Some new work

A very sexy butt...I love body casting...

This is fairly easy to do... It does not take years of partice to master the craft. In fact, If given proper instructions, anyone can make a casting like this at the firts attempt. It does not cost a fortune either.  My life casting tutorial shows you every steps... Happy casting

How to cast bronze

If you have made a beautiful life casting, and object of such great quality that it deserves to be made into something more noble and more durable than plaster or resin, you may want to consider casting it in Bronze.

Bronze casting evqoues ideas of a large industrial foundry with heavy equipment and a gang of heavily protected men working in hot and noisy environment.

It does not need to be that way... in fact you can easily cast your saml bronze at home cheaply, safely and to a high degree of quality.

I have written a step by step insruction manual teaching how to cast bronze over a 5 days parctical project. I guarantee than if you follow my instruction you will cast a bronze object. I have adpated the lost wax ceramic shell technique to make it possible in the home backyard.

A Life casting book with a twist

I found this other body casting instruction book "Manuela's manual"

Manuela wrote a very good casting tutorial but instead of using a female torso as an example, she used a vulva... This makes for very interesting reading...

Check it out, (adults only)

Bronze Casting Workshops on Waiheke Island

Bronze casting workshop.
Hands-on, practical creative workshop with Olivier Duhamel on Waiheke Island.

