You can't directly w/Webshots but your link works fine.

I bought a cheap face mask at Michael's and the casting didn't turn out nearly as well as yours. What great detail, form and a wonderful serene look. Thanks for being persistent and sharing.

peak

Thanks, Joe... That's my windman. I made him using a halloween mask I got for 50 cents.

Peggy, you did a beautiful job in casting your face.
Very smooth. I agree with Peaks assesment.
I think I've done that same face.

Everyone seems to be having problems with webshots the past couple of days, and photobucket was down yesterday.
I just heard that photobucket is up and running now.

Here's a face I'm still working on.
This is an experiment using polymeric sand over the original cast of 'crete.
Mertie

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:73708}}

Hi again.... Don't want to bore those of you who have already seen this one, but, ...I guess while photobucket is still working, I'll post another mask.
Cindy, bless her heart, let me borrow this little girl face mask.
When I saw Cindy's Garden girl.... I fell in love with the sweet face.
Maybe Cindy will see this and post her again.

Anyway, I cast her, and surrounded her with assorted leaves I had cast previously.
Mertie

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:73709}}

Hi Mertie, I still like the little girl mask also. I dont know how many people ended up using it after you, I never heard. I still have another mask of her, and a couple of other different masks, I have found at different places, I hope to make some more green folk. Here is my original girl, she makes me think of hippies with the flowers on her face, lol. Cindy
{{gwi:73712}}

Oh, Cindy... Thank you for posting her again!
I love the way you painted her face, and the leaves around her are so pretty.
She's definitely a flower child! lol
Mertie

HI I just found this forum today and have to take the time to let you know that your garden girl is wonderful!!!! I'd love to know how to make these if you wouldn't mind sharing.I have a large garden and this would be so cool in one of my shade beds.Thanks and I hope to hear from you.Linda Sue

Hi Linda Sue, lots of us have made variations of garden people.What I think most of us have done is use a plastic mask to cast the face, and then used various leaves to surround the face mask as a setting, then painted them how ever we wish. I think some people are gluing the face and leaves together, I had just applied another layer of tufa on the back and sort of set everthing into it. Glad you like them, they arent that hard to do , and really would look lovely in a shade garden setting. Cindy

Ok,
How did Cindy (klinger) get the girl mask image embedded into here message?

Joe

I was cleaning out my garage yesterday so I will have a place to store my POP and silicone molds and was sooo tired. Found a BIG mess. I had bought tons of canned food for the 2000 scare (Y2K?) and put it in my garage and forgot about it. I guess the cans froze during the last 4 years. Can I add that mess to the community project? Anyway, I found my bag of placticine clay out there. So, I sat down with a nice decaf coffee, in the recliner with my tray of clay and tried to sculpt a face to use with 'tufa. I have never been that good with faces. I had to laugh at this one, especially the colors (Well, I had bought 4 packs of clay in four colors!!) When I get it a bit nicer, I will try putting silicone onto it so I can cast it in 'tufa. Wish me luck. Will someone pose for me? BB

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:73710}}

Wow! It's a work of art already. Please don't disparage your sculpting abilities as it discourages those of us who only wish they were "that good"!

Strke a pose there's nothing to it.
peak
peak
peak

Hi, BB... You have GOT to be kidding!
I think your sculpting abilities are exceptional!
I love what you came up with!

Linda Sue... Welcome. We love newcomers.
I did pretty much the same thing as Cindy with my garden girl. Cast the mask first, and then inverted her over onto a mound of sand covered with plastic. Laid the leaves, vein side up, and applied my mixture over all.
I'll "try" and imbed a pic of this step.
Mertie
{{gwi:73713}}

Thanks, Mertie. Still working on that face! So that's how you did that face and leaves! What is polymeric sand, by the way? BB

BB, Your garage sounds like mine! I like what you did with your garage findings! FABULOUS! Funny, I can picture you finding your mishmash of clay and just fiddling around, but what you came up with is really good. I have to do the same thing and move my crap into the garage and being an antique dealer, I will surely find something cool for casting and that will be the bitter end.

Jo

BB, Polymeric sand is new to me, too. I was impressed with a sample that was shown at my concrete suppliers.
It is supossed to be used as a filler between pavers in place of sand or mortar. Since it has polymers in it, it binds to itself. Comes in 3 colors. Black, buff and white. The color I choose was buff.
I bought some and thought I'd do a little 'sperimenting!
Here's a link explaining polymeric sand.
Mertie

Here is a link that might be useful: polymeric sand

BB, Here's a close up of the lion I did using polymeric sand.
Sorry, my shadow got in the way when I was shooting!
So far, he is holding up well. I have left him outside and even with the hot sun and the rains the past few days.... seems good, and the sand is holding fast.

