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Since liquid latex is the easiest material to get your hands on, I thought I'd go into more detail on making a mold with it.

For this practise, we'll take on a simple, flat sided object. Something most likely to be hung on the wall or added into a shadow box.

The reason for choosing a flat backed object, is simply that it's so very simple to perform. Probably a good place to start, if you've never played with liquid latex or making molds of any kind.

If you have something like a wall plaque, it's a good practise piece. If not, try forming something with modeling clay, leaving the back of it flat.

You'll need a small working board. Something a little wider than your model and as smooth as possible. A piece of plastic window material, a tile, something like that. You will need a smooth paint brush as well as an acid brush (one of those small ones you find at the hardware store. The handle is metal) Get some acetone (hardware store or paint dept.) for cleaning your brushes. A pint or quart of liquid latex. You will need some plaster to form a mother mold. If your object is only about the size of a biscuit, a cup of plaster will do.

You can usually find liquid latex at the craft supply stores. Some, not all, ceramic supplies that carry a wide variety of supplies for both the poured ceramics and the pottery supplies, carry the liquid latex. If you can't find a supply nearby, try online.

A fresh supply of liquid latex should look off white and the consistancy of pudding. When not using it, close the lid tightly. It's best if kept in a tight glass jar.

There is little need to apply any sort of separator to the model. If the model happens to be rough wood or very dry plaster, you might want to give it a very thin coat of vaseline.

Lay your model in the center of your working board and apply the first coat of latex. Very thinly, at first. Then as the coats of latex build up, you might start applying a little thicker coat each time.

The trick is to let each coating dry enough to actually be set (not sticky to the touch) but not dry enough to be tough, before applying the next coat. Usually, a thin coating is ready for another layer, in about 30 minutes. Keep applying another coat, letting each layer dry, until it's built up to about 1/8" then let it dry overnight.

Before pulling the mold and model off the working board, you need a mother mold. The easiest way to mix plaster to its hardest form, in very small amounts, is to first pour your water (about 1/3 the volume you think

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