Thread: I finally got it right (???)

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Ok, after much goofing around with paper mache on cardboard armatures, I decided to try something that might give me a better result....

SO...here's what I did (still a work in progress!)...

Used a knife & my rotary tool to carve a basic form out of glued-together styrofoam:
(just for the record, I gotta say.....symmetry is a royal pain in the rump!!!)


Then I touched up the details with sculpey modeling clay:



Then I coated the whole deal with mold-builder liquid latex to make the base-model washable:



An now the teeth...made from sculpey and baked to harden. then I pressed them into more sculpey to create a mold for future teeth:


Now, the idea at this point is to do 2 or 3 layers of paper mache on the model and remove it, then add more on the inside to strengthen it.
So waddaya think? Any criticisms?

Wow, looking very cool! I might need to get a rotary tool in the near future...

^ go to one of the big box stores and they have the knock off ones and there just as good as the real deremal. nice work on the skull i might have to try that!

Nice, it looks like you have a lot of time invested in this one. I would do a silicone mold at this point if you have a spare $100.

Originally Posted by operatingnurse

Nice, it looks like you have a lot of time invested in this one. I would do a silicone mold at this point if you have a spare $100.

Thanks for the suggestion, but cash is extremely limited. That's why I'm opting for making thin paper mache layers which can be inner-filled after removal....unless an equally inexpensive alternative presents itself.
In short this model IS, in a sense, the mold.

Wow, this is looking awesome! Great work.

Originally Posted by scourge

Wow, this is looking awesome! Great work.

Thanks, bro. You know you've been an immense help and inspiration.

What a great job carving out the details! I bet it took some time to get it all smooth. I would definitely take the time to make a mold for this one.

I think you did a hell of a job!

Originally Posted by alucard

What a great job carving out the details! I bet it took some time to get it all smooth. I would definitely take the time to make a mold for this one.

THANKS! It only took me about 1.5 hours to carve the styrofoam and the clay was extremely useful for the details and fixing up flaws. That sculpey is worth every penny....it gets so soft and easy to blend when you're working with it, then gets stiff again the same way plasticene does. Best of all, it never dries out or hardens completely unless you bake it, so it could all be torn off and re-used if needed.

Actually, getting the styrofoam smooth was the easy part. I just used ultra-fine sandpaper. Getting the symmetry right was the hardest part. As for making a mold, this IS the mold....paper mache goes over top, cut off and then inner-filled for strength.

HINT FOR OTHERS:
the easiest way to get the overall shape and size right.......put your baseball cap on top of the block of styrofoam and dot around the edges with a marker. As you carve, test-fit your cap on it. Worked like a charm for me!