Put two Magikitos together and they look as though they're plotting something. One seems to know exactly where the biscuits went. The other looks terribly innocent. Lean closer and you start noticing an eyebrow, the fingers, a hat tipping slightly to one side.
Sculpting without moulds lets the maker work those decisions into each figure directly. There's plenty to appreciate about that process. We can enjoy it without dismissing makers who use moulds, though. Hands do a great deal of work before and after a figure comes out of one.
What changes when a figure is sculpted without moulds?
The shape is built directly on each piece, rather than taken from a mould that reproduces an existing form. The maker adds material, removes it, presses it and adjusts the shapes. Tools, references and supporting structures can all be involved. “By hand” doesn't mean “fingers only, and hope for the best”.
A face, for instance, involves working out how the forehead, nose, cheeks and mouth fit together. Sticking two eyes on a ball isn't the whole job. A tiny change at the corner of a mouth can make a character look delighted, suspicious or about to ask a rather enormous favour.
The maker can also repeat a character or work from a sketch. Sculpting without moulds doesn't require a completely new design every time. What gets built afresh is the shape of that particular piece.
What a mould does, and what happens afterwards
A model has the form you want to reproduce. A mould captures that form as a cavity from which other pieces can be made. They aren't the same thing: the mould isn't automatically the original sculpture.
Depending on the material and technique, a maker might pour a mixture, press in a soft material or produce separate parts for assembly. It isn't always a case of pouring something in, waiting for it to dry and wandering off for a cuppa.
- Slip-cast ceramics use clay suspended in water. The piece still needs the appropriate drying, firing and finishing stages.
- A two-part casting resin hardens through a reaction between its components. The timing and method depend on the product, not a universal instruction to “leave it to dry”.
- After demoulding there may be joining, seam removal, retouching, painting or decoration to do. Some pieces combine moulded parts with others shaped by hand.
The V&A describes porcelain figures whose makers assembled moulded parts and added details by hand. Moulds and skilled craft can work together.
Even products within the same family can behave differently. The instructions for a Smooth-On casting resin distinguish curing from demoulding and explain how mass and shape affect the timings. We're comparing techniques here, rather than giving a recipe for mixing materials.
An expression takes shape as you work
One pleasure of direct modelling is being able to change direction as you go. A hand intended to rest on a knee might end up raised. A smile might become shy. A hat can tilt just far enough to suggest that its wearer is listening to someone else's conversation.
It isn't all happy accident. Proportions can be deliberate, balance needs checking and joins need to be sound. Spontaneity doesn't take care of those jobs for you.
Magikito figures are modelled by hand in cold porcelain, without moulds. They are handmade representations of our woodland Brownies. You can read more about the figures or meet the Brownie families.
Look at the hands and expressions in the photograph. It shows the finished pieces. Understanding the process takes an explanation and, where available, pictures of the stages along the way.
Originals, editions and copies need more than a label
A directly modelled piece may be unique, but it may also repeat a design. A work produced using moulds can belong to an original art edition. “There's a mould, so it can't be art” doesn't hold up.
For example, the Musée Rodin produces original bronze casts from models and moulds in the sculptor's bequest, under its edition criteria. We needn't compare a little figure with Rodin to see the point: reproducing a form and making art aren't incompatible.
Affection doesn't require a certificate of exclusivity, either. A figure somebody gave you can be irreplaceable to you even if a thousand others exist. Memories don't check the serial number before they mean something.
An uneven ear can be charming and a crack can be a problem
One ear sitting slightly higher might be part of the expression. A join coming apart might need attention. Lumping both together as “imperfections with soul” doesn't tell us much.
Our piece on wabi-sabi invites a different way of looking at beauty. That doesn't turn every construction fault into a virtue. It helps to distinguish an intentional feature, a variation in the work and actual damage.
The same applies to moulded figures. A seam may have been carefully removed and the finish may be excellent. Judge the whole piece, rather than awarding or deducting marks for its technique alone.
Can a photograph tell you whether moulds were used?
A photograph can offer clues, but it usually can't establish the whole process. Two similar pieces don't prove that a mould was used. Two different ones don't prove that it wasn't. Painting, additions and retouching can change the result considerably.
A low price, a long wait or a personal name isn't proof, either. Calling a figure “Bernard” tells us nothing about who made its nose. A visible join is a reason to ask a question, not deliver a verdict.
If you're curious about how a piece was made, these questions are more useful:
- Which parts are modelled directly, and which use moulds?
- What is it made from, and how is it finished?
- Is it an individual piece, a variation on a design or part of a series?
- Are there photographs or explanations of the working stages?
Asking needn't turn into a cross-examination. A clear explanation is more useful than a grand claim on a label.
Time matters, but it doesn't explain everything
Modelling each figure can take many hours. So can preparing a good model, making a complicated mould and finishing each cast. If something goes wrong, either method can cost time and material.
There's no universal rule that moulded means cheap and sculpted means expensive. Size, complexity, materials, finish and the maker's other decisions all play a part. Strength depends on the construction and material, too. A decorative figure doesn't become a toy simply because it came out of a mould.
What catches our eye
Magikitos aren't sold on this website. We share the figures for their expressions, their details and the stories they suggest. We enjoy that moment when a tiny face looks as though it might be about to say something.
If a piece catches your eye, take your time looking at it. Ask how it was made if you're curious. And if that Brownie still insists he knows nothing about the biscuits, have a look in his waistcoat pocket. Just in case.
