Fetal Skull Mask

I wanted to share the making of a mask for a fetal skeleton character in an upcoming tintype. As with the other tintype props, everything is painted not for realism but in grey scale to make the photographing easier.

The roughest of sketches.

Epoxy clay was used to match the contours of the fetal skull and to give me a rigid base for sculpting over. For the eyes, wooden balls were recessed.

The finished clay sculpt.

A mold was made of the clay sculpt and a resin copy produced. The resin mask was sanded smooth and primed.

The finished mask after painting and sealing.

Leather straps with metal fittings were added for the head harness. The mouth bit bone is articulated and silver guilded.

The finished fetal skull mask with head harness.

Trumpet Prop

While I’m learning about photographic chemistry and shooting a tintype independently , I continue to sculpt and make props and scenes for upcoming tintypes. This miniature trumpet was created by combining turned aluminum and sculpted elements.

I began by roughing out the bell of the trumpet from aluminum stock on my metal lathe.

The finished trumpet bell.

The finished turned aluminum pieces next to the work drawing.

The sculpted elements were added using epoxy clay and resin, after which they were primed using an airbrush.

The primed sculpted bones were then guilded with silver leaf and sealed. I always prefer guilding, as opposed to painting with metallic paint, as nothing reflects light like real metal.

I used my micro drill press to add holes to the underside of the trumpet for the flag rings.

The finished miniature trumpet prop next to the work drawing.

Resin Eyes

I recently completed a pair of adult sized resin eyes for an upcoming silicone sculpture to be photographed in a tintype. The eyes are grey scale hand painted cast resin and the veining on the scleras was accomplished by laying in silk fibers. Special thanks to Fourth Seal Studios for their help.

This is a work in progress picture, taken before the final clear coat and adding of the corneal bulge. The irises were painted using grey scale acrylics.

Polishing the final clear coat layer.

Birdcage Helmet Prop

A collar with a head-surrounding birdcage helmet prop for an upcoming tintype. Resin, epoxy, clay, brass, acrylic, silver leaf. 2024.

The collar began as a section of plumbing pipe, turned on my metal lathe.

After shaping and heat flaring the collar, added resin-casted finger bones and began sculpting in details with epoxy clay. You may note the finger bones have two tiny pins helping hold each piece to the collar.

The birds and all the collar ornament were sculpted by hand with epoxy clay.

The top portion of the birdcage helmet was made from resin copies of a bird’s skull I found and made a mold of. After molding the thin bones, wires were added into the following castings for strength. Further sculpting was done with epoxy clay.

For the bending of the brass upright bars of the cage, a jig was made to ensure the uniformity of the bars.

A second jig was made to align the top portion of the helmet with the lower collar.

The rough fit of the birdcage bars.

The assembled birdcage helmet was primed black using an airbrush before guilding.

The slow work of silver leaf guilding.

The finished birdcage helmet prop for an upcoming tintype. Resin, epoxy, clay, brass, acrylic, silver leaf. 2024.

Bellows Prop

Miniature bellows prop for an upcoming tintype. Wood, leather, turned aluminum, epoxy clay, silver leaf, miniature brass nails. It didn’t need to be functional but I couldn’t help myself. The air intake is through the little primitive skull’s eyes and mouth, which was sculpted and guilded in silver leaf.

The woodwork was made by gluing veneer to basswood, then distressed and weathered.

The bellow’s nozzle was turned on my metal lathe and given a metal patina for aging.

The finished bellows. Miniature brass nails hold the thin leather to the edges of the wooden sections of the bellows.

Rattlescepter Prop

A miniature prop for an upcoming tintype. Is it a baby rattle or a scepter? Perhaps both?

Shaped aluminum, resin, epoxy clay, silver leaf, rattlesnake’s tail.

Shaping the top aluminum part on the metal lathe.

Using the metal lathe’s steady rest to help shape the thin aluminum staff portion of the scepter.

The main shape of the end staff ornament was formed on the metal lathe, while the rest of the geometry was filed by hand.

The finished end staff ornament.

The finished miniature baby rattle scepter.

Sword Fabrication for the Crossing Swords Tintype

One of the enjoyable things about the new tintype work is I get to create props for the characters being photographed. Crossing Swords allowed me to fabricate miniature weapons, to the scale of a fetal skeleton. The Hoplite sword was chosen for its graceful leaf shaped blade and Greek origins. Greece, being the cradle of democracy. The props were made during July and August of 2021. It was necessary the miniature swords be constructed like a real sword, using materials that would reflect light realistically.

The blanks were roughed out of sword grade steel, the same as a full sized sword would be made out of.

After the blades were shaped and polished, the tang was rounded and threaded to accept the pommel.

Aluminum was used for the pommels and guards. Here, one of the pommels is finished on my metal lathe right before being cut off.

The hilt wood was glued over the tang, shaped, then painted.

The Infant King Tintype Session

I am fortunate to have an artist like Eric Baillies so close to where I live and so willing to share historical techniques. My first tintype, The Infant King, was shot in Eric’s studio using my camera on May 29-31, 2021. While we experimented with different lenses, my favorite image was made with my Darlot. Eric guided me through all the steps, and the involved hands-on practice cemented that this is what I want to do moving forward as an artist. Making a tintype is akin to alchemy, and I hope to always remember the magic of watching my first image develop.

Focusing on the Infant King sculpture in Eric Baillies’ studio.

The sculpture projected onto the Fresnel lens screen.

Experimenting with Eric Baillies’ CC Harrison lens.

Several variations of the Infant King.

Three day’s work in the drying rack.