I started the mold making process today. This is the first coat of latex rubber. It takes about 20 coats plus a cellulose thickener. Depending on the temperature I can usually do two coats a day. Then I’ll need to make a cradle to hold the empty rubber mold in place when I use it to make a casting. The cradle for this one is going to be tricky. I’ve used plaster in the past, but this one might have to be part foam. I’ve ten days to figure it out.
I’m getting close to finishing. What’s left is smoothing out the tool marks and fingerprints. With the heatwave here in Oregon, the plastilina clay is really soft and sticky. I may have to make room in the fridge for it so it’ll harden up for the next step. 
I’ve never sculpted the whole pug before, just the heads and faces. This is a work in progress. I’ve only roughed in where things go as I work on getting the proportions right. Proportions come first, then details. Why spend a lot of time on the paw’s pads and claws if it turns out the paw is too small to start with and needs to be sculpted bigger, right? So I ask all of you, how are my proportions so far?
I tried out the new cement on the new “pug head tilt” molds last night. After 90 minutes I was able to take them out of the mold. The Portland cement took at least 4 days. I had trouble getting to sleep because I just kept thinking about fast curing cement and which mold to do next. Never in my life would I have thought I’d be this excited about cement. Then today the newly cast pugs decide to take a trip to Easter Island.
Gnawing the Bone 