How To Make Molds, Toys, & Resin Figurines, From Start To Finish!!!

Solomon here! I'm going to show you how to make toys and collectibles step by step from sculpting into creating a mold,casting and etching and painting process. 

 Supplies needed: Super Sculpey, 2 part rubber, cardboard, Xacto blade w/ extra blades. Bag of large rubber bands. Mold Ease release, Sealer, &
2 part plastic/resin.
                             
                                       Casting supplies can be found at http://smooth-on.com

1. First you want to take you sweet time and sculpt a cool piece, figurine, or whatnot out of Super Sculpey polymer clay.

 Seriously if you want the best sculpture Super Sculpey is the best really soft but yet smooth and it stay more hydrated than regular Sculpey. Its not the same result as a roto-cast from machine but it will give you the closest look for your time invested. Don't use regular clays they are way too brittle, and don't use the "never" drying clays. You cant cook them to finalize your master sculpt. I use the "never drying clays" to sculpt my mold's impression around the piece, which leads us to the next section.

 2. Construct a box for your mold and make sure there is enough space for your hand and your clay that you use to make the mold. Not too much space around the object because then you will waste rubber later when pour your mold its better to conserve the rubber at least until after you pour the first half.  Before you pour the mold make sure you use the non drying clay to surround the master sculpt with a nice seal all the way around the hand.  IN this example you see a 2 part mold being created. This is essential only if your piece doesn't have a flat back as some wall hanging/ornaments.

 After you finish the first half of the clay go back and smooth it as clean as possible this will insure that you have a nice seal with the mold comes together, usually un-smoothed clay will make for a crappy mold later so take your time...this is like changing diapers, don't rush take it easy!

 Next carefully take an end of a pen and push holes in the clay 1-2 inches away from the edge where the sculpt meets the clay so that you dont break the seal. This will ensure the rubber will not leak into the bottom part of the piece in this case the bottom part of the hand. The holes should only go a fraction of an inch deep.

 These holes are for the impression the rubber make when its poured into the mold. It will produce a positive side and later a negative side from the positive thus creating the full 2 part mold needed for a mass production.

 3. Place this entire piece into your box. The walls of the box will hold in the rubber. And now its time for an important part...AIRFLOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!  AIR FLOW, AIRFLOW, saves LIVES!!! Its all about airflow. You need to create tubes of negative space for air to travel to keep bubbles from getting trapped in you mold and ruining your cast.

The best way to do this is to get coffee straws, save yourself some headache and get these from Starbucks or McDonald's they don't sell them at Walmart, or grocery stores. SMH!

 Cut at an angle to fit your piece these and then use super glue to bond them to the master. These tubes should run from the piece straight to the top of the box where the pouring will take place. Then take a big piece of clay and create a fat funnel shaped cone and place it in the highest point of the master sculpt and wedge it between the top of the box the same as the straws. This will be your main pour hole, while the other holes create ventilation.

4. Next after a everything's in place you need you pour your rubber, usually 2 part mixed rubber found at http://smooth-on.com. Follow the mixing directions EXACTLY!!!!  The next thing you'll do is spray a sealer and mold release from the same company over your piece and let dry dont pour the rubber when its wet...wait at least 15-20 minutes. It should dry to an oily residue when ready. Next pour the rubber as follows in part 5.


5. Time to pour, when doing this aim for the lowest point of the box and let the rubber fill up slowly, this pushes all of the air out from the bottom up ensure no bubbles get trapped in the rubber. Dont pour all over it will makes bubbles and ruin the mold....remember from the lowest point up. Wait until dry as according to instructions and then strip away the entire box and clay around the piece but DO NOT peel the hard rubber from the piece so BE CAREFUL!!!!!! Dont break the seal from the master to the rubber VERY IMPORTANT! When the box is stripped away it should look like this. Then you carefully pull out the clay around the piece.

Once all of the clay is out you should see a flat box of rubber with a huge dip from the clay dome you made with a new positive male ending all around the first half. Once you have this clean from clay apply the release and sealer as before and pour into the huge dip to create the second half. To prevent spillage you may want to create another box around your rubber block with a lip right above the rubber your pouring into. In our case here the dip from the other side of the hand is so far down I only need to pour into the hole. After it drys pull out the master , straws, pour hole clay, box and all, you should be left with a positive and negative sides as shown.

