How It Works

13-11-07

Life casting has been used for centuries, and the actual process has remained very similar, although modern materials have helped make it easier.

Hand Casting.

Hand casting is usually a very fast process. After deciding how you want the hand to be posed you will be in and out of the mould within 5 minutes.

Body Casting.

First of all we need to decide on a suitable pose, For some larger casts, you may need to hold this pose for 20 minutes or more. Not only must it be a good looking pose, but it must be one you can hold comfortably for that time. You can have a practice first to make sure you can hold the pose for the time required.

Ideally the pose should be in the orientation that you want the piece to be displayed. For instance if you want a torso cast to be displayed on the wall, you'll need to stand up for the cast. If you lay down the body will "hang" in the wrong direction and not look natural.

Please also see the Preparing To Model information.

Also before we start, we need to know what kind of finish you require, as this will effect what material is used to cast.

Please see our Photo Gallery for some ideas.

Once we have decided on the pose, we will cover the required area in dental Alginate. This is used in dentistry for making moulds of the mouth, so it is very safe to use on the skin. Depending on the pose, we may skip this step.

For hands and feet we just submerge the body part into the alginate in a suitable sized container.

(this step is skipped for hands/feet.)

Once your sculpture is ready, you can collect your cast, or it will be carefully packed and shipped to you.  Local delivery is also available.