10-Day Silicone Mask Making Workshop - Helsinglight FX Makeup Academy, Sweden

[@Valkonnen]

I've been a professional Special Effects Makeup Artist for over 35 years, but this video makes me feel like I'm reliving my first time, demolding a full mask. It's a very satisfying sense of accomplishment that you feel. It's the beginning of what we artists call "The Dr. Frankenstein Syndrome" . You've taken a ball of clay and made it into an actual character that becomes "Alive" when the subject wears it.

[@helsinglight]

Hi! Thank you so much for this lovely comment, made me so happy to read it, and I'm so sorry for my late reply. I'm on maternity leave with our soon 8 month old son and have been so for almost a year now, and I've also got a 4 year old daughter that keeps me very busy as well. So I haven't had much time here. But better late than never, guess. ;) You are so right, the very satisfying feeling when opening the mould, seeing your mask for the first time, it is hard to describe in words, it is something that you have to experience for yourself! It is such a great feeling and everyone is like a child on Christmas :P Where are you based and what work do you mostly do as SFX Makeup artist? :)

[@setsunafseiei4099]

It's not a Job when you enjoy the Work that you do. Amazing art come to life.

[@helsinglight]

Couldn't agree more! :) ! // Petra

[@philipdefibaugh5683]

Thank you for uploading! I never saw just how silicone masks are made, and it looks like you don't have to use fiberglass molds either! I would love to make a silicone half mask.

[@JOmaxofficial]

I rlly want to start making masks out of silicone. Mainly for Friday the 13th. Gonna start soon. Wish me luck for my first silicone mask yall.

[@creaturion_cosplay]

great toxie...wish there was some workshops like this around here....

[@helsinglight]

hi! Thank you for appreciating the work we do, and perhaps you will be able to travel to Sweden one day and take a class with us? Where do you live? :) // Petra

[@creaturion_cosplay]

switzerland :-) i might take this into consideration @@helsinglight

[@rubendogliani339]

Hello!! Excellent video!! Approximately how much silicone is used? Thank you!!

[@zachofalltrades1111]

Can you please make a instructional video I’ve searched for weeks and this video is the only one showing the process I want to use , using the mesh and the fill pipe on the mold and not through the core! A step by step video I’m sure you will inspire thousand of mask makers! I’m a noob but been studying daily and I want to make my own quality mask.

[@helsinglight]

Hi! We are trying to put together more materials on our youtube channel, at the moment we don't have any step by step videos, but we are looking into the option of also offering online workshops to join and learn the process of silicone mask making this way. This is a very useful method to learn and start with when heading into the world of mask making. If you would like to join a workshop at Helsinglight FX we have launched new dates for our 10-day silicone mask making workshops now in the year 2020.You can read more about them on our website. We are happy to help with travel plans and accommodation.

[@majestyonuwabhagbe6838]

what silicone did you use for casting platinum or resin 2:05 I tried this it does not have the same outcome could you leave a list of the product and tools you used

[@altermann1ify]

I saw this done using a pour spout? in the top of the mold, but this looks way easier, and you used ultracal or hydrostone? Awesome, because that's way cheaper than resin (safer too). And easier.

[@helsinglight]

You can also create this with a pour sprout. We teach the technique with "brush-on" silicone into the mold. it is in a way easier and you can also paint in the silicone in layers if you wish to and add different colors etc. But you need to beware of air bubbles when brushing into the mold. When pouring you can eliminate them in a "better way". But you should try brush on, so much fun. We used Ultracal when creating the stone mold. :)

[@godfrey7960]

Can I paint with silicone whose density is different from that of the cast?

[@shahindezfouli5108]

Where can I buy a plaster cast of a woman's face to make a silicone mask, does Amazon sell plaster casts? 2- Can I make a silicone mask from the face of a mannequin by pouring silicone into the face of a mannequin without using a plaster mold?

[@vel1742]

Great job

[@helsinglight]

Thank you! :)

[@KOllectivebykellyodell]

do you still do these courses

[@DingleDut]

How long did you guys wait until you stated the demolding process?

[@helsinglight]

Hi. Sorry for our late reply. We mold side A on one day, then the next day Side B. We let the mold then dry for an extra day and then we start demolding. So basically on day 4 we demold. Hope this answer helps.

[@khaledibrahim6427]

what material you use for the mold ? can i use polyster ?

[@helsinglight]

Hi! Sorry for our late reply, we're running behind here on our channel and trying to catch up now :P . We use a stone material called MarbleCast in this video for the molds. It is similar to Ultracal, which we also use sometimes in mold making, both are very good for making stone molds. MarbleCast is very strong and captures details very well. You could create a polyester mold too when making silicone masks for example, we use EcoFlex Silicone here by Smooth on and we coat our molds with Krylons' crystal clear to provide a good barrier to prevent any inhibition, and the same is recommended by Smooth-On to coat the polyester mold in a clear acrylic lacquer, like Krylon's crystal clear. Good luck with your projects :)

[@LewisCraft01]

Is that ultracal for the outter mold or a different material entirely?

