< MASTER PATTERNS INDEX
WHAT IS A PATTERN?
Art foundries by definition specialise in the casting of the artists’ sculptures; however, the word ‘sculpture’ is not always an ideal description for items such as an architectural detail, design features or signs etc. Art foundries typically produce casts of all these in addition to sculpture. Foundries therefore often use an inclusive term to describe the designs they cast: MASTER PATTERN. This term of course makes no difference either to the artist or the way their work is handled, but ‘master pattern’ and other technical terms and phrases are worth becoming familiar with because regular foundry users will hear terms like this often.
So to summise, most foundry professionals will refer to any item they are given to cast as a MASTER PATTERN, or sometimes just plain PATTERN. This section of the website looks at the various issues concerning the construction and preparation of patterns for the art foundry. The artist’s preparation of their pattern is extremely important, because the work done during this PATTERNMAKING stage has a great deal of influence on the success of the finished cast.
Although getting the creative elements of a design 'just so' is very important when preparing a pattern for casting, it is essential to also think beyond immediate artistic and design concerns and additionally consider a number of important technical issues – this is because a pattern is much more than a just a ‘stand alone’ sculpture, it is also a template, or blueprint for the casting process. The following pages in this section offer some basic guidance on points of sculptural patternmaking
WHO MAKES THE PATTERN?
In most cases, PATTERNS prepared for casting, have been constructed in the studio by the artist or designer themselves, occasionally also with the aid of assistants or other specialist technicians.
There are some exceptions to this general rule, for instance, the artist may create a scale model (known as a MAQUETTE). If the foundry has a scaling (enlargement) facility, the personnel working there will be able use the artist’s maquette as a guide to produce a full scale foundry pattern (see ENLARGEMENT). On rare occasions, an artist will supply accurate, dimensioned drawings that will enable a specialist patternmaker to produce a suitable foundry pattern for casting. This last method is generally only used when producing forms with regular surfaces and facets (plinths, flat plates and designs with simple features), these items often of a type that is well suited to SAND CASTING, a process where the use of professional patternmaking skills is common.
For most artists, the design and construction of a high quality pattern represents the largest single investment in time and effort during a casting project. It is also the part of the whole sculpture making process over which the artist usually exercises the most direct control – dictating at this early stage the likely success of the finished artwork.
This next section of the website looks at the different types of master patterns, pattern materials, and the processes used in both the studio and foundry to prepare patterns for the lost wax casting process. Details on patterns suitable for sand casting can be found in the section on SAND CASTING, which details this specialist foundry process.
TYPES OF MASTER PATTERN >
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