Plaster Master Recommended Books
Interior Design, Mold Making, Ceramics, Clay Modeling, Sculpture
In Association With
Best of luck in all your endeavors!
Mold Making
 The Clay Lover's Guide to Making Molds
: Designing, Making, Usingby Peirce Clayton, Chris Rich (Editor) Hardcover - 128 pages 1 Ed edition (February 1998) |
Clayton has assembled instructions, guidelines
and black/white assembly illustrations to make both plaster and rubber molds. Eye appeal
in the form of dashingly colorful photos of ceramics of many accomplished artists is also
included. His easy-to-follow instructions and pictures have answered every question I had
about making plaster molds. Reviewer: Donna from |
Lamp Making - Decorating
 Lamps and Shades:
Beautiful Ideas to Make and Decorateby Juliet Bawden
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Offers a stunning range of wall, table, side and
freestanding lamps to suit all styles of decoration. Featuring an exciting gallery of
ideas from some of the best lamp and shade designers working today, it also contains 15
creative projects for making and decorating lamps and lampshades using materials such Offers a stunning range of wall, table, side and freestanding lamps to suit all styles of decoration. Featuring an exciting gallery of ideas from some of the best lamp and shade designers working today, it also contains 15 creative projects for making and decorating lamps and lampshades using materials such as fabric, paper and glass mosiac. |
Making Simple Pots in Terracotta
 Gardenware by Martin Lungley
Hardcover (September 1999)
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More than 6,000 years ago, ancient civilizations discovered that terracotta was an ideal material for making simple pots; today, it is still highly valued for the production of decorative glazed wares and unglazed garden pots. In Gardenware, potter Martin Lungley first explores the history of terracotta and then shows, through clear instructions and sequential color photos, how to get the best from this wonderfully versatile material. Gardenware covers the selection and preparation of local clays, throwing and decorating, press molding, the production of working molds, and all the specialized techniques involved in the creation of garden pots. Illustrated in color throughout, and with ample step-by-step instruction, this is a unique guide for potters of all levels. |
Mold Making
Paperback - 240 pages Bk&Acces edition (January 1999)
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Mold Making for Ceramics is the only book to demonstrate precisely the craft of making and using all types of molds--from decorative press molds to complex, multipart slip-casting molds. Plaster, with its smooth, durable surface and low coefficient of expansion, is the material of choice for most of the basic and advanced molds taught by Professor Donald Frith here, but he explores as well the unique possibilities of Styrofoam and wooden molds. Each process is carefully described and abundantly illustrated in exact, detailed photographs. A full-color portfolio of press-molded and slip-cast work by 24 ceramists augments the step-by-step directions; the author discusses the many ways these artists use molds to produce highly individual work. |
When mixing plaster, put the water in the bucket first, then add the
plaster on top of the water. Never put the plaster in the bucket and dump water on
top.
See the Porter-Cable
Mixer Drill, a special drill made for the rigors of mixing plaster and other
industrial materials.
Compo and Mold Making
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This book is a first in the trade which provides a centuries-old secretive process for the creation of decorative ornamentation. Compo formulation was a jealously guarded "secret" which was kept in families and handed down mostly from father-to-son. Through this medium which is commonly known as "Compo," certain trades such as the picture framing and furniture manufacture industries, permitted manufacturers to mass produce previously hand carved one-of-a-kind wood ornamentation. |
Mold Making - Sculpting
Tools
Books from Bruner Felton Barrie
 Mold Making, Casting and Patina
by Bruner F. Barrie
|
 A Sculptor's Guide to
Tools and Materials by Bruner Felton Barrie
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| An excellent beginner's book for those who want to make molds, and/or casts in plaster and rubber, but have no prior experience. Format designed to make the text easy to read with step-by-step instruction on all phases of the mold making, casting and patina process. 116 pages of instruction and over 200 photos and line drawings of specific methods and procedures for any mold making and casting project clearly showing everything needed to make exacting casts of original pieces of sculpture. Recommended for the novice sculptor, mold maker and caster | A comprehensive guide for the student sculptor who wants to learn about clay and wax modeling, wood carving, stone carving, ceramics, moist clay products, and mold making, casting, and enlarging. Addresses all aspects of the use and function of sculpting tools and materials used in traditional sculpture. Each chapter concludes with a troubleshooting section which answers questions most frequently asked by the student and those troublesome areas experienced by the sculptor. |
