Construction Process Part 1: Feet Casts

Before I could begin constructing my tree I would need to find a place were I could store my work as I progressively continue the development of it of the course of the next couple of months. Luckily my friends Ashley Walker, Claire Lancaster, Lauren Ainsworth and Jessica Hunt have offered me their basement, a fairly large work space area, to store my work.

Not only have they given me a place to work on my project, but they have openly volunteered to help me out in the creating process as I will need more than one person at various stages to lend a hand. They also have some experience/knowledge coming from Fine Art backgrounds that will help influence the shape of this project. They will be a great asset for when it comes to assessing situations and specifications, coming up with alternative routes that I myself may not have considered, or even have knowledge about.       

On the 12th of October we began casting the body parts that would feature on my "human tree", starting with the feet as they will act as the support for the structure, located at the base of the trunk. The idea is to work from the bottom upwards, building up the support of the structure before I reach the top were there will be a considerable amount of weight that has the potential to cause collapsing issues.

Before casting commenced we made sure to watch as many tutorial videos on Youtube as possible, involving different body parts being casted so that we had gathered enough knowledge to be able to create the casts without wasting materials.

I have been buying most of my materials off Ebay to reduce the impact in cost as it seems to be the cheapest place to obtain the materials needed for the project, compared to the art store websites that I have scoured.

The main materials I used for my foot casts where;

 

- Alginate, a compound used for making body moulds.

- Herculite Plaster, to pour into the mould to create the cast.

- A plastic container big enough for my foot to fit in, but small enough to not waste valuable Alginate.

- Vaseline, to act as a lubricant to release yourself from the mould.

 

After I had lathered my foot with Vaseline, I placed it into the plastic container as the girls poured the Alginate in, making sure my entire foot was consumed so that it will make an effective impression.

The method we were using to make the mould was the simplest form as it doesn't involve creating a Mod-Roc support shell over the mould to make it durable enough to withstand the pouring of the plaster.

The Alginate is a quick setting compound, so once added with the right amount of water there is only a 90 second window for you to apply to the body part you wish to cast.

Now on each 454g packet of Alginate it clearly states that one back is enough to create a foot or hand impression. On our first try we did not stray from what it said on the packet, so worked to the guidelines given to us.

As the girls poured the Alginate into the tub we soon realised that there was clearly not enough to consume my foot. They franticly tried to scoop the compound over my foot as it quickly dried to see if it could create a suitable mould. Unfortunately the layer of Alginate was so thin that when releasing my foot from the mould it split.

Although the first mould had failed we could see that the impression had worked perfectly, and we now had a better idea of the correct measurements we would need to carry out to create the cast.

 

On our second attempt we used 2 packets of 454g of Alginate, again coming up short due to the size of the plastic container, but this time we were able to create a much thicker layer.
Once applied you can see the change in the Alginate as it turns from a pastey grey colour to a pink, indicating that it has dried.
After only 5 minutes I could feel my foot begin to release itself from the Alginate, which then enabled me to slide my foot out without splitting the impression. With the success of our second mould it was now time to create the cast.

The Herculite plaster isn't as fast setting as the Alginate, therefore if there if any error is made in the amount needed it can be quickly rectified. We carefully measured out the Herculite, mixed it with the correct amount of water and then proceeded to pour it into the mould.

 

 

Within the space of 5-10 minutes the plaster is hard enough for the surrounding mould to be stripped away, leaving the plastered cast of the body part. The final outcome can be seen below.

The detail that can be captured through the moulding/casting process is outstanding, which creates effective realism perfect for my project.
The cast itself is fairly heavy in nature, so will act as a great foundation at the base of the tree to create sustainability and sturdiness.
Over the course of this primary cast I have already been met with some minor hiccups. It seems that the Alginate is only good for one mould, one cast, as it breaks down far too quickly. With the amount of casts that needs to be done, using Alginate will not only be a long process but also quite costly.
I reverted back to some of the Youtube tutorials we had watch previously to see watch materials they  used/recommended when it came to making casts. Alginate is highly recommended when it comes to making only one cast, but when involving multiple casts Body Double Silicone is the product of choice.

This product is expensive to say the least, but when calculating how much Alginate I would need to construct my whole tree the cost of the Body Double Silicone out weighs the cost of the Alginate by a clear mile.
The specifications of the Body Double Silicone are far better than the Alginate. The Silicone can create moulds that can last years and be reused multiple times to create casts, which means rather than constantly casting a body part over and over only one cast of each body part would be needed. This impression could then be filled with plaster to create the cast, be carefully peeled away and then used again. This will cut not only my costs down but also the time it will take to create all my casts. Not only this but it is a lot better for capturing fine detail compared to the Alginate.
The duration of casting all the feet lasted over a period of 7 days due to waiting for new materials to arrive.

The applying method had to be changed due to the amount of Silicone that is supplied in a  pot, so a tub could not be filled and my foot submerged. This time my foot had to be painted with the Silicone, ensuring that all areas were completely covered, and then a Mod Roc casing made to support the mould for when the plaster is being added to create the cast.
Covering the heel with the Silicone would obviously cause as an obstruction as to removing the mould, but it really wasn't a necessity to have it covered anyway because the heel wouldn't be seen once the feet are merged into the tree's roots which I will be constructing at a later date.
Using the Silicone in the way I did meant it could be easily removed, almost like a sock, and then this mould could be continuously used for multiple casts. This is the beauty of the Body Silicone.
It is a necessity that Body Double Release Cream is bought with the product and added to the area you are casting, applying as thick as possible so that the removal of the mould is easy and doesn't risk potential damage/tearing.
In my head I thought there could have been potential risks due to the fact that I had changed the moulding process, and with trying to cast something that in the end is going to be a three dimensional object it meant that there was more potential for failure applying the Silicone this way.
Having a low quantity of the product meant that if anything did go wrong there wasn't much room for experimenting, even though from the first time applying the material you can kind of judge how things are going to turn out and how you will need to improve them instantly.
If anything did go wrong with the first mould of my right foot, then I would do another right foot and continue on without moulding a left foot, to insure that materials were not wasted. Luckily both moulds turned out great.

The only problem that we hit was trying to get the moulds back into the Mod Roc cast, this proved to be a struggle that could not be overcome. Therefore each mould just had to be propped up and filled with the plaster, which inevitably caused a few misshapen feet at first. This meant that once the plaster had started to dry and became not so loose, we were able to manipulate the moulds to ensure that the final casts were more foot shaped.
I was highly impressed with the Body Double Silicone, a product that is definitely worth future use within this project.
Seven casts in total were made ready to be adapted into the roots of the tree once I begin construction of the trunk. I love how each cast is different in its own way even though the same mould may have been used for multiple casts. Misshapen toes, lumps and bumps in certain areas. The fact that each one is different in its own right, yet it's the same foot is a aesthetic that I much love about this piece so far.
Seeing the project progressing and seeing it progress in such a timely manor is getting me excited about moving that step forward to the final outcome of my "Human Tree".