Month: September 2018

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Relief Mould

  • Collect the items that you want to use in the relief mould. These items can be any shape, size and consistency. The hard objects will make very direct moulds, whereas soft objects may appear unclear.
  • Roll out a large amount of clay into a desired shape. Depending on the thickness of the clay, will depend on how far in you wish to push your objects – the more projecting you want the design, the thicker the clay will need to be.
  • Once the clay is the desired size and thickness, start pressing your objects in. A pattern may not be necessary here.
  • Use a rolling pin and your hands to firmly press the objects in.
  • When they are a desired depth, take all the items out. You may need tweezers for this, especially when getting smaller items out that may be stuck in the clay.
  • After all objects are out of the clay, build a tall, thick clay or cardboard wall around the outside, ensuring it is at least double height and liquid-tight.
  • Mix some thin plaster and pour into the mould, ensuring to cover the clay with a layer to get all the detail of the relief. Keep pouring plaster until the cast is at least 3/4″ thick. This will allow for a sturdy piece that will not break too easily.
  • While the plaster is setting, make a hook out of wire, twisting it for extra strength. Add the hook when the plaster is able to hold it, without letting it sink. This is optional
  • Once the plaster is set, take off the clay. It can now be cleaned with water and a paintbrush to remove the clay.
  • And you have a relief cast.

Making the items flat in the mould was considerably difficult, especially while using a rolling pin. For the mould to be very prominent, you had to push each item in further, which was sometimes difficult with the delicate leaves. I also had problems getting some of the ghosts out. Although these problems occurred, I still found the project enjoyable, and I was pleased with the final result.

The final cleaned relief mould of ghosts, fall leaves and flowers.
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Plaster and Alginate

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Sketchbook spread outlining process and ideas of alginate and plaster casting

I have previously worked with alginate before in Plaster Workshop, as well as throughout the plaster project. Because I previously completed a design of my hands, I wanted to adventure into a cast of my foot, or toes. The containers that we had use of only fit my toes, but I felt that this was sufficient for the cast that I wanted to get out of it. The alginate is a one time mould.

  • Get items ready for casting – tubs, water, item for casting
  • Add water to alginate. Different consistencies have different purposes;
  • THICK ALGINATE: this can be used on areas such as the face, ears, and vertical surfaces. Apply to the area with a paintbrush, getting into all the nooks and crannies for detail. Keep still, and once dry take off the cast. Make a mother mould using plaster bandages dipped in water. This keeps the alginate in shape.
  • THIN ALGINATE: place the object in the desired position in the tub and pour the alginate around the item. Tap the container to get rid of air bubbles in the alginate and allowing it to settle around the object. Keep still, and once dry take the item out of the cast.
  • Mix up plaster – pour a thinner mixture first to capture details. Keep adding until the mould is full, tapping the mould to get rid of air bubbles.
  • Once the plaster is dry, take off the alginate to reveal the plaster cast.

I was very pleased and surprised with the level of detail that the alginate and plaster were able to capture, as it even grabbed the dirt that was sat on the bottom of my foot. There is a certain delicacy with only doing the toes, and showing the sole of the foot which is often covered and protected. The added base keeps it routed the wrong way up.