How to Make Elf Ears - Casting your Actor's Ears (Part 1)
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- čas přidán 1. 01. 2015
- Ear Casting is the first video of our even part series "Creating Elf Ears" on how to make custom silicone Elf Ears. This video covers the process on how to cast an actor's ears and create a plaster mold of the ear using Alginate as the ear casting material. The plaster ear is then used to sculpt your elf ear onto using clay. Or you can go further and create resin ears for more durability and detail.
To simplify the other materials used in this special series on creating elf ears, here is a list of what you need for the rest of the process.
THE PLASTER used in this process is called Hydrocal B11 White. This plaster is best because you can scrape it and clean it easier than Ultracal 30 plaster. Which either one is good it's just I prefer Hydrocal.
THE SILICONE used in the molding process can be either a Tin Cure silicone or a platinum silicone. Platinum preferred my most effects artist. I have been using Dragon Skin 30 for the molds instead of the blue (Tin-Cure) stuff lately. Tin-Cure silicone sometimes causes the platinum silicone or PlatSil Gel 10 to not cure and remain sticky. So I have found you can't use different silicone for molding. Stay with platinum silicone for everything. Dragon Skin 10 seems to be the most popular and easiest to buy.
For the prosthetic ears use either use PlatSil Gel 10 silicone or Dragon Skin 10. (PlatSil is a little more expensive but I love its feel better than dragon skin.)
For coloring the silicone use the recommend silicone tinting products.
The plastic material I use in the video for making the ear forms is called Repo 1 (Reproduction plastic). You can also use Smooth On Smooth-Cast® 385. I think it might be cheaper and easier to use. - Krátké a kreslené filmy
I'm 15 minutes in this video and have already learned so much. I was actually searching for normal silicone ears but might finally also try the elf ears.
Thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge here! :-D
Thanks PierreG. (:
I just wanted to say, it never ceases to amaze me, how cleaver some people can be. I would never have figured out something like this on my own. Thanks for such an entertaining video. :)
I don't always cleave.
This is so incredibly helpful...this series is so well explained and filmed, thank you so much for sharing!
Seraph Cosplay Thank you Seraph, My goal has been to try and give as much information as I could. Especially techniques. :)
And please share with your cosplay friends. Thanks
My favorite plaster to use for this step is Hydrocal White B11 plaster. It is easy to clean up any flaws in the plaster by either taking a razor blade or filling in holes or painting more hydrocal over air pockets. The reason I like this plaster is because it is slightly softer then Ultracal plaster and easy to fix. I use Ultracal plaster for my main molds because this plaster it is ultra hard and the detail is gives is exceptional and it is also the standard for mold making for Hollywood effects artists. Both plasters have their purpose. Never use Plaster of Paris for making mold because it is very soft and brittle and your details will be rubbed away before you even begin.
Thanks :)
Thank you for this amazing tutorial! I'm really excited to do this!
You're very welcome.
Very well explained! Thanks!!!
Cool. Thanks for sharing. One tip I have learned about mixing plaster is the "river bed" method. Basically it cures stronger that way. There are many videos on how to mix it.
Also you could just sculpt the ear from en epoxy clay and it would be very strong. Cheers ✌
Hi Diana, yes that is an excellent way to work with plaster for stronger castings.
The reason we use plaster for the ears instead of epoxy is so we can do easy touch ups and adjust the ears in the plaster base. Your advice would be great for those wanting to skip the silicone molding of these ears to save a little time and money by bypassing the silicone molding of these ears and making stronger ears to sculpt on. Thank you. :)
@@EggHeadFX 💞
A brilliant tutorial! Thank you so much!
You are welcome :)
I have to agree with everyone here this is one channel which is fiercely educational. I am studying theatrical makeup and was looking up how to make ears... and I came across this channel, you have taught me so much in the very first video... wow keep up the good job
Naz Khan thank you. :)
i had so much fun watching this video! thank you! greetings from poland. 😃
+dagmag michmag Thank you. :)
Love this series, and I'm currently working on making a sorta cheap-o version of it X'D we got the cheapest version of everything and are gonna use liquid latex to make the final ears.
