Recently, I received a letter in my mail with a question: how to make a silicone face mold with your own hands at home. And in order not to put off the answer for a long time, I decided to describe in detail the process of taking a cast from a person’s life, and more specifically from the face. In a similar way, you can take a cast from any part of the human body: arms, legs, butt, chest, back, etc.

Naturally you need to buy necessary materials for work:

- two-component silicone, which will be safe for human skin. For example, silicone mass for impressions of Body Double “Standard Set” and Body Double “Fast Set” is good in this quality. These are fairly durable platinum-based silicones that are applied to areas of the skin to create shapes on the face, hands or other parts of the body. Molds made from these materials are designed for repeated pouring of plaster, wax, fusible metals, polyurethane plastics, epoxy or polyester resins, etc. These silicones are not fluid, so they are easy to apply with a regular brush, and harden very quickly. Using this silicone, you can make an impression of your face, and then cast a plaster or plastic impression of it.

— separating cream-lubricant for the face. It is necessary so that the finished rubber impression can be easily separated from the skin.

- a bandage and a 2 kg pack of plaster - to create a durable base for the silicone impression.

- brushes thick and thin.

First, you need to lubricate your face with a release cream so that the silicone mass can then easily separate from the facial skin and any accidentally caught hair will not remain in the mask.

Then two-component silicone is diluted according to the instructions and applied to the skin with a brush. Surprisingly, when it hardens, the silicone mass exactly repeats all the nuances of the face: the smallest pores, scars, hair growing on the face, etc. Near the nostrils, it is advisable to apply the silicone mass for taking impressions with a thin brush so that the holes in the nostrils are even.

When the silicone has adhered, you need to spread the bandage cut into pieces evenly over the entire mask and apply plaster diluted to the thickness of sour cream. It is advisable to apply several layers of plaster to ensure a strong base for the impression.

When the plaster has completely hardened, and this will happen in about 20 minutes, the backing is carefully removed, and then the finished cast of the face is removed.

Then, using the resulting silicone face and the manufactured gypsum backing, you can cast the resulting face from plaster, plastic, resin and other materials. To do this, first the substrate is placed on the table, the finished silicone impression is placed in it, and plaster, plastic, wax, and other materials are poured into the resulting mold. And only then the resulting sample of the finished face can be painted with any acrylic paints.

What does it give:

• significant savings on expensive material - silicone
• you coat all hidden recesses, which avoids defects in the form due to air bubbles
• no mold shrinkage due to layer-by-layer application
• increasing the strength of the form, again due to layer-by-layer application

Stages of work:

1. Modeling a product from sculptural plasticine. We use a model of the head, and apply sculptural plasticine on top.
2. The model is coated with silicone for application with a brush. Copy-paste -
   (it contains a special additive that allows silicone not to drain from vertical surfaces, and it also hardens very quickly).
3. A rigid frame is then made to support this thin silicone mold and prevent it from expanding. A rigid frame is most often made from 1) plaster with bandages or 2) construction foam from a spray can. A stretch film is placed between the silicone and the frame to facilitate removal!
4. The mixture measured according to the ratio is poured, circular movements are made to distribute it along the walls, and solidification occurs within two minutes. Leave for another 30 minutes in the mold until it cools completely and hardens, if necessary, sand, prime, paint, make a soft backing for the face.

Important points!

Silicone for spreading Copypaste is very thick. To liquefy it (which, by the way, was not done in the video!) you need to vigorously stir Part A silicone for 10 minutes before mixing with the hardener and then let it sit for air to escape. Then the silicone becomes fluid! then add hardener. Mix a little at a time, evenly per layer, as it hardens quickly!

Liquid plastic in this series can be mixed by volume 1:1. It is very comfortable. Hardening time 2 minutes. It must be kept in the mold until it hardens completely so that the mask does not deform. While warm, it bends easily and can change shape!

Making a mask from EasyFlo model plastic

Hello, zhezhists and accomplices :)!

As a newcomer to the community, I bring to your attention a post about how masks were made in the “Exactly the Same” project on Channel One. The essence of the show is to sing a song by a famous artist in the most similar voice and in the most similar image. And if the first depends entirely on the performing artist, then the second is the fruit of the labor of dozens of people, including plastic make-up artists.

