FULL HEAD CAST

These photographs show the process of creating a full head cast of a model. It allows the sculpture of a whole head piece that will fit over the model's head. It is a slightly more involved process that a simple face cast, however the result allows for much more scope in creation of prosthetics. It is important to complete this process with a professional attitude as it may be daunting for the model to undergo the process as their whole head will be encased in the alginate and plaster. It is therefore crucial to complete the process in the fastest possible time without error to remove the model as quickly as possible. This means that the equipment and materials must all be preped before hand so that the application and removal is completed smoothly.

Equipment and Material List

Plaster Bandages - Various Lengths

Alginate or Lifecasting Silicone

Nivea Hand Cream

Buckets with water for plaster

Bucket for mixing Alginate or silicone

Bald Cap

Mastix/Prosaide

Super Glue

Permanent Marker

Water Based Paint

Bin Bag

Masking Tape

Bald Cap Application Before beginning the full head cast it is necessary to apply a bald cap to ensure the shape of the cast is smooth without difficult blemishes to cover. Cover the ears or leave the ears out depending on the type of makeup that will be being created from the lifecast. Also cover the model's clothes with bin bags to prevent any damage.	Applying Plaster Bandages Begin by applying a smooth layer of bandage around the top of the head make sure that the bandage does not go forward past the middle of the head as this will create an undercut making it very difficult to pull apart later. Apply this edge neatly as this will be the adjoining edge.	Applying Plaster Bandages Do this line of bandage around the shoulders and head, this will create the edge for the back piece. Ensure that the model has their head vertical as this will distort the cast if held at an awkward angle.
Applying Plaster Bandages Cover the back of the head with the plaster bandage going down the back slightly, ensure to build up enough layers for a thick base to ensure that the mould is strong enough.	Applying Plaster Bandages Reinforce the main points of the lifecast, using twirls of plaster bandage as these will make the piece stronger. Do these twirls straight down the middle and the sides, also do along the edge of the plaster. This will make sure that the cast is very strong.	Hairline Water Based Paint For the front of the face, it is necessary to draw on the hair line with a water based paint, this will transfer onto the plaster or fibreglass ensuring that the sculpt does not exceed the hairline. Cover the edge of the plaster with Nivea handcream, to ensure that the two halves do not lock together.
Applying Alginate Start at the top of the head working downwards applying the alginate allowing it to drip downwards. Ensure that the alginate is thick over the face and there are no air bubble in any crevices. To minimise this risk apply alginate to the eye and wipe away to the corners this will remove many air bubbles.	Applying Alginate Cover the face with alginate, ensuring that the nose is not covered allowing the model to breathe well. once complete allow this to set, removing any excess alginate as this may begin to be heavy for the model.	Applying Plaster Bandages Apply plaster over the alginate, cover the facial area, and an inch over the back plaster layer to create an overlap. Ensure to reinforce the nose and places that are likely to touch a surface when laid down as this create distortion if not properly reinforced.
Applying Plaster Bandages Ears may cause an issue upon removal therefore it may be helpful to leave an area without bandage, this will allow the alginate to be pulled around the ear, although this step is not necessarily required.	Filling the Nose Apply superglue to the alginate and plaster to make sure that they hold together. This will reduce the distortion of the cast. To do this hold the alginate from the inside and squeeze from above.	Final Result To fill the nose, get some very thick alginate and rest the cast onto a palmful of alginate this will create two nostril indents in the cast therefore creating a successful nose for the resulting cast. This is the front half of the face cast with the transferred hairline in the alginate.
Final Result The two halves of the face cast placed together to create the resulting mould. This fits together very well creating a smooth edge which can be sanded down. after removal from the cast. Do not fill the whole cast as this would be incredibly heavy and therefore not practical for sculpting on to.	Final Result In this photograph you can see the support for the back of the plaster, this was placed to ensure that the model held their head as straight as possible during the casting process. It also shows the two halves together . The fit very well together creating the final mould for the lifecast.

Whilst searching through my Makeup Artist Magazine subscription I found a very helpful article concerning the hairline of the model during lifecasting. It states to use a syringe full of bondo to draw on the line around the head as this will pick up much better in the silicone used for lifecasting. I will also give a definitive line that cannot be crossed during the sculpting phase. The picture of the result can be seen in the article below. I believe this to be a very helpful find that will allow me to create a much more professional result.