I just received the coolest gift from my super husband...all the supplies in your elf ear tutorials to make our own. We love your videos and are having a great time following the steps you teach. We ran into questions working with the General Purpose Silicone. The thixotropic didn't seem to thicken it. Should we wait a while after mixing before applying it to the plaster ear/base? Thank you for such great videos...very informative.
Hi Bezoar, Thixotropic will make silicone thicken to a frosting consistency depending on how much you add to the silicone. Once mixed, it can take 15 minutes or more depending on the type of silicone and the amount of Thix you use. People don't always use thixotropic. If you keep working the silicone (spreading it over your sculpture with a popsicle stick or chip brush) it will begin to set/cure in 1/2 hour to 1 hour depending on the temperature of the room and silicone.
When you finish your ears please post a picture on our Facebook page. :) We love to see and show off peoples work.
This is such a great series, thank you for taking the time to make it! How much silicone did you use for each ear mold?
+Courtney Little | Makeup Artist
I would say around 30 to 40 grams of Platsil Gel 10 prosthetic grade silicone. is what I use to make the prosthetic ears. The silicone mold is different and uses more silicone and is covered in the "Part 5" casting video.
Or use sandpaper?to smooth it, also when u put the plaster in the circle, maybe measure the ear hight so u dobt go to much over the mold.
so much work
The ring of cured plaster over the silicone made me end a cheesecake.
I love your videos so much ❤️ your voice kinda reminds me of Johnny depp in Charlie and the chocolate factory I love it😭❤️😂
Hi, where do I get this Styrene? And can I use anything else? Amazing videos btw
Any ideas on how to work around piercings that cannot be removed?
So. maNY. STEPS.
Yes, sorry but it's one way to make realistic elf ears. (:
What kind of plaster did you use?
is there any way to make the ear closer to the clients natural skin tone eg if my client has dark skin is there anyway to colour the silicon.
You can get any basic foundation color to match close to any persons skin. You just need to get the right base color to accommodate that skin color. Then you may need to tweak it with reds, yellows or blues (and even green sometimes) to make it match as close to perfect to that person's skin color. It can be tricky and might take a couple tries to get it right depending on your skill level. But yes of course is possible.
Hola Rosario, Lo siento, no sé español , pero me alegro de que se haya podido conseguir todavía una buena comprensión de lo que se enseña . Por favor, dile a tus amigos para que puedan suscribirse y aprender también. Cheers, Thom
***** Thanks Wayne.
Thanks Wayne. Keep on sculpting, casting and painting...
Cheers,
Thom
I've only been doing this for a few years so I'm somewhat of a beginner and I don't have the materials or the money to do a live cast of an ear. I have WED Clay so I was thinking I could sculpt an ear out of clay and follow the same process. Are there any additional steps I would need to do in order to be successful?
WED clay is used on big sculptures mostly and used for fast sculpts. If you are trying to create feathered edges you clay will dry out on the edges very fast and not give you the fine edge you need for blending prosthetics.
Plaster underoes a chemical reaction when setting, so you know it's done when the heat is gone. If you take it out too soon, it can alter the plaster because of expansion.
Hello! I think it's cool. And the ears look very beautiful! What exactly are you using for material? So the blue (silicon?) And the gray (plaster?). So I need the keywords. I can not speak English so well. So I need this as text so I can translate XD. Thank you in advance. Best regards :)
Hello! I was wondering if there is a way to do this without making the mold? if I were to make a prosthetic ear but use it on several different people. Like selling prosthetic ears do you by chance know how I could do that???
+Tati Marie People do make ears out of derma wax and nose puddy but they are not as strong or realistic looking. A mold is the best and most consistent way to make elf ears that will last through out the day. I have put these kind of ears on actors and they acted in them all day and went out at night showing them off and they held up fine. :)
I feel lucky that I was born with pointy ears, I used to be insecure about them but I’ve learned to love them.
