Hand Puppet Casting, Continued

Right now, I'm on the neoprene stage, which is a bit further along than these show.  Photos coming soon.  However, here is some of the mold-making process in readying the clay sculptures for the neoprene casting.  Characters: Faerie and Pirate; relative characterizations...they may change.  It depends on how the castings come out.

Built up clay walls and foam core walls to prepare for a plaster pour for the first part of a 2- or 3- part mold.  Both heads are 3-part molds, the hands and ears are all 2-part molds.

Once the plaster was dry, I tore off the foam core and flipped the molds.  Then, I removed the clay wall and replaced the foam core walls in preparation for pouring the plaster on the other side.

Second part poured.

The babiest hand!

Preparing to pour the third plaster part of one of the heads.

Time to separate the molds!

Struggled with the pirate's hands.  When I pried into the side of the mold, out popped the hand attached to the flathead of the screwdriver!

Had to do a partial re-sculpt of the hands and recast the second side.

Not all of the molds worked the first time around so I had to recast several sides.  For example, the pirate head went from a 3-part to a 4-part mold when I opened it, i.e. the third side cracked in two.  Repaired it today.

My "army of molds," as my friend Chase calls it!

The neoprene is poured and setting in all but one of the six molds, to be removed tomorrow!  If the repaired pirate head plaster mold is dry enough tomorrow, I'll do the neoprene pour.  It's exciting learning new things!  Though, I recommend doing one mold at a time as opposed to six.  It's a little bit crazy.