form is needed.
-Push Nivea cream against the eyebrows and make sure they are worked through thoroughly, the Nivea cream will affect the alginate less than the Vaseline and is used industry.
-When applying the plaster bandage, you cannot have it too far forward or it will lock in place, it needs to be across the back and can be smaller than the front half.
-Double the plaster bandage over to avoid adding layers singly and first create a spine across the head and neck, after add in plaster bandage in between and continue to thicken the edge.
-Build strengthening ropes to build integral strength. Smith and Nephew plaster bandage- medical bandage is of a good quality. Barrier cream is applied all over the latex cap, the alginate will stick to the latex cap and it needs to be applied evenly all over.
If you where to use silicone on the face and use plaster bandage on the back you could fibreglass straight into it after applying shellac on the inside of the plaster bandage.
-When adding alginate around the models eye, start at the nose bridge and scrape out towards the temples, this will prevent any air bubbles from forming around the eyes.
-Trim off the alginate which has overlapped the plaster around the back, this is to ensure the seam-line is minimal when closing both halves together
-If the ears are included in the liefecast then do not apply plaster bandage over them, instead, go around the ears. This will enable you to remove the ears easily from the cast.
-Apply registration marks on the cast in preparation for filling the mould
-Superglue the alginate inside around the edges of the nostrils. Then push very thick alginate through the cast and the nostril holes will look neater and more professional
HEALTH AND SAFETY
METHOD
It is important that you are serious when you are doing a life-cast, be professional at all times.
Three to four people per head cast are recommended for health and safety of the model: One person in charge (take charge of nose area), two people to apply bandage, alginate, and one to handle prep and carry materials.
Never put anything up the nose, it is also not recommended to cover nose first and ask model to breathe out! (Although some industry professionals do this, it can be highly dangerous).
Communicate with your team and model at all times; you need to ensure the model feels safe and relaxed. The model is priority and they are the most important person in the room, their health and safety is paramount.
Having a full head cast can sometimes be stressful to people, therefore, keep an eye on their body language and open communication.
When life casting your model, you should anticipate needing more of their form than necessary. Try to keep as calm as possible, if things go wrong, you can sort it out, try not to panic the model.
MARK ALFREYS ULTIMATE LIFECASTING
HEAD CASTING:
Bald cap is glued down around the seams starting from the front. The glue is called clear silicone adhesive, mixed with adhesive thinner.
Release is used over the bald cap and nivea cream over the face.
An eyeliner pencil is used to map out the hairline
Plaster bandage is applied to the back of the head. Latex gloves are used throughout.
Start by creating a dividing line, sevral layers of bandage are applied, as many as eight layers. Then ribs are formed over various areas to give extra support.
Blue tint is added to vasaline then applied to the divide line, to prevent the plaster sticking.
2 pounds of alginate powder is added to water then applied first along the edge of the face, by the dividing line
Alginate is worked thoroughly into the eyebrows, the alginate will not stick to the eyebrows and the final cast (in stone) will not have eyebrows
Be careful not to trap air in the eye sockets and watch the nostrils are clear at all times.
After 8 minutes the alginate starts to thicken, the model is left for a further 3 minutes for the alginate to cure.
After- sodium carbon monohydrate is brushed over the entire surface (bondig agent) so the next layer of alginate will adhere to the first.
After the second layer of alginate has been applied pieces of cheese cloth are pressed into the surface, this creates a surface for the plaster bandage to grab hold of.
Finally plaster bandage is applied in sevral layers and again thicker spines of bandage are used as a support
The back is taken off first, then the model is asked to lean forward so the mould slides off his face, if the hair line is needed then the transferred line would have been re drawn on the inside of the alginate so that it would again transfer onto the stone.
Release agent is applied thuroigly over the back part of the cast and the two halves are fixed back together
Plaster bandage is used to pull the seams together and support the cast. They are allowed to dry and the seam is tight, as it should be
A bucket of soft foam is used to support the head cast whilst the stone is poured. It is mixed and poured into the mould
It is poured in up to the neck, then use your hands to push out any air pockets on the inside. Pull the stone up the sides and do this for up to four layers. Allow to dry
Use the base of the head to trace a line onto board, add plaster or atone to the head and to the board to create an even, tidy sculpt and base line. Wipe away as it starts to harden.
Last of all, sand down the lifecast- take measurements of the models head before hand so you know how much of the head is needed to be sanded down to size.
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Alfreys, M. (n/a). Mark Alfrey's Ultimate Lifecasting Video, Enriched with Dick Smith. [DVD]. USA.
NIALL GORTON
LIFECASTING WITH ALGINATE
-You should buy a slow setting alginate that gives you around 6-8 minutes working time.
-Lifeform silicone is the preferred brand from mouldlife.
