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Ceroplastic Tehnique

Art made with Wax

Mold and Wax Sculpture

This ingenious profession of working the wax with artistic plasticity that dates from the XIX century has been denominated Ceroplastics.

The first figures stuffed with cotton arise in Paris, near 1810. According to some specialists, the current technique only arose in 1919.

The first requirement to make a wax figure is to model a clay sculpture. Of the face a mask can be obtained pouring a silicone mixture and plaster which, once solidified, becomes the mold. When pressing clay on the mold, the sculptor needs to carry out the necessary corrections to give to the figure the wanted similarity with its original, although this is not always possible. Therefore, many sculptors prefer to base themselves on pictures and facial measures to create a piece of art where there are no interpretations nor fantasies, but the only objective being accuracy.

In the wax figures, which in their immobility must be identical to whom they represent, their authors must give up inspiring themselves too much in favor of the most rigorous imitation. Behind the sculpture, the liquid plaster is spread over each part in which the clay figure has been divided, taking care of preparing some metallic separation sheets to, once solidified, be able to separate the pieces. When uniting them again, the liquid wax, which has been put to high temperatures, is poured into the mold and when cooling down, acquires a solid consistency in the form it has obtained from the mold, which is then separated to remove the wax figure. This procedure is called casting. Each part of the wax figure obtained as just mentioned, is submitted to a curious manipulation to eliminate rough parts, excesses and other imperfections. In the bust, taking advantage of a hole which is made in the back of the head, the eyes will be placed and if so, teeth and tongue.

Hair Implant

Afterwards, hairdressers and make-up specialists will insert the needed natural capillary elements in the wax, like hair, body hair, brows, eyelashes, mustache and beard. They will also give color graduations and appropriate tones, shades, vermilions, among others to the figure to achieve the most realistic resemblance possible with the to be represented figure, also keeping in mind, the illumination of the space it will be placed. The last step is to place the pieces on the previously prepared metallic structure, which in combination will form the complete figure, which will only need to be dressed and placed in the chosen location.

Sculptures: Prof. Domingo I. Tellechea
Stage Properties: José María Más.
Costumes: Zulema Sanchez.
Wigs and selection of hair: Leontina Labourdette.
Metacolor techniques: María A. Schlottman.
Restauration y Conservation: Helena C. Tellechea / Marcelo Juárez.