In general, I have a process for preparing images in LiveJournal, but here I would like to delve into the technology of making a mask that corrects the shape of the face, which is then covered with regular makeup, a wig and, finally, a costume.

You will find out how many steps it takes to fill a silicone mask, why you need to wrap the artist in black polyethylene, what horror-horror-horror looks like, and who needs all this

First of all, we get to know the guys from the workshop, which is located at Mosfilm. It all looks like a museum of a mad puppeteer, and the first exhibits greet us at the entrance.

In principle, you can look at the exhibits at the entrance for a long time, but I will show a couple of photographs, and we will move to the workshop, because they are already waiting for us there.

And they are waiting for us at the ready with black bags, plaster and silicone. Because the first thing you need to do is take a cast of your face and make a mold for pouring masks. Fourteen programs are filmed per season, so during this time the specialists need to make 14 masks. Fortunately, the impression is taken only once. The cast was filmed in February, and I did not yet know that Renas, the man who puts the rubber cap on me, will not only mold me into Sting at the end of the season, but will also star in my summer video, the presentation of which will take place this Thursday;)

So the topic of black bags has been revealed. And now a special VERY COLD silicone-based composition is poured onto the face so that the cast accurately follows the shape of the face. The thing is so cold that it takes effort not to start chattering your teeth.

Plaster is then applied to the mold so as not to damage the silicone layer. For half an hour, while this entire structure is drying, you can neither move nor talk and “breathe carefully too,” as the wizards of plastic makeup advised me. I tried to do everything very carefully, so as not to repeat the procedure a second time.

As a result, a special polymer is poured into the resulting blank, which after hardening and removal (and this happens a couple of days after taking the impression) looks like this. Similar?

In the background is a working board with photographs of all the project participants and someone’s mask left over from the filming of the last program.
Well, half the work is done, but the most interesting is yet to come. Here is another exhibit, this time the hobby of one of the studio employees on the left).

By the way, here is that same employee.
The most exciting process begins - preparing the mask. First of all, a plasticine mask is molded onto the cast, “complementing” the artist’s face with the face of the one he will portray. Today they are making Sting out of me, for example:)

And from Lena Maksimova - Mikhail "A Thousand Devils!" Boyarsky.

Sometimes the master gets carried away and ends up with something like this, completely different from Alexander Gradsky, for example:

The day is long, there is little energy, and therefore the guys periodically support each other with music :)

But you can’t do without help and advice, of course. Especially when it comes to Sting. Responsibility g)

Face sculpting is the most labor-intensive process, taking the entire working day, or even more. When the face shape is ready, a relief is applied to the “skin” so that the face then looks more natural, and not like a plastic mask (as it actually is).

And a mustache, of course. No way without a mustache.

When the plasticine runs out, it’s time to fill the workpiece. But first, we line up the masks and admire the result.

What we got is called “positive”.

This blank exactly repeats the shape of the face of the hero who will be portrayed in the show "Exactly". But the real mask is still like walking to the moon. We have to make a negative, and only then pour in the composition, which, when frozen, will become a mask applied to the face of the hero of the program. Let's continue.

The positive is coated with a layer of silicone, which will be the top, soft, layer of the negative. Tadyshch.

Another layer, thicker, is applied on top.

And one more.

And again, and again. Until the workpiece becomes like this.

We apply a layer of lubricant to facilitate the subsequent removal of the workpiece from the mold, and you can proceed to the mold itself. The plastic paste, which is a component of the outer part of the negative, although similar to ice cream, is not recommended for ingestion due to its tendency to harden and be toxic. Let's just say that the nutritionist will not approve)

The mixture is two-component. Pour in and mix.

And mix.

Until we get a homogeneous, slightly foamy mass.

And while this is happening, pay attention to the abundance of tools and words to designate them :)

Apply plastic mass to the workpiece.

A thick, thick layer. Here, as you can see, no material is spared :)

In this state, the workpiece will stand for at least 12 hours so that the soft layers of silicone harden and are ready to form the mask. For some reason the word “silence” comes up.