 6. Put the mold together, and then cut wedges into the corners of the mold with an Xacto blade to hold the rubber bands in place when you cast your pieces.

After your mold is done strap on the rubber band to hold into place. Use alot of them to keep a good shape to the mold so it doesn't warp the mold. The more rubber bands and the thicker the molds rubber the better.

 Mix the two part plastic or resin as instructed and pour into main pour hole. When your straw holes fill up from the inside out, and the main pour hole stays filled, you know its full. After a while you'll know its dry with the plastic on the top is dry.As shown above. It should still be kind of hot when you pull it out its the best time to trim it while its luke warm or hot because the Xacto with cut all of the excess plastic off like butter...if the plastic cools, IT WILL BE A PAIN to cut. With the straw holes and everything it should look like model cars do when they come attached to the plastic frame or airflow tubes, as you've learned here.

 If you dont have airflow and you aren't doing a hand /machine tossed mold, you'll be looking at a crappy bubbled casting...and also the realization that your mold is worthless. AIRFLOW is the key!!!!!

                  Repeat until you have the number of units you require. Now its time to paint them up!!!!

7. Wash them in the sink or tub with dawn the warm water this will release oils on the surface that will prevent the paint from sticking to the surface. Let them soak for an hour or more...scrub them with a rag or toothbrush.

After this dry them with a towel and grab these supplies for the next steps.  Airbrush supplies paint gun,etc.
Or acrylic paints,.but before any of this happens get an etching primer. Automotive etching primer made to bond metals is the best for paint adhesion.

 

 This stuff can be found at most auto stores, save the headache and just go to Auto Zone.

After these have a nice couple of coats let it set for an hour or so it can bond to the resin. Then paint your pieces as desired.

8. Next sell them, give them away, get bragging rights from your new toy line, or whatever. I like to go all out and make boxes and sticker labels for my product. Use one sample and ship it overseas for huge productions at the lowest cost possible.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial for my Multi-Purpose Zombie Hand TM.  Its an ashtray, change/ storage unit, gag gift, paper weight, and a collectible figurine!  If you'd liked the lesson and it helped you, you can help me by buying one these hand made pieces with FREE shipping straight to your door....

Austin Art Boards Welcomes Serendipitous by Solomon Perry!

Solomon Perry has officially won a spot on the Austin Art Boards this year! We're so excited about this opportunity that we decided to do a limited run of these as 8.5 X 24 prints (art only), signed and shipped to you for only $40. They are going fast so to order your print today:

See more of Solomon's illusions at http://3dillusionart.com

Austin Hip Hop Nightlife

Tired of trying to find the LIVEST hip hop events in Austin only to find out you missed it? Are you new to Austin?  We have a treat for you, by signing in below you'll find out about the best hip hop shows in the ATX.

Simply put you email below and find out about the Austin hip hop scene and recieve emails about the hottest parties!

Stop Stress & Anxiety in 7 Steps

Stress is a serious modern-day factor in everyone’s health, including men. Daily tension and emotional strain has been linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, migraine headaches, and many other chronic illnesses. Men experiencing high levels of stress can also experience anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, and depression, and are very likely to turn to unhealthy habits like smoking, drinking, overeating, and/or drug abuse to help deal with that stress.

