Silicone rubber is a versatile material that serves well for the making molds of various objects. However, it comes as quite a surprise that silicone rubber can be used to make body molds as well.

Did you know that there is a skin-safe silicone rubber that can be used to capture molds of the human body?

Indeed, EnvironMolds ( www.artmolds.com) offers a skin-safe variant of the regular RTV silicone rubber that is suitable for using on the human body. LifeRite Skin Safe Silicone is a two-component, platinum-cured silicone that should be mixed in the ratio of 10:1. This silicone rubber can be used for life casting, prosthetics and special effects purposes.

The model's body should be coated with an appropriate mold release before applying the silicone mixture with a soft brush or spatula. The rubber should be carefully worked into the indentations and curves of the body. Successive coats may be required to achieve the desired thickness.  

The silicone body mold will cure within a few minutes and it can then be buttressed with a shell mold. Plaster bandages are usually used for this purpose.

The silicone mold demolds easily as silicone does not stick to anything. However, the mold should be allowed to cure properly before proceeding to the casting stage.