-Plaster bandage, quick setting plaster is key.
-Plenty of buckets and bowls are necessary and bald caps, latex is preferred, an adhesive is required to stick down the bald cap, along side- gel, hairspray, combs and pins.
Gorton, N. (n/a). Life Casting with Silicone and Alginate. [DVD] Neill Gorton Prosthetic Studios
Lifecasting with silicone and Allginate
Notes Taken:
-Use a pencil to make a note of the hairline once the hair has been flattened. Tilisus is used to stick down the bald cap, stretch the cap down enough for it not to bag once it is glued down, glue one side at a time and be sure everything is balanced. Last of all trim the excess and glue across the hairline, from the centre outwards, expose as much skin as possible. A problem with the latex cap is that alginate tends to stick to it, you want to apply a binder - nivea cream all over the cap and the hair on the models face.
PRO TIP: Lay out the plaster bandage in strips before doing the cast, it is good to have the plaster bandage ready to apply before hand to save any hassle throughout.
-Use water based make up or paint to draw on the models hairline over the bald cap, this will transfer onto the alginate.. Then go over the transferred lines and the pattern will be left on the positive plaster cast.
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Notes Taken:
-Mix 2/12-3 cups of water to 1 bag of alginate until you reach a cream like consistency
-Start by applying alginate around the nose, leaving the airways clear, pay close attention to detail around the nose and have an assistant use a cotton bud to go around the nostrils, again keeping them clear. The eyes are next, the alginate flows downward so it is best to start from the top and work down.
PRO TIPS: If you are right handed then smooth all of the aginate onto your left hand, leaving your right hand clear. This makes the alginate easier to work with, you can then take a small amount and apply it to the face. Continue to move the material from the left hand to the right hand, controlling the alginate. To clean your hands quickly have a bucket of hot water close by, this will cure the alginate very quickly and make it easier to remove.
Whilst the alginate is setting on the face, press cotton wool onto the surface in thick strips, this will act as a grip surface for the plaster bandage. Once the alginate has set, begin pulling away the cotton wool, leaving small fibres behind and acting as a mechanical bond between the plaster and alginate.
CREATING A FRAME WITH PLASTER BANDAGE
When applying the bandage make sure there are no air bubbles between the bandage and the alginate, if there are air bubbles the alginate will distort when you come to fill your cast.
Massage the bandage in your hands thoroughly so the plaster is worked through and a smooth consistency. Last of all apply ribs around the cast for support.
To avoid damaging the nose place the cast into a large bow on a tilt, resting against a soft material.
Gorton, N. (n/a). Life Casting with Silicone and Alginate. [DVD] Neill Gorton Prosthetic Studios
MIXING THE PLASTER
When mixing the plaster: do not instantly mix, allow the plaster to saturate in the water, keep sprinkling the plaster over the water until an island forms on top of the water, then gently smooth and mix the plaster into the water.
If you can see your skin through the mix then it is too thin. The first layer should be worked into the surface with a brush, reaching all areas of the face and neck.
Once it becomes very thick you can begin to model with the plaster, smoothing with your hands and a dental stick to reach a smooth and even finish.
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Casting the positive in plaster:
The nostril holes need to be blocked up as they are essentially holes for the material to escape. Apply superglue to the nostrils, adhering the alginate to the plaster and making it rigid. Be careful not to spill superglue inside of the cast. If there are any loose areas then use superglue to adhere the plaster to the alginate. Use a fast setting alginate to push through the back of the cast and block out the nostril holes, this way the material will not escape the cast and the positive will not require a big clean up. Once the alginate has set, remove any excess and apply another plaster bandage over the exposed area.
Lay the cast in a bucket of foam and trim any uneven areas or thin areas, fine casting plaster is good for using in prosthetics as it is easier to clean.
ALTERNATIVE FULL HEAD CAST USING ALGINATE
Gorton, N. (n/a). Life Casting with Silicone and Alginate. [DVD] Neill Gorton Prosthetic Studios
Gorton, N. (n/a). Life Casting with Silicone and Alginate. [DVD] Neill Gorton Prosthetic Studios
For a full head cast in alginate work with at least three people. Assign an area to each person, this way there are no gaps on the surface and everyone covers each area. When applying the cotton wool do not apply it to the back of the cast, you need to be able to remove the back easily. Cover the front of the head with bandage first and apply a release across the middle band and begin adding bandage to the back, bandage is also added around the base of the neck/ chest to prevent plaster spilling down the sides between the two materials. The cast is placed headfirst into a bucket and plaster is poured in, using your hand, make sure it is really worked into the surface, picking up all of the detail needed and pushing out any air bubbles. Leave for 6-8 hours to ensure the plaster has fully set.