Life Casting

Index to this Page

About Face and Body Casting
Glossary of Materials and Terminology
Instructional Videos
Materials Price List

Read about the process, Check out the Instructions for the Face Casting Kit

Check out our Article on Pregnancy Casting and other Life Casting

About Face and Body Casting:

Alginate, plaster and plaster bandages are being used more and more in a variety of applications: A face and head cast is the foundation for foam latex makeup, plaster casts of hands are now sold regularly in art shows, and plaster bandage "sculpts" have been crafted by artists for more than 30 years. When combined as a process, these three basic materials can be used to make casts of exceptional quality. The head cast pictured here was used for a melting vampire in the movie "Nightfall" produced by Spinning Reel Films. Please review the following notes before using any of the materials featured on this page.

It is a common and dangerous misconception that plaster is used to make life-casts of actors' faces for use in special effects. Because plaster becomes rigid, it is difficult to handle and remove, especially from body hair. Because of its weight, it will deform the face. We recommend artists use a prosthetic grade alginate. Alginate is a rubbery material derived from seaweed. Dental alginate can be used but you will only have 50 seconds of working time and you must use cold water which is uncomfortable. We recommend a "Warm-water slow-setting alginate" which has been buffered to set in about 5 minutes. This gives you plenty of working time and because warm water can be used, it is much more comfortable to wear. Use plaster bandages as a "back-up" to the alginate and use the plaster only for the positive cast. If you are doing a full body cast you can use a high quality plaster bandage to pick up detail on the arms, legs and body. Use silicone or alginate in detail areas like the hands, feet and face.

Want more information? Check out our Article on Pregnancy Casting and other Life Casting

Glossary of Materials and Terminology
used in Life Casting: click links to see pictures

ALGINATE, also known as PROSTHETIC GRADE CREAM. A powder, that when mixed with water transforms into a rubbery material. Typically Alginate can only be used once. Dental Alginate is used by dentists to cast teeth. Slo-set (Prosthetic) Alginates are used to cast face, limbs and body parts. Dental alginates set in 50 to 60 seconds. Prosthetic alginates set in three to ten minutes. Sorry, prosthetic alginates are not flavored.

BALD CAP, BALD PATE, BALD WIG. A stretchy cap that is stretched over the head to protect the hair during casting. Made from Glatzan or latex rubber.

CAST. The final piece taken from mold. A POSITIVE. Usually made from Casting plaster, Hydrostone, foam latex, slip latex, UltraCAL 30 or other material. Cast can generally be used to describe the entire process, for example: To do a body cast the artist would prep the model, make a mold and take a cast from the mold.

CASTING PLASTER. Very much like Plaster of Paris except that it has a slower setting time. Forms a skin when used in a mold. Used for finished casts. No good for latex molds or for foam latex. Paints well. 2,400 psi.

HYDROSTONE. Gypsum Cement. Hard and strong. Used in high quality art and novelty casting. Can't be worked with a template or formed by hand. Forms exceptional details. Very resistant to water absorption. 10,000 psi.

MEDICAL ADHESIVE. A silicone based adhesive that works like super-glue. Used by professionals instead of spirit gum. Don't use it around the eyes. Don't try to use it without a good MEDICAL ADHESIVE REMOVER. NOTE: For environmental reasons the old Medical Adhesive that we all know and love is no longer available. The new stuff works well but has a different formula. If you order the Ben Nye stuff that we sell we will send you PROSTHETIC ADHESIVE which works just as well.

MODEL. The person or thing which you want to duplicate.

MOLD. A NEGATIVE of the model. In body and face casting the mold is usually made from Alginate or plaster bandages.

MOLDERS' PLASTER. AKA Pottery Plaster. Excellent for molds, especially for ceramics and slip latex (masks). Doesn't form a skin like plaster of Paris or casting plaster. Absorbs water very well after completely dry. 2,000 psi.

PLASTER BANDAGES. The same thing a doctor would use to put a cast on your arm. We use Gypsona Brand Bandages because they are very creamy and flexible. 2" and 6" are the most common sizes used.

RELEASE or RELEASE AGENT. Something that is smeared, painted or sprayed over something else to keep stuff from sticking to it. For example petroleum jelly is smeared over the eye brows to keep alginate from sticking to them. Releases are used for specific materials.

ULTRA CAL-30. Gypsum Cement (looks and works like plaster). Excellent for foam latex molds because of its strength and resistance to heat. Standard of the industry for special effects make-up artists. 6,000 psi.

Instructional Videos:

Magic Molds and Casting

with Steve Biggs

First section of this video demonstrates face-casting with alginate and the making of a UltraCal30 master of a person's face. Other topics include: Plaster waste mold, Simple plaster mold, Latex mold, and a demonstration of vacuum forming. Demonstrates casting of slip latex (Halloween Mask type technique). Great starting point for people without any previous mold experience. Please Note: The original description of this video included silicone technique, after shooting we discovered enough material for two videos. Tape 2 in the SES series.

1997, 48 min. VHS

CAT # Description Price

VIDEO31 Magic Molds and Casting

DVD31 Magic Molds and Casting

Techniques of Lifecasting with Rob Burman.

Details the processes of casting various parts of the body for the purposes of creating three dimensional prosthetic makeups. Subject included are: teeth impressions, full body casting, full head casts, limbs and more. Approx 90 mins.

CAT #	Description	Price
VIDEO51	Techniques of Lifecasting with Rob Burman

Face and Body Casting Materials Price List:

Information about molding and casting can be found in our Molding and Casting Section.

Life Casting Supplies:

Download a Life-Casting Price List Right Now!

Professional Face Casting Kit
Everything needed to do one large face cast. Very convenient.

