Body Casting

Deciding on seam lines

Black Sharpie seam lines

Marking where the seemliness will be created while applying bandages.

Sue Sullivan & Bri Toledo

Getting ready to get their hands dirty.

Sticking finger in eye

Applying petroleum jelly as mold release.

Bentonite clay as mold release

Bri paints on Bentonite clay to prevent Michael's hair from sticking in plater.

Pressing in the Bentonite

Release is on

Ready to cast Michael's head.

Cover up ears last

I save the ears for last. Models are most uncomfortable when their ears are covered up.

Head done.

Cleaning plaster drips off his torso while the head mold sets up.

Loosening seams

Slowly loosening seams.

OK, Here it comes off.

First plaster bandage section going on torso.

Hands are supported

Hands are supported to make it easier to hold the pose.

Almost done.

Waiting for plaster to set up

The bandages gain strength with time. We're waiting a few minutes before removing the sections.

Coming off.

Almost out

Reassembly

We quickly reassemble the body cast while it's still somewhat flexible. If we wait too long it 's hard to align the seams.

Done

What a relief!

Plaster bandage body casting of Michael Freed with the assistance of Christie Hackler, Suzanne Peck, Sue Moss Sullivan, And Bri Toledo.

Sculptor David Phelps often uses plaster bandage body casts as visual references in his figurative sculpting process. This process yields an anatomically accurate negative mold from which a positive life size image will be pulled.

This is the beginning stage of developing a new figurative sculpture. Phelps had assistance with this body cast of Michael Freed from artists Christie Hackler, Suzanne Peck, Sue Moss Sullivan, and Bri Toledo.

The first step is to create a platform for the pose; this was done the day before the modeling session. Next step is drawing on seam lines with a felt pen. Melted vaseline is applied next on skin and bentonite clay in the hair. The seam lines are built into the cast so no cutting is required. The bandages are applied, let cure for 10 minutes and then removed when strong enough. The process took about three and a half hours.

It will take considerably longer to cast the positive into the body cast; then roughly a year to sculpt the artwork using the body cast as a visual reference.

Commissioned Body cast

Click image to see process.

Helping Giana with Bodycasting

click on images to see process