How to Make a Human Ceramic Body
Body casts allow you to capture a moment in time, such as during a pregnancy or before a mastectomy. Although plaster is commonly used to make human body castings, plaster is not as durable as other materials and often breaks and cracks. Make a more durable body casting by using ceramic clay, which is available at any arts and crafts supply store. Ceramic clay body castings transform a human body into a work of art.
Things You'll Need
- 3 to 4 pounds ceramic clay
- Rolling pin
- Plastic wrap
- Clay knife
- Ceramics glaze
- Paintbrush
- Large kiln
Instructions
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1
Knead 3 to 4 pounds of ceramic clay with your hands to remove any trapped air bubbles.
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2
Roll out the clay with a rolling pin into a larger sheet that is 1/4 inch thick.
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3
Tear off pieces of plastic wrap, and cover the area you want to make a casting of with two layers of plastic wrap.
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4
Drape the ceramic clay sheet over the plastic wrap-covered body. Smooth the clay sheet over the body with your hands to allow the clay to better conform to the curves and creases of the body.
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5
Trim off the excess clay with a clay knife, then smooth the edges of the casting with your fingers.
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6
Allow the human body casting to air dry for two hours. Provide the person with the body cast a refreshment, something to read or a movie to watch on television.
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7
Pull the casting off of the body, then place the cast onto a flat surface to air dry for an additional 12 hours.
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8
Decorate the body casting with colorful ceramics glaze, then allow the glaze to dry for another six hours.
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9
Fire the casting in a large kiln set to medium high heat for six hours. Allow the human body casting to cool for six hours before handling it.
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Tips & Warnings
Use a large table or counter to roll out the clay.
Applying a ceramic casting to your own body may be difficult.
Making a ceramic human body casting is a very intimate craft.
Do not touch ceramics that are still hot, as they can cause serious burns on skin.
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