a PDF version of how one original sculpture can be

One Original Sculpture,
Three Different Reproduction Processes
1. An Original Sculpture is created using non-hardening clay and wax over a wire armature.
This can take several months or several years depending on the piece.
2. A silicone Waste Mold is created to capture the sculpture in permanent form. A resin cast from
this mold become the Master Model after further detailing. The master model may then be used as
the basis for one or several different reproduction techniques.
Resin Production
Bronze Production
Ceramic Production
3A A Silicone Production
Mold is made from the
Master Model so that a
limited edition of castings in
polyurethane resin may be
created.
3B The Master Model is
taken to a fine art
bronze foundry so that
another silicone mold,
designed specifically for
this process, may be
made. The wax
reproductions made from
this mold become the
basis of the lost wax
casting method. For
every bronze created, a
wax must first be poured
and prepared.
3C A Polyurethane
Master Mold is made
from the Master Model
so that a Plaster
Production Mold
maybe created.
4A Liquid resin is poured
into the silicone mold and
allowed to set up; the
chemicals of Part A and Part
B of the resin combine and
react (catalyze) to form a
hardened plastic.
Typically my sculptures are
reproduced in an opaque
white resin. However, resin
may be tinted with different
colors or have various
powders added to it to
create different effects.
The addition of metallic
bronze powder to the resin
creates what is known as
“cold cast bronze”.
5A Once the resin has set
up, the mold is taken apart
and the solidified resin is
removed. Seamed are
sanded smooth and and
bubbles are filled.
6A The resin may remain
white, or be painted in
realistic colors (any color in
fact) depending on the
collector’s preference. My
resins are generally sold
unpainted so that model
horse hobbyists may have
the pleasure of painting
them a custom color.
“Syringa”, polyurethane resin, unpainted
4B Molten wax is poured
into the mold and allowed
to cool; this is done
multiple times to build up
the thickness of the
casting in layers. The
mold is taken apart to
remove the wax casting.
Any seams or
imperfections in the wax
casting are fixed
(“chased”). Spues, gates
and vents are added to
the wax, these structure
allow for an even flow of
bronze through the piece.
5B Each wax produced
from the mold is dipped
in multiple layers of and
investment slurry (sandy
ceramic slip) to create the
ceramic shell (essentially
another mold) into which
the molten bronze will be
poured.
6B The wax, now
encased in air-dried
investment, is fired in a
burn-out furnace to melt
out the wax and vitrify
the investment slurry.
The still-hot investment
shell is removed from the
furnace and molten
bronze is poured into the
hardened shell.
7B The bronze is allowed
to cool; the investment
shell is first chiseled, then
sand-blasted off the
metal. If the piece was
cast in several parts,
those are welded back
together and any
imperfections in the metal
are repaired, or “chased”.
8B The raw bronze is
finished by applying patina
chemicals which interact with
the bronze to give the surface
of the metal color and tone.
“Rocket’s Merry Jet”, bronze
“Marshall”, earthenware ceramic
9B The patinated bronze is
sealed with a coat of lacquer
and/or wax and secured to a
base. Fine art bronze
production typically takes 12 25 weeks; Boise artists must
travel to Oregon, Wyoming or
Utah (or beyond) as there are
no commercial fine art
foundries using the lost wax/
investment process in Idaho,
to my knowledge.
4C A limited edition of
ceramic castings are slip
cast in the plaster
production mold. About
20 good castings may be
pulled from each plaster
mold before details
begin to erode. “Slip” is
clay in liquid form.
Plaster draws the
moisture from the slip,
forming a wall of firmer
ceramic clay that lines
the interior of the
plaster mold.
5C Within a fairly
narrow window of time,
the plaster mold must
be taken apart so that
the still-pliable ceramic
casting (leather hard)
may be removed. At
this point the casting
may be have alterations
made to it to create a
one-of-a-kind piece, or
allowed to air-dry in its
original form.
6C The bone-dry
greenware has its seams
removed and any little
imperfections fixed.
7C The bone-dry
greenware is fired to
cone 04 (1,945° F) to
solidify the piece; this is
known as “bisque firing”.
8C Underglaze
pigments are applied to
the bisque ware,
multiple layers and
successive firing to set
the underglaze are
required to build up rich,
nuanced colors. Any
areas that are to be
white in the final piece
must be masked off, so
that the pure white of
the ceramic remains.
9C Clear or tinted glaze
is applied to the ceramic
sculpture and fired to
cone 06 (1,828° F) to
melt the glassy glaze.
Each bisque or glaze
firing cycle take several
hours, after which the
kiln is allowed to cool
over night.
10C Further color may
be added to a glazed
piece by applying china
paint (overglaze
enamels). The piece
must be fired again to
cone 018 (1,319° F)
each time a layer of
overglaze color is
applied. Some of
Lynn’s ceramic pieces
are fired more than 20
times to create richly
nuanced colors and
intricate patterns.