Read details below or visits bodyscape.net.nz 5 days Bronze Casting Workshop $600 Two options: 1- Five consecutive days (Monday to Friday) 2- Two consecutive week ends Course outline: This 5 or 4 day practical workshop teaches the lost wax technique as used by modern art foundries. The process has been adapted and scaled down to make it easily achievable. The workshop demystifies the bronze casting process and is suitable to anyone over the age of 16. Sculptors, ceramicists, glass artists, wood carvers, furniture and classical boat restorers, DIY enthusiasts, art students, craft people, model makers, jewellers and goldsmiths and any creative person wanting to expand their skills and knowledge. No previous experience necessary. At the end of the course, students have made a solid and durable bronze sculpture. Topics: Day one - Wax working. Students are making a small sculpture in wax. - Advantages of wax as a sculpting medium - What is wax? - Safety considerations - Melting wax - Sculpting (Painting, modelling, carving, texturing) - Some models ideas and design criteria at the bottom of this page. Day Two - "Sprueing" The wax sculpture will then prepared for the mold. The basics or wax working are further explored. - Basic principle - Making wax cups - Making wax rods and tubes - Assembling the Mold - Welding wax Day 3 - "Shelling up" The wax structure is encased in a ceramic mold, called “shell”, which is painted in its liquid form in several layers over the wax and then left to dry. Take the afternoon off to visit our wonderful Island (Art galleries, vineyards, beaches, walking tracks and more...) - Mixing the “slurry” (Molochite Flour – Colloidal Silica ) - The importance of drying. - Pre-coat - First coat - Second coat Applying the "slurry" Day Four - Finishing the shell The shell is further build up - Third, fourth and fifth coat Dewaxing. Once the shell is dry, you will use a gas torch to melt the wax out of the shell. This is called “de-waxing” or “burning out”. You will then have an empty negative of your original shape, - Using a strong gas torch - Avoiding fissures - Fixing fissures - Reinforcing the shell Day Five - Baking, melting and finishing. Baking the shell - A simple ceramic blanket furnace - Setting the shell upside down in sand Melting and pouring A simple temporary furnace needs to be built and metal melted inside a crucible before it is poured in the empty shell. This is the most exciting part of the process. Do not be intimidated, the method is both safe and easy. - Constructing a simple furnace - Safety considerations - Adjusting the gas torch - Evaluating metal temperature - Pouring Knocking off and chasing Once the metal has cooled and solidified, the shell can be knocked off to free the newborn bronze sculpture. It will then need to be cleaned and any imperfections smoothed out. This process is called “chasing”. - Knocking off the shell - Cleaning off the ceramic shell - Cutting off "sprues" - Fixing defects "Knocking off" Cleaning the ceramic off the bronze Patina Finally, the new sculpture will be given a surface finish. This is known as patina. - Heat patina - Natural patina - Chemical patina - Final sealing For the week end option, the tutor will finishing the shells (day 3 and 4) on behalf of the students during the week so that the second week end is dedicated to melting the metal and finishing the pieces. Course Roll: Minimum 4 students- Maximum 8 All materials included. No previous experience necessary. Dress appropriately. No particular physical strength required. Watch a video clip of what you will be doing during the workshop. Pricing, bookings and Inquiries: The Bronze casting workshop cost $600 and includes all material as well as a free copy of the "Bronze casting manual" Inquiries to Olivier Duhamel 09 372 7220 or Olivier.Duhamel@bodyscape.net.nz Secure your place now.  A $100 deposit will secure your place now. The balance is due on the first day. Dates: 5 day workshop Monday 19 September to Friday 23 September 2011 Monday 10 October to Friday 14 October 2011 Monday 14 November to Friday 18 November 2011 Monday 12 December to Friday 16 December 2011 Monday 23 January to Friday 27 January 2012 Monday 20 February to Friday 24 February 2012 Monday 19 March to Friday 23 March 2012 Monday 16 April to Friday 20 April 2012 Monday 21 May to Friday 25 May 2012 2 week ends workshop Sat/Sun26-27 November 2011 and Sat/Sun 3-4 December 2011 Sat/Sun3-4 March 2012 and Sat/Sun 10-11 March 2012 Ask me for future dates. What to bring? Simply bring something to eat for lunch (sandwich etc...) and perhaps togs and towel for a swim at the beach. Bring old clothes that you will not fear soiling. Bring a camera to record the action. Discounts: Get a group of 5 friends together and get your own workshop 1/2 price. Gift vouchers: gift vouchers are available for purchase and are valid for 12 months. Location:  Depending on weather and numbers, the workshop is held either at the tutor's studio 49 Church bay road in Oneroa or at the Redshed Art Collectives on Palm beach "The Redshed", Palm beach View Larger Map Ferry timetable: From Downtown Auckland with Fullers From Half Moon bay (Howick) with Sealink Buying 10 trips ticket will save you money. You can easily travel every day from Auckland or decide to stay on the Island for a few days. See accommodation options below. Accommodation: Waiheke Island Resort www.waihekeresort.co.nz Palm Beach Bungalows www.palmbeachbungalows.com Hekerua Lodge www.hekerualodge.co.nz Kina backpackers kinabackpackers.co.nz The Boat Shed www.boatshed.co.nz (5 stars) Delamore Lodge www.delamorelodge.com (5 stars) Many other options: Waiheke Unlimited Or stay with your tutor's family and enjoy traditional french family cooking. ($50 per night per person, including breakfast and dinner.) Testimonials "It was all very clear. We had a good time making new friends. I feel I have learnt enough to cast more bronzes by myself at home" Trudy, the Netherland "It was awesome Olivier. I loved my bronze retreat on Waiheke. Learning new skills, making new friends, having a few beers, swims at the beach... and a beautiful sculpture. A week well invested!" Debbie, Kunuaka “Thank you for the pleasant time I spent with you learning bronze casting techniques. You are a great teacher and good company too. I like my little whale and will display it proudly.” J.Worsell – Auckland Your Tutor: Olivier Duhamel is a figurative sculptor specialising in bronze figurines. Classical and elegant in style, his creations do not convey any particular message, do not attempt any conceptual or symbolist exploration, nor do they search to be innovative at all cost. Olivier Duhamel is rather simply trying to capture the beauty and sensuality of his subject of study. Like few other sculptors, Olivier Duhamel casts his own bronzes in is home foundry. This allows him to maintain full control over the entire creative process. He prides himself on the quality of his craftsmanship. A New Zealander since 1987 French born Olivier Duhamel lives and works on Waiheke Island. He warmly welcomes visitors to his home studio and workshop. His bronze works are sold in galleries across New Zealand and Australia but also in France, Belgium and China. He is the author of "Bronze Casting Manual" and a "Body Casting Manual"

The Body Casting Manual now available for Kindle and more...

The Body Casting Manual is now available for Kindle, Nook, Stanza, Kobo, Sony Reader, Aldiko, Adobe Digital edition and Palm doc.

Download a preview or purchase at

Smashwords

In the next few weeks the manual will also be available from your favorite vendors:

Apple stores, Barnes and Nobles, Diesel Ebook store, Kobo and Sony reader store...

