THE Mr JINGLES PROJECT(S) PART 1

I would like you to meet Mr Jingles. Like the skeleton hand featured in the previous post below, Mr Jingles was made just before Christmas. The skeleton hand around two weeks before & Mr Jingles here about a week before. In terms of true life or as I call them my ‘grunge skulls’ Mr Jingles here sits right in the middle of both classifications. He is a realistic looking skull but falls just short of so (his jaw region just under the cheek area) but is more life like than my current grunge smaller skulls.

Now if when you scroll down the pictures you will see that Mr Jingles here is slightly larger than true life in terms of a real human skull. There are two (possibly three) good reasons for this. That is to say I have two possibly three future project ideas in mind for this skull. I am not going to say what they are not quite yet because as with my grunge skulls & the new reaper hands Mr Jingles is to be mass copied from plaster molds using the same method as for the grunge skulls. That is why he has a pen line down his face (in case you were curious lol) to remind (guide) me where I want to cut him along later.

The reason I am not saying what Mr Jingles is destined for just yet is the jaw sections where it meets the cheeks ‘may’ be a little ‘snug’ when it comes to casting him in plaster & then not only removing him (the original copy) but also the actual copies too. He & this project may go all skulls up if I can’t remove him from the plaster mold, or indeed the snug fitting copies later too. I did want to show you Mr Jingles in advance though as I am proud of how he turned out initially.

Click to enlarge

As this picture shows Mr Jingles is slightly larger than the avergage human skull in true life. I painted behind the teeth to make them stand out a little more clearly for the picture as the light here is poor at the moment. This red has nothing to do with the final project(s).

The project name is also a hint to 'one' of the project ideas i have in mind for this skull by the way, just a hint/clue to what one of them may be to keep your minds ticking over while you wait for the future out come of this (these) projects future aren't i wicked lol.

More on the progress of the Mr Jingles projects soon.

NEED A HAND?

I find the best way to make a skeleton hand is literally in sections how these sections can be made is entirely up to the individual creator of course ‘my’ method can be seen in my YouTube HOW TO videos showing how I made a surreal hand. The first selection of videos being: parts 1-7 (0f 9) refer to the actual skeleton section of the build. The links to these are below.

MAKE A SUREAL PAPER MACHE HAND:
PART 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qORY8PnSVc0
PART 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f249uDmF3
PART 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjaBoBvE8Ik
PART 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQMyRzq4GIk

PART 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Md-xz1gdww

PART 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COa83_dpowU
PART 7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds45gxcJu7g

The problem is the human body (as with many things in nature) when divided down the vertical plane are not exact mirror copies of the opposite side(s). Whilst this is hard to see with the naked eye alone of course this odd feature is there. Below is a ‘new’ skeleton hand I made recently to be part of some new grim reaper builds (amongst other things) I have planned. Now two things immediately spring to mind here (if you are paying attention?) I said “a ‘new’ skeleton hand”. Surely if I am going to be making reapers then they’d require ‘two’ hands each? Okay that’s the first thing to spring to mind.

THE NEW HAND:
Click on image to enlarge

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Now the second thing to spring to mind, (still paying attention?) is if you are making either a true to life or as close to as need be project (such as a pair of skeleton hands) the best way is to make the individual bones separately. No matter what size, method or even materials you are going to be using unless you are very skilled you are going to have some problems gauging the sizes & the shapes of individual sections etc. Not to mention it is going to get pretty tedious & very time consuming after the first pair.

Not including the ‘between joints’ sections in ‘my’ skeleton hand I have constructed this single hand from ‘thirty one’ separate pieces. I have three new reapers in mind for future project builds, so I need six hands in all. Now for me each hand is only going to take a day to make all six hands but even then I don’t want to spend the whole day making the same parts over & over all day long so would probably take say three days to make them all. Now again it’s making all these separate sections as close to the same size & shape to each corresponding hand that’s even for me going to be tricky & tedious to say the least. For those less skilled it instantly becomes a daunting task & possibly even ends up seeing the whole project going out the window in favour of something simpler.

Even those not so well skilled can still make all the skeleton hands they want however. Remember this blog is not about what I am ‘making’ nor is it about how ‘you’ can make the same projects as such (you can if you wish of course), no this blog is more about showing you more simplified methods of doing things. Having said that if you have been following each of the mass copying either by plaster or ‘other’ mould making techniques then you should (with practice of course) then be able to employ ‘those’ skills in then making as many pairs of hands as you choose once you have made the first ‘master copy’.

Once you have your master copy as I have above you then simply copy it using your chosen molding method. Once you have two copies then all you need do is turn the copied skeleton hands so the thumbs are facing each other. Then cut into the knuckles slightly (on the same facing side) to then be able to bend the fingers & glue them in the final chosen position for your project.

More on this & the reapers they are for later.

BACK SOON

I will be popping in just after Christmas until then...

HOLIDAY WISHES & A QUICK QUESTION

Hi all just popping in to say Merry Christmas to everyone & to ask a quick question.

Now whilst this question is broken up into several seemingly seperate questions it's all one (big) question really. I know i have a lot of lurkers (silent visitors) to my blog here, absolutely no harm in that. However if as many people could answer this question as possible it would go a long way in helping me with a long term project i have had in mind for some years now. During my holiday break i have started some work on it again (a lot of long term design/preperation work inviolved over the years when time permits it) & i have (again) begun to question its merit.

