Clay Gargoyle

Artist and crafter Tamara Dozier has always been a take-charge kind of person and that characteristic also applies when it comes to her sculpting. After trying her hand at various kinds of sculpting, she decided to tackle mold making. But much to her dismay she found that most serious, professional mold makers were not inclined to give up their trade secrets. So she set out to figure out mold making the old fashioned way, through trial and error. Today she has perfected her own molding technique and is eager to share with anyone who wants to give it a go!

Materials:

oil based sulphur-free sculpting clay
professional grade latex used to make master mold
two-part putty used to make mother mold
Hydro-Stone gypsum cement used to cast final sculpture
plastic child's paintbrushes
soft paintbrushes
black acrylic paint
various sculpting tools
wood dowels
measuring cups
spoon
water
2 buckets to stain finished sculpture
plastic kitchen scrubby
old soft rags
permanent marker
latex gloves
baby powder
large rubber bands
sandpaper
rubber gasket material
flour sifter – optional*
* A flour sifter makes mixing hydro-stone easier.

1. Sculpt statue using sculpting clay and various sculpting tools (figure A).

2. Apply latex to the sculpture in thin layers using a child's craft paintbrush (figure B). Each layer takes about an hour to dry and usually 14 to 16 layers are applied (figure C).

3. Let the latex mold cure overnight. Tip: The clay sculpture is still inside the mold at this point.

Mother mold

4. To build the mother mold, decide how many pieces will be needed for the mother mold by drawing parting lines on the latex mold with a permanent marker (figure D). Lightly dust the latex mold with baby powder to prevent the mother mold from sticking.

5. The mother mold is made from two-part putty-like material. One part is the hardener and the other part is the resin.

• Make two balls, each about the size of a golf ball, one ball of resin and one ball of hardener.
• Mix the two together by squishing it with your fingers until it is an even color.
• Pull off pieces of the mixture and start pushing it onto the latex mold into the shape of one section of the mold.
• The mother mold needs to be between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick.
• Let this first section set for a few hours to harden.

7. After the mother mold cures pull the mother mold off the latex mold. Then remove the latex mold from the original clay sculpture (figure F). Wash out the latex mold to remove any bits of clay left sticking to it. Dry the latex mold.

Casting the sculpture

8. Gather all your supplies together before mixing the hydro-stone.

• Measure the water and pour it into a large plastic bowl.
• Measure the gypsum cement, put that into a flour sifter and sift into the water in large bowl.
• Let set for about five minutes so that the gypsum cement becomes completely soaked.
• Stir slowly endeavoring to avoid developing any air bubbles.
• Mix for a few minutes until it is smooth or the consistency of thick pancake batter.

10. Position the mother mold pieces together around the latex mold. Attach rubber bands around the assembled molds to hold it all together. Finish pouring the gypsum cement into the latex mold to the top of the opening. Support the mold with wood dowels if necessary (figure H). Set the assembled mold down on a level surface and tap the mold a few more times to release any trapped air. Let set for about an hour for the cement to harden.

11. After an hour the cement will be hard enough to handle. Remove rubber bands from the assembled molds, take the mother mold pieces off the latex mold and peel the latex mold off the casting. The gypsum will still be warm. Trim and clean up around the base of the sculpture with a ceramic rimming tool or a small piece of sandpaper. Let the cement air dry for two or three days before staining.

13. Rinse in plain water. Repeat this several times until you get the desired darkness. More of the paint will settle into crevices making them darker and giving the sculpture the look of old stone. Let dry.

Website: www.dowitstudio.com