From measurement to finished wax figure
Making wax figures is truly a labour of love. More than 800 hours of meticulous work in moulding, measuring, painting and sculpting go into each individual figure. We have a team of highly skilled wax sculptors who are able to recreate Hollywood stars or world leaders so precisely that you feel as though you are standing face to face with a real person.
But the big question remains: how do they actually do it? Madame Tussauds Vienna lifts the secret of the London studios, where all wax figures are still made today, and offers visitors a behind-the-scenes insight into wax figure production in the “Behind the Scenes” exhibition area.
Watch the video and the information below to see how the “magic” of a Madame Tussauds wax figure is created.
The Sitting
Firstly, the celebrity is invited to a sitting where detailed measurements are taken and photographs are made. This sitting is particularly important, as it gives us the opportunity to meet the celebrity in person!
It is not only about taking measurements and matching hair samples, but also about getting to know the person, capturing a part of their personality, and ultimately reflecting this in the sculpture. Whether someone is humorous or serious, cheeky or shy – if we can incorporate their personality into the sculpture, the wax figure becomes far more lifelike.
If the person is unable to attend in person, or if it is a historical figure such as Sisi (Empress Elisabeth), the sculptor must work from existing photographs. This is an extremely precise task: before work on the figure can begin, more than 250 exact measurements and 150 to 300 photographs are required.
Moulding and Modelling
Moulding
A metal tube and wire armature acts as the internal framework, supporting the clay body and shaping the final wax figure. Based on the measurements and photographs taken during the sitting, the head and body are sculpted in clay – requiring around 150 kilograms of clay per wax figure. Modelling the head alone can take up to six weeks. The sculptors at Madame Tussauds have the necessary anatomical knowledge to accurately recreate every bone, muscle and tendon according to the pose.
Modellierung
From the finished clay head, a plaster cast is created in several separate parts. The body of the wax figure is also moulded in two sections. Wax heated to 77°C is then poured into the plaster mould of the head. The wax used by Madame Tussauds consists, among other things, of beeswax and Japan wax, with added pigments to create a base tone for colouring.
The body is then cast in resin and fibreglass. The wax is left to cool until it reaches a thickness of around 13 millimetres. Excess wax is removed to leave a hollow wax head. Approximately 5 kilograms of wax are needed for a head and around 20 kilograms for an average-sized body of a new celebrity, completing the wax figure production process.
Hair
Eyes and Teeth
During the sitting, particular attention is also paid to the precise colour shading of the eyes. The eyes are individually made from acrylic resin, with every tiny detail added during a 14-hour process. Using gouache paints, the artists hand-paint the iris and add fine silk threads to recreate even the smallest visible veins.
Where possible, a dental impression of the personality is taken, and a dentist reproduces the entire set of teeth within 28 hours for the wax figure production.
Colouring
During the sitting, the colourists match the skin tone of the face and body to ensure that the head, hands and all other visible areas of the figure are painted as realistically as possible.
The colourist studies the photographs taken during the session and identifies the many different shades that combine to create the individual skin tone. Painting a head takes around five days, while the hands require approximately two days.
The teeth and eyes are then inserted. The eyes are one of the most important elements in the making of a figure, as they give the wax figure its lifelike appearance.
Costume
Side-By-Side Launch
Finally, the celebrity meets their wax figure face to face for the very first time!
Melissa Naschenweng met her wax figure in June 2026. She described this emotional encounter with her “twin” as one of the greatest honours of her career. Alongside her wax figure in the festival area, visitors can take numerous selfies and sing along to her many hits.
Overall, the creation of a wax figure—from the initial sitting to the unveiling—takes around eight to twelve months, and approximately 20 different artists are involved in bringing each figure to life.
Feel free to take a look at our figures for yourself!
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