First Use of Composi-Mold

I love moldmaking. It's in my bones. But.... I also hated doing it in the past because it meant putting on intense safety gear, going outside (shudder), working with material that could harm my health, etc. It was always a dangerous, heavy, cumbersome ordeal, even though I loved working with "cement".

Saw containers of Composi-Mold at my local art supply shop and while it was pricey for me, it was also rated as safe, eco-friendly, and... reuseable! I splurged on a small container to try out so long ago that when I saw it again in the store I bought it again!

I don't use/have a microwave but their site indicated that it would work as well with a double boiler so I did that. I used metal jar lids to keep a small glass bowl off the bottom of the art pan and gently melted down cubes of it. It cut easily with scissors.

Meanwhile, I (mistakenly, but it's alright) coated the sculpt all over with petroleum jelly as a mold release. I used a tin can half-filled with a mixture of wet sand and red clay as a base to hold the back of Urhu's head. I slowly drizzled the melted Composi-Mold over the face of the sculpt hoping that it wasn't hot enough to actually melt the modeling clay. I couldn't tell for sure if he was surviving in there, even through it's handy translucent quality, but I figured even if he distorted from the process it would only make things even more interesting.

I took a few goodbye shots of him and then proceeded to build up thickness of the Composi-Mold with multiple batches until it was thick enough. Wasn't sure whether I'd need to make it a two part mold and won't know until I cast tomorrow, but not only did the original sculpt come out completely unscathed, it seems as though the deep undercuts of the chin and ears have been captured fully in just one part.

Next up: Casting Urhu in Washi Mache, stay tuned!