Workshop Overview

This six-session online workshop offers a deep and structured entry into the world of contemporary mold making. Designed for artists, researchers, and material thinkers, it explores the technical foundations and creative potentials of working with advanced mold-making materials.

Over six sessions, we will examine a full spectrum of techniques and systems used to create high-fidelity molds and casts—from sculpting and shaping to casting and release. Our study will focus on both the theory and practice of mold making, with attention to conceptual clarity, material behavior, and detailed methodology.

We will explore a wide range of materials, including silicone (tin- and platinum-cure), urethane rubber, polymeric clays, alginates, foams, and resins. Each will be studied in depth in relation to safety, compatibility, behavior, and long-term use. Additionally, we will address support systems such as separator agents, structural additives, fillers, and hybrid approaches.

A unique aspect of this workshop is the inclusion of detailed guidance on casting with paper-based materials, including recycled pulp, fabric-derived fiber, and plant-based pulps. Participants will learn how to work with fragile substances within high-precision mold systems—offering new applications for paper and pulp in the world of casting.

What This Workshop Offers

• A comprehensive study of contemporary mold-making systems and logic

• Step-by-step instruction in mixing, building, brushing, reinforcing, and releasing molds

• Visual depth: high-resolution presentations, video guides, and process diagrams

• Strategies for integrating advanced materials with fragile casting mediums like paper pulp

• Continuous support: all participants receive recordings, illustrated presentations, and curated links for tools and resources

• Optional assignments between sessions, with feedback via the Paper Lab community platform

Materials & Learning Process

Participants are not required to purchase materials before the course begins. As the sessions unfold, each participant will receive tailored sourcing guidance aligned with their casting goals and region.

This workshop is non-branded. While we do not promote any specific company, we guide participants on how to find appropriate materials available in their country.

Each session offers both theoretical insights and visual clarity, along with options for practical implementation. Participants are invited to experiment between sessions and receive support and feedback from the Paper Lab team.

Who Should Join

This course is intended for those seeking a serious, structured, and material-conscious approach to mold making. Ideal for:

• Artists working with casting, repetition, or surface preservation

• Papermakers and sculptors exploring fragile, fiber-based substances

• Designers, educators, and researchers interested in material systems

• Interdisciplinary makers wanting to develop advanced mold-making fluency

Paper Lab's platform emphasizes material literacy, process awareness, and research-led experimentation. This workshop is shaped by those same values.

Workshop Content

Session 1: Mold Logic – Foundations and Natural Intelligence

• Introduction to mold-making as a language of presence and absence

• Historical and natural mold-making methods

• Core principles: imprint, reversal, containment

• Temporary mold systems: clay, ice, sand, alginate

• First practice: casting paper into simple molds

Session 2: Silicone – Precision, Properties, and Applications

• Tin-cure vs. platinum-cure silicone

• Brush-on, pourable, and putty forms

• Shore hardness, inhibition, and cure logic

• Mold design for fragile, dimensional, or repeated casting

• Paper casting into silicone: absorption, layering, and separation

Session 3: Clay and Rubber – Sculpting, Molding, Translating Form

• Polymeric clays (NSP soft/medium/hard) for two-part molds

• Using clay as both modeling and mold material

• Natural and synthetic rubber systems

• Release strategies and mold complexity

• Rubber molds for soft-to-rigid and multi-material casting

Session 4: Urethanes – Molds, Resins, and Structural Casts

• Urethane rubber and urethane resins: behavior and uses

• Open-cell and rigid foam systems

• Casting behavior vs. silicone molds

• Containment, cure control, and failure prevention

• Paper casting into urethane molds: structure and fidelity

Session 5: Resins and Special Systems – Translating Fragility

• Synthetic and natural resins: use, safety, and visual properties

• Additives, fillers, and pigmentation logic

• Separator agents: types and applications

• Cross-mapping materials: how silicone, clay, rubber, and foam serve as molds

• Integrating pulp and fragile materials with resin-compatible molds

Session 6: Paper-Based Casting – Strategies, Adaptations, and Depth

• Casting with plant-based, recycled, and textile-derived pulps

• Pulp formulas and their casting behavior

• Layering and drying logic for paper-based materials in molds

• Final considerations: preservation, failure, surface control

• Closing discussion: conceptual insights and individual guidance

Structure and Format

• Six live sessions, 2 hours each via Zoom

• Includes Q&A, community discussion, and feedback periods

• All sessions recorded and archived for participant access

• Each session includes:

• A full illustrated presentation

• High-resolution reference images and diagrams

• Curated resource lists

• Demonstration videos

• Suggested experiments and exercises

• Personalized follow-up support

What You Will Learn

• Foundations and logic of mold making

• How to build one-part, two-part, and brush-on molds

• Matching materials to casting goals (fragile, rigid, elastic)

• Casting methods for advanced materials and fiber-based substances

• Best practices for layering, separating, and preserving fragile casts

Each session integrates core casting knowledge with dedicated examples and methods for paper-based materials, helping participants confidently navigate mold making across both traditional and experimental surfaces.

Key Concepts Explored

• Mold Making as Natural Intelligence: Tracing form through touch, reversal, and ecology

• Paper as Mold Logic: How paper’s origins inform casting with fiber

• Dual States: Understanding cast and mold as shifting systems

• Opposites in Contact: Flexibility vs. rigidity, preservation vs. loss

• Failure as Instruction: Learning through collapse, error, and adaptation

• Pressure and Preservation: Molds as recorders of memory and repetition

Final Note

This is a professional, research-driven workshop for artists and makers who wish to engage deeply with mold making. It is not a hobby course. Whether you are building complex silicone molds, translating a paper sculpture into resin, or shaping soft forms from foam and fiber, this course is here to offer structure, rigor, and conceptual clarity.

You will leave with tools not only for craft, but for sustained experimentation and material investigation in your own work.

Workshop Formats: Live and At Your Own Pace

This workshop is available in two formats to accommodate different learning styles and schedules: a live online edition and a fully flexible "At Your Own Pace" program.

Flexible Learning
Access all workshop materials at your convenience. This includes detailed video presentations, step-by-step demonstrations, and comprehensive documentation of processes. You can learn and experiment at your own speed, making it easy to fit the workshop into your busy schedule. There is no need to adhere to specific class times; you have the freedom to progress through the material as your availability and interests allow.

Personalized Guidance
In addition to the self-paced content, you will benefit from a personalized one-on-one Zoom session. This additional session is dedicated to reviewing your work, discussing your experiments, and providing targeted feedback. During this meeting, you can address any questions you may have, receive tailored advice, and gain deeper insights into your process. This personalized guidance ensures that you receive the support you need to fully explore and develop your creative ideas—without any extra charge.

Comprehensive Access
Once you enroll, you gain permanent access to all workshop materials. This includes video recordings of each session, supplementary articles, and detailed process documentation. You can revisit these resources as often as you like, allowing for ongoing experimentation and reflection. This continuous access helps reinforce your learning and supports your long-term creative development.

As a participant in our "At Your Own Pace" program, you’ll also have the added benefit of joining any future live workshop sessions of your choice for a hands-on experience and real-time interaction.