# Body casting guide: process, alginate, plaster, resin & bronze | Life Casting Berlin

> How body casting works: alginate explained, plaster vs resin vs bronze, choosing a pose, caring for your sculpture and a glossary – by sculptor Brooke Meenan.

URL: https://lifecastingberlin.de/en/guide/

Casting guide

# How a body becomes a sculpture

A practical guide to body casting — materials, process and care — written by sculptor Brooke Meenan, Life Casting Berlin.

[Image: Two open hands holding blue and white pigment powder]

What it is

## What is life casting?

Life casting — also called body casting — means taking a mould directly from the living body and casting it as a three-dimensional object. Unlike a photograph, a cast records the body at a scale of one to one: skin texture, the weight of a hand, the curve of a back.

At Life Casting Berlin the cast is the starting point, not the end: every piece is refined and finished by hand as a sculpture. The studio works exclusively with water-based materials.

Step by step

## How a body cast is made

- ### Consultation A free 20-minute call about pose, material, finish and timing.

- ### Preparation The area to be cast is shaved; measurements are taken for the support; a protective cream is applied.

- ### Alginate mould Skin-safe alginate is applied. It sets within minutes and records every detail.

- ### Support shell Plaster bandages form a rigid shell that holds the soft mould in shape.

- ### Removing Shell and mould are lifted off together, gently.

- ### Casting The mould is filled with plaster or water-based resin; then the alginate is peeled away.

- ### Finishing Refined, sanded and finished by hand — about three months until the sculpture is ready.

Material

## Alginate, explained

Alginate is a moulding material made from brown seaweed. Mixed with water it becomes a soft paste that sets within a few minutes into a flexible, rubbery layer — related materials are used by dentists for impressions. It is skin-safe, does not pull hair and records fine details such as skin texture.

An alginate mould can only be used once: it slowly loses water and shrinks, so it is filled soon after the session. That is also why editions — several casts from one body — have to be planned before the casting.

Choosing a material

## Plaster, resin or bronze?

MaterialLookCharacterGood for

PlasterMatt, white, quiet — almost classicalDetailed, porous, for dry indoor spacesThe classic sculpture; base for pigment and gold leaf
Water-based acrylic resinMineral surface, can be coloured throughMore robust and lighter than plasterPieces that are handled or travel; metal effects
BronzeMetallic, warm, with patinaExtremely durable, heavy; made in a foundryA piece for generations; also outdoors

Finishes on plaster and resin: mineral pigments, patina, metal effects, gold leaf. White plaster is included in every private session; other materials and finishes are quoted separately.

Before the session

## Choosing a pose

A pose can be simple — a torso seen from the front, hands resting on the body — or tell a story: an embrace, intertwined hands, a gesture that is typical of you. Think about where the sculpture will live: on a wall, a shelf, a plinth. The pose is decided together in the consultation call, so that the support structure can be prepared in advance.

After the session

## Caring for your sculpture

- Plaster Keep indoors and dry; dust with a soft, dry brush; no water

- Resin More robust; wipe gently with a slightly damp cloth

- Gold leaf & pigment Do not rub; avoid touching the surface often

- Bronze Indoors or outdoors; the patina develops over time

Glossary

## Words you’ll hear in the studio

Life castingTaking a mould directly from the living body and casting it as a three-dimensional object.
AlginateA skin-safe, water-based moulding material made from seaweed that sets within minutes.
MouldThe negative form taken from the body, into which the cast is poured.
Support shellA rigid layer of plaster bandages that holds a soft alginate mould in shape.
PositiveThe finished cast — the form of the body, made by filling the mould.
Water-based acrylic resinA mineral casting material bound with a water-based acrylic dispersion; more robust and lighter than plaster.
PatinaA surface colouring that gives a cast depth or an aged, metallic or mineral look.
GildingApplying thin gold leaf to a surface by hand.
EditionSeveral casts made from one mould, planned before the casting.
Lost-wax castingThe foundry process used to turn a cast into bronze.

## Questions left?

Ask me in a free 20-minute call — or read the questions & answers.

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