MY QUESTION:
Dragon heads (trophies) full dragons that kind of thing. How many people are interested in making dragons but don't know where to start, can't wrap their heads around a good dragon design, possibly stumped as to how to go about the actual build. Perhaps you have tried but they dont look anything like your idea in your head let alone a dragon. You have tried following blog/website instructions, videos (Dan Reeders are excellent as well as his books) but never been happy with the results. Basically these senarios & others stopping you creating them?

Before anyone asks no i am not doing or going to be doing any HOW TO videos on making dragons. Well not yet & not in relation to this question directly. I have had something all together different in mind for quite some time. Which in part explains why i have talked about dragons & my making them off & on for some time now but have never actually shown anything i have finished other than the odd WIP picture(s) now & then. I am not going to reveal 'what' this project is just yet as it will risk the idea potentially being scooped out from under me. I will say though that as many responces as possible will benifit me & a LOT of people in the end - potentially that is.

If anyone does not wish to answer through the comments section here then you can Email me directly my Email address is jontytheghoul@btopenworld.com. Thank you to all who respond & again Merry Christmas to all.

AAARGH! - ANOTHER POST I FORGOT TO ER!, POST

When my youngest daughter (Megan 16 years old) saw my large 3D moon & stars mobile she asked me to make her a smaller version. I said i would eventually, but i actually started one last weekend for her. She mentioned it (the big one) to her art teacher at school who replied "Paper mache - whats paper mache?". So she took the big version to school to copy as an art project. I could not believe my ears what kind of art teacher has NOT heard of paper mache? It's been around for over two thousands years now? Anyway back to the mini version here it is so far:

Click on image to enlarge:

Whilst the original (Harvey Moon) is some 60+ cms (point to point) gave or take a few cms this one is much smaller at around a quarter that size. I will measure it another time, Of course this one is still waiting for his arms & stars but they will not take ling to make.

I also before i added the tissue skin on this version made a plaster cast copy so i can make more for my Etsy shop later. Some will have the arms & stars some will just have the stars hanging directly off the moon itself. As with the grunge skulls more on this little guy after the holidays folks.

You will find in the archived posts for the step by step build for the original large version of this project. You can also see a step by step series of videos on YouTube covering this build too. Here are the links for you if you are interested: 

PART 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2mVz9f-bNc

PART 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jScDk23gok

PART 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYiteuWV97s

PART 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHo2qSpUGRQ

PART 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AAmQTye9nQ

Back soon have a Merry Christmas everyone.

GRUNGE SKULLS - QUICK UPDATE

Oops i just realised i meant to post this update before i took my traditional offline break for my birthday, Christmas & the New Year holiday. I am so sorry i hope this quick update makes up for it?

Anyway a couple of days back i decided to de-mould one of the grunge skull halves to see how well they were going to turn out in my plaster moulds. Like the Styrofoam originals they were extremely tight fitting. Unlike the Styrofoam originals however these are made from news paper & white 80gsm print paper, much much stronger. So even though the half skull i decided to de-mould was a tight fit i knew it would come out in one piece at least. The question is now HOW does it look? Did i do a good enough job making the plaster moulds in the first place? Not enough plaster & the mould is weak, Not tapping the wet plaster when pouring over the object to be copied to settle it down & into all the nooks & crannies & remove the trapped air pockets & the copy is flawed? Okay i know rambling, lets take a look shall we?

As always click on image to enlarge for a better look.

Whilst it was a 'very snug' fit this half popped out the mould nicely & i got the amount of paper layers just right producing a nice strong (half) grunge skull.

Notice that when casting like this you need to come out over the edge of the mould slightly producing that paper 'lip' or ridge? You need to do that so you have something to grip & then pull the copy out of the mould with. It also makes sure your copy went right up to your moulds edges all the way around too.

Perfect i caught the detailing of the teeth just right as well.

A quick trim to tidy this up & voila' multiple grunge skulls here i come.

Of course i have a lot of work ahead of me but now i know these plaster cast moulds are perfect the work will be worth it. I will be using some of the grunge skulls for my sons gas masks designs of course but others will be going into projects such as: sword hilts, axe heads, wizard staffs & well some projects i am keeping secret for now. Find more of how i got on with these skulls after my seasonal break.

PLASTER PULP: THE EXPERIMENTS RESULTS!

PLASTER PULP EXPERIMENTS: THE RESULTS FINALLY!

Finally I can bring you the results of these first experiments. When you see the chart (below) you may at first think there is not much to go on thanks to the loss of the control batches (read on for full details). If this was a serious scientific controlled experiment then it would be a total failure & have to be started over completely. However these experiments are only the beginning of what can only in fair terms be deemed ‘basic but effective’ experiments for most (peoples) needs in the paper mache world. So in those terms in actual fact I did not truly require the control batches I threw those into the mix in case anyone thought it would not be fair without them being there.

So why aren’t they there then?

Well for the first part I dropped some of the un-cut pure plaster test samples on our hard tiled kitchen floor three of which landed in such a way they shattered clean through. I did of course remake the lost samples. Sadly I failed time & time again to cut these samples down into they’re final ‘test sizes’ which was to be 5cm x 16cm x 7mm as with the plaster pulp test samples. Rather than waste more time & sculpting plaster I just scrapped the control batches in the end. The fact I failed to cut them down told me they would not have held much weight in the weight strength test in the end anyway.