Prouty.S. (2013) A little Mold Magic, Makeup Artist Magazine, Issue 103 August/September, pg 76-77

Full Head Cast

Ear Cast

Full Head Cast

1/12

Debrecini.T. (2008) Speical Makeup Effects for Stage and Screen: Making and Applying Prosthetics. Amsterdm: Focal Press pg 79-99 and 100-102

This series of photographs taken from Todd Debrecini's Special Makeup Effects book goes into thorough detail as to the process of creating a lifecast of someone. There is extra information given concerning the process also some tips which are particularly helpful in order to create the most effective cast.

(Tokyo SFX Makeup Workshop (2012) pg 72-73)

(Tokyo SFX Makeup Workshop (2012) pg 79-80)

(Tokyo SFX Makeup Workshop (2012) pg 96-98)

The book below. Tokyo SFX Makeup has many detailed process included in the book, two of these are the process in which to create a full head cast and how to crate an ear cast. I have taken photographs of each of these pages to display what they have suggested for each technique. The first photographs display their traditional way of creating a head cast and the second section portray the 'Hollywood' style there are very minimal differences between the two. The second shows the work being done by KNB employee (A renowned company for speical effects in Hollywood.) I think that this display of the technique is particularly helpful as it has a clearn step by step visual aid as to the processes that are being completed. I have a visually active mind, therefore being able to see the steps allows me to remember these steps much more easily, while also giving in depth detail as to the process.

This process for creating the ears in this book is different to the process that I completed for the short film I worked on which required ears. This process requires building up clay where the ear will be rather than using a plaster cast of the ear. This methodology involoves creating a clay wall divide between the front and back halves, then moulding each half with plaster to create a plaster mould. Once the two halves have been created for the ears,the process involves painting layers of silicone into the halves. Slowly building up the layers to around 3 layers. I am unsure as to how they have created a full ear in this process as the steps seem to jump from the layering of silicone to a fully finished ear. I therefore think that that step in the process does not portray itself clearly. Although this stage in the process is unclear, the remaining techniques are very helpful for the creation of the ear, and will be utilised for creating my makeup.

Overall all the research that I have conducted into the process of creating lifecasts of a model have been very helpful, if some gaps in certain areas. However my other research from other books has managed to fill in the missing parts to ensure I have a well rounded idea of the process. I will utlize these techniques and tips when creating my lifecast for the project in order that I achieve the highest quality of lifecast possible. It is important to make sure that this step in the process is completed correctly as it will ruin the remaining process of the cast is slightly off. The pieces may not fit the model at the end and there are many safety issues if done incorrectly, insisting upon the upmost importance that this process is done professionally and effectively.

For practise at creating a full head cast I helped another student complete theirs, this was completed after mine, therefore I felt much more confident and we completed the process much more quickly and efficiently allowinghthe model to only be under the plaster for a short period of time. I think the cast was very effective. There was a small aesthtic problem with too much alginate on the lower jaw, however the cast itself worked very well. The reinforcements were located in the right area and made a strong cast. I found the practise to be very informative as it allowed me to understand what makes a good cast join between the two and where to line up the alginate and plaster bandages.

At the UMA expo this year 2015 Shaune Harrison completed a demonstration on the use of silicone Go Cast. He spoke through the process at the beginning of the talk and then completed the procedure. He made sure to cover the model's hair with release and ensure that the safety procedures were upheld during the application. He mixed the Go Cast in a 1:1 ratio and began applying, first on the top of the head, down the sides of the face, then continuing to apply onto the face. He completed the cast in a very fast time frame, working the silicone as much as possible during the setting time. He ensured that the final result was very smooth and looked professional. He used spatuals to smooth the surface, which is an interesting technique to ensure the result is successful. I will use this technique in the lifecast that I create for this project as I will be using the same material as in the demonstration.

