Stamps are a kind of tool that makes repetition in clay or ink a snap--and
molds do the same job in reverse! By pressing a textured or dimensional
object in a mold material and allowing it to set, a reusable negative-image
tool is formed. Molds can be made out of plaster, rubber, metal, silicone,
and polymer clay itself--of course!
One kind of polymer clay especially made for making molds
is Super Elasticlay, manufactured
by Polyform and sold in 8oz. bars. It is much softer than the other clays,
and takes an impression well. It should be kneaded up for a minute or so
to prepare it for use.
The original piece to be cast must be treated with a mold release such
as talcum powder or cornstarch. Brush it all over the object including
the edges, then press the piece onto a like-sized lump of Super Elasticlay
placed on the work surface. Do this smoothly, without rocking or setting
it at an angle. This takes a bit of practice!
Super Elasticlay will not harden until it is baked, and many original
pieces may not withstand baking, so it is advisable to remove the object
by pulling it cleanly up and away from the mold. Check to see that the
mold is a clean impression--if not, wad it up and try again. Then bake
according to directions and do NOT over bake. Super Elasticlay molds remain
flexible for a while, but harden over time and will crack with heavy use
and age, particularly in a dry climate. I am told that oiling the molds
lightly with vegetable or mineral oil is helpful in maintaining the molds
and keeping them from drying out.
Polymer clay rolled out flat into sheets can be textured with stamps,
lace, pasta, wires, and all sorts of items to make Texture Sheets for transferring
your own overall / large scale patterns to clay. All polymer clay, including
Super Elasticlay molds should also be used with a release when making new
pulls from the mold. Some people use a fine spray of water, or powder.
For more information read Create A Polymer Clay
Impression.
The picture above left shows an original face modeled from some scrap
clay. After it was baked, molds were made using Super Elasticlay (cream
colored mold) and another product called Miracle Mold (pink colored mold)
After each mold was completed, a lump of flesh colored clay was pressed
into each, and the pull is shown next to it. Both molds make detailed copies
as both Elasticlay and Miracle Mold start out very soft, and capture even
tiny details in the molds. This precision is particularly keen in the Miracle
Mold. The original polymer clay face and the two glass buttons shown below
were each cast using the Miracle Mold.
Miracle Mold is not a polymer
clay, but rather a two part silicone molding material. It comes in two
separate containers, and the silicone and the catalyst are mixed together
in equal parts at the time of use--mix till the colors blend to a uniform
pink, and then press the item to be molded into a smooth ball of the Miracle
Mold. No release agent is ever needed. Check to make certain that the item
is cleanly embedded but don't rock it or move it around. The Miracle Mold
material begins to set up VERY quickly, and in just a few minutes becomes
too stiff to take as clean an impression, so it is important to mix it
up in small batches that are going to be used immediately. Depending on
the size of the cast item, it will take between five and thirty minutes
to set up completely. The finished silicone molds stays very flexible and
they will "pop" right off the item being cast. Clay can be baked
directly inside these molds (this includes the liquid polymer clays), or
raw clay pulls can be popped put easily and then altered before baking.
I like the molds I make with this stuff so much that I re-cast all my
button molds and faces using it, and have used it to create all my new
molds for several years now.
For more information about Miracle Mold, visit
the Puffinalia website at: http://www.puffinalia.com
Pulls from both the button molds and the face mold were
made using a pale terra cotta colored clay. Details with more clay were
added and the piece was baked to form an original that is also first generation
repeat of the original face and buttons. This piece was cast in the silicone
Miracle Mold as well.
Making large and complex molds like these does use up a lot of molding
material, and also offers more opportunity for small errors. Its a good
idea to practice making molds for a while with Super Elasticlay or other
soft polymer clays before moving up to Miracle Mold. Even now that my mold-making
skills are in good practice, I like to try the larger pieces like doll
faces in polymer clay first. This allows me to see how the pull from the
mold will look---sometimes I don't like it enough to commit it to silicone,
and its easy enough to check it first, then remake or remodel the original
piece as needed! Miracle Mold gives a very high quality impression. It
is well worth the investment for the serious professional who wants precise
detail in their casts, and also for those who work in other media like
PMC (Miracle Mold can be heated to over 600 degrees) or paper. The word
from Puffinalia's chemist is that these molds will last a lifetime, and
stay flexible.
When a small irregularity in a mold--whatever its composition--occurs,
it still can be a valuable tool. There is a slight flaw around one of the
eyes in this complex mold shown above right, but it is quite easy to smooth
that out before baking.
The first piece on the left (of the four above) is the original used
in making the mold. It has been stained with black acrylic paint, Varathane,
and copper Pearl-Ex Powder. The other three faces are pulls from the mold.
Though two generations away from the original face, the detail is still
clear. Different colored clays, powders, paints and stains are used to
give the different finishes to each.
The faces shown below are pulls from the Miracle Mold of the original
face. The first face on the left is direct from the mold with no smoothing.
Very little clean-up is required with these molds. Notice how a little
acrylic paint, mixed with Varathane as a binder,
really changes the look of the features! The amount of "makeup"
applied to a baked face changes the character's look--go from innocent
to high fashion complete with slick lip color and eyeliner...its all in
the application, done in steps and layers.
click here to see
mask pendants
click here to see face
cabochons and pendants
