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You must make a partition on the clay, to separate the two halves of the plaster shell. Coat your clay with several coats of shellac.
Mixing the Plaster I use a blue toilet bowl sanitizer for my liquid blue. Mrs. Stewart's Bluing is very good if you can find it. http://www.mrsstewart.com/pages/otheruses.htm
Add the blue tablet a couple of hours prior to mixing your plaster in a large container, "large enough to mix several batches of plaster".
Add the blue tablet a couple of hours prior to mixing your plaster in a large container, "large enough to mix several batches of plaster".
Add the blue tablet a couple of hours prior to mixing your plaster in a large container, "large enough to mix several batches of plaster".
Organize your workspace well, laying out brushes, buckets and supplies well before mixing your plaster.
Organize your workspace well, laying out brushes, buckets and supplies well before mixing your plaster.
Your first coat is your color coat "blue coat". You may use any water-soluble dye, or pigment. Do not use acrylics or any kind of paints. Allow your plaster to "slake" for several minutes, avoid getting air bubbles.
Flick your first coat "color coat" on with your finger tips. This should be a thin layer of plaster. Use a brush along with an air hose to push out any bubbles that occur. Look for air bubbles around the eyes, nose, mouth, ears, hair line and under the chin.
Flick your first coat "color coat" on with your finger tips. This should be a thin layer of plaster. Use a brush along with an air hose to push out any bubbles that occur. Look for air bubbles around the eyes, nose, mouth, ears, hair line and under the chin.
Your second coat of plaster should embed the burlap. Make a seam in your burlap to give the plaster strength. Leave long lengths of burlap, available on the ends of your plaster shell. Do not put blue in your plaster.
Attach pieces of clay that will help you drive a chisel in between the two plaster halves. Apply Vaseline to the first half of the plaster mold. Work your Vaseline onto the surface near the edges of the mold partition.
Be extremely careful to separate your mold. Use several wedges driving them in very slowly around the entire mold. If your clay is water-bound clay, it is a good idea to try to rinse as much clay out first before separation. Using a solution of Green Soap and olive oil apply a thin coat to the inner portion of the mold shell.
Attach the two halves firmly together. Fill holes in the plaster seems with clay and or plaster. Look inside the mold for large spots of light where your plaster may leak out. Mix your plaster well; avoid making bubbles by allowing the plaster to "slake". This time do not add any bluing. Pour multiple coats of plaster sloshing it in the mold to wash out any bubbles. Add burlap or hemp to reinforce the interior of your mold.
Use the ends of the burlaps strands and pull your plaster off the sculpture. Use a chisel to remove the rest of the plaster, the blue coat will let you know that you are getting close to the Plaster Positive.
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