A figure base with that certain extra!

They worked on a figure for hours and now they want to present it accordingly. Normally, an interesting and exclusive wooden base comes into play! Nice… but somehow a bit boring in the long run! As a creative model maker, you are always looking for new ideas. During a visit to the dentist I had to have a bite print made … and thus came into contact with the material Alginate for the first time! Alginate is a moulding compound for single use. It is simply mixed with water and hardens within a few minutes! The shape is extremely precise and even gives the finest details. A short search on the internet and already the stuff was ordered.

The powdery molding compound can be obtained in different containers. Since I had other ideas in my head, I immediately bought myself a 3kg bucket. By the way, the taste is completely irrelevant (you can choose between strawberry or mint flavor) – because I didn’t want to reproduce my dent again! I had two hands holding a figure.

The creation of the shape is quite simple:

One looks for a suitable large vessel for the shape and mixes sufficient material according to the instructions for use! Mix well and leave to work for a few seconds.

Then simply sink your hand into the mass. It feels quite pleasant … if you don’t have to think about visiting the dentist again …! After a few minutes, you can see how the mass hardens. If the hand can be easily “triggered”, it can be pulled out carefully.

In principle, it is now possible to fill the mould with plaster or a ceramic mass.

When this is tied off, the alginate is carefully peeled from the casting.

The small “unevennesses” can be easily concealed and repaired with filler. The plaster can be easily sanded and machined.

Now comes the difficult part.

A 1:1 painting of a hand is a real challenge! I applied the basic skin color with the airbrush. All subtleties, such as fingernails and shades, have been coloured in the usual way of painting miniature figures.

In order to present the whole thing impressively, I donated both hands and fixed them on a small lacquered wooden slab!

In this case, I did not fix the figure – so you can use the hand display for various applications.

I have a few other ideas in mind: a hand holding an aircraft model, an outstretched hand with a vehicle … and maybe also a facial print, which looks mischievously and with a pinched eye at a figure ….! Let’s see what else comes up …!