Building Props, Molding,
Casting, Mask-Making
Books from Thurston James
 The Prop Builder's Molding &
Casting Handbook by Thurston James
Paperback - 236 pages (December 1990) |
 The Prop Builder's Mask-Making
Handbook by Thurston James
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| Clear and knowledgeable coverage of many aspects
of mould-making and casting. Good safety information, and though now a few years old,
still current. Any prop builder will be glad to own this book, whether a seasoned
professional or someone just learning the trade. |
Thurston James explores the entire scope of mask-making: choosing a mask-making material, making a life mask, character mask, decorating, dyeing, and painting masks and much more. The book also covers molding and casting from an alginate life mask, mixing and using plaster, and mask-making with many other materials. |
 Learn the Truth About Plaster CastingRead the Horrors the Others Won't Tell You Things like - What could happen to you when you are innocently washing-up your hands and plaster tools in the sink? Dan tells all the secrets in the Dan Does It Episodes. Episode I |
Creating Decorative Painted Finishes
 The Art of Faux : The
Complete Sourcebook of Decorative Painted Finishes by Pierre Finkelstein
Paperback (August 1997) |
Aimed at professionals and dedicated amateurs, The
Art of Faux is packed with gorgeous examples of faux finishes. This collection of show-and-tell how-tos includes a marvelous range of surfaces, paints, tools, and procedures. The techniques shown simulate marble, wood, stone, leather, ceramic, and many other fascinating finishes. A basic instructional for beginners; a thorough reference for professionals. 350 color and 250 b&w illustrations. (Review courtesy of Amazon.com) |
Painting Techniques
 The New Paint Magic
by Jocasta Innes
Paperback - 238 pages Reissue edition (October 1992) |
Completely revised and updated, the new edition
of this bestselling guide to painted finishes includes step-by-step instructions on the
latest techniques for painting floors, walls, and furniture. Photos in full color (Review courtesy of Amazon.com) |
Painting Techniques
 The Big Book of Decorative
Painting : How to Paint If You Don't Know How-And How to Improve If You Do
by Jackie Shaw Paperback - 336 pages (May 1994)
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This volume clearly and thoroughly explains the
methods of adorning objects with stylized flowers, fruit, scrolls, and other organic
designs. After a full explanation of the preliminaries (color mixing, brush control, basic
strokes, surface preparation), Jackie Shaw walks you step by step through all manner of
decorative painting motifs, from the simplest comma-stroke leaf to the most elaborate
floral sprays. Each motif is covered in three skill levels, which can be mixed and
matched; a beginner, for example, can utilize the easy techniques on advanced-level
patterns. Projects are many and varied and include wood, tinware, and glass objects. (Review courtesy of Amazon.com) |
Decorative Arts & Crafts
 The Art of Painting Animals on
Rocks by Lin Wellford
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Why paint rocks? Sure, there are lots of other surfaces people can paint on, but how many of them are lying about free for the taking? Many rocks have shapes suggestive of curled or crouched animals, so painting them is actually easier for beginners to master. Experienced painters will enjoy trying their hands at painting in three dimensions, and like sculpture, rock art can be displayed in all kinds of places flat art could never go, including the garden or front porch. When you're looking for a fun and inexpensive activity to share with kids, try rock painting and watch their creativity bloom! The author, Lin Wellford |
Home Decor
 Painting and Decorating Furniture
by Sheila McGraw
Paperback - 304 pages (September
1999) |
Jim Carlson, Country Decorating Ideas,
Spring 2000 Armed with this book and some basic paint supplies, you can turn ho-hum furniture into useful and attractive pieces. There's no need to be a gifted craftsperson because the highly organized projects are well-illustrated with step-by-step instructions anyone can follow. (Review courtesy of Amazon.com) |
Arts & Crafts
 Complete Home Crafts by Miranda Innes, Clive Streeter (Photographer)
Hardcover - 224 pages (October 1997) |
Complete Home Crafts is a seriously
appealing book for the crafter whose main interest is enhancing the home. Even craft fans
who don't have time to think about yet another undertaking will no doubt find themselves
seduced by one of these 51 simple and lovely projects--whether it's a painted clock for
the kitchen, a mosaic bathroom cabinet, or a decoupage wastebasket for the home office.
