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Dave Parvin
Joined:
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16-Mar-2005
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Started On : 14-Jun-2009 at 10:46:12 PM, #Views : 5942
Topic Subject : Re: Re: Eyes & Straws |
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Let me cover straws and noses first. Some 23 years ago I attempted my first life casting which was a simple face casting (chin to hair) of my then 11 year old son. I had been told to put straws in his nose. I managed to bump one and bloodied his nose. Afterwards I continued to use straws for several years and was VERY careful with no more bleeding. I would like to be able to say that I figured out that straws are absolutely not necessary on my own since I just love to figure out a better way. However, it was an article in"Artist" magazine by one of the early but better known life casters, Willa Shallot (sp?) who explained that it isn't necessary to use straws, and she was right. If the alginate is the correct viscosity, it can be carefully positioned around the nostrils and it will stay in place. Done correctly and there will be little or no cleanup or reshaping required. I've done hundreds with excellent results. Oh, lest I forget, there is one other problem with straws, if a person has small nostrils such as a child might, the straws can distort the nose.
As for eyes, I consider sculpting the eyes open to be the single most difficult thing to do well in life casting. It helps if you have many years of traditional sculpting in your background. But even regular sculptors often find eyes challenging. A shortcut would could certainly be helpful. I did actually know of someone who put the numbing eye drops the eye doctors use in his own children's eyes and cast them with alginate. I wouldn't do that under any circumstances. I did have one odd thing happen, unknown to me, someone opened her eyes about half way during the casting and didn't complain one bit. I still wouldn't do it.
As I was writing this, Philip's message came through. Philip is one of the giants in life casting but I think the he is understating how how hard it is for someone without his talent and experience (or mine for that matter!) to correctly open eyes. I haven't gotten around to doing a series of articles on eyes but I do intend to at some point. I do have an article titled "Danger Will Robinson!" which does talk about straws and eyes and other things which I will try also to get posted within a few days.
Be safe, Dave
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