So to the test results & a final conclusion for ‘this’ batch of experiments so far then.

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE:

FINAL INFORMATION & CONCLUSIONS FOR THIS BATCH OF EXPERIMENTS

Drawn from my own set of experiments I CAN say with strong conviction that a true plaster pulp ‘hybrid’ medium IS possible. Indeed my own experiments gave me two batches that withstood a weight exceeding 7lbs (3kg+). These being batches:

WHITE MATTER©™ BATCH No.1

This batch was made from commercially purchased white dry pulp Claycrete® & high quality sculpting plaster.

I suspect the ClayCrete® comes with some form of starch (or something with similar bonding properties) like medium added to act as a ‘bonding agent’ since the user only need add water to the dry mix in preparation for final use. I draw this conclusion solely from the fact it appears to contain a fine but course white powder which is loose within the package. This mixed with sculpting plaster produces a very lightweight plaster pulp medium that gives very high quality lightweight result when used in conjunction with a mould form. The dried mix is also extremely strong even at a thickness of well under 1mm. Of course this IS subject to ‘user’ requirements of the final mix & achieving the correct balance between the Claycrete® & the sculpting plaster. This then leaves this mix open to debate which can only truly be justified by extensive multi-user trials.

GREY MATER©™ BATCH No.2

This batch was made from home made grey pulp (matt/glossy computer magazine paper & high quality sculpting plaster.

This home made batch has almost the same final qualities as my Claycrete® batch in terms of texture (cotton/lint stage of pulping). It (as well as ALL the other home made pulps) lacked that ‘bonding’ aspect the commercial pulp had & yet when it came to the weight strength test MY home made batch surpassed the commercial plaster pulp mix by some .9gms. Both mixes were measured & mixed as evenly as possible. They were both initially created in an identical mould form & finally cut down to as equal as possible test samples of again as close as possible to the same dimensions.

Given the final results from the weight strength texts I believe I can at the very minimum double the strength of my home made GREY MATTER©™ plaster pulp by finding the right ‘bonding agent to add to the final mix. This opens the doors to new experimentation in which I  hope to find this medium of course, however I have the suspicion that it needs to be a water based or water absorbent medium that will effectively bond the paper pulp whilst at the same time not retard the sculpting plasters natural bonding properties.

If anyone reading this has little to no experience making any form of paper pulp(s) or they do not have the facilities (A blender or coffee grinder) then I strongly recommend they use a commercially ready made pulp medium. Whilst I initially used Claycrete® in my experiments & CAN highly recommend this pre-made commercial pulp mix I DO suggest you try other commercial ready made pulps too. Everyone has they’re OWN idea’s, uses & needs when it comes to any art form or indeed anything else. So final ‘best results’ uses & requirements are open to self choice here.

SO FINALLY!

I have found mercifully early in & without too much experimenting two potential plaster pulp mixes that whilst they are not perfect are but for a bonding agent exactly what I am searching for, for future projects. I hope too that by sharing these early experiments with you all out there that you too can find a bridge between plaster & pulp that can assist you in making even better paper mache art. Remember though EXPERIMENTATION IS THE KEY but most of all HAVE FUN doing it okay.

ORIGINAL EXPERIMENTATION & LISTED PLASTER PULP MEDIUMS© BY:

John Jones

ORIGINALLY CREATED FOR PUBLICATION WITHIN:

Paper Mache Art Yahoo 360 Group & Darkside Creations©™ blog

(http://www.darksidecreations.blogspot.com/).

ORIGINALLY RELEASED FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION & USE(S) BY:

John Jones

Claycrete® is a Registered trade mark of American Art Clay Company., Inc

U.S. Patent No. 3390003

Made in the U.S.A.

All original copyrights reserved.

WELL ITS THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN

Well it’s that time of year again (already? Oh well) as I said in a recent post for those new to my blog & who don’t know me so well yet, as a long standing tradition of mine ever since my Amstrad CPC days. Every year on my birthday the 2^nd of December I officially take a break over the Christmas & New Year period. I will be checking in & responding to Emails, group posts, blog comments etc but only those that require an ‘urgent’ response or reply ‘directly’ from me. So unless it is a plea for assistance or concerning a sale, commission etc I won’t be very active online. I will pop in just before the New Year to wish everyone such but then that will be it until January I’m afraid.

I will post the final & full experiment results for my ‘current’ plaster pulp experiments I have running tomorrow sometime & possibly some additional posts for the ‘current’ running features I have but that will be pretty much it.

So for now I am off to do a last minute run through posts, groups, friends blog posts etc. Then I am off to lounge around for the day in my pj’s with my PSP & a stack of DVD’s & the latest James Paterson book Postcard Killers & hopefully some of Terry Prachetts The Fifth Elephant I am currently reading spare  time allowing that is. So I will close now by saying Merry Christmas to you all & see you soon.

PLASTER PULP: THE EXPERIMENTS - PART 2

Well i was hoping to give you my full test results today, sadly whilst gathering up all the pre-cut samples i dropped some of them. For the most part they survived hitting the tiled kitchen floor mostly flat side on too for that matter but sadly two of the pre-cut control samples (pure plaster no pulp) shattered & need to be re-cast. I was able to continue on with the remaining samples, but i won't give you the full results until i replace these control samples. Unfortunately this means at least another two day wait as i want to give them at least two days since they are being cast  in plastic tub lids. I won't be demolding them until they have gone off (hardened) sufficiently overnight. Then allowed them to fully air dry for another full twenty four hours.