Even though 14 masks need to be prepared for each program (and since two programs are filmed for two days in a row, 28 need to be made in a week and a half, when the images have already been approved), the guys still have a little free time. And they know what to spend it on :)

In fact, if you see a freak with something like this face in a club in Moscow on Halloween, then this is 85% the work of these guys. :)

Well, the time has come, and you need to separate the positive and negative in order to make a mask with their help. An iron spacer is pre-inserted into the positive, with the help of which undocking can be carried out smoothly and without sudden actions (and also with the help of knowledge of the lever rule, a simple device with a belt and such and such) so as not to tear the silicone.

Plasticine is no longer needed, so its remains must be removed from both parts.

Now a layer of vinyl is applied to the positive. This film will keep the mask on the artist's face.

Lubricant is applied to the inside of the negative so that the mask does not stick to it (the negative) and can be easily removed.

Now the actual making of the mask begins. It is mixed based on several components, but the base, of course, is silicone (silicone is our everything!). It is very important to maintain proportions.

Without dyes, the mask would be transparent, and it would have to be dyed to match the color of the skin directly on the face, creating a layer of “plaster.” In order not to complicate the work of make-up artists, the mask is painted in a near-flesh color at the manufacturing stage. A little cream, a little red to taste and eye.

Now a very important point: from the silicone mass, before it hardens, you need to remove air bubbles so that the mass is homogeneous. How to do it? Yes, very simple. Vacuum.

The solution is placed under a cap, from which air is pumped out by an electric pump.

Oleg closely monitors the process. Not that anything could go wrong here, he just likes looking at the bubbles :)

Never work with a vacuum without gloves. Do you hear? Never!

Finally, liquid mask without bubbles (this is important) it is poured into negative.

The positive is inserted on top. Thus, the resulting mask will repeat the shape of my face from the inside, and the face of the artist I will play from the outside.

All that remains is to press it well and wait until it hardens again.

While we are waiting for the finished mask, let me introduce you to the director of the Illusion Industries Moscow studio, Irina. She is great:)

Finally, the mask is ready, and it must be carefully separated from the negative and positive. Almost zen :)

The instructions provided by American technologists recommend storing the mask in a positive manner, but our guys have slightly improved the approach so that the mask does not deform under its own weight.

The makeup process looks something like this, and this is just the beginning.

It evokes approximately the following associations for me.

By the way, although this is no longer the subject of this post, Sting ended up looking like this:

Hope you liked it :)

Post prepared specifically for the community

I was given the task of making Baba Yaga from Tolya. What about Christmas tree the children left gray-haired and with nocturnal enuresis... The deadlines were very short, they left no time for breakdowns, there were 200 km between me and the model. I love such orders, especially if five minutes ago I had no idea about stage, carnival, theatrical and other makeup. The maximum is how to pluck your own eyebrows, and here you go - from a handsome man to a toothless old woman and back. Well, if it’s necessary, then it’s necessary...

So: “We won’t take Baba Yaga from outside, we will raise her in our team” (c)

What was needed for this:

1) Construction alabaster

2) Vaseline

3) Cocktail tubes (or shrink tubes, as in our case)

4) Construction silicone.

5) Acrylic paints

6) Plumbing flax.

7) Stacks, toothpicks, tassels, etc..

8) Tolya. Or any other person without fear of confined spaces and runny nose.
9) Starch paste.

Well, here we go.

Here, the test subject’s face is already smeared with Vaseline, there are heat-shrinkable tubes in the nose, and each of them is additionally wrapped with fumlenta, so that the tube in the nostril does not dangle, does not try to fall out or let Tole into the alabaster lungs. At this moment, we discovered that fum film does not stick to oiled eyebrows at all, and when the model sits and turns her head, it is extremely inconvenient to work magic on her, so we went to the basement, where Tolya could take a horizontal position, and I could dirty and dirty with almost impunity. continued to do what they started, no matter the cost.

To prevent the alabaster from flowing into the ears and penetrating into the hair, a swimming cap was pulled over the head, and a piece of sheet was tied around the face, in the manner of a tooth sufferer or a catavern client, so that the jaw would not sag..

Here I am, carefully gluing fum tape onto the freshly made paste. There was an idea to trust the oracles of make-up art, and just smear Tolin’s hair with Vaseline thicker, maybe he wouldn’t have stuck completely to death, but thank God that we went our own way... and overcame it. It’s scary to think how loudly and multi-layered the intelligent Anatoly would express himself if he got his eyebrows into a plaster trap...

