Hey!
I’m a GCSE art student looking for a bit of advice,
I’m hoping to create a cast of an anatomical heart for my final piece, preferably hollow as I’d also like to fill it with small LED lights for like,,, art i guess
However, my experience of casting is laughably limited for someone like yourself
I’ve been reading through your articles comparing materials, and on hollow casting (super helpful btw!!) but I was wondering if you had any slightly more specific advice; I’m looking for something cheapish that will be translucent enough to emit light, but strong enough to hold together, at least for the examiners!
Also uhh hopefully something that isn’t so wonderfully challenging i’d need years of practise to get it right,,,
Thank you so much, sorry for the wordy request, hope it’s not too much bother!
Love the blog!!
Thanks again!
You could try clear epoxy glue from Poundland .. works like a thick resin. You need to mix up in small amounts and paste into a silicone mould to make a shell. It can be coloured with very small amounts of oil paint. Very cheap to get a tube and try at least.
Hi David,
You are an excellent resource for Model makers and artist! Thank you for your informative website
Do you have experience casting a figure with “clay slip” from a silicone mold?
I am sure it would work but I imagine it would take a long time to dry.
I look forward to your reply.
Ha! No .. no chance I’m afraid! But it’s easy enough to do it the ‘right’ way. Clay slip needs to be poured into an absorbent plaster mould. If it’s an involved form then the plaster mould needs to be in more than one part, interlocking but detachable. After being poured in, the clay slip develops a ‘rind’ where it’s touching the plaster and if left long enough this rind can form quite thick (it’s how most ceramic figures are done). The leftover clay slip that hasn’t become part of the rind is poured out, and the whole left (perhaps a few hours) until the form has shrunk just a little and the now leather-hard clay figure can be carefully removed from the mould. On a non-absorbent surface clay slip will just stay like that. or perhaps might dry out eventually .. but taking a number of years I’d guess.
davidneat 
Hey!
I’m a GCSE art student looking for a bit of advice,
I’m hoping to create a cast of an anatomical heart for my final piece, preferably hollow as I’d also like to fill it with small LED lights for like,,, art i guess
However, my experience of casting is laughably limited for someone like yourself
I’ve been reading through your articles comparing materials, and on hollow casting (super helpful btw!!) but I was wondering if you had any slightly more specific advice; I’m looking for something cheapish that will be translucent enough to emit light, but strong enough to hold together, at least for the examiners!
Also uhh hopefully something that isn’t so wonderfully challenging i’d need years of practise to get it right,,,
Thank you so much, sorry for the wordy request, hope it’s not too much bother!
Love the blog!!
Thanks again!
You could try clear epoxy glue from Poundland .. works like a thick resin. You need to mix up in small amounts and paste into a silicone mould to make a shell. It can be coloured with very small amounts of oil paint. Very cheap to get a tube and try at least.
Hi David,
You are an excellent resource for Model makers and artist! Thank you for your informative website
Do you have experience casting a figure with “clay slip” from a silicone mold?
I am sure it would work but I imagine it would take a long time to dry.
I look forward to your reply.
Ha! No .. no chance I’m afraid! But it’s easy enough to do it the ‘right’ way. Clay slip needs to be poured into an absorbent plaster mould. If it’s an involved form then the plaster mould needs to be in more than one part, interlocking but detachable. After being poured in, the clay slip develops a ‘rind’ where it’s touching the plaster and if left long enough this rind can form quite thick (it’s how most ceramic figures are done). The leftover clay slip that hasn’t become part of the rind is poured out, and the whole left (perhaps a few hours) until the form has shrunk just a little and the now leather-hard clay figure can be carefully removed from the mould. On a non-absorbent surface clay slip will just stay like that. or perhaps might dry out eventually .. but taking a number of years I’d guess.