The print version is also available from Amazon.com

Cheers,

Olivier

Buy the "Body Casting Manual"

Body Casting Manual

Bodyscape's "Body Casting Manual" is an easy to follow life casting tutorial explaining how to make a beautiful sculpture of someone's bust...

 ...or any other body part including hands and feet, pregnant belly, head and face, baby’s hands and feet.

Paperback: 58 pages

Published February 9, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1450509363
ISBN-13: 978-1450509367
Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.3 inches

Order the book for US$17.60
(Plus shipping.)

Shipped to your door by
Createspace
or
buy it from Amazon.com

What does the manual cover?

The first part is a practical step by step casting project using a female torso as an example. The second part gives further instructions on casting other body parts. (Head and face, pregnant belly, hands and feet, bay's hand and feet) and on how to use some other more robust casting materials such as Forton MG. . Most importantly, the manual tells you exactly where to go to buy some of the special materials needed, this will save you much time and guessing.

Overview of the process
What Tools and materials to buy, how much to buy and where to buy it from.
Step by step directions.
Finishing, hanging.
Safety tips
Troubleshooting
Pictures and illustration
Other Projects (hands, face, pregnant belly etc...)
Using Forton MG
Measurements are expressed in both metric and US customary units.

The book also discusses an innovative method to make the mold. We have perfected a technique that allows to build stronger, lighter, cheaper and faster molds. This is an improvement over traditional methods of making a body mold and is unique to Bodyscape.


This is not difficult.

After years of practice body casters develop a know-how that allows them to express themselves in wonderful ways. But anybody, if given proper instructions, can achieve an amazing artwork at their first attempt. Much of the visual impact of the final sculpture is in selecting a seductive pose; let your artistic flair guide you but make sure to read our tips and hints. We will show you the easiest body casting techniques.

Technical Support.

Customers are warmly invited to contact me on info@bodyscape.net.nz with further questions, request for clarification, comments and feedback. I would encourage you to join our life casting discussion board where other members can benefit and contribute to technical body casting questions and share their experience in a open forum format....






 

A revolutionary new method for professional life casters...

An innovative method for body casting….


This method is a vast improvement on the traditional methods for building a mother mold. Most life casters use either plaster gauze bandages or other fabric dipped in fast setting plaster. True and proven methods for sure but read on….

…what if you could build a mother mold that is:

• much lighter that any kind of plaster. (does not put too much pressure of soft tissues and makes it more comfortable for the model.)

• much stronger than plaster bandages, (No distortion when removing the mold or laying it down.)

• much faster to apply. (It is long and difficult to painstakingly apply plaster gauzes or cheese cloth against the alginate. Cut this time in half…)

• is ready to remove from the model almost a soon as finished. (no need to wait for plaster to set.)

• requires no preparation time or effort. (no need to pre-cut lengths of bandages or cheese cloth, mix plaster etc…)

• adhere perfectly to the alginate skin, (No gaps between alginate and mother mold means no dimples or ripples in the final casting, even where the alginate skin is too thin.)

• allows to use only a very thin layer of alginate. (more savings, both in time and money.)

• is extremely cheap. (are we not tired of throwing away plaster gauzes molds and filling up landfills with our cash?)

• is very easy to use. (does not require years of practice to master, get it right the first, every time. )

• does not splashes everywhere as plaster does,

• allows for quick and easy “in the round” molds.

• makes child play of working around nostrils.

• is perfectly safe, organic, non toxic, recyclable and everything friendly. ( and no animals have been harmed either…)



Can you guess?

Interested to know more?

Join me on http://www.bodyscape.net.nz/

Bronze casting made easy....

Bodyscape Sculpture studio has just released their long awaited "Bronze Casting Manual"

Bronze Casting Manual- Cast your own small bronze.

A complete tutorial taking you step by step through an easily achievable casting project for professional sculptors and hobbyists.
 
if you happen to be one of those crazy individuals that insists on doing everything by themselves, this tutorial will show you a simple, safe and easy way to cast a small, fist size sculpture in bronze at little cost and little effort

The method described in this manual is called the thin ceramic shell, lost wax technique. There are many other methods to make a bronze figurine but the lost wax, thin ceramic shell method is the easiest way for the home founder to make a small sculpture to a high degree of quality at little cost and with easily found tools and materials.

