As part of the set design for our new medieval themed room at The Escape Effect, I needed to make some fleur-de-lis shapes for a repeating pattern. Instead of buying several pieces, I decided to make a mold of the original using Smooth-Cast Black Onyx liquid rubber and liquid plastic to cast the duplicates.
I started by using the SLOW formula which has a 4 hour cure time for the mold and then 90 minutes setting time for the plastic. I switched methods halfway through to the Smooth-Cast FAST version, which had a setting time of 15 minutes. This process was much more productive for the amount I needed to create!
I had to work out the exact amount of liquid needed for the mold to avoid wastage, as there are only a few minutes of working time once both parts are mixed, and even less for the FAST formula. The mold was so shallow it also set faster than the recommended time which did not allow much time for error!
By taking the piece out a little before it had fully set, the material was still pliable and I was able to trim the edges where the plastic had spilled over the mold. This process is more difficult when the plastic has fully hardened, especially because this piece has a more intricate design.
After the pieces were fully cured, I applied gold leaf. Once this had dried and the excess brushed off, I used gold gilding paint and dark brown paint to add highlight and shading. While I wanted the fleur-de-lis to look opulent, I also wanted it to look aged. I didn’t want them to be too shiny or perfect.
Here are the finished pieces!
