Fiberglass Resin Process

Clay

The first step of the fiberglass resin process begins with sculpting the figure out of clay. While Sunti prefers to meet with and sculpt his model in person, he is also capable of working from photographs that reveal different angles of the individual. Beginning each piece in prayer and meditation, Sunti meticulously transforms the clay, reproducing his model in exact structural measurements.

Watch video of Sunti working with clay

Once the sculpture is finished, Sunti carefully casts the figure in three to four layers of plaster, so as to create a protective mold for the following step, wax.

Wax

Once the wax is set and the mold broken, Sunti removes the clay and continues carving, either etching into the wax or adding additional pieces, so as to develop any imperfections. Using only his hands and a wireloop carving tool, Sunti fastidiously captures obscure details and duplicates nearly every physical marking.

When the sculpture’s features are identical and accurate, Sunti again, adds layers of plaster in order to prepare a mold for the removal of wax and the addition of silicon and fiberglass resin.

Preparing for silicone

Preparing for silicone

Silicone

Silicone

Fiberglass Resin

Following the removal of silicon, once the plaster mold is broken, the last of the three phases in the sculpture process ends with fiberglass resin. This is also the stage in which Sunti either inserts glass eyes or paints the eyes with acrylics. Sequentially, Sunti sands the sculpture and caulks any fractures, textures the skin, adds the hair (the model’s real hair when available), and paints the sculpture with acrylic paint.