CAT #	Description	Price
K-55	Pro Face Cast Kit S
K-55-W	Contains Hydrocal white S

Skin-Safe Silicone Kits
Skin safe silicone putty for direct use on the skin

CAT #	Description	Price
SSS-1	Skin-safe, 1 lb. Kit S
SSS-5	Skin-safe, 5 lb. Kit S

Alginates for Life-casting.

Accu-Cast Products, Prosthetic Alginates

Accu-Cast is an advanced irreversible hydrocolloid molding material. Accu-Cast products have very low shrinkage rates, high tear strength, fine grain, and a warm water mix. There are three different formulas of Accu-Cast which are formulated for different set times.

Accu-Cast 390 (Buff), Prosthetic Alginate, 3 min. set

Fast set. Sets in three minutes at 90° water temperature. Creamy, with great flowing characteristics when mixed. This material is ideal for smaller projects like fingers, hands, and small props. Strongly recommended for children's hand casts.

CAT #	Description	Price
ALG-390-1	Accu-Cast 390, 16 oz.
ALG-390-5	Accu-Cast 390, 5 lb.
ALG-390-10	Accu-Cast 390, 10 lb
ALG-390-20	Accu-Cast 390, 20 lb

Accu-Cast LS-680 (Green), Prosthetic Alginate, 6 min. set time

Medium set. Sets in six minutes at 80° water temperature. Formulated specifically to minimize slump. This material is ideal for medium-sized projects like hands, arms, faces and larger props. The special LS formula has an especially low shrinkage rate ideal for critical jobs.

CAT #	Description	Price
ALG-680-1	Accu-Cast 680, 16 oz.
ALG-680-5	Accu-Cast 680, 5 lb.
ALG-680-10	Accu-Cast 680, 10 lb
ALG-680-20	Accu-Cast 680, 20 lb

Accu-Cast 880 (Blue), Prosthetic Alginate, 8 min. set time.

Slow set. Sets in eight minutes at 80° water temperature. This material is ideal for big jobs like heads, torsos, full bodies, and really large props. Excellent for regular casting in humid and warm regions.

CAT #	Description	Price
ALG-880-1	Accu-Cast 880, 16 oz.
ALG-880-5	Accu-Cast 880, 5 lb.
ALG-880-10	Accu-Cast 880, 10 lb
ALG-880-20	Accu-Cast 880, 20 lb

Steve's Life-casting Trouble Shooter

Working with alginate for the first time can be frustrating. Fortunately, it has a very steep learning cure, and if you have even a measure of common sense you will figure it out rather quickly. We do get some common questions when things don't go right. In order, here are the most common problems and their solutions;

Problem: The material set too fast.
Solutions: Make sure your ratios are correct. Make sure you are mixing by weight rather than volume. Use cold tap water, forget the warm water deal. Don't mix it for such a long time.

Problem: The material never set.
Solutions: The temperature was too cold, use above 70 degrees. The material was too watery, don't use so much water. You used soft water, just use normal tap water. In rare cases, the material was too old. It does have a shelf life of about six months. It can be used a year or two after that, but time seems to slow it down.

Problem: The material was too thick or too thin.
Solutions: Weight the material with a scale. Measure the material by weight, not by volume. We do have an advanced ratio chart, but for the most part, if you use the ratio printed on the label you will be OK.

Problem: The material had lumps.
Solutions: Use a electrical mixer of some sort. A Jiffy Mixer (r) works great, but you will need to adjust the mix ratios. Ignore the lumps, they don't affect the inside of the mold anyway. Generally some lumps are OK as long as they are not dry. Don't over-mix, in this case, more is not better.

Problem: The material was lumpy and never set.
Solution: Sometimes people over-mix the material after it has set. Basically they chopped set material into small pieces.

Steve Tips:

Always weigh the material, don't try to use "volume" as your results will vary too much.

Strive for a "wet" batch even though you will have to move the material against gravity.

Combine all your water and powder at the same time. If you put in water, wait and add more water you will just be adding water to chemicals that have already started to combine. This is a good way to get big lumps.

Don't use too much, especially on the face. The weight of the material will make the skin sag and add ten years to the age of the model.

Use cold, normal tap water. Forget the water temperature thing. All that does is add an extra layer of frustration. Most people don't use a thermometer. If you run your finger under the tap, the water will be way too warm.

Keep notes.

Larger batches change the mix ratio.

Slower alginate is weaker and looses detail. What is more important to you? Working time or strength and detail.

Always cast in the position your final piece will be. If your model will be standing up, then cast them in the upright position.

It's OK to get this stuff in your mouth, it just doesn't taste good.

Don't breath through straws. Just leave the air-passages open. It's just like breathing with a bad cold.

Lumps are OK just as long as they are not dry.

Get good information. Experiment before you commit to a large batch.

All problems can be solved with common sense. You are not building a rocket engine.

Don't forget this is supposed to be fun.

Plaster Bandages, Gypsona Brand

Tricks of the Trade: Dipping Plaster Bandages

Very smooth and creamy, excellent for life casting and mold work.

CAT # Description Price

GYP2 Plaster Bandage, 2" x 3 yd

GYP2 Plaster Bandage, 2" x 3 yd

GYP4 Plaster Bandage, 4" x 5 yd

GYP6 Plaster Bandage, 6" x 5 yd

Box of 12

GYP2x12 Plaster Bandage, 2" x 3 yd, per doz. *S*

GYP4x12 Plaster Bandage, 4" x 5 yd, per doz. *S*

GYP6x12 Plaster Bandage, 6" x 5 yd, per doz. *S*

Moulage

Reusable life-casting material. Melt it in a double-boiler and brush on.

CAT # Description Price

K02705 Moulage, 2 lbs

K02704 Moulage, 5 lbs

*S* = Special Shipping Required.