Cast offs ..

I am planning to cast some resin soon - waiting for a warmer day - but my molds need a jolly good clean. I use them mostly for pewter and they get bits of metal and so forth stuck in them. I thought it would be nice to cast a few more metal things before the clean - there is something completely irresistible about melting pewter. It is like quicksilver - and so shineeee ...

Well, it is shiny when it melts but is pretty dull once it sets. So,I have to make them shiny. Here they are cleaned up, sanded and filed.

Next I grunge them up a bit - get them looking good and crusty (except the moustache 'cos he looks good shiny!). Sometimes it seems a bit of a shame to make them so dull but it is all part of the process ...

Now the patina is cleaned up a bit so that the pieces have good tonal contrast. I like this look a lot.

Same thing - just a little closer!

I  put a lot of texture on the bird this time . I haven't made it like that before but I like it - kinda organic huh? Now I really do have to give those molds a scrub so I can get the resin thing happening! Fingers crossed for a nice warm day ....