"Spatulate" aka "Stir".... -.-
+VickieTheHippie
:)
WhoLance ya but he didn’t use it right Lmao it’s not even a verb it’s a noun 😂🤣😂🤣
you have to spatulate it!!
Would you be able to make the elf ears off of the plaster ear or do you need to make a plastic ear?
You can use plaster but remember plaster is not a strong medium especially because the ear is thin in some areas making it very fragile that is why resins and other strong materials are best.
I'm just wondering why you didn't use a whisk to mix the alginate? I mean bakers use it to mix when they bake cakes with flour, butter, eggs, and water to smooth it out. I'm just curious why a spatula?
+O Neg FX
Hey O, The mixture has more alginate then water which makes it very thick and a whisk would just fill up with thick alginate. Also it is recommended that you spatulate the mixture by pressing it against the sides of the bowl to make it an even paste like consistency. If the alginate mix has to much water it will run down the person's throat. Keeping the alginate thick will keep it in place around the teeth until it sets. A whisk isn't the best tool for this purpose, even a spoon or popsicle stick would work better. :)
Do you need to make different "sizes" since there are bigger and smaller ears? Or will this ear prosthetic fit all ears?
I have been able to use ears from others because ears are all pretty similar and if it's the same size and close to the same shape good chance it will fit.
@@EggHeadFX Cool, thanks! I really appreciate the series you've made!
is this silicone different from the "general purpose silicone" in part 5? This one you tint red for the resin molds, but the other silicone stays blue....
thanks for the info!
I would recommend using only platinum silicone for the mold and also for the ears prosthetics. People have found that using a tin-cure silicone and then pouring in a platinum silicone for the ear prosthetic can cause a reaction.
The different colors silicones are because some silicones already have a pigment in their catalyst and some are clear. You can add pigment if you desire. That’s why different color silicones.
Hi, I have updated the info in this video. I would not use general purpose silicone or Tin-Cure silicone anymore for this process. Us only a platinum silicone like PlatSil Gel 10 or Dragon Skin 10 for molding and casting ears. This will remove any problems associated with using different types of silicones and issues of the prosthetic ears remaining sticky and not curing all the way.
@@EggHeadFX Hi thanks all for the responses. I saw dragonskin and other platinum silicon at the store. I'll buy it for mold and the final prosthetic.
@@thegeeeeeeeeee Even though Hydrocal is not as strong as Ultracal, it should work fine. Just be careful pulling the molds apart. Best to you :-)
Hello there! I was wondering, if I had a mold made of my ears over here, do you make custom ears i'd send you a mold of my ears? I'm nervous about shaping the ears and getting them both symmetrical but the molding part is fairly easy. Just wondering if I could order a pair of custom ears like these ones if I sent a mold of my own ears? Thank you for reading :)
Also, what would it cost?
Hi Amelie, You can see from the videos that much is involved.
+Egg Head FX Yes I watched the whole series, lots of material. That's why I'd probably have a mold made of my ears here, I'd just need help shaping the ears and making them realistic and translucent which is why I suggested sending the mold to you for the actual ears to be shaped and made. I'm also worried that all the materials for making the actual ear don't exist here where I'm from. But I know where I could get a mold made of my ears. I know making these ears is time consuming and not cheap, but I'm more than willing to pay a good price for all that time and effort, those ears are so beautiful, they look just like Arwen's.
message me on facebook
Thanks
Are all the products you used can be bought at Hobby Lobby?
smoothrasin Sorry Smoothrasin, the only materials Hobby Lobby sells it the clay. Van Aken. You can use this clay for all your sculpting needs if it's all you have. If you use another type of clay make sure it is Sulfur Free. Sulfur contaminates silicone and caused it to not set up or set up real slow. They sell a plaster called Plaster of Paris. It is the poorest type of plaster on the market. It will not work, it is too brittle and will not keep detail. It's like working with chalk.
What did you use to make the silicone mold? Body Double? RTV?
+Scott Mitchell Yes RTV is a silicone.
