Lifecasting

Lifecasting is the process of creating a three-dimensional copy of a living human body, through the use of molding and casting techniques.

Compared with other three-dimensional representations of humans, the standout feature of lifecasts is their high level of realism and detail.

The moulding process must also be completed within a relatively short time frame, usually a half-hour or less, since people have limited endurance in holding a stationary pose.

In rare cases some models can have allergic reactions to moulding materials, can faint from holding a stationary pose for too long, or can experience anxiety from being enclosed in the mold.

Critics of lifecasting as an art claim that it lacks the talent or creativity that more conventional sculptural disciplines require.

This criticism echoes that heard in artistic circles during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries relating to photography.

Lifecasting is regularly practiced in the special effects industry, where it is used in the creation of prosthetics, props, and animatronics, most commonly for film and television.

Lifecasting has also found a niche market in the creation of personalized dildos, which are the cast replicas of erect penises.

A death mask is a similar process to lifecasting, with the major difference being that a deathmask is created on a dead person's face.