Casting party

Casting is the most frustrating step in making resin statues, as there are so many moments when something can go wrong. And something usually goes. There are details on every sculpt where some little annoying air bubble can park itself and then there will be another resin copy without some fingers or buckles. Or, when pouring to several moulds simultaneously (usually I mix a little bit more resin than needed for bigger parts, I'll use the rest in small moulds, like hands or tails), resin could get too thick too soon and not flow to all the parts. There are some tricks to try to avoid this, but there's no guarantee that they will work. I don't think even pressure pot + compressor could really help.

Anyway, I've been trying ot pour some copies of my statues lately and usually the whole session doesn't turn out that well. From 7 details I get 2 or 3 which are more or less ok. Some statues are especially pretentious. Like Ilsa - I have several copies with one or more fingers missing. It's just a nuisance!...

Sometimes there are pleasant surprises. First one from today was, that I actually managed - finally! - to get an Ilsa copy with all the fingers intact. So, it IS possible... The first Ilsa mould was better, but I made some modifications to the sculpt and was forced to make a new mould. Although it MAY be possible to modify the old one... But now I just need to get a couple of more good copies, paint one or two for myself and forget it. By the way, polymer clay original is broken now, after all those mouldings.

Second surprise was, that I actually had made a new and different mould for 7 inch Hellboy's legs! I had no resin at that moment, so I just packed it away to wait and then forgot about it. And it turned out to be better than the first mould! No trapped air in revolver or pouches, all the belts and buckles are ok. Nice!

And 7-inch Hellboy body, now with separate hands, turned out OK too! Cool! All the other details - base, tail, hands - are much easier to make.

I already have my painted Liz bust, so a couple of more castings and that's it for this one.

I'm sorting out the decent castings, then I'll fill a small box with some of them and send it to USA. Next I'll paint some statues for myself and then it's probably time to try to make something new. I'd really like to feel again the urge to sculpt, but for some reason the drive has been gone in recent months. It just feels like I couldn't make something I will like or enjoy.

I have some new ideas... but they feel too complicated. It's so much easier, faster (and cheaper) to just buy ready made stuff... But the problem is - no one is producing statues I'd like to have.