This is the same method implemented by professional art foundries. We have simply scaled it down and adapted some aspects of the process to make it easy for anyone to complete successfully in a few days without any heavy equipment.

This manual is not attempting to delve into details of all the principles and all aspects of the bronze casting technology. We will rather focus on a simple yet rewarding project that will allow the novice to cast a small piece safely, quickly, cheaply and to a high degree of quality. More advanced casting techniques are discussed in the second part of the book.

Download the PDF for Only US$16

The Body Casting Manual Now available in print

The very popular Body Casting Manual was only available in PDF format downloadable from its author web site.

It is now available in a full color 54 pages printed booklet which can be shipped to your door.
Get yours from http://www.bodycasting.net.nz/  or from https://www.createspace.com/3423126

A Leather Body casting...

Another fascinating application for bodycasting.... Leather sculptures...

This is a leather mask by Tom Banwell

Tom Banwell—Leather and Resin Projects: Vacuum Formed Skin Tight Leather Mask

Do you want to become a Life Model?

There is a life model directory for you...

A life model is someone posing for artists such as painters or sculptors.
It requires the ability to keep almost pefectly still for extended period of times. Life models are often required in art schools for figure drawing classes. It generally but not necessarily involves nudity.

Alberto Sughi

It is not as glamourous as a modelling for fashion photographers but can provide a regular income between other assigments. People from any age or shape can become life model; One does have to fit any standards.

There are many modelling sites on the internet. The majority of these sites are targetting photographers looking for models. Artists, painters, sculptors and art schools can find it difficult to look for life models.

To fill that gap, I have created a separate section in my forum where male and female models looking for work as a life model can advertise themselves for free on www.bodyscape.net.nz/forum.htm

Franz Fiedler

Joining and posting a profile is a 2 minutes job.
This is for models in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, South Africa and France but people from other countries can also advertise.
- It is completely free
- It is indexed by Google and other search engines so that anybody can find you, not just visitors of the forum.
- You can include images and links to your other portfolios if applicable.
- you can leave your details for artists to contact you easily or you can hide them and ask artists to contact you on the forum first.
- The site is actively promoted amongst a variety of art collectives around the world.

Kate Winslet models for De Caprio in "Titanic"

Why do I do this for free?
Not only because it does not cost me anything but also because the more models enroll themselves the more popular the site will become with artists from around the world. Since I am primarily selling art tutorials, such vistors can also become customers. As you can see, there may be something in it for me too.

Looking forward to welcomimg you to this fast growing life model directory.

Olivier

Face casting By Ann Lynea Curtis

From Ann Lyneah Curtis Masquerade Face Casting KC Harper -

Manuel de Moulage Corporel

Le fameux "Body Casting Manual" publié par Bodyscape.net.nz est maintenant disponible en Français sous le titre "Manuel de Moulage Corporel".


Ce petit guide vous explique en termes simples comment faire une reproduction en plâtre d'une partie du corps. Vous suivrez pas à pas toutes les étapes nécessaires au moulage d'un buste féminin. Un projet complet qui vous permettra de vous familiariser avec toutes les étapes du moulage corporel.

Le manuel liste également les boutiques où vous procurer les ingrédients nécessaires en France et DOM-TOM, en Belgique et au Canada. En achetant ces matériaux vous-même vous économiserez considérablement en comparant avec les kits disponibles sur le marché.

Ce manuel est a téléchargé en format PDF à partir de http://www.bodyscape.fr/ au prix de 5 Euros seulement

A body casting tutorial for you to sell from your site or blog...

If you have a web site or a blog chances are that you are already linking to third party sites. You are "referring" your visitors to other sites you think may be of interest to your readership. This makes your site more interesting and more attractive to visitors.

An affiliate link is no different. It is just an external link like any other external link except that if your visitors end up purchasing something on the site you are referring them to, you get paid a percentage of the transaction. In effect your site is now working for you while you sleep. There is no effort on your part other than setting up the affiliate link.

You do not have a web site or a blog.... but you may have a Myspace page, a Facebook page, a Twitter account or an email account, you may be contributing to various forums and discussion boards... You most likely regularly use these to refer your friends and contacts to a site you find interesting... By referring them to Bodyscape, you can now earn some cash in the process.

