Life casting is the art of taking moulds directly from the human body for the purpose of creating a unique, original, and detailed sculpture.  It is an ancient art form dating back to the Egyptians where body casts were made as a means of transport to the next world.

For the model, the process involves holding a pose for anywhere between 5 minutes (for a hand or foot casting) and 45 minutes (for a torso casting).

A seaweed derivative called Alginate is used to take the initial impression.  Alginate is a fast setting non-toxic product used mainly by Dentists and is totally safe to use against any part of your body.  This unique substance can reproduce every tiny detail of your body down to even the smallest wrinkle.

Hands and feet are generally submerged in a container holding the alginate.  For larger pieces, the alginate is applied to the area to be cast and then covered with plaster gauze to form a supporting shell.  Once the plaster dries, the alginate mould and the shell are removed together.

These moulds are then used to create your unique sculpture using a hard setting plaster - but can only be used once as they are destroyed in the removal process.

Finally, the artist smoothes out any imperfections and seals the final piece before preparing for display.