Full Body Lifecast

Here is a video of a full body lifecast using platsil gel 10. As mentioned above platsil gel 10 can be used as a lifecasting material. This demo also is very informative showing the entire process and noting any important factors that must be considered in the lifecasting process. The video mentions that the whole amount of platsil gel 10 material cost around £500 for the whole body cast. This is clearly a very expensive way of creating the cast, however it creates a professional and reuseable cast that can be used for producing many cores. There are two ways to complete a body cast, one is lying down, the other is standing up. The way in which one is cast depends on the use for the cast. If the model will be lying down cast as such, equally if they are standing cast the other way. I have included a video below showing the lifecasting method standing up using alginate as a casting material. I have not had to create a full body lifecast for this project, however I felt it important to research into the techniques and to understand the materials that can be used. I may utilize this reserach for further use in upcoming projects.

Products

There are various products that can be used to create a lifecast of a model. Alginate is the most common product that can be used to create the lifecast. It is also the cheapest product, when mixed with water to the desried consistency it creates a casting material that will pick up all of the detail of the model's face, it sets in around 5-10 minutes according to the temperature of the water and the room in which the cast is completed in. Alginate cannot have fibreglass cast straight into it, therefore a plaster positive of the face must be created and then a silicone mould of that can be produced into which a fibreglass core can be made. Alginate dries up very quickly causing the cast to shrink which can be an issue if there are time constraints. It also means the cast can only be used once, unlike silicone which can be repetatively cast into.

Different types of silicone can be used as a casting material such as pro gel 10 however it is very expensive doing it this way, and the setting time is very long. Therefore there are specific silicone casting materials that can be used to create a lifecast. One such material is Go Cast, this is displayed to the right. It is quite expensive, therefore if the budget of a film is low the alginate route may be better however more time consuming. Go Cast sets in around 10-15 minutes and can be used repetatively to make posotive cores of the lifecasted area.

Brick in the Yard Mold Supply (2013) Lifecasting Tutorial: Gel 10ody Mould Part 1 [Online] Available From:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDPc8ckbCq0 Date Accessed: 09/04/2015

Brick in the Yard Mold Supply (2011) Lifecasting Tutorial: Body Cast with 880 Alginate [Online] Available From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0Y6kjDpeAU Date Accessed: 09/04/2015

KW

Full Head Cast

Bald Cap Application

Applying Plaster Bandages

Begin by applying a smooth layer of bandage around the top of the head make sure that the bandage does not go forward past the middle of the head as this will create an undercut making it very difficult to pull apart later. Apply this edge neatly as this will be the adjoining edge.

Applying Plaster Bandages

Do this line of bandage around the shoulders and head, this will create the edge for the back piece. Ensure that the model has their head vertical as this will distort the cast if held at an awkward angle.

Applying Plaster Bandages

Cover the back of the head with the plaster bandage going down the back slightly, ensure to build up enough layers for a thick base to ensure that the mould is strong enough.

Applying Plaster Bandages

Reinforce the main points of the lifecast, using twirls of plaster bandage as these will make the piece stronger. Do these twirls straight down the middle and the sides, also do along the edge of the plaster. This will make sure that the cast is very strong.

Hairline Water Based Paint

Applying Alginate

Applying Alginate

Cover the face with alginate, ensuring that the nose is not covered allowing the model to breathe well. once complete allow this to set, removing any excess alginate as this may begin to be heavy for the model.

Applying Plaster Bandages

Apply plaster over the alginate, cover the facial area, and an inch over the back plaster layer to create an overlap. Ensure to reinforce the nose and places that are likely to touch a surface when laid down as this create distortion if not properly reinforced.

Applying Plaster Bandages

Ears may cause an issue upon removal therefore it may be helpful to leave an area without bandage, this will allow the alginate to be pulled around the ear, although this step is not necessarily required.

Filling the Nose

Apply superglue to the alginate and plaster to make sure that they hold together. This will reduce the distortion of the cast. To do this hold the alginate from the inside and squeeze from above.

Final Result

To fill the nose, get some very thick alginate and rest the cast onto a palmful of alginate this will create two nostril indents in the cast therefore creating a successful nose for the resulting cast. This is the front half of the face cast with the transferred hairline in the alginate.

Final Result

The two halves of the face cast placed together to create the resulting mould. This fits together very well creating a smooth edge which can be sanded down. after removal from the cast. Do not fill the whole cast as this would be incredibly heavy and therefore not practical for sculpting on to.

Final Result

In this photograph you can see the support for the back of the plaster, this was placed to ensure that the model held their head as straight as possible during the casting process. It also shows the two halves together . The fit very well together creating the final mould for the lifecast.

KW