I START OUT BY "ROUGHING IN" THE SHAPE...

 CONTINUE SHAPING AND ADDING DETAILS...

THE INSIDE,

THE OUTSIDE, AFTER BEING REMOVED FROM THE FORM.

 Here is the sculpture completed, it has been sealed, mounted and ready for display.                          

Looks great, doesn't it?

-The Process-

Making the Body Casts Into Forms

This is just a quick out-line of the process I use to make the casts into forms for the leather torsos.  It is not intended to be used as a teaching page. The pictures here are from only one day. It typically takes many, many hours (days) to finish one cast.

After the cast has fully hardened it has to processed into a piece that I can use as leather form.

I sketch in the details I want to enhance and others to eliminate or fix. (notice the break in the leg above & below)  It will be mended.

With hand saws, a rotary tool, rasps and files I sculpt the cast. At times I have to develop an area larger/higher, so more of my special blend of plaster is added to build it up.

All of the raw and broken edges are eventually fixed and  an inside support system is added. 

Here the leg break has been repaired and I am grinding the gluts to  make them more pronounced.                                                            I will also be adding plaster to the circled areas. This same procedure is done the entire cast. It has to be sanded very smooth, any imperfections here will show in the leather.                                            Finely, it's time to try the cast on a piece of leather. 

Sadly, this one did not make the cut. After several days of cutting sanding and plastering the sculpture did not look as well  in leather as I expected. It was retired to the "work on it later pile".
                                            "Oh well, it happens"

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