I can however show you some pictures of just how i went about doing the weight/strength testing. Just in case some people did not grasp what i meant in part 1 of this set of experiments.

THE 'PRE-CUT' SAMPLES:

These are the pre-cut samples i created from the various plaster pulp mixes for my experiments. As you can see they are of identical size & shape having been moulded from identical large plastic ice cream tub lids. As i want  the best of the resulting mixes (the best of the best) for both free hand sculpting & use in moulds too later i didn't work the mixes into the plastic lids too much. As you can see if you click on the above image to enlarge it. The casts are somewhat 'pock marked' with holes. At this point i just wanted them to be the same size & thickness so the final cut down samples would be as close as the same size as i could get them.

CUT DOWN TEST SAMPLES FINAL SIZE/SHAPE:

 Here you can see i have cut the larger demolded 'original’ samples down into two matching pieces each ready for the strength testing. These each measure 16cm x 10cm x 7mm. These final sizes as well as weights, contents & weight tolerances will be given in the final results chart later. Now to how i tested their strength.

A SIMPLE PENDULUM WEIGHT TESTING TOWER:

 Not having any 'free weights' laying around i needed to find a method of recreating an identical weight test for each sample. The solution was quite simple in the end (always look for the easiest answers first) having a ample mixed supply of card stock which includes tubes from rolls of foil but also the very boxes the rolls of foil come in too. As you can see two boxes hot glued to a scrap of ply wood make for a strong 'fixed' pair of towers to form a simple but effect pair of pillars for a pendulum weight tester.

HOW THE TEST WAS PERFORMED:

Here you can see  the setup for the actual testing, or how i will be carrying it out at least. Each sample is placed as close to as identical a position on the top of the towers as i can get them. A large (3ltr) plastic bottle was then hung from each sample connected by use of a small strong piece of wire (close up on the wire below) which like the samples was placed in as close to as possible the same position each time in the centre of each test sample(s).

I then slowly filled the plastic bottle with water until the sample(s) simply 'snapped' under the weight. Constructing the tower at just the right height & using a wide bottomed plastic bottle meant when each sample broke the bottle only had a short distance to fall. This meant it did not fall over easily preserving the water inside. I then simply had to weigh the bottle & contents for each sample.

A CLOSE UP ON THE WIRE ATTACHMENT:

Now it stands to reason simply running a length of wire over the centre point of the samples would simply not give me a reasonable or fair test result. Not all the points of any sculpture are as fine or as limited as the thickness of a thin piece of wire. I may as well have ran a hot knife through butter than used those test results if i had gone with that option. So i decided to give the samples a fair (i felt anyway) compromise by adding a small craft stick under the wire. As you can clearly see the craft stick is only slightly wider than the sample(s) & i have 'not' run it along the length of the sample(s). Had i run the craft stick along the length of the sample(s) that would have added a support strength of a type & magnitude i would 'not' be using in future projects with this type of pulps anyway.

The final test results for the most part were as i expected them to go. However two of the pulp mixes did better, far better than i have ever have dreamt. Indeed they surpassed my expectations so much that the secondary batch of mixes i had in mind to make & test are simply no longer required. I have two mixes from this first wave of tests i am certain that with some minor adjustments will not only give me what i was looking for but again surpass my wildest dreams many times over.

I am not going to say which of the test mixes they were just yet or what adjustments i have in mind. I will say however, of the first test mixes i gave you all in part one of this feature two of the test mixes had a weight/strength tolerance of 'over seven lbs limit (or over three kg). That may not sound like much on the surface but remember these samples are only seven millimetres thick & the actual unsupported weight bearing area of each sample was only some nine centimetres wide!. You may not think it but that IS quite impressive. Once i make the adjustments i have planned for the two chosen mixes i am certain i can at least double this. Of course i (we) have to remember here this whilst not new territory by a long shot in the search for such pulp(s), Whilst no one has come forward (to my knowledge) claiming to have found the perfect plaster pulp mix, i have at least made two potential break through so far. If they will ultimately take me where (i hope) expect them too is of course another matter. Then again that’s the life of an experiment for you eh lol.

The full results very soon.

DAMN THIS BODY - DAMN THIS WEATHER MORE!

It’s almost that time of the year again. Hmm better do some explaining I think. For those who don’t know it’s my birthday on the 2^nd of December & since way back in my early Amstrad CPC days (so long ago now oh so long ago) I have a long standing tradition where I ‘technically’ go offline from the 2^nd of December until the 1^st of January. I WILL be online checking emails, group postings, website updates (& now my blogs up keep) etc. Essentially though apart from the odd Email/post/comment response, I won’t be doing much as I normally do through this time frame. I was hoping to get as much achieved as possible leading up to this time but sadly the weather & my disabilities are conspiring against me it seems slowing me right down!.

Here in the UK we tend to drift into winter in a, well casual pace really. I know these days it may not seem like it for those of who live here but compared to the last few years winters onslaught was slow. Normally we’d drift through a cold depressing November mid way through the nights then the days getting colder. A touch of frost (I miss that show) easing in here & there in the wet patches, then suddenly its winter again.

This year it just kind of – happened 4 days ago.