     Illustration by Solomon Perry


Why Is Stress So Dangerous?
Stress is harmful because it presses biological buttons inside men that have long outlived their usefulness. When a man had to battle wild animals to save his family, that stress prompted certain fight-or-flight responses within his body:
• The heart rate soared to send more blood to the brain, improving quick decision-making.
• Blood shunted into the large muscles of the arms and legs to provide more strength and speed, and away from the gut.
• Blood sugar rose to provide more fuel for quick energy.
• Blood began to clot more quickly, to prevent blood loss from wounds or internal damage.
All of these natural emergency responses were necessary – at that time. But perpetually living in that same fight-or-flight response mode can be deadly, since it prevents the body from being able to take care of itself through normal and essential daily functions.
So, what’s a guy to do?
1. Sleep well. Good nutrition and 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night can help your body recover from past stress and be better prepared to deal with new stress. Avoid caffeine and other stimulants that might promote stress and sleeplessness. It’s hard, but try to limit your alcohol, which might deepen any depression you may be feeling.
2. Exercise regularly. Exercise has been proven to reduce stress levels, helping you burn off pent-up energy and tension. It also improves overall health.
3. Figure out the cause of your stress. Dealing with the problems that cause tension can relieve you of that stress. Inaction just allows it to build. Instead, talk to people and work on finding effective solutions. Also, ask for some assistance if you can’t meet all the demands placed on you.
4. Adjust your everyday behaviors. If possible, try to time your daily commute to avoid rush hour. Shop when you know the store won’t be packed with people. Cut down on the time you spend with people
who get on your nerves. Schedule your time well and determine the most important of the tasks you’re trying to handle, methodically completing those first, then moving on to less critical jobs. Resist trying to do multiple projects at once. Don’t overpromise, and give yourself time to finish the things you do agree to tackle.
5. Adopt a more positive attitude. Always looking on the sunny side sounds cliché, but it does work. Having a negative outlook can turn even the most minor annoyances into huge problems in your mind.
6. Accept the things you can’t change. There are going to be things in your life that you can’t control, no matter how hard you try. Instead, look for ways to enjoy uncontrollable circumstances (for example, if it’s snowing outside, have a snowball fight with your kids, or enjoy some hot chocolate and a good movie with your significant other).
7. Celebrate your victories. When you accomplish a personal goal or finish a major project, do something nice for yourself. It can be as simple as getting a massage or as extravagant as taking a weekend getaway. Celebrate your achievement before you jump into the next project.
Your outlook is such an important factor in how your body deals with stress. Following the above steps will help you put stress in perspective and start enjoying your life.

What Are The Phantazm Kids / Grimnasty Stickers About?

What started as an artist, putting stickers on store shelves quickly grew into a movement. "People have a hard time not sticking up Garbage Pail Kids, says recording/graffiti artist Grimnasty. Constantly I tell my fans not to place these up, but when kids grab several at a time out of the stack on store shelves, the extras get thrown up in the most random of places." Grimnasty spends alot of time in the lab under a rock to even know how many are in circulation, but it doesnt take a scavenger hunt to see them around town and state to state. Keep up with this emerging artist online!

http://grimnasty.com             http://youtube.com/grimnastytv             http://facebook.com/grimnasty

BUY THIS T-SHIRT NOW: https://www.reverbnation.com/store/store/artist_903060?item_type=merchandise

How To Do Proffesional Graffiti

The trick to getting clean graffiti is cutting your lines. Overlaying the paint again and again will assure your lines are sharp and proffesional like the pros. This is an easy trick but still requires practice to get it perfect. Check out this episode of Grim Does Graf Good on youtube to see it in live action.

View Episode!

Underwater 3d Warehouse Mural

This awesome mural, which is one of Solomon's 3d illusion works, depicts an underwater landscape from another planet, Planet K that is!!! What makes the illusion so awesome is that it appears to be a squared suspended blob of water that has all kinds of alien creatures coming out of it Stay tuned as this piece unfolds on our blog, Art, Music, and Invention!  http://3dillusionart.com

 

Awesome Graffiti and Bad Babes

 Awesome abstract graffiti by artist Grimnasty, done in Austin, TX. Its hard to tell for some viewers but this is all done completely in spray can.

You can make elaborate paintings of all types even photorealistic, depending on desired result and time blending. The tight lines are created by confident strokes,overlaying, or cutting the lines. See it live here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOkly-_Vpcw

How to do Amazing Trompe L'oeil Art by Solomon Perry

 First thing you want to do is create a detailed sketch of how the illusion will be created over the space.

 Then the next step is to draw out the perspective dimension over the area. This can take from 8hrs to a couple of days..but this must not be of concern, becasue doing it right will leave a lasting impression.

3d illusion complete..this one took a few days and can have much more detail depending on desired result. See more http://3dillusionart.com     Happy painting,if this tutorial helped you please leave feedback thanks!

Fun 3d Illusions For Kids

Fasinating fun 3d art created by Solomon Perry for children  http://3dillusionart.com

How to make bad ass characters!

How are cool chatacters done?.......                         

.....magic


http://grimnasty.com             http://youtube.com/grimnastytv             http://facebook.com/grimnasty

BUY THIS T-SHIRT NOW: https://www.reverbnation.com/store/store/artist_903060?item_type=merchandise



















http://grimnasty.com

PlanetK X Grimnasty X SXSW 2013

This took place at Castle Hill SXSW 2013 and still stands till this day, it was a bunch of fun and thanks to Planet K for sponsoring the paint!!!! http;//planetktexas.com

                                                                   http://grimnasty.com