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Candlecaster |
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Custom Candle Designs |
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Custom designs are perhaps the most rewarding, as well as the most challenging aspect of candle
making. Often what is initially a great concept, can take a left turn to disaster, and a mediocre idea can inspire a truly original and unique result.
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A lot of what you learn is done through trial and error.
I like to think through a marketing concept and then come up with appropriate images. A good example of a recent failure in this area was my wedding dove. Created for formal occasions I designed a small dove to act as a candle for receptions and parties. Thinking to enhance the atmosphere of the gathering with "bright birds of light" my idea went up in smoke! |
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Although I had the wick coming from the back of the bird, his head burned off in the first ten seconds, then his wings dropped off. He burned for almost a full half an hour as a festering lump of formless wax in his ashtray container.
Lesson learned. |
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Although the concept may be valid, often it takes a great deal of revision to become effective and useful.This is achieved through trial and error. I am almost always amazed at the differences between the original work, mostly done in clay, and the first wax casting. The process of making the mold
for the piece presents a completely different set of challanges, but surmounting those, the casting
is very specific in its detail. The wax piece never looks exactly like the original although it has
reproduced faithfully. |
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Because of this anomaly, the casting process is done "foreward and backward"to generate an original for further castings. The original in clay is almost invariably destroyed in the first casting process. The cast is then used to generate the first piece in wax, which looks different somehow. The wax "original" is then further tested, and sculpted to get the desired effect and finish for all subsequent copies. Wax is extremely easy to throw casts from, but the integrity fails over time.
A second original is then made from the perfected casting from gypsum. This final copy is treated with great reverence, and copyrighted. |
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Back to candlecaster... |
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