The mold-making process by which the surface of a sculpture is captured in a negative form so that it can be reproduced in another material.
Formatura is the technical mold-making process used to transfer sculptural form from one material to another. A mold is taken from the original surface, producing a negative impression from which a cast can be made.
Traditional sculptural formatura may use plaster, gelatin, clay, or other mold materials and can involve one-piece, waste, or sectional molds depending on the shape and undercuts.
Etymology
From Italian formare, “to form,” from Latin forma.
Sculptor Notes
Formatura is an act of translation. Every seam, release layer, undercut decision, and mold division determines how faithfully the sculptor’s surface survives into the next material.
References
https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/forma_res-0d8dd9eb-8baf-11dc-8e9d-0016357eee51_%28Enciclopedia-Italiana%29/; https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/calco/; https://levocidelmarmo.sns.it/lista_times.php