My victim… An overly hairy Welshman. Step 1 - PREPARATION: Have your subject wear some old clothes that they don’t care about, as this CAN get kind of messy. Then, make sure they apply petroleum jelly to ALL the areas you plan on casting. There needs to be enough jelly to LIGHTLY cover these areas, but not SO much that it distorts their features. Pay PARTICULAR attention to the eyebrows, eyelashes and facial hair. If you don’t, you may get smacked. Luckily, my subject decided he needed a haircut, so we didn’t have to worry about protecting his hair. He DID, however, have to apply petroleum jelly to what was LEFT of his hair. Better safe than sorry! Much better! If you’re casting someone’s face and they want to KEEP their hair (after you’ve tried to persuade them to shave it off), I’d suggest applying a bald / swimming cap to their head, making sure that ALL their hair is safely tucked away. This cap will ALSO have to have petroleum jelly applied to it. When their head is finally prepared, make sure they’re sitting in a chair in a place that you have access to all areas from. Outside, for instance. You don’t want to be knocking into and tripping over things whilst trying to pay attention to what you’re doing. Step 2 - ALGINATE: Seeing as alginate sets pretty fast, I’d recommend you mix up a batch when your subject is prepared and ready, rather than before. Make sure you pay attention to the instructions that came with it, as different brands of alginate work in different ways. Depending on how much you like them or not, you may want your subject to be able to breathe. I’d recommend getting them to hold straws up their nose. Applying alginate can be a pain in the butt, so if you can get someone to assist you, GREAT! If not, it’s not a HUGE problem. Using your fingers, start applying the alginate from the top of their head, and work your way down. Do it FIRMLY, pressing into all the dips and curves of their face, otherwise you’ll end up with bubbles and all sorts of imperfections once the alginate has set. Pay particular attention to any facial hair, including eyebrows, as this is where the most bubbles will occur. NOTE: Alginate that HASN’T set will NOT stick to alginate that HAS set, so you cannot apply it in layers. Instead, make sure you cover the WHOLE face quickly and thoroughly in one go. If some parts are thinner than others and have already dried, don’t worry. "If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it". If the worst comes to the worst, you can always start over. Remember to talk your subject through the process. Having your face or head cast can be a pretty daunting experience. Below, is approximately what your alginate covered subject should look like. A creature from the depths… of his bedroom. Notice he is only breathing out of ONE straw. This is because one of the straws fell out whilst the alginate was being applied. However, it wasn’t a problem as he didn’t suffocate. STEP 3 - PLASTER BANDAGES: Once the alginate has set, you’ll need to create a rigid shell for it to hold its shape once taken off your subject’s face. In order to do this, we’ll be using plaster bandages… Cut your plaster bandage in about 1½ inch thick strips, and have each of these strips about as long as your subject’s face is wide. Fill a bowl full with water, and one by one, literally STROKE the plaster bandage strips through the water, gently squeezing out any excess liquid, applying them from the top of your subject’s face to the bottom as you work. NOTE: Remember to overlap each strip of plaster bandage, as this will add more strength to the shell supporting your alginate mould. When you think you’ve made a thick enough plaster shell, your subject should look something like this… Glasses are optional. STEP 4 - REMOVAL: Here comes the easy part! After around 20-30 minutes, the plaster shell should have hardened and set. In fact, the entire mould may have even loosened itself from your subject’s face, making the whole removal process a LOT easier. Get your subject to lean forward, cupping the mould with their hands. If the mould appears to be stuck, have them move their face around, as this will loosen it. Have your subject gently pull the mould off their face by cupping the FRONT of it (NOT the sides), assisting them if the mould has caught on to any hairs and won’t let go. Make sure the plaster shell does NOT separate from the alginate at ANY time, as the alginate may tear or become distorted. NOTE: Remember to be PATIENT. If you rush a procedure like this, you’re more than likely to screw up. Once the mould has come off your subject’s face, it should look something like this… Notice I have used bricks to prop it up, as this eliminates any chance of it rolling around. If you are not ENTIRELY satisfied with your mould, do NOT give up! You’re more than likely going to make a FEW mistakes the first couple times you take someone’s cast, but practise makes perfect! As the old saying goes, "If at first you don’t succeed, try again". Now that that’s all said and done, your subject can go and clean up and enjoy the rest of the day. YOU, on the other hand, have got a LONG journey ahead of you. Coming soon… Making the POSITIVE life cast.