60-238 Intermediate Studio: Mold Making
10 units, Carnegie Mellon University
This intermediate course will expose students to basic mold making and casting techniques using a variety of materials and processes. This course will cover a wide range of mold making techniques, from one-part molds to more complex multipart and brush-on molds. Throughout the course we will be utilizing plaster, silicone, resin, urethane rubber, wax, expanding foam and more. As students develop their mold making toolkit they will learn to assess various casting processes and properties to determine which process is best for each project. Students will experiment with casting in a variety of traditional and non-traditional materials while understanding safety protocols and the advantages and disadvantages of each. Students will learn various methods to finish and surface cast objects and we will discuss how a cast object can be incorporated into their broader art practice. Students will be introduced to contemporary artists who have used a wide range of mold-making processes in their studio practices and will be asked to consider the formal and conceptual implications of working in material transformation and multiples. Group critiques will challenge students to engage and participate in critical readings of sculptural works created through various casting processes learned in class.
Prerequisites: none listed
Offered: Spring 2027, Spring 2026
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