Making tiki mug original sculptures..any advice???

I am learning of the resourcs here of knowledge and exited to do more than paint. I love to sculpt..and havelong wanted to make my own tiki mugs that can be cast from a silicone mold or sent away for manufacturing. I was asked recently my Tikifarm if I would like to work with them on this sort of project.
Does ayone have advice for what a original should be carved or sculpted from so that molds can be made if sent to asia or whatever for production?? Or..do I just sculpt a prototype and someone recreates it in the propper form for mold making and I approve this..etc.

I wantto tinker with all this on my own. Suggstions greatly appreciated!!

Sounds good. I too want to make a mug one of these days with the farm. Big tiki goal. I see alot of times that the prototype that they use is out of wax. A Green wax. There must be a good add/subtract with the wax and it may be a thing where is melts away after the mold is made. Wow, so the farm asked you? you should have asked them cause they know totally. Keep us updated.

oh, and some people have had others do the sculpting but then you will lose some of your artistic comman. You will have to share alttile credit and profits. Althought some people have good ideas on paper and maybe not the best at the sculpture part. And the scultper may attract buyers.

[ Edited by: teaKEY on 2005-05-13 11:57 ]

We are learning about mug making in order to help produce the NW Tiki Crawl mug. Here's the process we went through:
Original was sculpted from Magic Sculpt modeling resin. We then made a silicone mold of the original. The silicone mold was then filled with melted, non hardening oil based modeling clay; we made 4 clay originals in this way. Next, the clay originals are cast in #1 casting plaster to make the ceramic final mold. We made 4 to maintain mold integrity and also to speed up production.

The reason for the 2-step process (hard original sculpt cast and re-created in soft clay) is that the plaster mold is much easier to remove from a soft original, but soft clay is not always the preferred medium for sculpting the original, plus it gets destroyed in the process. We'll be slip-casting our mugs in the next week or so and will let you know how it all turned out.

This is great help!!! I was on the phone a while ago today wih Hanford at Tikifarm and He shared some great advice too!!
I have sculpted a lot..but never for a "product" Have always sculpted maquette's as art direction tools for a sculpter who does them full scale.

I know I have to style the sculpture to avoid lock ups in the mold..etc. Can't wait!!
I love detail!! I have designs of some very detailed Shrunken Heads and Hawaiian celeb stylizations I want to do.

Thanks so much for the info. I look forward to LOT's of trading and all soon!!

Kool to see you out and about in tiki central land. If you can carve like you paint I want to see that mug!

THANks Hewey!! I am excited to work on the mugs! Especially since I will have to "test" them with lots of my favorote rum concoctions!!

~~T

THor,

I 'm glad you have requested (although indirectly and without your knowledge) my immediate opinion on this sincere and lanquent subject.

I - Tiki Bong 2000 - suggest that you create, with your hands and your mind and your artistic alemery, a tiki muf of me - TIKI BONG 2000!

(What do you suggest we say to our lawyers when the deal is done!?)

Tiki bong!!! Not a bad idea!! But, can you hold a pose for a few hours while I carve the mug??