How much will you earn? It all depends on how much traffic your site or blog receives. Our products are ebooks retailing under US$7 and you will earn up to 25% or about $1.75 per sale. Unless your site attracts millions of visitors, you should not expect to quit your day job and retire in the Caribbean's; but you may very well earn enough to cover the cost of your site hosting fees...promote Bodyscape life casting instruction manual actively and watch your earnings grow.


What is in for Bodyscape?. If you link to Bodyscape you basically becomes a reseller for our body casting tutorial. The more resellers we have the more money we make.
Even if your site only attracts very few visitors and you refer us very little business, your link to Bodyscape still increases our popularity in search engines.

Joining is really easy. However you must have a Paypal account in order to join our program. This is where we will pay your commissions every month. If you do not have a Paypal account, get one today. It is free and very easy. This is a prerequisite.

What is next? Once you have a Paypal account, you can join the Bodyscape network here in a few minutes... The system will ask you a few basic information and you will receive an email of confirmation including your login details. You can then choose one or several of our banners or text links to add to your site and you are done.

You do not know how to add a link... Your webmaster probably does it for you. There is an easy way to join our Affiliate program:

1- get a Paypal account.
2- ask your webmaster to add a link to http://www.bodyscape.net.nz/handbook.htm
3- send me an email to olivier.duhamel@bodyscape.net.nz with the following information:
-Your first name and surname
-Your postal address (street, city, post code, country)
-Your Paypal ID.(Nothing secret, usually your email address)
-The exact URL of the page where your webmaster added the link.
I will personally enroll you and you can start earning referral commissions straight away.

A new casting material...?

Could Winterstone be a simple to use and robust casting material ?  I will be experimenting with Winterstone in the next few weeks and will post the results here...  The product claims to be both a sculpting material and a casting material. That would be cool...

In the meantime feel free to visit http://www.winterstone.com/

Title: "Mermaid"
Size: "Lifesize"
Sculptor: Greg Bergmann
Images Courtesy of Greg Bergmann Studios

Grace, elegance, classicism

This sculpture by Gabrielle at Visionquest is simply stunning.

This is in my opinion what body casting is all about... Grace, elegance, classicism. See more of her work at http://www.visionquest13.com/

A blog about nude sculptures (mostly naked ladies...)

This is " Parée de Silence" by Annabelle DELAIGUE

see more nude sculptures by many other artists on http://nudesculpture.wordpress.com/

Busting Out

These girls are hilarious....

http://www.busting-out.com/

Body casting and science...

Female Pelvic Examination Model


Developed with government funded Benign Uterine Condition Initiative. A collaboration between The Ontario College of Family Physicians, University of Toronto, University of Ottawa, University of Western Ontario a number of top teaching physicians and Medisim.

The model is a body cast soft silicone with anatomically correct Vagina, cervix, uterus, and vaginal and uterine attachments.



"A year later, I am very happy with the models and they helped me a lot in my teaching." - Lyne Ménard md CCMF, FCMF






http://www.medisim.ca/

But Is this art?

It can be.
The medium does not define Art; it is the presentation of the subject matter that defines Art..
BEN BRADSHAW


This is a similar question to 'is a photograph art'? While George Segal made it respectable & accepted as art, his articfacts just don't seem to compare w/ the worst Rodin I can think of. Gaston Lachaise's Standing Woman is a gr8 example of a body that exists nowhere but in the mind and then from the hands of the sculptor.
Thomas Kite


I am a blacksmith, blacksmithing can be a craft or it can be art. If I make a fire poker or a door hinge blacksmithing it is then a craft; if I make a sculpture it then becomes art.
Same with body casting.

BEN BRADSHAW



If one makes a sculpture, it's an object. Whether or not it's art is an open question. A fire poker can be art if it transcends its purpose by its overwhelming beauty. Functionality should not be a gating factor to what art is.
Copying reality in a mechanical way in and of itself can't be art. In this case, rather art would have to be somehow present in the copy in spite of how it's made. Segal's work is lightweight I my view b/c it appears to elevate the mundane by being mundane. The process is part of what he was going for and it works against anything more.
Thomas Kite



I suppose that would depend upon the motivations of the artist or craftsman. As a way to change how people see the world, maybe. As a way to make a few bucks, probably not
Brian Wolfe