[@helsinglight]

Hi. Sorry for our late reply! The material for the outer mold in this video is similar to Ultracal in strenght, but it is called MarbleCast. It is very strong and captures details very well! We really like working with MarbleCast, we sometimes use Ultracal too, but MarbleCast is one of our favourites in stone mold making.

[@Zockerjimmy]

2:35 Why dont you stand the mold up? I would thought the positive would press on the silicone and create thin layers if its laying like that.

[@helsinglight]

We use a silicone that has a potlife of 30 minutes. You can have the mold laying down like this, it doesn't affect how thin the layers will be. We close the mold right before the potlife ends. This means that the silicone will stay where it is supposed to stay, and we also add a thickener to it to make it brushable into the mold. Hope this explains and answers your question

[@Zockerjimmy]

@@helsinglight Yes that answers it, thanks :D

[@helsinglight]

Great :)

[@Gaiar13]

Just simple. Wow. Thanks.

[@helsinglight]

✌️great to hear you like it 😊😊

[@plsmama4544]

Good job

[@helsinglight]

Thank you! (and sorry late reply)

[@BlackringIII]

How did you get all the clay out of the mold?

[@helsinglight]

It depends on the design and clay work, but also on the preparations adding a release before creating the mould. But some clay will always get stuck, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. When cleaning moulds you need a lot of patience and loads of good friends to help you out if you get a lot of clay stuck in your mould ;)

[@cyprusrelax8487]

Napta is good to wash the clay with the brush

[@MADMAXWORLD.TV.]

I want to learn how to do this for a living

[@helsinglight]

You should join our class - would be great having you with us and for us to be a stepping stone into perhaps your new way to do this for a living :)

[@fabioesploratore1847]

@@helsinglight where can we find you?

[@helsinglight]

We are located in Sweden 😍Email [e-mail] for direct contact or you can find more info on www.helsinglight.com or our FB facebook.com/Helsinglight

[@fabioesploratore1847]

@@helsinglight greetings from Italy!

[@youssefzeraa1987]

Can someone tell me there was a tv show i used to watch as a kid its a selicone mask competition

[@helsinglight]

Not sure what you mean, the only thing I can think of is the TV Series FACE OFF...

[@youssefzeraa1987]

I love you

[@jackie4463]

Would it work to use latex instead of silicone? Love this video, one of the most helpful I’ve found!

[@codyneuman2696]

Yes

[@helsinglight]

Hi! Sorry my late reply, I’m on maternity leave currently and have been so for the last 7 months, so I haven’t had time to update or interact on our social medias. Great to hear that you love our video and work and that is has been helpful! You could also create latex masks using the same principals, but make sure to never use silicone in a mold that has had latex in it, it will result in cure inhibition. Silicone and latex are not friends 😅! //Petra

[@cyprusrelax8487]

​@codyneuman2696 hey dear what the best latex to use ? Thx🙏

[@discoveryofislam1979]

Do you export them? And for how much.

[@helsinglight]

Hi! Sorry for our late reply. We teach silicone mask making and the students bring their masks and molds home with them. Some molds stay at Helsinglight. We do not yet export or sell any silicone masks, but we will look into this option in the future, since there seems to be a demand for this :)

[@godfrey7960]

Why does the paint peel off when it dries after I finish my work, what is the reason?

[@helsinglight]

Hi! what kind of paint / color system are you using?

[@godfrey7960]

@@helsinglight Food colors on silicone liquid, but silicone alone without colors also peels in both cases

[@helsinglight]

How soon after the silicone is cured is it that you paint your work? And do you use the same kind of silicone to paint with as the work you’re painting on?

[@godfrey7960]

@@helsinglight Yes, use the same type of silicone.. and how to treat the silicone before using the paint + painting time is half an hour

[@helsinglight]

​ Hi! Sorry again for late reply, being on maternity leave and having a young toddler that keeps me very busy for sure makes my replies delayed. But hey, better late than never I guess. Silicone is a very tricky material and nothing sticks to it but silicone itself. But adding another layer could also cause issues with peeling. I've had it happen before when colors were used that were not made for silicone. Silicone is a very sensitive material. It could be all from the surface you are about to paint on is not being prepared enough and clean, perhaps there is too much release agent stuck on the silicone that is causing a problem. Sometimes release from the mold or contamination from handling the mask/item or even the art studio/ environment that you are working in can cause issues and create peeling. But clean the surface first and prep your mask well before you paint it. I usually clean my masks/cast with soap and warm water and then isopropyl (sometimes naphtha if I'm out of isopropyl) before painting. But yes, that is my best advice, that first you really need to make sure that the surface is really clean and ready to adapt another layer of new silicone, and yes that it is a fresh mask you're painting on and that the paint work starts asap. If you’re painting with an airbrush make sure you are diluting the color and silicone correctly using a good solvent in a correct ratio, always try it out first. try it first on something else to see that you get a good coat, and see that it cures correctly. 

