FAQ
What is body casting?
How does it work?
Who is involved in the process?
How much does it cost?
Will you come to me or do I have to go to you?
Does it hurt?
Is it safe?
How long does it take?
What should I bring or wear?
Ok, I’m really interested, what is my next step?
What are the terms of payment?
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What is body casting?
Body casting is an age-old art form. We can take a “life casting” of any particular body part. You can have anything cast from head to feet! The most popular service is the pregnancy belly casting, where your pregnancy can be remembered for years to come! You can also have a child’s hand or foot cast, or maybe a baby’s hand clutching the finger of a parent or grandparent. The possibilities are endless!
Once the part is cast it is then removed from the mold and the mold is filled with plaster. This process is so particular that it captures details right down to fingerprints and wrinkles! To expose the plaster cast the mold itself must be destroyed and therefore we can only get one mold per casting.
Once your mold is dry and set, you can finish it anyway you like. It can be done by us in the studio, or you can take it to leave natural, or finish yourself!
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How does it work?
Your casting can go two different ways.
For pregnancy casting and some of the larger body castings, you can opt to go with a plaster gauze shell. This is the fastest and easiest of the casting processes.
For pregnancy: You can wear clothes or go nude, and you are covered (in the specified areas determined prior to casting) with impregnated plaster gauze. The gauze is the same kind that is used to cast arms and legs in the doctors office. This process takes (usually) under one hour and dries quickly. This is the actual cast that is to be painted and decorated. We will embed hooks into it for hanging, and it can be ornamented anyway you like, even to match your nursery! Large body casting: Some customers opt to only have a gauze “shell” cast of their body. It is more economical than alginate casting (see below). This is best done without clothing, to get all curves of the body. It is done in the same manner as a pregnancy cast.
For hands, pregnancy, or other body parts, you can go for an alginate casting. This process is sometimes shorter than the plaster gauze depending on the part to be cast. This is a must for hands/feet/faces. The alginate starts as a liquid and within a few minutes sets into a flexible mold. This method captures details down to fingerprints! You submerge the part to be cast into the liquid (large areas for casting are covered in alginate not submerged) and wait for it to set. Then you carefully pull the part out of the alginate, and we fill the mold with plaster. When the plaster is set, we break it out of the mold, and you have a perfect replica of your body part!!
Either of these methods can be decorated to suit your taste, or left natural. If you want something to hang a certain way, or to be set onto a plaque, just ask…we aim to please!!
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Who is involved in the process?
Usually Dorota and Tina both are part of the casting process, but on occasion it is just one of us. It also depends on the size of the cast, as on bigger castings, more help is required. Both artists usually do the final paining process, but also periodically only one artist decorates it.
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How much does it cost?
The cost depends on the area/complexity to be cast, and which method of casting you prefer. The range can be anywhere from 15 dollars, all the way up to thousands! Like we said, the possibilities for life casting are endless!! Please check our price list for more info.
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Will you come to me or do I have to go to you?
We do travel to do castings, for an additional fee. In most cases we encourage clients to come to our studio, as this process can be messy, and we would prefer not to damage carpets/floors/chairs etc. During the “bridal shower package” though we take the best measures to ensure nothing in the house is damaged. We cover the area with tarps, to be safe, and prefer to do the casting in the kitchen where it has tile flooring or linoleum. This makes for easier cleanup!
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Does it hurt?
No. The casting process painless, and we use hypoallergenic casting materials. This material has a tendency to stick to hair, so we apply lubricant such as Vaseline, or cholesterol to prevent hair from sticking to the mold. We may urge you to shave certain areas prior to casting if we think the hair may cause a problem. We also supply a skullcap for long hair, or you can bring your own. In some cases, (especially private areas) hair may be covered in saran wrap to prevent problems.
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Is it safe?
Yes! The alginate that is used is the same thing that your dentist uses to make a mold of your teeth, except the stuff we use has a longer set time. Alginate is made from seaweed, so if you are allergic to seaweed, we recommend using only a gauze shell as a casting. If you are unsure, we can do a small test on your arm to see if there is a reaction to the product. You do not however, want to open your mouth or eyes during a face casting as the alginate may sting (it is seaweed and therefore salty you know!) and the casting will not have a pleasing look to it and will most likely have to be re-cast.
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How long does it take?
The casting times vary depending on the complexity of the cast. A hand/foot casting may only take 30 minutes, where as a torso, or pregnancy cast may take one hour or longer.
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What should I bring or wear?
Well, if this is your first casting (or second, or third!!), please bring a friend! The people that accompany you must be able to sit quietly for an hour, so we ask that you do not bring children (unless they are the ones being cast of course!!) This process requires a lot of attention by us and also by the person being cast, so you will not be able to run after a toddler, or care for a newborn!! If you are getting your face cast, you may find it a bit scary, and may want to hold someone’s hand. Unfortunately, we need both our hands to do this, so we can’t hold yours!! It is really a pleasurable experience, and it feels like you are getting a facial!
CLOTHES: Wear clothes that you do not care about ruining and that are comfortable. We do cover you as best as we can, but accidents can happen. Also, if you are getting a body part cast that usually has clothing on top of it, keep in mind not to wear tight fitting clothing, or you will have to wait for the marks to disappear. This could itself take up to 30 minutes! Things to think about—sock lines, bra lines, underwear lines…
SKIN: Do not put makeup on if you are getting a face cast done. The makeup will get into the cast and then onto the finished piece.
HAIR: Do not do your hair!! If you are getting a face cast done, you will have a skullcap on and it will ruin all your hard work!!
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Ok, I’m really interested, what is my next step?
Look over our brochure or website. Find out which casting/s you would like done—then give us a call to set up an appointment. Its that easy!
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What are the terms of payment?
We ask that you pay 50% down as a way to lock in your appt time, then 50% at the time of casting. Your final cast will be ready within 2 weeks of casting.
We always accept cash! But if you would like to pay with a credit card you may do so online with pay pal from our website. We accept Visa/MC/Amer Exp.
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