It has snowed for 4 days & nights in a row now oh yes we have had a few hours break here & there.  The day light has dropped to barely half a day with evening light jumping to night light twice as fast. Instead of the low mumbling traditional here it comes people feel with the cold air rising. It’s like the sky just unzipped & dropped three weeks worth of white crap on us in 4 days.

So the point I am getting at (those with pain wracked disabilities will know what I mean) the cold aggravates them badly even just a cold rain. Thanks to this sudden onset of so much snow & colder than normal nights, this week have slowed me right down. I go to bed stiff & sore, then wake up feeling like someone has super glued my entire left side of my body starting at the left side of my neck down through my torso & down my entire left leg!!. The majority of my disabilities are culminated down my left body for some weird reason. Each body section having its own unique problem not connected directly as such but the pain & stiffness colliding into one whole wedge of pain. Oh it so lovely to be me I can’t tell you.

So thanks to the weather & this damn body of mine my churning out PM are like the days, cut in half. ! or 2 day projects are taking 2 or 4 respectfully. Just getting out of bed in the mornings is a bigger chore (& more painful) than usual. I will try to post what I can on ongoing posts/features etc, but these will be radically reduced ahead of my 2^nd of December break of time I am sorry to report.

Below a peek at outside my front door. Note this is 12:30 'MIDDAY' note the dim light outside already?

More 'normal' posts as soon i can folks.

PLASTER PULP: THE EXPERIMENTS - PART 1

Before you begin to read this post there are couple of factors i need to mention & high light first. Well two immediately spring to mind.

1: Now whilst i do not have the 'strength test' results in yet for my experimental plaster pulp mixes I can give you the final three plaster pulp mixes that have come the closest to my personal goals of several ongoing experiments i have so far carried out. You have to remember that whilst this is an ongoing set of experiments initially these pulps are being designed for my own future uses. I want to work more with plaster but combine it with paper mache so i stay within the realms of paper mache at the same time as i have previously mentioned in earlier posts.

2: Whilst i am currently sharing both these experiments, the early mixes/recipes i am/have created during the process so others can experiment with these pulps for their own uses. I will be continuing to experiment with plaster pulps 'myself' to improve the mixes/recipes. Once i find the ultimate mix/recipe (if i do that is) i might choose to keep 'any future' mix/recipe to myself or sell it commercially later. With this in mind the following post reads more like an official copyrighted document than a standard post. The following listed mixes/recipes are free for public use & experimentation at this time. You can use them as you wish, alter the mixes/recipes to suite your own requirements. You can even pass them around if you wish. Though i would ask that you attach the correct listed names & original copyrights as defined below when doing so.

So enough techno babble, lets get to those experimental plaster pulps i have whittled my experiments down to so far:

EXPERIMENT: TO CREATE A VIABLE PLASTER + PULP MEDIUM

EXPERIMENTS BEGAN: 19/11/2010 & REMAIN ONGOING


ORIGINAL EXPERIMENTS CARRIED OUT BY: J JONES

ORIGINAL COPYRIGHTS TO MIXES USED: ©J JONES 19/11/ 2010

ALL COPYRIGHTS RESERVED

GOAL: To create a working medium consisting of a plaster + pulp mixture. Which can be used for & within the existing & excepted boundaries of the art of paper mache & be classified there in as a paper mache construct medium in its own right.

EXPERIMENTAL BATCHES PRESENTED: 3 In conjunction with 3 control batches
EXPERIMENTS LISTED FOR INFORMATION FOR FREE PUBLIC USE: 3


DESCRIPTIVE DEFINITIONS USED (i.e. NAMES) & ACTUAL TITLE
©™PLASTER PULP, ©™WHITE MATTER, ©™GREY MATTER, ©™BROWN MATTER
©J Jones 19/11/2010


WHITE MATTER©™
BATCH 0: THE CONTROL BATCH
12 oz white sculpting plaster
10 fl oz Tepid tap water

BATCH 1: COMPONENTS: THE ACTUAL PLASTER PULP MIX
12 oz white sculpting plaster
4 oz Pre-made (commercial) Clay Crete Pulp Mix (dry out the bag)
10 fl oz Tepid tap water

WEIGHT STRENGTH TEST RESULTS:
TEST 1: To be concluded & added
TEST 2: To be concluded & added

SUMMARY:
Mixes well to a good consistency. A relatively easy to work with mix. Initially not perfectly smooth as hoped but can be worked to a satisfactory smooth finish whilst still wet with appropriate tools. Can potentially be worked for up to 10/15 minutes depending on room temperature. i.e. A cooler room temperature allows for a slower drying time & therefore a longer working time frame. The final dried mix can be managed as with plaster or pulp mediums respectively in terms of sanding cutting, carving, painting, sealing etc. Best worked with moulds but be keenly worked into chosen mould before setting to one side to allow to dry. Can be easily stand alone sculpted (by itself) or used in conjunction with an armature. Workable armature materials it may bond to are yet to be fully established.

