How Do You Make Plaster Relief Portraits With A Clay Mold?
Plaster relief portraits are a highly artistic way of creating interesting portraits to hang on a wall. This tutorial will describe a simple step-by-step method for creating plaster relief portraits of real people using clay molds. Work your clay until it is soft and pliable. Flatten it out fairly well but not too thin. It should be about 1/2″ thick. You don’t want it too thick or you will have trouble shaping it around your subjects facial features. Have your subject pull back any hair that may get in the way. With his eyes and mouth closed, place your clay over your subject’s face. Remember to quickly make holes where his nostrils are so he can breathe. Gently press the clay into place around the nose, eyes and other facial features. Make sure you get under the chin as well. Be careful—you can hurt your subject if you are too rough at this point. Pack extra clay in areas that feel thin, to ensure that the clay doesn’t lose is shape when the mold is removed. Have your subject tip he
