The Head Casting Procedure

This is not a beginner project. Please gain some experience with alginate by doing some face casting before you attempt the head cast. We do NOT currently have a kit for this.

Difficulty Level: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

You will need:

The entire procedure should take no more than 30-40 minutes.

This technique uses a solid plaster bandage rear section and the "perimeter frame" alginate technique. Do NOT put Vaseline or any oil based product on the skin. A good quality water based face cream is acceptable. Alginate will NOT stick to any skin areas that have been treated with an oil based release like Vaseline.

This model had a shaved head, but you can apply a "bald cap" before doing this procedure, or you can completely soak the model's hair with Cholesterol or some other water based hair cream. The alginate will not stick to it if you do this.

We begin by establishing our parting line with a perimeter frame of plaster bandages. Top of the shoulders up over the top of the skull, then back down to the other shoulder.

We fill in behind the ear with several short pieces of plaster bandage. Try to just "support" the ears", not distort them. In this mold, our parting line will be just behind the outer ring of the ear.

We also establish the bottom edge of the casting with a line of plaster bandage.

Then we fill in the back of the frame with several layers of bandages. In most cases, the form and volume of the back of the head is sufficient and detail is not needed.

If you need to get a mold of the actual hair, it is a much more difficult procedure- not covered here.

Put on at least 3 layers of bandage. Four would be better. Some straight up and down, some sideways.

Remember, this shell must be quite strong because it needs to support the weight of the casting stone that will be poured into it without distorting.

Keep the parting line (front edge) of the plaster bandages smooth.

When you're done with the back shell, draw a line about 1 inch back from the front edge of the plaster shell. Make it dark so you can see it well.

Draw the line from shoulder to shoulder. Then put a thin coat of petroleum jelly (Vaseline) on the rear shell from the front edge to slightly past the line you just drew. THIS IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT !!!!!!

We're going to put more plaster bandages over this area and we don't want the front shell to stick to the rear one. If it does, we won't be able to separate the two halves and your model will not be happy.

Then finish the front perimeter up and over the head, overlapping the rear shell just to our line. Now's the time to mix your alginate. We're using about 1 pound of our 590-IBG formula alginate for this job but 680-LS or 880 would also work fine. The first time you do this, use our 880 alginate as you will probably need the extra working time.

We're mixing with a power drill and Jiffy Mixer in a large Tupperware container. With this method, you will get a smooth, homogeneous mix in about 40 seconds so you'll have more time for application.

BIG TIP: Run your drill in reverse (anti-clockwise) to avoid whipping in a lot of air bubbles. The drill should be pulling UP from the bottom, not sucking down from the top.

We use a catheter tip syringe (no needle- AVAILABLE on our website) to squirt alginate into the folds of the ear. This type of syringe is available through veterinary supply stores of we can sell you one. We use a 35cc model, but a 60cc model will also work fine.

Once the ears are done, we plop a big handfull of alginate right on the subject's head and work it down around his face

Our current formulation of this alginate doesn't flow as much as the one we used for these pictures.

Pay particular attention to the inner corners of the eyes. Tell the subject to close their eyes tightly and use your thumb to push alginate into these areas. Also very important is to keep the nose clear so they can breath.

A good suggestion is to work from the outside- inward toward the nose. Do the nose last so you can concentrate on it.

There's more detail on the nose portion of the procedure on the Face Casting Procedure page.

Now we fill in the front perimeter frame with bandages. We make sure to adhere these bandages to the 3/4 inch we just revealed, but not to any part of the rear perimeter frame. Again, 3 or 4 layers of bandage are usually sufficient.

In this way, we are "pinching" the alginate between two layers of plaster bandage all the way around the perimeter which keeps the alginate securely "trapped" in the plaster bandage shell.

Do the nose last. Put one thin strip down between the nostrils.

Make sure your subject is comfortable along the way. Most people report being very relaxed by this point. Its quiet, dark and a little warm- almost time for a nap.

During this photoshoot, someone got the bright idea to make a handprint on the outer shell. There's nothing wrong with a little horseplay as long as the model isn't bothered or freaked out by it. Also its pretty unfair to try to make the model laugh. It won't be funny at all if the mold gets ruined.

When the plaster bandages are completely set, pry open the joint between the two shells. It shouldn't be difficult if you've done it right. The handle of a spoon makes a great tool.

When its loose all the way around, have the subject lean forward and wiggle his facial muscles (squint, purse their lips, raise and lower their eyebrows, etc. This will help loosen the alginate from the skin.

Also important is to tell them to keep their eyes closed for a few seconds because it can seem very bright.

Examine your mold, put some plaster bandage and/or more alginate over the open nostril holes. Cover all exposed interior plaster surfaces with petroleum jelly (Vaseline). Reassemble the two halves and glue the joint with more plaster bandages.

Put the mold into a bucket with padding in it with the neck facing up. Mix up your Gypsum Cement or LiquiStone and pour. You might want to put a pipe into the neck- sticking out- so you can mount the head on a wood base. Metal pipe or Schedule 40 PVC work just fine. If you drill a couple of holes in the pipe where it will be submerged in the Gypsum, you will get a stronger attachment between the stone and the pipe.