Because silicone is relatively viscous as a liquid (compared to water), air bubbles easily become suspended in it when the components are mixed together. For that reason, it is often recommended that silicone be de-aired or degassed in a vacuum chamber before it goes into the mold. This might not always be possible for a […]

We won’t detail a set list of tools and materials that you’ll need to cast an appli­ance in silicone, for the simple reason that though there are certain similarities in the process for casting any silicone appliance, each different makeup will be. . . well, different. Here are several items you will most definitely need: […]

One of the great things about silicone is its simi­larity in look and feel to human skin when it is colored intrinsically with pigment. Human skin is actually translucent. When silicone is colored internally with any number and type of pig­ments, most notably colored rayon flocking, the silicone color has actual depth, just like skin. […]

I’ve talked at length about one of the materials commonly used for creating pros­thetic appliances, but only as it applies to mold making: silicone. Appliances made of silicone look and feel remarkably like real skin. They certainly can, any­way. And they’re made mostly using platinum RTV silicone because platinum silicone cures significantly faster than tin […]

This chapter describes the steps needed to break down a sculpture into the parts needed for mold making. You learned about the types and importance of release agents and sealers. Resculpting for multipiece makeup was illustrated. The purpose and placement of keys, flashing, and cutting edges was described. You were shown how to construct a […]

Urethane is just one more way to go in the world of mold making for special makeup effects. Actually, when we use the term urethane as it pertains to the work that we do and the uses we have for it, the name has been shortened from poly­urethane. There is a specific substance called urethane, […]

Yes, fiberglass is a resin—a rather toxic resin in its uncured, liquid state, as is, unfor­tunately, the nature of most resins. Some are more toxic than others. But you’ve read the safety precautions discussed in Chapter 1, and you’ve been paying attention to them in this chapter as well, so you are well prepared for […]

Working with fiberglass requires safety precautions. You must wear a respira­tor, and there must be adequate ventilation where you work with this material. I do not say this lightly. Fiberglass gel coat and laminating resin contain pro­prietary polyester resin and styrene monomer, the vapor of which is quite harmful and flammable. Without adequate ventilation and […]

Matrix molds are probably the best, most accurate molds you can make, but they could be overkill for some applications due to the amount of work that goes into making them. You decide. The process begins similarly to the way you make a two-piece case mold for a sculpture, with the sculpture lying horizontally on […]