OVERALL RATING: 5/10




WHITE MATTER©™
BATCH 0: THE CONTROL BATCH
14 oz white sculpting plaster
10 fl oz Tepid tap water

BATCH 2: COMPONENTS: THE ACTUAL PLASTER PULP MIX
14 oz white sculpting plaster
4 oz Pre-made (commercial) Clay Crete Pulp Mix (dry out the bag)
20 fl oz Tepid tap water

WEIGHT STRENGTH TEST RESULTS:
TEST 1: To be concluded & added
TEST 2: To be concluded & added
SUMMARY:
Mixes well to a good consistency. A relatively easy to work with mix. Again not perfectly smooth as hoped but a slightly better, more consistent mix can be worked to a satisfactory smooth finish as with batch 1 whilst still wet with appropriate tools. Can potentially be worked for up to 10 minutes a slightly shorter working time period also again depending on room temperature. i.e. A cooler room temperature allows for a slower drying time & therefore a longer working time frame. The final dried mix can be managed as with plaster or pulp mediums respectively in terms of sanding cutting, carving, painting, sealing etc. Best worked with moulds but be keenly worked into chosen mould before setting to one side to allow to dry. Can be easily stand alone sculpted (by itself) or used in conjunction with an armature. Workable armature materials it may bond to are yet to be fully established.

OVERALL RATING: 8/10




GREY MATTER©™
BATCH 0: THE CONTROL
6 oz white sculpting plaster
10 fl oz Tepid tap water

BATCH 1: COMPONENTS: THE ACTUAL PLASTER PULP MIX
6 oz white sculpting plaster
2 oz Glossy (Matt) magazine paper (dry lint stage) home made
20 fl oz Tepid tap water

WEIGHT STRENGTH TEST RESULTS:
TEST 1: To be concluded & added
TEST 2: To be concluded & added

SUMMARY:
Mixes well to a good consistency. A relatively easy to work with mix. Again not perfectly smooth as hoped but a slightly better, more consistent mix can be worked to a satisfactory smooth finish as with batch 1 whilst still wet with appropriate tools. Can potentially be worked for up to 10/15 minutes a slightly shorter working time period also again depending on room temperature. i.e. A cooler room temperature allows for a slower drying time & therefore a longer working time frame. The final dried mix can be managed as with plaster or pulp mediums respectively in terms of sanding cutting, carving, painting, sealing etc. Best worked with moulds but be keenly worked into chosen mould before setting to one side to allow to dry. Can be easily stand alone sculpted (by itself) or used in conjunction with an armature. Workable armature materials it may bond to are yet to be fully established.

OVERALL RATING: 6/10




GREY MATTER©™
BATCH 0: THE CONTROL BATCH
8 oz white sculpting plaster
10 fl oz Tepid tap water

BATCH 2: COMPONENTS: THE ACTUAL PLASTER PULP MIX
8 oz white sculpting plaster
2 oz Glossy (Matt) magazine paper (dry lint stage) home made
20 fl oz Tepid tap water

WEIGHT STRENGTH TEST RESULTS:
TEST 1: To be concluded & added
TEST 2: To be concluded & added

SUMMARY:
Mixes well to a good consistency. A relatively easy to work with mix. Again not perfectly smooth as hoped but a slightly better, more consistent mix can be worked to a satisfactory smooth finish as with batch 1 whilst still wet with appropriate tools. Can potentially be worked for up to 10 minutes a slightly shorter working time period also again depending on room temperature. i.e. A cooler room temperature allows for a slower drying time & therefore a longer working time frame. The final dried mix can be managed as with plaster or pulp mediums respectively in terms of sanding cutting, carving, painting, sealing etc. Best worked with moulds but be keenly worked into chosen mould before setting to one side to allow to dry. Can be easily stand alone sculpted (by itself) or used in conjunction with an armature. Workable armature materials it may bond to are yet to be fully established.

OVERALL RATING: 8/10


BROWN MATTER©™
BATCH 0: THE CONTROL
6 oz white sculpting plaster
10 fl oz Tepid tap water

BATCH 1: COMPONENTS: THE ACTUAL PLASTER PULP MIX
6 oz white sculpting plaster
2 oz brown toilet roll inner card stock (dry lint stage) home made
20 fl oz Tepid tap water

WEIGHT STRENGTH TEST RESULTS:
TEST 1: To be concluded & added
TEST 2: To be concluded & added

SUMMARY:
Mixes well to a good consistency. A relatively easy to work with mix. Again not perfectly smooth as hoped but a slightly better, more consistent mix can be worked to a satisfactory smooth finish as with batch 1 whilst still wet with appropriate tools. Can potentially be worked for up to 5/8 minutes a much shorter working time period probably due to the brown card stock toilet roll inners used for this pulp being more absorbent than the glossy magazine papers used in the white matter mix but again depending on room temperature. i.e. A cooler room temperature allows for a slower drying time & therefore a longer working time frame. The final dried mix can be managed as with plaster or pulp mediums respectively in terms of sanding cutting, carving, painting, sealing etc. Best worked with moulds but be keenly worked into chosen mould before setting to one side to allow to dry. Can be easily stand alone sculpted (by itself) or used in conjunction with an armature. Workable armature materials it may bond to are yet to be fully established.

