Plaster Molds

• George Segal

• plaster sculptures of people!

George Segal

Plaster molds are made

from an oil based clay called Plastilina

•Since Plastilina is oil based it never dries out!

•Perfect for carving and making sculptures

•Sculptors sculpt (form) the object they want to cast

•Sculpture is• three-dimensional artwork

•You can view it •from all sides

•After the sculpture is made

•The artist makes a plaster mold

•Plaster starts as a dry powder similar to mortar or cement

•

•It’s mixed with water to form a paste

•which liberates heat and then hardens.

•Next step

• The artist makes a wooden frame and puts the Plastilina sculpture in the wooden frame

•The artist then pours the plaster around the sculpture

•After the plaster dries•The artist pulls the plaster away from the clay

•This leaves a negative space- •A plaster Mold!

•After making a mold•The artist can fill it with clay/other materials and re-use it many times

This is how doll heads are made !

And poly resin molding for homes (trim work)

•If the artist uses only one side of the mold he is making a Bas-Relief

•A bas-relief is when you can only see one side (for viewing) when the piece is completed

If the artist uses both sides of the mold

he/she is making a Sculpture

Vocabulary

Plaster moldPlaster

PlastilinaBas-reliefSculpture

Castthree-dimensional

Wedgeslab

under glazekiln

Steps:1. wedge clay

2. flatten clay into a slab3. press clay into plaster mold

4. pull clay away from plaster mold5. trim edges

6. cover with plastic7. glaze using under glaze

8. give to me for firing in kiln