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Fingernails &
Thin Areas
Held Objects
Pedistals
Touch Up
Repair

Chapter 4: Basic Lifecast Design & Planning
Good Luck Is When Opportunity Meets Preparation.

Your Reach Should Not Exceed Your Grasp
There are several different ways to approach even a basic project. This chapter describes some ideas and tricks.
Beginners must not try anything too dramatic because its better to succeed at something simple than fail by trying to do something beyond your skill.
Wait for your second or third project to try the more complex sculptures.
Both confidence and frustration are cumulative. Take small steps.

Fingernails & Other Very Thin Areas:
Thin Areas such as long fingernails will be copied in the mold perfectly but, will be too weak in almost any final casting media except metal and some plastics.
Even a primitive rock, like granite or a sedimentary stone, like marble would be easily broken if shaped as thin as a human fingernail.
To make these areas thicker and stronger fill the inside curves (shown in blue) with clay or wax or some type of putty before making the mold.
Make these areas flat across the arch and blend the putty into the tip of the finger so they are inconspicuous.
Here is an example of this technique used in a wedding momento.
Done carefully the thickened fingernails will not be noticeable.
Copyright © 1987 through 2003 by MSWinn. Thank you for visiting www.lifecast.net!
ToP
1/18/03

LifeCast™ & MSW Creative Works Legal Information:

Contents of this web site (lifecast.net) and all life cast materials and other art and sculpture products or lifecast kit packaging, art techniques and sculpture instructions copyright © 1986-2002 by Mark S. Winn. All rights reserved. The terms BODY PARTS™, LifeCast™, ChildCast™, StudioPack™, ArtForm™, ArtCast™, Earthium™, Earthium(f/x)™, ShrinKast™, PolyART™, WaterTrap™, BlendBag™, Successful Creativity Guarantee™, LifeMask™, FastMask™ as well as the phrase "Make YourSelf Immortal!™" and any other art materials product or craft item denoted by a small 'TM' (such as in LifeCast™) are trademarks. The phrases life cast and life casting or the words lifecast and lifecasting are generic.
Our LifeCast™ products or other sculpture, mold making and art materials products are are entirely safe within the context of arts & crafts when used as directed. Other arts & crafts materials shown here each carry their own warnings and degrees of safety. They are available for use as creative mediums AT YOUR OWN RISK and since we cannot control the actual use of these art products, we disclaim any responsibility for damage or injury caused by incorrect or experimental life cast, sculpture, life mask, erotic art or other mold making or creative applications.
NOT FOR USE BY CHILDREN: These arts & crafts materials may be used with children of any age but should never be used by an unsupervised child. A "child" is defined by law as anyone under the age of 18 years. Our art, lifecast or sculpture product prohibitions against unsupervised use by children therefore applies to all persons under that age. "Supervised" by definition means at all times, through each step of any use of our life cast or other art materials. Such supervision must be by an adult over the age of 18 years while using the BODY PARTS™ LifeCast™ kits or other life cast, sculpture and art materials.
Our life cast, sculpture and other art materials should never be used by anyone who cannot read, understand and apply the language in which the lifecast, sculpture or art materials' instructions appear. The terms of said language are exclusively defined in any standard, widely accepted and comprehensive dictionary of that language and are meant to be construed in no other manner.
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