OVERALL RATING: 6/10


BROWN MATTER©™
BATCH 0: THE CONTROL
8 oz white sculpting plaster
10 fl oz Tepid tap water

BATCH 2: COMPONENTS: THE ACTUAL PLASTER PULP MIX
8 oz white sculpting plaster
2 oz brown toilet roll inner card stock (dry lint stage) home made
20 fl oz Tepid tap water

WEIGHT STRENGTH TEST RESULTS:
TEST 1: To be concluded & added
TEST 2: To be concluded & added

SUMMARY:
Mixes well to a good consistency. A relatively easy to work with mix. Again not perfectly smooth as hoped but a slightly better, more consistent mix can be worked to a satisfactory smooth finish as with batch 1 whilst still wet with appropriate tools. Can potentially be worked for up to 5 minutes again a much shorter working time period probably due to the brown card stock toilet roll inners used for this pulp being more absorbent than the glossy magazine papers used in the white matter mix but again depending on room temperature. i.e. A cooler room temperature allows for a slower drying time & therefore a longer working time frame. The final dried mix can be managed as with plaster or pulp mediums respectively in terms of sanding cutting, carving, painting, sealing etc. Best worked with moulds but be keenly worked into chosen mould before setting to one side to allow to dry. Can be easily stand alone sculpted (by itself) or used in conjunction with an armature. Workable armature materials it may bond to are yet to be fully established.

OVERALL RATING: 7/10
PREPARATION OF THE LISTED PLASTER PULPS MIXES
1: As in accordance with each respective mix measure out the ingredients separately. Keep the plaster dry at all times until mixing of the water applies. Depending on the grade & age of the plaster you are using it WILL begin go off (harden) the instant it becomes wet & WILL reduce your mixing & user time accordingly.

2: Place the ‘pulp’ in a suitably sized container ‘before’ the plaster powder. It is much easier to mix the plaster powder ‘down into’ the pulp & achieve a much more even mix.

3: Dry mix the pulp & the plaster for at least 1 minute or until they both visibly become evenly mixed. Then & ONLY THEN add your water in one go.

4: Mix as vigorously & as thoroughly for at least1 minute with a small wooden stick, spoon or spatula implement as you can or until the mix appears to be as evenly mixed as possible. Try not to leave any ingredients ‘unmixed’ they can & will cause hard unworkable lumps in the plaster pulp mix later & could potentially cause a structural weakness later even when fully dry.

5: Use as quickly as you can within the estimated/allotted ‘use’ time period stated according to each experimental mix above. Remember that above listed & ‘other’ circumstances ‘may’ apply in accordance to you & our location as well as materials used.

6: Be creative, have fun & make some fantastic art.


ADDITIONAL NOTES, THOUGHTS & GENERAL INFORMATION:
The above listed plaster pulp experimental mixes were created for use in my ‘own’ future projects. As such were therefore created with my future projects ‘specific construction methods & techniques’ in mind & at this time will work for ‘me’ as intended. The experimental mixes I have listed above will how ever I think suit many artists newbie or professional basic needs as presented also without any ‘alterations’ being required. However it is a known undeniable fact that every ones needs, methods & various techniques DO vary depending on several factors: climate, variations in sourced materials composition (paper thickness, types of woods & treatments used in the paper/card stock construction etc), mixing times/methods, pulping methods, room temperatures, drying locations & times. Basically the list is endless & is open to debate accordingly but I won’t be addressing these factors here.

With these factors in mind however it MUST be assumed that ‘some’ basic exceptions to my listed experiments & the listed results MUST be given ‘some’ adjustments by other artists when using these mixes. By that I mean you ‘may’ need to make some slight alterations in actual final mix ‘you’ choose to use i.e. more water, less water etc. Whilst the ‘current’ listed experiments & listed results are perfect for ‘my’ needs if you wish to experiment further with these mixes you may wish to try adding an additional ‘bonding agent’ such as gesso or PVA based glues, varnishes etc. If so you MUST keep in mind water based products WILL add to the current mixes water content. As to amounts & their resulting effects I am afraid that is down to your own experimentation & discovery.

Adding ANY oil based products to any of my listed mixes WILL alter the plaster & papers natural bonding abilities to some degree, how much & in which direction I cannot say I can speculated from personal experience that at best oil based additions will retard (slow down) the drying process & at worst weaken the final natural dry bonding effect of the plaster & pulps. Of course it is also fair to say that many, many unexpected results HAVE been found in both unexpected ways & means. The prejudices to adding oil based products is ‘mine alone’ & only based on speculation & personal theories so cannot be totally ruled out in the end. This is down to the experimenter(s).

Adding colour to the mix. This IS entirely possible but would be best carried out at the dry mixing stage just prior to adding water. I would definitely recommend you use water based paints (Tempura) or dry powdered paints. Once again however you WILL have to be aware that water based paints whilst only in a minute way WILL add to & alter the listed/recommended water within each respective mix, dry paint (powders) WILL most definitely have a more dramatic effect on each mix respectively. More attention will be required if & when adding dry pant powders of course but the additional water required would be minimal. Whilst experimenting it is best to remember these small details especially if you achieve working results that you wish to repeat time & time again. Once again oil based products in this case oil based paints WILL have an unknown effect either way good/bad I cannot say.

Whilst the term ‘experiments’ is used through out this document & I wish to encourage this term & practice I have found because of the paper content & it’s pulped nature which is spread out within a plaster base ‘warping’ IS an inevitable factor in the drying process if you try to dry the final pulps created too fast you WILL promote warping from a mild level to a serious level that could ruin your projects final design. I recommend you allow the plaster pulps mixes altered by you or not to dry 'naturally' (air dry) at room temperature that is of a slow if any changing degree throughout the complete drying process. Also you MUST do so on a FULLY SUPPORTED FLAT STABLE surface. If you must promote drying then do so no closer than 1 meter from any heat source especially a fluctuating heat source. NEVER attempt to dry any project using these plaster pulps directly next to or on ANY heat source that WOULD be disastrous to the drying process & potentially your project.

