One of my more interesting classes was a combination ceramics and graphic design class. It may sound wild, because it absolutely was. By the end of the semester, but the students and professor learned quite a bit. In my case I learned that I rather enjoy 3D modeling (when I'm not arguing with the program), and I absolutely don't have the wherewithal for plaster casting. Nearly lost a spoon to it. 

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Any-who, this project entailed the creation of a 3D model, which would then be printed, which we would then make a plaster mold of, which we could then make slip-cast ceramics out of. Slip casting, by the way, involves pouring "slip" into a mold and waiting for it to dry before taking the mold apart. Slip is essentially liquid clay. 

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To simplify it all: Digital 3D Model ➝ 3D Printed Object ➝ Object + Plaster = Mold ➝ Mold + Slip Clay = Ceramic version of 3D Object. 

 

This was the last project of the semester, which was a bold choice as it was an immense undertaking (even without technical difficulties, which there were plenty of). 

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Now, I've never actually made a mold or done slip casting in ceramics before. I had several previous ceramics classes before this odd hybrid class, so I had been around the proverbial block before in many regards, but this wasn't one of them. Fortunately (sort of), most of my class hadn't either. Again, this was all a learning process for everyone. 

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The first model I made absolutely couldn't be made into a 2 part mold and any molds numbering higher than 3 parts are entirely unfathomable to me (even now) and with the resources we had. I had to make a second model which I did after doing some research on the topic to ensure that the second attempt would create something that would work. 

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This second model worked perfectly and would make for a fantastic 3-part mold. I even got to the point where I had made the first part of the mold when I absolutely botched the plaster on the second part and by that point I'd simply ran out of time. I did at the very least get a little 3D printed copy of the second version that I've got on my desk now, and I know how to do everything if I wanted to replicate the project again in the future!