+Egg Head FX The silicone used to make ears is, Platsil Gel 10 prosthetic grade silicone.
I have a question does the silicone need to be a specific type?
The silicone used for prosthetics are platinum silicones. Other silicones are not really safe for skin. The two main types used in the makeup effects industry are Platsil Gel and Dragon Skin FX.
Thank you!!!! 🙏
Hey Scott. I used a general purpose silicone from FX Supply. www.fxsupply.com/silicone/silicone.html
I would hate to be the girl who you did this on LOL. Anyways, you did a great job! This looks really realistic.
Casting ears with alginate doesn't hurt at all. Plus she was laying on a soft pillow. The entire process for her was only about 5 minutes per ear. Very fast and not really uncomfortable unless you are ticklish. :)
i think you could skip the step at 10:17 and make a base out of clay instead of plaster and then mold everything and make a reproduction plastic copy... it would be quicker and you wouldn`t need a drill to make the registration holes...
Where is part two?!
Susanna Brow czcams.com/video/7IT3kmvK4Cg/video.html
Why do we have to add the circular part after the ear has been made? Why can't we just leave it with the part you chipped off instead of, essentially, just re-making that?
+Jenna Larson You can leave it off if you want. It will be rough and not easy to mold over. Adding the extra plaster gives you a nice base under the ear when you start adding clay to sculpt your elf ear. I wouldn't add this step if I didn't feel it was important. It is how effects artists create plaster ears all over the world. I didn't make this step up. :)
Awesomeness thank you!
can i put it no my ear? because i have 1 ear.,/,.can i have that?
I don't understand your question.
Egg Head FX I think he is trying to say that he already made one ear and asked if he could have that one
I don't give ears away.
Thanks for the video. What type of clay can you use that adheres to plaster?
In case I can't get the Van Aken-clay. I have this self hardening clay www.sio-2.com/en/plus/presentation/6
+Dag Isaksson
Hi, Self hardening clays are not the best to use for small prosthetic sculpting. It dries and cracks so your fine edges can flake away. I would recommend trying to find an old base clay, these are a non-drying clay, you can reuse the oil based clay over and over again for other projects. Preferable sulfur free. You can even use Sculpy as your clay if you have no other options as long as you don't cure it in an oven, leave it soft.
Thanks
3/4 cup Alginate
1 cup water
😄
And that's how you make asmr mics
Sorry I don't know what you mean?
Egg Head FX it’s a mic for Asmr (search up asmr , it relaxes people or people who have insomnia so they can hear “Asmr” and can sleep from it or people watches Asmr video to relax, they usually Whisper to the mic which is called “3dio” which has silicone ears 👂 on the mic) so it looks like your making a asmr mic in a way since your making silicone ears!
when youre cheap so you're going to skip part 2 and go straight to sculpting the ear at part 3
Alisha // yes you can use the plaster ears instead of making the resin ears. The plaster ears might snap apart because they are very thin. But yes it is possible. And if you are super cheap and use plaster of paris then I guarantee they will break and all you effort and what money you did spend will be wasted. So make sure the plaster ears are made with Ultra Cal 30 plaster. It is a little stronger than Hydro Cal plaster. And use Valentine as a mold release on the plaster.
Thanks, I bought some plaster from a craft store and it was called "Hobby plaster", i'm not sure what kind it is as it doesn't say on the box
The brand is Hobbygips
100% chance it is Plaster of Paris. It is more like chalk than plaster.
I really hope that you meant that we can coat it in vaseline and then put the clay on it to make the elven part of it because that's what I'm gonna do soon. (I'm going as Link from Legend of Zelda to AwesomeCon this year and I'm hoping this thing works.)
The vaseline is used to smooth the clay out. I don't understand what you are referring to?
It just looked like you were pulling sausage parts out of someone's ear
do you have a contact email?
eggheadfx@gmail.com
@@jensenthom tank you
hey can you make me ears ill pay you 120 if you'd like
Message me on facebook and we can talk.