So this is fast becoming a book or mini TV series script in its own rights so I had better close here I think. Before I do pleases remember I AM aware that this type of pulp mix is nothing new & has been experimented over many years by many people. However the particular listed experimental batches/mixes here ARE copyrighted to ME & are the results of personal experimentation & were NOT sourced from anywhere but from my own mind. ANY comparison to existing listed, none listed or current private experiments ANYONE is, has carried out is ‘purely’ circumstantial. I therefore hold to my claim to copyrights to the above ‘listed’ mixes.

I DO however share the ‘knowledge’ of these experiments at this current stage in the creative process to be used by anyone who wishes to use them as they are listed or further experiment with them as they see fit. I WILL be continuing to experiment & improve these plaster pulp mixes myself any results once again that happen to correspond with anyone else’s results is purely circumstantial & not intentional. Any advancements I personally achieve on these current plaster pulp mixes I may keep private in future but this will not reflect on the general publics ongoing use or experimentation of the current mixes listed

On using or further experimenting with these listed plaster pulp mixes you are acknowledging that any un-repairable damage caused to a project you were constructing as a gift, memento, to sell commercially or to show publicly/commercially etc & therefore any loss financial for the project or its intended end use(s) due to damage caused by the ‘listed’ plaster pulps is/was therefore caused by your own hand & by your own intentional usage be it as described here in or otherwise. At no time can I or shall I be expected to or accept ANY responsibility for failure of these plaster pulp mixes causing any potential damage to your property. At no time will i make any compensation reimbursements either.

J Jones
©™ 23/11/210

The results or the strength tests (including pictures) will be posted soon.

TRICKS & TIPS No.9

Okay here is a simple little trick i was saving for my DVD book (when i finally got to it) it's not a mind shattering trick nor is it one many people may have thought of at the time. How to get a base for a vase or a bowl 'level'.

You will need a small spirit level as we call them in the UK, a strong but flat long surface that is just wider than your projects base you want to attach, i use a plastic ruler as my spirit level is small & light weight. Last but not least a large flat surface to work on & a glue gun. Now i am assuming many of you have the trick worked out by now, but for those who have not here is what you do to get the base of your vase or bowl perfectly level.

Assuming you have the 'top' of your vase or bowl as level as you can get it, don't worry if it's not 100% level i will explain how to fix that later. For now as level as you can possibly get it will do. Turn the project over onto your large flat surface as shown in the picture above.

Take the base you made to fix to the project & position it as near to where you want it to be. Now take your long flat * & place this over the middle of your loose base as shown above. Now simply take your spirit level & lay it on your long flat *. Lift & rotate 'both' the * & the spirit level from the base rotating both about an inch (2cm) or so as you go. At each little rotation place both back on the base to check the level. Adjust the base 'gently' as you go when or when ever required.

Go full circle keep adjusting the level as required until you get back to your starting point. Then do it one more time, this time you can simply lay the * & spirit level at north <> south then east <> west to check the overall level. Now whilst leaving the * & spirit level in place firmly hold the base in place & hot glue it in place. PM over with strips or pulp etc as you desire - Voila' a perfectly level base.

To check the level (straightness) of the top of the project take a length of wood, a ruler etc & 'tape' a pencil or fibre tipped pen to the ruler etc at the same level as the projects top edge. Hold the pen/ruler device as straight & as steady as you can then rotate the project 'against' the tip slowly drawing an even level line around the top. If required (& possible) you can then simply 'trim' off the project anything 'above' the level line you just created to create a perfectly level top edge that now matches the perfectly level base!.

I DON'T HAVE A SPIRIT LEVEL - WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Take a small clear container 'flat bottomed', a glass, a tumbler, a small glass/plastic bottle etc. Fill  with around 2cm/4cm of water. Stand this on a flat surface & let the water settle down to it's natural level. Now take a marker pen & draw a small 2cm/3cm line right 'on' the water level mark. Place the container on your * as you would have done with the spirit level & follow the instructions as exactly as explained above.

NOTE:

 * Any long strong light weight surface such as a ruler, length of plaster board, ply wood, strong stiff card stock etc. 

DID YOU?

Is there anyone out there who have actually used any of my techniques shown in my blog here or in my HOW TO videos on YouTube to create anything? By that i mean did you use any of my techniques to fully or partially create anything? Did you simply reproduce anything i have made (or begun to make) in my blog here etc?

If so not only would i like to see what you created but i would like to create a 'visitors gallery' right here on my blog to  show off your work.

WHY?

Well not only will it help me to know what you are all creating out there i feel it will help to guide me in what i show you in the future. It also will encourage others to be creative especially those who are trying this art form for the first time & may well, doubt they're own skills.

If anyone sends any pictures could you please include a brief description of the project & what if only part of anything you have learnt from my blog or YouTube videos that you then Incorporated in your project. Also add at least one 'active' link to your 'own' blog/website & i will add that to your gallery posting as a special thank you from me for taking part.

PLEASE NOTE:

I do NOT care if you have copied 'any' of my work directly & are perhaps selling such items created. I am only interested in showing visitors projects  who have used 'any' of my shown techniques to create actual art. With a hope to inspire others to create. This is a fantastic, simple, cheap art form that anyone can do. Lets make it even more special than it is by encouraging others to work with this medium.


Send your pictures etc to: Jontytheghoul@btopenworld.com.