Cindy..... I sent you an E-mail from here.
Mertie
{{gwi:73714}}

Mertie: Lion looks pretty good. You just mix with water? I don't think they have it here in the boonies, yet. Aren't they endangered? Should you be shooting them?

Jo: You should see the stuff I found. I have stuff in there in boxes that have been hidden from me for 15 years. Nice to get into it. I found a lot of ceramic carving tools, too. May get them into 'tufa instead of clay! Still haven't cleared a space big enough to set up a table for my elephant ear casting, tho. Need a couple of more days!BB

""I made this face. I sprayed PAM onto the whole thing. Then put silicone directly onto the whole thing. Yeee gads. The silicone will not set up near the plasticine clay at all. the clay has dissolved because of the Pam? or silicone? The Pam may as well have been super glue as far as the shells go.""
I posted that in Making Silicone Molds thread, but since I had shared my clay face here, thought you guys might want to see this info, too. Wish I had just put POP on the face, was trying to save a step, now don't even have the clay anymore!! BB

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:73308}}

I'm crying with you, BB. I've been sculpting a greenman face out of plasticene--it's a lot of work and a one-of-a-kind creation. I did a little practice casting with the clay and silicone and it worked well--I think it must have been the PAM that melted your clay. I may just mold mine out of POP to be sure, though.

Dena suggested using natural clay and I'm going to do that in the future. It's a lot easier to work with.

Deb

Deb, did you ever do any mold from your face work? How did it turn out? A few pieces of the silicone mold of my face actually survived, and I cast them in concrete just to see what it may have been. It would have been what I wanted if it had survived, I think. BB

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:73711}}

Hi BB,

Photobucket isn't opening up for me tonight, darnit. I took the greenman camping with me this weekend (now that sounds funny) and did a lot of work on it. It was a pretty cool project to be working on in the woods on the first weekend of Autumn--the weather was gorgeous! I'm carving the leaves instead of casting them so they'll blend with the face. It should be ready to cast in a couple of days. I've invested more time in it than I had planned and am worried about not getting a successful casting out of it.

Deb

Just in case he never emerges from the silicone, here's a picture of my greenman preserved for posterity. He's two colors because I ran out of the white.

Deb

Here is a link that might be useful: Plasticene Greenman

Very nice sculpting job, Deb. What an extraordinary look on his face.

Hey, if he's the god of the harvest, this is sort of a happily-offering-his-goodies-to-us-mortals kind of look. I like it.

pagan peak

you folk are very creative! tuanh

He looks GREAT! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you! What are you casting him in? POP? and then silicone? Let us know how it goes, if all goes well, my clay will come out of the closet again! Love the expression and the leaves look great! BB

I am new to the forum but have been experimenting in concrete. Here is a concrete face I did from a Halloween mask I found at a thrift store for $.99. The eyes didn't come out perfect--I taped them off and placed the mask in damp sand. I have been able to get 2 castings from the mask.
{{gwi:73715}}

Hi, Mudmaker~ Oh my Gosh! I just love that face!
I sure wish I could find one just like it!
If you ever want to sell it... let me know.
I'll definitely give you more than you paid for it!
The windswept hair and beard are too Kool!
That's the kind of stuff I really like.
You did a great job!
Mertie

mudmaker, you can spend $10-30 on molds that aren't as cool as your cheapo mask. Congrats on your excellent score and great casting.

peak

Mudmaker--I love that face! What a cool find--great job!

Deb

Y'all have some really nice faces goin on. Thanks for the polymeric sand site, I will check it out, could be very helpful, thanks again. I posted some of the faces I have tried, still a lot of room for improvement, but I'm workin on it.
Bonnie:)

Here is a link that might be useful: faces

Let me add this site to the FACE ideas. I just found it today. What inspiration! (I'm back after having to re-install my computer's operating system from scratch. Do NOT download and install Microsoft Service Pack-2 without reading the website precaustions!!!, it wiped out my computer!!! Microsoft tech support was very good to me over the last 5 days!!)BB

Here is a link that might be useful: Face sculptures

BB I'm glad you're back online! Those face sculptures are very cool. Adding more character to faces is something I'm going to work on in the future.

I've been pouring layers of POP on my greenman all week, certain he'd never emerge. After all, I haven't had very good luck with POP and I forgot to use a mold release. He came out intact with no serious undercuts and only a few bubbles.