When the model is already lying down, snoring through tubes, we start the alabaster porridge. Everyone remembers the common postulates of this action, right? The ratio is approximately one to two (one part water, two gypsum) alabaster to water and not vice versa. Why this is so, I have no idea. I just take his word for it.

And when the gruel satisfies with its consistency of liquid sour cream - quickly, carefully and, most importantly, without listening to advice (and literally everyone present is eager to advise, right down to the model herself, until a piece of alabaster closes her mouth mid-sentence) we apply plaster to the face, thoroughly slapping, smearing and pressing into all the bulges, applying to the bulges and fighting the passionate desire to pull out the tubes, because they sway and get in the way.

Error number one. The free space in the nostril near the tube had to be plugged with cotton wool. Then it wouldn’t sway so much, and the inevitable vegetation wouldn’t migrate into the plaster.

But what is not done is not done.

The plaster is applied, the model lies there, thinking about the eternal, I wash the containers, the table, my hands, and I’m wildly worried about three things at once: 1) how did I apply the alabaster poorly and will the cast have shells? 2) well, when the cast is taken, the plaster will fall apart 3) isn’t Tolya dead, something is lying quietly... From time to time I jumped up to the subject, listened to the quiet whistle from the tubes, tapped the plaster cast with my claws and wondered: it’s time / not time and how will I understand that it’s time when I’ve never taken casts before the village?

Finally he got tired of lying, we were tired of worrying. I was about to grab the edge of the plaster with my hands, but then Tolya let out a certain rumbling, meaning: “Don’t climb, I’ll do it myself,” he hugged the plaster with his palms and froze. two centimeters of alabaster, but they saw only a motionless figure whose breathing at times quickened and her toes clenched into fists. It turns out that half of the hair from the nostrils remained in the cast. And she didn’t stay of her own free will. They didn't plan to leave the nose so early....

The impression was not taken very well; the edges were a bit thin and broke near the forehead. Which gave me the idea to take a second cast, in reserve. How will the first one die in an unequal battle? And, encouraged by the first experience with a not entirely negative result, I became brave and rolled Tolya into a cast for the second time almost to the navel. Again, I didn’t bother with the nostrils....

And this cast, in the end, was also successfully removed, but the remains of hair from the nose, part of the hair from the chest and some part from the sideburns were transferred into it...

Having carefully packed the fragile (because not dried out), sometimes hairy, plaster shells of Tolina’s face into paper, rags, a box, twine crosswise and into the trunk, we went home.

PART TWO.

“I love watching him do magic. Either he’ll kill himself or get maimed” (c)

So. Upon arrival home, both casts were transferred to the oven, where they dried under hot air until they sounded sonorous. Then I thickly coated all the convexities of the casts with dishwashing liquid, and after praying to all the Gods, my husband and I began pouring plaster into the cast. Do you know how scary it is? Very scary... Thousands of “What if the negative doesn’t peel off from the positivity, what then?!” literally drove me crazy. But everything turned out almost successfully again. A chisel, a mallet, a crunch and something small rolled across the floor. It was the nose that fell off.

In general, it was like magic. When the casts were taken from Tolya’s face, to be honest, they didn’t make any impression, and looked more like clumsy bowls with holes than a noble human profile. But when the shells were peeled off the castings, both gasped. Tolya is lying on the table in duplicate, one even smiles serenely. This is the first one. Then the man did not yet suspect what it would be like and, not sensing a catch, quietly rejoiced in life. But the second Tol is concentrated... Here he already knows for certain how much a pound is worth and where Hund be grabbed. Here he has no time for sly smiles in his cast.

Well, taking the most smiling (and lightest in weight) muzzle-face, we begin to cover up the unevenness with molten plasticine, and having poured plasticine onto the face itself, armed with stacks, dental pickers, a hairdryer, again, we scratch the plasticine here and there, giving birth to a woman I gu.

At least approximately according to the prototype.

And this is what we got out of it. Since the prototype is thin and angry, and the original is full-cheeked and smiling, the result is a symbiosis of evil and plump.

AND! Mistake number two. A little history.

