Plaster can be manipulated in several different ways to create multiple effects. I ave previously used plaster in Plaster Workshop, where we created an alginate cast. This allowed me to feel more confident about getting on with the ideas and concepts as well as exploring the medium, rather than worrying about how to mix the plaster. The first way that we learnt, and one of the most simple manipulations, was with clay;
- Flatten out a block of clay to a desirable thickness for your object. For a leaf, no more than 2cm thick.
- Press your leaf into the object, pressing it in for optimal detail. Add a small amount of water and soap on top of the leaf to bring out the veins.
- Mix up a medium thickness plaster, easy enough to pour onto the leaf. Pour and wait for plaster to slightly thicken.
- Once the plaster has thickened slightly, add on top to the existing plaster to create a thick base.
- Wait for the plaster to dry (it normally goes through a wet and cold stage, then becomes very warm and cools down again. Once it cools down again, this is normally dry. Always leave it for longer than you think to ensure you don’t deal with wet plaster in a cast).
- Once the plaster is dry, you are able to peel the plaster and clay away from one another. Normally, the plaster will be tinted brown where it has sat on the clay. This can be washed out, and a toothbrush can be used to scrub it without taking away any of the texture.
- And you have a relief cast of a leaf.