But I think there is some kind of contamination going on or silicone color mixed somehow in a batch that doesn’t really work for some reason, due to perhaps diluting the silicone too much, or adding too much color to it, or that the silicone is contaminated for some other reason. Contamination is usually the case. It could be all from any oil, grease or any other impurity on the mask/silicone surface that potentially can cause contamination and loss of adhesion causing the silicone peeling problem. If you’re not wearing nitrile gloves I highly recommend that you do so, even oils from skin contact could be enough to cause a problem on the surface. Or even something in your airbrush or other tools that are not properly cleaned. 

With regards to colors, I love using the color system psycho paint, mixed with silicone colors like SilTone etc. I haven’t tried using food colors. 

Hope this helps somehow, you just need to keep on trying and try ion smaller projects first to try and find out why it doesn’t work and why it peels off. Good luck to you! 

 Would be great to hear the progress of your work and if you still have the same problem. // Petra

[@maxmairena6021]

Are you having online classes now?

[@helsinglight]

Hi! At the moment we do not offer online classes but we are looking into this option and platforms for this service, so possible in the future. Would be awesome if you wanted to join our workshops in Sweden at Helsinglight FX, we are happy to assist with all travel plans and accommodation :)

[@unnoticed6802]

I would love to do this but I live in the Netherlands and I’m 12 😭

[@helsinglight]

Hi! I'm sorry late reply, I am on maternity leave and haven't had time to keep my Social media channels up to date. Great to hear that you are interested in the art of FX makeup and that you would love to learn silicone mask making :) Being 12 is a bit too young to attend this class, however you have got a great opportunity to practise and learn the art of sculpting in clay, creating smaller FX projects using paint and illustrations, other FX art etc. And then when you are a bit older, take a class with us. You will be so much more prepared for it as well then if you have done a lot of practise at home. So keep it up and keep practising at home and hope we will meet one day at Helsinglight FX Academy :)

[@DingleDut]

For the plaster, did you use Ultra Cal 30 or Plaster of Paris?

[@helsinglight]

The plaster is called MarbleCast standard. I also like Ultra Cal. What do you prefer?

[@DingleDut]

@@helsinglight I prefer Ultra Cal 30. I believe it is a stronger material than regular plaster. But always... Burlap makes a stronger mold.

[@helsinglight]

@@DingleDut Sorry late reply here! Ultra Cal 30 is great, but it's been quite difficult to get a hold of it in Europe, just recently the supplier I buy FX-materials from in Amsterdam started selling Ultra Cal 30. But I've also heard that Ultra Cal used to be stronger before, they've removed some ingridient in it and that you can add a bit of dental plaster to it to make is super hard. But I've not tried that yet. We've got another FX workshop coming up 2-12th of May and I'm gonna order materials for it soon, so I need to decide whether to stick with Marble Cast that I really like or go with Ultra Cal this time, which I also like a lot, but not used as much. And yeah, Burlap is awesome.. but I will also start working a bit more with packing fibers/hemp. Have you used that before in your molds too?

[@BTSDimplyBean]

Just amazing!

[@helsinglight]

☺️✌️

[@babagee6898]

Any number I m buy mask

[@helsinglight]

Any number? 😉 You can email me at [e-mail] ❤️

[@BackyardArt]

@@helsinglight Ha, ha, ha, that got a fast reply. Great work in any case, deserves any number.

[@GadgetDog]

Dude... Can you let me know the name of the silicone liquid.... Gonna cosplay kid buu and I wanna make him look like as evil as it can be. And how much I would need to make the torso, hands and the head.

[@helsinglight]

We use a silicone from Smooth-On called EcoFlex, and in this case EcoFlex0020. Basically you can take the amount of clay you are using in your sculpt and multiply it with 0.7, that gives you a rough estimate of how much silicone you need!

[@LiliWashington-l2c]

For making natural human face silicon mask, I have front of head human face so how can I add behind of head to my silicon maskI have front of head human face so how can I add behind of head to my silicon mask?do you have tutorial for this?I have front of head human face so how can I add behind of head to my silicon mask??do you have tutorial for this?I have front of head human face so how can I add behind of head to my silicon mask?do you have tutorial for this?