I made a cutie out of what I had. And now we need to get negative. It all happened as in the first stage, only without tubes and nerves. Just to pull the negative out of the positive, both heavy pigs with plasticine in the middle had to be pushed into the oven for half an hour. Then, with a cry: “KiiiiiiA!” jerk one out of the other, watching with disgust as the nose rolls under the sink.

Well, I caught my nose (God knows, not for the first and absolutely not the last time. They pulled him, poor thing, out of a dog’s mouth, and tried to sweep him into the trash with a broom, and under the slogan: “Whoever finds Uncle Tolin’s damage will not have the dishes today washes”, they searched throughout the house, while what they were looking for was buried in the folds of the sofa deck...) and in the negative I went to apply silicone, making mistake number two.

Of course, it’s all about a lack of practice (or rather, the absence of it) and an excess of theory. On the website of make-up artists, guru, master, sensei, teacher and simply talented make-up artist Denis, told the public in detail and in pictures how to create a latex mask. And there it was that the latex was poured into the negative, in several layers, reinforced with pieces of gauze, dried with a hairdryer, and so on. But I don’t have latex! Where can I get such a miracle... I have silicone. Building. Also absolutely wonderful, but it has a number of its own characteristics that must be taken into account. And there was absolutely no time to take into account and wander through the rake, piling up bumps of experience! Since there is a Christmas tree scheduled for the 19th, where Yaga should be in character. And period.

So, silicone. Silicone, it's... it's tricky. And all of it specifications written on the packaging, you can safely forget after reading it if you are not going to use it for the intended purpose regulated by the manufacturer. It’s unlikely that the manufacturer took into account that I would mix acrylic paint into his silicone, Foundation, ink from gel pens, bronze powder, silver powder, filled with plumbing flax and, in principle, I will begin to mock like never before. For this objective reason, I had no idea how much silicone + paint + calcium chloride from the ampoule would vulcanize into Baba Yaga, so I applied the above mixture in a thin layer, well, I just pushed it more generously into my nose, so that if the silicone refused to harden, the putty could be scraped off without dying of greed. And if you did it wisely, then you had to pour colored silicone into the mask from the heart, make channels on the sides to remove the excess, and press down all this beauty with positive roofing felt scraped off from the plasticine. But! But... now I’m so smart and I’ve learned a lot, for example, that silicone and plaster have a layer of dishwashing liquid and not a layer at all. They didn't notice her. And they became friends almost forever. Now I know that I need to use silicone hand cream as a separator (this is for the poor, for the rich - a special silicone separator at a hefty price), but then I had fun in a wild time pressure, in the most severe conditions of renovation, where walls are being demolished on the left, walls are being built on the right, and It’s a wonderful miracle that Baba Yaga was not born a complete freak.

Without makeup

Plumbing linen was used on eyebrows and hair. Never before has a salesman in a building materials store observed such sincere joy in a customer at the sight of a skein of flax; besides, I haven’t seen such noble gray hair on living grandmothers for a long time.

(based on personal experience and some articles found on the Internet)

Stage 1. Taking a face impression. (negative)

In order for the mask to contact the facial skin in the right places, look and move naturally, the mask should be made exactly according to a cast of the model’s face.

ATTENTION!!!

This stage is the most difficult and responsible of all, so be careful and undertake it only by observing all safety measures!

To make a cast we will need:

1. Architectural gypsum grade G16. (construction G6 is usually of poor quality).
2. Petrolatum.
3. A large piece of polyethylene or some newspaper.
4. Rags.
5. Thick straws for cocktails.
6. A container for diluting plaster (a children's rubber ball cut in half is very convenient).
7. Bandages or gauze and cotton wool.
8. Scissors.
9. Silicone cap for the pool.

Process:

Cover the floor with plastic or newspapers. Tuck the model's hair under the pool cap (try not to cover the forehead too much) and rub the model's eyebrows with a damp soap so that they do not bristle. Place the model comfortably on the floor or chairs. Secure your head with wet rags so as not to stain your clothing with plaster and to prevent the plaster from running down your face. Prepare the cocktail tubes, wrap the ends of the tubes with cotton wool and insert them into each nostril of the model. Make sure that they are easy to breathe through and that they do not cause discomfort to the model. Generously lubricate the model's face with Vaseline, especially thickly on the eyebrows and eyelashes (since the eye area is not very important to us, to be safe, you can cover the model's eyelashes in small pieces thick cloth generously lubricated with Vaseline). Ask the model to close her eyes tightly and not move her lips.

