Mold Making & Casting Materials and Tools from Sculpture House

When a sculpted model has been completed, reproductions of the piece are often needed as gifts, for display, even for sale. To make the reproduction, a mold and cast of the model must be made in one of a variety of casting mediums, such as plaster, bronze, or bonded bronze. A mold is the negative or hollow cavity produced around a sculpted piece for use in creating multiples of that piece. A cast is the positive or reproduction of the original piece of sculpture created by pouring casting material into a pre-formed mold.

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Some of the most popular materials used for mold making include: plaster (Gypsum), latex rubber, paste maker, moulage, gelatin, white rubber and polymer or chemically activated multiple part mold rubbers. Popular casting materials include: plaster (Gypsum), resin, metal (bronze, aluminum, lead, silver and gold), and casting rubber.

While there are tools specifically designed for mold making and casting, many modeling and ceramic tools are equally functional in this discipline.

The technique of mold making and casting is a complicated one; if you are not sure of your abilities in this area, seek the assistance of a professional mold maker and casting service.

Sculpture House also offers plaster casts and anatomical study casts for viewing proportions of specific parts of the body. The ear, nose, lips, and eye study casts are larger than life for easier analysis and make up the primary study group. Others included an anatomical figure, skull, hand and blocked bust.