Making My Prosthetic Clay Mould - Technical Folder

When it came to making my clay mould, I was initially very worried about the shape and how it would fit onto my model's face. I began with smaller parts of clay, and built up the shape. I used a clear tray, which helped me make the shapes, as I could place the tray against my model's face to see whether it fitted the shape of my model's face. 

Health and Safety

-Any aerosol sprays need to be sprayed out the window.

-Hair tied up.

-No jewellery.

-New change of gloves after handling products.

-Old clothes.

-Lids on tightly.

-New spatula for each product.

-Wipe down each pot after using it to reduce cross contamination. 

-Wear Breathing mask when using the products.

-NEVER pour silicone down the sink.

 -Here I have just started the cheek mould. I have just begun to shape the clay, and blend it into the tray, so that when I have my finished silicone piece, it will blend perfectly into the model's skin.

-Here is the clay as I have started to build up the cheekbone shape. I have fully blended the clay, and softened it down using my finger. I find working with my hands and fingers easier to do as the heat from my body warms up the clay, making it easier to blend and mould.  

-Here is the finished clay mould for the cheeks. I have used a sculpture tool to carve into the clay, to create the scales. When you initially use the tools, it had very hard lines, so I softened these with my finger, so that the lines were soft, natural and organic.  

-Here is the much large piece. On each outer section, I used the same technique for the scales as I did with the cheekbones. Then, for the middle section, I made each individual scale and placed them onto my clay, and softened them by pressing down with my finger. I wanted the middle section to be more raised as it is the first thing you would look at, and also to change the shape of the model's head. 

I am really happy with the outcome of my clay moulds. This is only my second time to have done this, and it did take much longer than I thought it would. I had to keep taking breaks as my fingers became blistered from where I was trying to rub the clay down. I am happy with how I managed to make the moulds almost symmetrical, and am looking forward to making my silicone moulds. I think I exceeded my expectations, as I was not thinking that I would be very good at making the shapes, and the scales in particular. I much prefer making things and doing practical work, which is probably a factor as to why I exceeded my expectations. If I were to do this again, I would look at trying to create the horns, although this time I didn't as I did not know if they would work as silicone pieces.