Page 67 - Casting of Angels- Dave Parvin

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More Helpful Tricks in Life Casting

By David E. Parvin A.L.I.

have no idea how many hundreds # 6, I use 8 pounds of water and 42
of life castings I have done in the ounces of alginate (3632 and 1193
last 20 years. One might think grams). The proportions are 5.25 ounces
that by now I would have tried every (149 grams) alginate per pound (454
possible variation and settled on the best grams) of water. Using my preferred
techniques. That’s almost right, I do use alginate, FiberGel by ArtMolds, the
what I have found to be the most mixture will be thick enough to stay in
successful. But I keep discovering better place almost without any dripping yet is
ways both from my own not so thick that there is a problem with
experimentation and from other artists’ air bubbles. What I had always done was
suggestions. One of “Dave’s Laws” measure the water in one bucket and the
framed on my studio wall is, “There’s alginate in another. When ready, the
almost always a better way,” and I really alginate was dumped into the water
believe this and am always searching. In (never mix water into powder) and stirred
this article, I am going to share three with a paint mixer and an electric drill at
new (at least to me) and better ones that Photo #1 at least 2400 R.P.M. until creamy with no
I have recently added to my repertoire of lumps. That would take just a little over a
“Parvin’s Perfectly Pertinent Procedures minute. Then, sharing the same bucket,
for Pleasure and Profit.” I’ll start with my assistant and I would spread the
the simplest. I will from time to time alginate over the model. Photograph #1
refer to things that I have written in shows this step being done by three
previous articles. Just in case some attendees in a recent workshop of mine.
readers can not locate every past issue of The only problem is that that amount of
Sculpture Journal, an e-mail to water and alginate is just about the limit
jondavid@verison.net will get you the that one can reasonably mix. Larger
missing articles. batches take longer to mix and the longer
Often cloth is included in my life one mixes, the less time is available to
castings, sometimes for modesty or to apply the alginate before it sets up. A
help define something about the subject. better method is to divide the alginate and
Remember the line in the song “The water into two equal batches. I mix one
Streets of Laredo,” “I can tell by your half while an assistant mixes the other.
outfit that you are a cowboy.” To which Photo #2 With only half as much, the mixing only
the Smothers Brothers added, “Get takes about 45 seconds. Each picks a side
yourself an outfit and you can be a of the model and applies the alginate
cowboy too!” But alginate tends to cling from his/her own bucket which is more
to the fuzziness of whatever cloth is convenient than sharing. This may not
covering the model. The degree of seem like much of a change, but try it, I
clinging is proportional to the fuzziness am confident that it makes the application
of the cloth, minimal with spandex and of the alginate easier and faster. My next
aggressive with terry cloth. Whatever trick takes up where this one ends.
one uses as a release agent must be But first, let me digress for a
harmless to skin. But most commercial moment. There may be some who still
agents come with warnings to avoid skin mix alginate by hand, i.e. pour what
contact. I have tried all kind of things looks like the right amount of water into a
over the years and up until recently had bucket or bowel and stir in the alginate
settled on plain old cooking oil applied Photo #3 mixing it by hand or with a mixer until it
from a spray bottle. It works reasonably just seems about right. The biggest
well and is certainly skin safe. However, brand that I have been using is problem with this method is that it take
since it is my policy to give credit where Downey and I have been applying it too long and time is not something one
do, my good friend Guy Louis XVI (see with a spray bottle after the cloth is has an excess of in life casting. Once you
“Guy Louis XVI, Master of Ultra on the model. have determined what you prefer as a
Realism,” SJ, April, 2004, by yours The second trick is just as consistency, it will take the same ratio
truly) recently suggested fabric softener simple, perhaps so simple that many time after time. Just measure, combine,
as an alternative. So far I have found of you have been doing it and I’m mix, and apply. Keep in mind that
that it is at least as good as cooking oil surprised and a little embarrassed different brands of alginate will require
and since it isn’t as slippery, it is easier that I didn’t figure it out years ago. different water/alginate ratios and
to apply a layer of alginate to it. The For casting a torso as in Photograph occasionally batches of the same brand