Body and soul

In his latest project, Mark Rayner performs a spot of body building.

Make garden statue

You will need

Plastic mannequin torso
Ready-mix concrete, Cement (builder's plaster mix)
Casting plaster (available from building suppliers)
Modelling clay
Petroleum jelly
Sand
Plywood for box frame
Bungee ties

Exterior primer/undercoat
Resene Enamacryl Metallic Paint (we've used Scotty Silver for the skin. Lucifer for the swimming trunks and Time Warp for the shadows),
Resene Lumbersider (we've used Heather for the base coat of Scotty Silver. Regent Grey for the base coat of Lucifer and Astronaut for the base coat for Time Warp
Resene Multishield Gloss (now Resene Concrete Clear)

To get the look: Mark used a plastic torso available from Purfex, modelling clay from CCG and paint products from Resene.

Top tip: As the finished piece is very heavy, it's best cast in situ. For additional stability, ensure the torso is firmly anchored in a layer of cement.

Instructions

How to make a garden statue:

Step one
Construct a box frame large enough to contain the torso and place it face up on a layer of sand. Pack sand around the torso to a level halfway up each side.

Step two
To make a mould of the front of the torso, build up a layer of clay around the body (to the "side seam"), ensuring it's pressed well against the frame.

Step three
Cover the mannequin, clay and plywood with a generous layer of petroleum jelly and build up several layers of casting plaster to a thickness of 40mm.

Step four
Once the plaster is dry, remove the frame and clay, turn the mannequin and mould over and repeat the process to cast the mould for the back.

Step five
Carefully remove each half of the plaster mould from the mannequin and fill any air bubbles or imperfections with plaster.

Step six
Reapply petroleum jelly to each half of the mould, then cover with a 11mm layer of cement (builder's plaster) . Allow to dry overnight.

Step seven
Secure the mould with ties, plug the arm holes with clay, then fill with concrete. Once dry, use warm, soapy water to remove the mould. Sand or fill any imperfections with cement.

Step eight
Allow to dry for at least seven days. Prime, then paint according to manufacturer's recommendations, and finish off with a coat of Resene Concrete Clear.

› Download a PDF of this project

View more projects

Resene Paints Ltd – www.resene.com