Dilute the plaster with water to a thick cream and apply the plaster to the model's face with quick but careful movements. The layer should be thin so that the weight of the material does not deform the face. You need to start applying from the center of the face, gradually moving to the edges. Make sure that the plaster does not drip and does not form cavities or air bubbles. You should be especially careful when pouring the nose area (be sure to warn the model that the plaster gets quite hot when setting). When the plaster has set a little, evenly lay pieces of bandages or gauze on the surface of the plaster. Fill the second layer on top, trying to maintain the same wall thickness in all places of the cast. Let the plaster set (check the density of the plaster with your fingernail or a match). Once the surface under the match feels solid, you can begin taking an impression of the face. Ask the model to move her lips and exhale a little through her mouth (this will make it easier to remove). Carefully remove the impression. If hair gets into the plaster, carefully trim it. Release the model to wash your face while you inspect the cast for air bubbles and cavities. If there are any, they will need to be covered up (this will be discussed below).

Stage 2. Making a face cast. (positive)

At the first stage, we received a negative of the model's face. In order for us to be able to change the texture of the face in the future, we will need something positive. We will start making it in the second stage.

For this we need:

1. Plaster (see stage 1).
2. Small spatula.
3. Medium grain skin.
4. Large container for plaster (may need more than in step 1).
5. Nitrovarnish (furniture).
6. Small paint brush
7. Rope or piece of wire.
8. Hammer or mallet.
9. A dull chisel or similar tool.

Process:

If defects are found on the cast, they need to be eliminated. Scratches and bumps should be carefully sanded, and cavities and bubbles should be covered with plaster. Use a small spatula and carefully fill any imperfections. After the plaster has dried, these areas must be carefully sanded. Check the entire surface again. Sand any areas that are in doubt about their smoothness. Let the mold dry completely.

Apply a thin layer of nitro varnish to the dry inner surface of the mold. Let dry and apply another coat. If bubbles or other defects appear on the surface of the varnish, the dry surface of the varnish can be carefully sanded with moisture-resistant fine sandpaper, moistening it in water. After which you will need to apply another layer of varnish.

If necessary, make a side out of papier-mâché or plasticine, bringing the edges of the mold to the same level (try to achieve even edges of the mold at the first stage).

After making sure the polish is completely dry, coat the inside of the mold with Vaseline. Then dilute the plaster (a little thinner than at the first stage) and pour it into the mold, having previously immersed a loop of rope or a piece of wire into the mold (it will be convenient to hold the casting by this loop when removing it from the mold). Leave to dry. The completely dry casting can be removed. Grasp the loop and, lifting the casting with the mold, hit the edges of the mold with a mallet (try not to hit the casting) to knock down the mold. If it breaks, it's okay, we won't need it anymore.

If the casting does not come out, do not use much force. In this case, use an unnecessary dull chisel to carefully chip away the shape. If the casting is removed without damage, you can consider the second stage completed.

Stage 3. Modeling. (positive)

Having received a positive view of the model's face, we can begin to change the texture of the face in the way we need. It all depends on your desire and imagination and, of course, on artistic skills. If you are not confident in your abilities, ask your friends to help you create an image.

We will need:

1. Nitrolac.
2. Plasticine.
3. Fine-grained skin.
4. Modeling tools (spatulas, scrapers, etc.)
5. Very straight hands.

Process:

Putty and sand all defects. Allow the casting to dry thoroughly and, similar to the second stage process, coat the casting with varnish. Let the varnish dry.

Mark the main lines of the face (line of the eyes, mouth, vertical axis of the face) with a thin marker. Knead the plasticine in your hands and, dividing it into small portions, starting from the center of the casting, outline the main features of the future mask. Constantly monitor symmetry, matching all details with the drawn lines. Around the eyes, as well as along the periphery of the face, reduce the sculpting to nothing so that a smooth transition between plasticine and plaster. Mark the roti nostrils especially carefully, cutting through the plasticine to the very base along the line between the top and lower lip and the model’s real nostrils, respectively. Try not to create large quantity closed cavities - this may make it difficult to remove the mold.

