Introduction to casting and mould making
Course Code: VU206
Duration: 3 sessions (over 3 weeks)
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What is the course about?
This course will teach you all the basic skills for mould making and casting your sculptures. You will be guided in making plaster and rubber moulds, and then casting from them in plaster of Paris and cement. You will also be given suppliers' details to support you in your future artwork.
What will we cover?
- Plaster casting.
- The design and production of rubber moulds.
- Selecting materials to cast in.
- Casting with Jesmonite
- How to prepare a plaster mould for cement casting.
- Experimenting with different finishes of a cast.
- Group crit of everyone's work.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Understand the principals of mould making.
- Produce a cast from a mould.
- Demonstrate experience of different materials used for mould making and casting.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
All levels welcome; no previous skills necessary.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Following an initial short PowerPoint presentation on the various types of moulds you will be making on the course, the main teaching methods will be teacher-led demonstrations and individual student participation. You will have time to gain experience by producing your own moulds and casts under the supervision of the tutor.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
All objects and materials for mould making and casting will be supplied. Students may bring their own objects but the decision to use them in the moulding process will be at the discretion of the tutor.
You must wear sturdy shoes, that cover the whole foot (no open toe). Please also wear old working clothes or bring overalls.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
The City Lit sculpture department offers a wide range of exciting courses that will allow you to progress from beginner to advanced and learn a range of techniques. After this course you may wish to join a similar course to develop your skills further or try something completely different. We offer courses in prop making, metal, clay, wax, carving in stone and wood, mould making and casting in Jesmonite, or pewter and much more! Alternatively, you may wish to progress onto the year-long City Lit Sculpture course VU841, which helps you to build your own individual sculpture practice and culminates with an exhibition.
We are constantly adding new courses. Please ask your tutor for advice or browse the City Lit website for inspiration. It is also possible to contact our visual arts team by emailing visualarts@citylit.ac.uk, or calling (telephone temporarily unavailable) Monday - Friday 10am - 5pm.
Valerie Merlo is a sculptor, who specialises in bronze casting. She has an MA in sculpture from the Royal College of Art and teaches at City Lit alongside her art practice. She has a strong interest in drawing, which she uses when working towards her sculpture, which she makes from her studio at ASC studios. Valerie is a very experienced tutor whose personal approach to sculpture feeds into her teaching, by encouraging students to explore the creative boundary between drawing and sculpture. Her focus is on supporting students to develop individual projects from direct observation of the figure, their imagination, exploring and experimenting with materials and from research into the work of other artists; both contemporary and historical art. javascript:WebForm_DoPostBackWithOptions(new WebForm_PostBackOptions("ctl00$ctl00$SystemContentPane$ContentPlaceHolderWorkflowActions$LinkButtonFormSubmitted", "", true, "", "", false, true))
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.