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Sculpting flats and semi-flats

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roddygerard:
Thank you all! you guys are truly great! I have a few ideas, I'll let you know how thinks turn out

marko:
Roddy you might also look at this which should help and could also be used for creating your reverse image as well:

http://www.sculpture.richardodell.com/work-in-progress/a-neat-little-trick-for-relief-sculpting/

Rich Odell and Ken Farrar both produced Bas Relief figures as you are describing and one of the produced a tutorial for doing figures with one side - vague memory is it was clay on glass using pinpricks through a paper copy of an image.  (This allowed you to get the overall shape and relationships down.

Unfortunately I can't find the source - maybe this strikes a chord for someone?

What you are doing is quite ambitious - good luck and please update us - I think the desire to do this is fairly common.

mark  8)

BobLeighton:
I tried to attach a couple of scans to this messege but it look like my scanner gave up.
Personally  i would come from another angle, I would create a Master Figure to scale at showing both sides, then I would find someone who had access to a 3D printer and sk them if they could produce a file a STL, which would enable you to produce as many figures as you want  by using a 3D printer. This is I think the way to go forward with producing cheap effective flat figures in the future, they would not be in metals but plastic or resin cheaper cleaner and less dangerous moulds can blow back with very hot metal shooting around.
I forgot to mention that if you get to the stage where you can actually cast metal figures the mould must be perfectly dry any moisture however small meeting hot metal is a disaster which will happen instantly. you must also coat  your mould to allow separation after cooling, If I remember correctly very fine talc powder was rubbed on the mould.
You should really contact some of the German societies on the web and see if they can help or make suggestions.
Good Luck
Bob Leighton

BobLeighton:
OK
I know something about this.
Basically you need 2 blocks of slate which have to be matched up face to face so that they are level and even, you then need keys at each end of the block to hold them together tightly, normally but not the traditional way is the let into one block copper rods and have holes in the other blocks so they mate together, using the male & femaie technique. The the two faces' once matched have pencil marks on them to establish the center of each block ,usually you have a vertical and horizontal line as you need to find the exact center. You can also have more that two lines you can have a star shaped grid to help establish the position of arms legs etc. These measurements need to be established on both blocks and must match exactly, any deviation however slight will spoil your moulid
Your design should show back and front design, I have attached an example and they should be placed on paper in such a way that they can be folded back ontyo each other to ensure that they match precisely..
You then transfer your drawing to the two pieces of slate one has the front the other the back, engrave YOUR FIGURES CHECKING Constantly through the use of modelling compound, beeswax, plasticine etc, to check both the depth of the engraving and the positioning, once done you have to cut moulding lines from the figure to the edge of the mould, this is to allow air and hot gases to escape when you pour your metal and also the encourage the hot metal to flow, So moulding lines from hand, legs cloak etc.
Airfix used to sell vulcanized moulds in Germany and if you can get one of those it will help you with your pouring lines etc. Hopes this helps

roddygerard:
thanks! I was hoping there was another way than sculpting then molding, and as engraving isn't an option for me at the monent, I guess I'll have to either settle for one-sided flats or figure something out.


and if I do figure out a method for two sided flats, I'll be sure to post the technique.

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