Innes's tips at the end of the book are explicit enough for any beginner, and most of the
crafts are inexpensive and don't require an artist's eye for great results. This is truly
a part-time crafter's delight. (Review courtesy of Amazon.com) |
Arts & Crafts as a Business
 Crafting As a Business by Wendy Rosen, Anne Childress
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Author Wendy Rosen, the publisher of American
Style magazine, sees Crafting As a Business as a "network of
mentors." Packed with sidebars that feature invaluable tips from a variety of
successful crafters, this guide offers dozens of terrific worksheets and checklists and a
plethora of sound advice. The 70-plus pages of crafts resources at the end of the book
list names and addresses of educational opportunities, suppliers, shows and fairs, and
much more. Better designed than many of the text-heavy books on this subject, Crafting
As a Business is perhaps the most thorough and easily digested guide on this
wide-ranging topic. (Review courtesy of Amazon.com) |
Sculpting
| Working With Clay : An Introduction by Susan Peterson, Tracy Carns (Editor) Hardcover - 192 pages (November 1998) |
Key Benefit:Written by a world-renowned ceramist
and leading expert in the field, this companion book to Peterson's "The Craft of Art
and Clay, 2/e" describes the initial processes of handbuilding, wheel throwing,
plaster mold making, decoration, glaze application and firing techniques in a simple,
easy-to-follow narrative. Giving collectors and beginning ceramists a sound start to
working in clay and keen eye for appreciating clayworks, it offers rich pictorial guidance
throughout, inspiring and instructing readers with a bountiful array of color photographs
of processes and clayworks. Key Topics: Features 500 brilliant color photographs with
explanatory captions that depict a variety of areas of functional and sculptural ceramic
art works; spotlight hundreds of famous clay artists; and expose readers to a virtual
gallery of ceramic art - from traditional to avant garde. Presents a colorful pictorial
timeline of ceramic art history and fascinating discussions on everything from masks to
animals, walls, and installations. (Review courtesy of Amazon.com) |
Ceramics - Decroative Techniques
| Ceramic Style : Making and Decorating Patterned Ceramic
Ware by John Hinchcliffe, Wendy Barber (Contributor), George Wright (Photographer) Paperback (April 1996) |
From
Booklist , February 1, 1995 Hinchcliffe and Barber are British studio potters who have spent years developing the design ideas and decorative techniques demonstrated in this manual. But rather than serve primarily as a practical, how-to guide, their book will be an attractive source of inspiration for students interested in learning about the persistence required of professional ceramic artists intent on producing and marketing tableware for the home. Color photographs illustrate the sponged and stenciled designs gracing the earthenware pottery platters, plates, pitchers, and other vessels made by the authors. Although forming and decorating methods are shown in a step-by-step format, it will most likely take a student with basic ceramic training and some prior knowledge of glazing to follow along. Alice Joyce Copyright© 1995, American Library Association. All rights reserved |
Ceramics - Materials, Molding, Firing, Glazing
| The Big Book of Ceramics : A Guide to the History,
Materials, Equipment, and Techniques of Hand-Building, Molding, Throwing, Kiln-Firing, and
Glazing by Joaquim Chavarria Paperback - 192 pages (September 1994) |
This book makes everything (in ceramics) seem possible for anyone. Photographs lead you through every kind of ceramic creation, from a simple pinch pot to making a teapot on a potter's wheel. There are even sections on the history of ceramics and making your own molds. Every page is filled with close-up color pictures... more than 700! |
Painting Techniques
 Painted Pots
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All in color! Don't just use them for flowers!
Ornamental flowerpots also make handy containers, wonderful centerpieces, and great
seasonal decorations. And these beautiful examples--made from a variety of techniques
including papier mach, stenciling, block printing, crackling, antiquing, sponging, and
relief designs--will really brighten your home. Create an adorable Bunny Pot, a bright
Sunshine Farm Box, a Potted Herb Photo Frame, a Beribboned Clay Pot, a Birds and Blossoms
Wooden Planter, and dozens more! Every technique you'll need is fully and clearly
described, and accompanied by magnificent full-color pictures of the project. (Review courtesy of Amazon.com) |
Ceramics
 Decorating Ceramics : A Guide to the History, Materials,
Equipment, and Techniques of Ornamenting Ceramic Objects With Applied, Incised, and
Painted dby M. Pilar Navarro Paperback (December 1996) |
Reviewer:
A reader from Santa Paula, California July 13, 1998 If you are looking for varied and facinating ceramic decorating techniques, this is the book for you. With the notable exception of stain wedging, this book has it all. As a high school ceramic instructor I am always looking for versitile and inexpensive decorating techniques. This book is the jackpot! (Review courtesy of Amazon.com) |
Mosaic Art Techniques
 The Mosaic Book : Ideas, Projects
and Techniques by Peggy Vance, Celia Goodrich-Clarke |
From Booklist , January 15, 1995 Vance and Goodrick-Clarke are sophisticated guides, inviting readers along on a visually stimulating tour of the countless possibilities for mosaics. Pictured are striking examples of architectural settings, such as gardens, pools, grottoes, and home interiors. Unique works by artists include jewelry, furniture, distinctively designed floors and walls, and decorative objects--all embellished with designs created in ceramic tile, glass, stone, marble, and some unexpected materials. This invaluable resource offers step-by-step projects, explanations of tools and techniques, and a final section of bold motifs, for use in creating mosaic designs. The guidance is here for anyone interested in acquiring hands-on skills, or just looking to be inspired by exuberant representations of mosaic art. (Review courtesy of Amazon.com) |
Mold Making for Ceramics
Step-By-Step Compo
and Mold Making