[@vasusingh6022]

Nice

[@helsinglight]

Thanks :)

[@franksuayero4175]

Where I can order and get a silicone realistic mask ?

[@helsinglight]

Unfortunately not from us... not yet anyway ;) But you can join a class with us and learn how to create a silicone mask from start to finish yourself :) // Petra

[@louisrickytovar9461]

Can you make a mask with my picture?

[@akhi8051]

can i learn in home by ur tutorials aur supply material

[@helsinglight]

Hi! At the moment we don’t offer online Workshops but the plan is to do so in the future. It’s always great to practice at home but attending a workshop is awesome if you ever make it to Sweden you should join us! Where are you based?

[@Powda_House_Entertainment]

Wish I could draw 😪

[@otfiwouldslaptfouttayou3691]

Cool

[@ashleysky8862]

Can I still join the class?

[@helsinglight]

Hello! Great to hear of your interest in our classes! We''re resuming our popular classes, Silicone Mask Making and various other new FX Makeup courses are planned for Spring/Summer 2024. Plus, even more learning opportunities and new FX classes coming up in Autumn and Winter 2024! To stay updated with all the latest details and class releases, do send an email to [e-mail] :) // Petra

[@KOllectivebykellyodell]

are they the armature from neills materials

[@helsinglight]

Yes They are! ☺️

[@DingleDut]

How much plaster was used?

[@helsinglight]

hmm.. these molds are rather heavy since there are full masks there making. About 8- 10-15 kg/ mold, depending on how big they need to be, depending on the sculpture and shape etc.

[@calmghosts]

This looks much simpler then the technique I tried a few months ago.

[@helsinglight]

What technique did you use?

[@springtrap9430]

I love the dudes slipknot jumper

[@helsinglight]

:)

[@AriePutra-r9m]

Sends tutorials

[@godfrey7960]

Why do these kind of channels do not publish a lot? Is there a lack of views?

[@helsinglight]

Hi! Sorry my late reply! The simple answer in this case regarding our channel and why we/I don't post is that I'm currently on maternity leave and haven't simply had the time to update this channel or do a lot of creative work for that matter either. Apart from having a 7 month old baby, we've also got a 3-year old, so being a busy mum has kept me from posting and updating this channel. My plan is to try and update the channel with more content, hopefully some of it in the near future. I've got lots of content, but less of time ;) Hope that answered your question. // Petra

[@КорольЛич-ж7г]

not enough "high 5"

[@helsinglight]

Thank you :)

[@poindexter1387]

Well ....this was just a wealth of information. No narration just the goofy repeated music

[@helsinglight]

🥺 well you can’t please em all 😬 will probably do something later with commentary

[@Moneymakinshark-dawg]

I clicked cause I thought I saw Adam Savage in the thumbnail!😂

[@helsinglight]

Hehe! That’s bad ass and so spot on! 🤘That’s why I thought I had seen Kent before. 🤣

[@maxmairena6021]

Rowan Rust same here lol 😂 but I liked and subscribed 🤣

[@nicolemuller3414]

👍

[@wickedwoodshaunt]

Plaster is risky business on a silicone mask mold..

[@DingleDut]

Not really.. But ok lol.

[@user-ys7uj3ux9frok]

Do you have Instagram ?

[@helsinglight]

Yes 👍 you can follow us on @helsinglight on instagram and Facebook. 😀

[@godfrey7960]

Can I paint with silicone whose density is different from that of the cast?

[@helsinglight]

Hi, so sorry my late reply, we've had a break from social media so I haven't checked our channel here in a while, now slowly getting back. Perhaps you have already found your answer? Yes, you can paint with silicone that has a different density than the cast, but there are some considerations to keep in mind. Ensure the silicone paint and the silicone of the cast are compatible. Even if they have different densities or hardnesses, they should bond well if they're of similar types (e.g., platinum-cure to platinum-cure or tin-cure to tin-cure). Also note that the adherence between different densities of silicone might vary. Make sure the silicone paint's flexibility complements the flexibility of the cast to avoid cracking or peeling when the cast is flexed or moved. Ensure that the paint cures properly on the silicone cast, as some silicones can inhibit the curing of others, especially if they are not of the same type. But with this said, it is always best to paint a silicone cast fresh from the mold, as long as it has cured, the sooner you paint the better. Also, the different densities of silicone may have different translucencies, feels, and finishes, which can affect the final appearance of your piece. We work a lot with Smooth On products and painting a lot with their Psycho Paint system which I recommend you to try out if you haven't :D Always do a small test patch first to ensure compatibility, adherence, and desired appearance before painting the entire piece. Good luck with your creative work // Petra

[@makeupgetupartist6327]

Nice

[@helsinglight]

Thanks! // Petra