Making a Dracula in hydrostone

[KGeo777]

I made a video of the process I use to make a Hammer Dracula head.

It could be really boring but I try to make it entertaining. I got my first iphone this year--it's kind of fun making videos and adding the music.

 

[M. Robert Gibson]

Never has plaster casting been more sinister

 

[Foxbat]

I’d be interested in trying this so I have a question: did you make the mold yourself or did you buy it?

 

[KGeo777]

I made it myself. My molds are way too sloppy to be store bought.

Took me a long time to figure out how to do it reasonably well.
The nice thing about them is that you can put different kinds of clay into the molds and then make objects from that too.
The mold is rubber--so it removes easily.
But I use silicon caulk and usually people use brush on silicon for it.

 

[Foxbat]

Thanks for the info. You’ve got me thinking….is there anything I have at home that I can slap some silicon around and make a mold….

 

[Droflet]

KGeo, you are someone of seemingly limitless talents. Very well done. I loved the music as well.

 

[KGeo777]

Thanks. I try to keep busy.
I like adding the music to things--I wish I could compose music. I am not able to come up with interesting tunes but I have been playing around with Muse Score.

Some people say my best sculpture is Michael Ripper-which I did in 2 weeks. But I think my best are the Collinson Twins.

It took me 4 months to sculpt them. Mike Hill, who was perhaps the first to do Hammer sculptures, he complimented me on them.

I like the idea of doing obscure portraits that are expressive. Doing a face is one thing, but doing it with a scream or a laugh or something--especially if you want it to resemble someone, that's a challenge. Especially if you have to use decades-old references.

I switched to Monster Clay, which is pretty good--you can get really fine details--I also do digital sculpting but I don't like it. I don't want to buy a 3d printer--it's not really worth it from all I hear. I did a Ursula Andress multi-figure project as a test-full figure with a feather cape but I don't when that would be printed.
I like doing faces but bodies are tedious and feather-making was just too much.
It's more rewarding doing it with your hands.

 

[KGeo777]

I converted a Dracula into a Saruman to see if it draws more intere$t on Ebay. Old white t-shirts come in handy.

 

[KGeo777]

Thanks for the info. You’ve got me thinking….is there anything I have at home that I can slap some silicon around and make a mold….

You have to make sure you use a mold release--like a urethane spray--otherwise the object will stick to the silicon.
I never had a problem because I picked the clay out of the mold -- I like having nothing against the surface of the clay but it's better to get the silicon separated from the mold.
There's a good video with a talking puppet which explains the process using brush on silicon and resin.

 

[paranoid marvin]

I converted a Dracula into a Saruman to see if it draws more intere$t on Ebay. Old white t-shirts come in handy.

View attachment 82272

Quite handy having the same actor playing both characters!

Perhaps you could do a 'Lord Summerisle' next?

 

[KGeo777]

Yes I could.
That was the idea behind doing the portraits. I could do endless variations--Peter Cushing as Dr Terror etc.. But then I would need hat and glasses..hard to make those. I jump around too much in focus. It's not a business--I sell rarely. I mostly made them for myself and was surprised when anything did sell. I used to do bird bath sculptures for a company but it was so boring.

I had a Peter Cushing Gandalf I made--it was displayed in a local art show here but didn't sell and I doubt anyone knew who it was either-and it was sitting in a cupboard for a few years (with a broken nose I had to fix)- that was what inspired me to turn a Dracula into Saruman. I am making a new video (I will post it here) and after studying the Cushing Gandalf head-I decided I didn't want to sell it! I took it off Ebay. I really fuss about the eyes.

It took me three attempts each to get a decent Lee and Cushing face--they are the hardest to do. It's hard to find a good likeness of Christopher Lee--the Saruman Sideshow statue looks good but the Dracula ones available by them don't really look like much. Steve Thompson did a good Lee statue for Dracula AD 72. It was a bust diorama of him and Caroline Munro and then he did a full figure version.

My work rarely gets seen in person so it is nice to make a video to show them at angles.
I have to work on the music for it next.

 

[KGeo777]

Here's a new video.
This is a lot of older work first--and then I show my more recent Hammer-related sculptures.

 

[KGeo777]

Another How To video