I was able to pull the clay out in almost one piece so NOW I'm going to try a casting in silicone to hedge my bets.

Deb (doing a happy dance)

I hope this isn't a duplicate posting--I did it once and it didn't show up. Our internet service has been pretty glitchy lately.

Here is a link that might be useful: Greenman POP mold

Wow, Deb, he looks great! Don't you have to recast that, now, in POP to get a positive mold, and then do silicone? When are you gonna cast him? I can hardly wait! This positive/negative mold stuff takes time, doesn't it? BB

Great mold Deb. The more faces I see the more I want too try.
Joel

Deb,

This is really cool. I so admire people with sculpting abilities. Have you casted this yet, or are you still working on the silicone mold?

peak

Hi Peak, welcome back :-)

I haven't done anything with it all week except let it sit on the kitchen butcher-block cart. I hope to get some time this weekend to cast it.

Since the original modeling clay greenman emerged mostly intact, I'm going to try casting the POP mold before tackling a silicone mold. (If I get a successfuly casting I've got nothing to lose by putting silicone on the plasticene) The mold-making process is still pretty daunting--I'm looking for a class to take on it. It just seems like it should be simpler :-\

Thanks for all the words of encouragement. I think I'll try some more cement carving. Sculpting with a direct medium is a lot less frustrating!

Deb

Joe......I haven't posted pics in a thread for awhile so bare with me! right click on the pic you want to post. click on 'copy image location' go back to your post then type.... NO spaces except between the img and src... So it would look like this (minus the spaces) ....Now let's see if that's right?????

{{gwi:73716}}

Yeah it worked!!
I hope that made sense???

Bump

bump

Have you seen Dena' s latest creations?

Here is a link that might be useful: Peace in the garden

Just bought my first face mold on ebay. I have no idea what I'm doing, but hey, never stopped me before!! Again, I found this thread by browsing and thanks to the efforts of Dixiesmom and Lazydaisy, it hadn't yet dropped off into cyberspace. I don't know where to start. Should I go for something simple like a small tufa planter or trough just to get my feet (hands)wet? Nah, Let's go for the really complicated stuff so I can really get frustrated. Wish me luck!!
Jerrie

Okay...I am a greenhorn...could someone please tell me where I can find the steps to get started.....do I spray the mask with pam and then lay saran wrap over that or to I spray with pam ....fill with concrete or such and then cover with saran???? please help....thanks in advance....Tammy

Tammy,
See the directions in the plastic shells thread. It is the same basic method for casting a mask.
You can use Cooking spray or plastic. Depending on your mold you donÂt need both. If your mask is plastic and you want a smooth finish, just use the spray.

Here is a link that might be useful: Plastic shell molds

Thanks for the directions to some directions dixiemom...lol....Tammy

We've purchased a few face molds from E-Bay.Given the number of castings that we expect,we paid the 25-40 dollar range,and have not been disappointed.these are much stronger than the other masks that you can buy at your novelty store.For us,its practical.We want them to last!!

bump

This is a halloween mask I've been using, every time I cast him, he comes out different but always as very hoary dude. ; )
{{gwi:73717}}
The mask peels right off and is ready to go again.
Annie

I have just made my first hypertufa pot - it is still curing. As I looked through posts I noticed someone who made "faces" out of pringles cans (they looked like Easter Island faces). I cannot find that post now. I would like to know how to do this. At what point do you "carve" the face? Do you use the same mixture you use to make the hypertufa pots?
Help ! I am so new that I am not even familiar with all the terminology.

After much contemplation, I've used plastic spoons to fill in the empty eyes of masks I bought at a craft store.
seems to do the trick!

Hadn't thought about plastic spoons. I've been using tape but doesn't always give a nice eye ball.

I made one: 1. buy Halloween mask. 2 tape nose eyes and mouth closed. use expanding silicone and fill mask. 3. allow to dry 24- 48 hours 4. fill wheelbarrow 3/4 way with dry sand,5. press mask into dry sand ( the dry foam does not let the face collapse) 6. water gently with a mist all around the mask, (this takes a while) stop water some more, stop water some more..use a stick like a bamboo support and press it into the sand. when it shows that iit is wet to the bottom or almost, remove the mask SLOWLY.. here is the cast..I spooned the hypertufa into the chin, nose etc until the whole bottom was covered, then filled the rest..worked really well!! while it is curing use a pot or cardboard mold to form the back of the head, pretty easy to meld together with "hypertufa slip"
The second one, I just carved a face into the sand when it was wet , looked more like the easter island faces..
Of course owning a garden center we now do spring classes on making these and use older ones as the molds for the sand.