After the mucous dribble of layer one, layer two has a bit of dye added to warn when I’m nearing the skin/mucous later. Then a thicker silicon mix is used to create a 3/4 inch line around the figure as the mold seam that will be cut apart later, and undercuts are back-filled. Layer three is yellow sport mesh & silicon, and layer four smooths over the sport mesh.
A seam for the plaster mother-mold begins with mold keys made from wax dixie cups and tea-candle tins (circle punched into the dixie cup with a die-cut hole cutter) [Note to self: never ever use the tea light cups again because the plaster will not let it go and you will take next to forever incrementally wedging the mother mold apart. Idiot! Gosh!] Toothpicks pin the mold keys and hot glue takes up any slack between the mold and the dixie cup. Nothing sticks to silicon mold, ditto for waxed dixie cups- so the hot glue creates a seal and the toothpicks act as an anchor, but will pop away from the waxed cup easily. Delicate work that gains strength as it all comes together, but it always is a bit tenuous.
When the mold seam is finished, it makes a nice bisecting Halo. Next comes the plaster & hemp mothermold.