Once you're done with the rough sculpting, start making the finer details. It is not worth sculpting very minor elements - it is better to cut them out on plaster, creating an intermediate shape and casting the mask (I do not describe this process, because it is identical to stages 2 and 4). Carefully smooth the surface of the plasticine.

Stage 4. Removing the mold from the molded casting. (negative)

When the modeling is finished, we need to get a form (negative) of the new texture in order to subsequently obtain its exact copy in latex. This is what we will do at this stage.

We will need:

1. Gypsum.
2. Petrolatum.
3. Mallet (a hammer is highly undesirable).
4. Nitrolac.
5. Wet rags.

Process:

After completing the sculpting, cover the sculpted casting with Vaseline. Place the casting on a smooth surface coated with Vaseline or on a wet rag. Thin the plaster until it is slightly thicker than in step 1. Carefully pour over the molded casting, starting from the center. Make sure the filling is even. As soon as the plaster thickens and stops flowing, form a bowl with thick walls that is easy to work with. Make massive sides along the edges of the mold, because... you will have to hit them with a hammer to remove the mold from the casting. When the plaster has hardened sufficiently but is still hot to the touch, begin removing the mold. Lift the casting by the loop and with strong, gentle blows of the mallet on the sides of the mold, remove the casting. In this case, the plasticine will most likely be damaged, but for us this is not important - it will still have to be removed from the casting. If you cannot separate the casting and the mold, you will have to heat them in the oven so that the plasticine softens. Remove the stuck pieces of plasticine from the mold and carefully sand the surface of the mold with sandpaper. Seal the shells and coat the inner surface of the mold with varnish. Now you can cast the mask in latex.

Stage 5. Working with latex.

When the form is ready, we can think about exactly how we want to make the mask. We have three options: regular latex and two foam options. Foam looks and moves more realistically, but requires more labor and financial costs. First, I'll look at the process of working with regular latex.

We will need:

1. Liquid latex or multicomponent (2-4 components) hot foam latex or single-component cold foam latex. Look for Kryolan latex, it is easiest to buy in Russia.
2. Brush.
3. Talc.
4. Torn nylon stockings.
5. Scissors.

Process:

There are three types of latex and for each, the preparation for work and the principles of operation will be different. The easiest way to work is with liquid latex, so first I will describe this technology.

So, to work with liquid latex we only need a form. Clean the casting of the face from plasticine and set it aside for now - we won’t need it for now. Your next steps depend on how much latex you bought. If there is a lot of latex and it is possible to fill the entire mold to the brim, then you can use the casting method. To do this, pour the latex you have into the mold and leave it for a while. The time will have to be selected experimentally. Once a sufficient layer of latex has settled on the walls, pour the excess latex back into the bottle and dry thoroughly. The mask is ready.

If you don't have enough latex, you can apply it in layers using a brush. There will be a lot of layers to apply, so be patient. To save latex, you can reinforce the mask with a nylon stocking, laying sections of it in critical places and coating it with latex. Having achieved the desired layer thickness, leave the mask to dry.

After drying the mask, sprinkle the inner surface of the latex with talcum powder and carefully lifting the edge, begin to peel the mask off the mold. Sprinkle talcum powder on the parts of the mask to be separated so that it does not stick together. After separating the mask completely, wipe off excess talc and leave to dry for another couple of hours.

After letting the latex dry, remove the casting from the bins and put the mask on it. Use a fine marker to mark the trim lines. Cut through the eyes and nostrils, cut off excess edges and elements that should be glued separately (for example, the lower jaw). After trimming, try the mask on the model's face. Trim the uneven edges, check whether the diameter of the holes in the nostrils is sufficient so that the model can breathe normally through the nose and the mask does not deform from the exhaled air. If necessary, widen your nostrils.

You can glue the finished mask to your face using liquid latex (it gradually thickens the edges of the mask, so it is not very advisable) or special glue (it can be easily washed off with a special remover or alcohol). The protruding edges are covered with a special material to bring the edges together. You can paint a mask using face painting (greasy makeup spoils latex). You can also paint it permanently using acrylic paint latex based.

I will describe the principle of working with foam latexes a little later.

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