Baby Calaveras are Finally Here- Molding Tutorial Part One

Mold making can look like a scary process before you jump in. I researched mold making compounds online, then went to a few art stores and asked lots of questions. Basically, it took me jumping into the process, cold feet and all, to really start to learn it. All the research just insured I didn't make a huge mess of my kitchen in the process.

First you need your materials. I decided to go with silicone molds because I needed the flexibility based off of what I planned on casting (the skull in the photo.) I chose OOMOO 30 by Smooth-On because the directions were the easiest, and turns out it's great to work with. It has a fast shore A hardness time, and you can remove the original object from the mold after it cures after only 6 hours. Works great for over ancy artists who just want the project started.


You also need some type of container that is larger than the object you want to mold. It's best to hand build these cointainers our of plastic board, which is what I did with the first mold I made. But to make this go a little faster, I found a box that was the right size and lined it with tin foil. These supplies were also easier to come by than plastic board :] The resulting mold still works great, it's just not as pretty.


Rounding up your materials is often the toughest part. You can find plastic board and Smooth-On materials at most art stores, and creating the object you want to mold takes the most creativity and time. What's cool though is when you are finished you can replicate your art many times, and get creative with it in many different ways. Next week I'll continue the process with mixing the silicone components, removing your object from the cured mold, and casting replicas.

Check back!