Get Creative With Colour: Hand Casting Painting & Effects
Hand casting purists love that simple white finish, but for others a plaster cast is a blank canvas begging for a splash of colour! We are all for turning plaster into gold, or giving it a bright makeover, but it’s important to add colour with care.
Top 5 Tips for Colouring Hand Casts
1. Use liquid acrylic paint
Our hand and feet casting kits produce incredibly lifelike casts. It would be a terrible shame to lose the tiny lines, creases and jewellery details that make them so personal. So, our top tip when adding colour to a finished cast is the use liquid acrylic paint. It’s fluid and water-based and will glide on lightly, preserving the stunning detail of your cast.
2. Be feather-light with your touch
Use a paintbrush to apply paint in a thin, smooth layer over your hand cast. Don’t labour the process, use a gentle touch and then leave it to dry. Use a turntable or lazy Susan if you have one to move around the hand cast as you paint, without having to touch it.
3. Create the illusion of precious metal
You may want to use a metallic paint, for a luxurious look. Gold, silver and bronze paints are available and can be mixed with black for a darker tone.
4. Pass your cast off as an antique
Using a special effect wax with the green hues of oxidised copper, you can give your hand cast an antique look. First paint with liquid acrylic bronze paint, leave to dry, then apply the wax to the knuckles of your hand cast, in the same direction as the creases.
Apply to prominent and detailed areas, such as jewellery and fingernails, getting the wax into lines and creases. Give it 15-30 seconds to fix, then use a clean cloth to wipe off the excess. In an instant, you’ll transform your hand cast into an authentic-looking aged bronze sculpture!
5. Add shimmering gold highlights
One technique we love is using gilding wax to add highlights to a dark bronze hand cast. Put on some latex gloves to apply the wax sparingly to the surface of your hand cast, this time in a cross-wise direction to the lines on knuckles and other features. The effect is dazzling!
Above all, have fun adding colour to hand casts and baby feet casts. We find it a soothing process – perfect as a mindful craft project to do on these dark winter nights.
Check out this video for more insider knowledge from The Edinburgh Casting Studio on getting spectacular results adding colour to your hand cast:
Fancy giving hand casting a try? Get your kit here. Happy casting!