| Maskmaking
Tips & Ideas copyright Nov 2000 by Jerome Quillen, AKA Ursula von Bremen |
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| These masks may be built over a plaster cast, over a Styrofoam head form, or directly on top of the wearer's face. |
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MAKING THE CAST |
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at craft or hobby supply stores such as Michael's or Hungate's) * Plaster bandages * Petroleum Jelly * Plaster-of-Paris * Water 1) Tear the plaster bandages into 4-inch sections. 2) Secure the person's hair back from their face. 3) Cover the person's face with a thin layer of petroleum jelly. 4) Cover their facial hair (eyebrows, eyelashes, moustaches, etc) with Kleenex for added security. 5) Dip the plaster bandages into the water one at a time and wring out the excess moisture immediately. 6) Smooth the bandages onto the person's face, overlapping the edges and laying them diagonally (using the bias) over the contours of the nose, eye sockets, etc. 7) Cover the entire face (except for the nostrils) with 2 or 3 layers of bandages. 8) Allow the cast to set (allow 10-15 minutes for the fast-set variety). Warn the person that the plaster will heat slightly during the setting process. 9) Carefully remove the hardened cast from the face and discard the protective tissue. You now have a negative cast of the person's face. The next step is to make a positive cast, upon which the mask will be built. 10) Plug the nostril holes on the outside of the negative cast with additional strips of plaster bandage. 11) Mix the plaster-of-Paris according to the package instructions. When the mixture begins to thicken and warm, pour immediately into the negative cast. 12) Allow the plaster-of-Paris to set. Like the plaster bandages, it will warm first, then cool before it is set. This may take several hours, depending on the brand and the water-to-plaster ratio. 13) When the plaster has set, pull back the sides of the negative cast. The negative cast may be discarded, or if it is still intact, it may be used again to make another positive cast. It's helpful to have several positive casts when a large number of masks are required because of the time taken up in waiting for a mask to dry. |
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| Materials &
Tools: * Postive plaster face cast (the one you've just made) * Modeling clay (depending on the type of mask) * Petroleum jelly Cheesecloth Elmer's glue (or similar brand) * Water Paint brush(es) Paint (acrylic, enamel, and spray paint will work) * Small dishes to mix glue and paint * Scissors and/or utility knife Felt * Other decorations such as feathers, trim, glitter, beads, jewels, etc. as needed * Ribbon, elastic or a mask stick. 1) The positive plaster face cast may be used as is or it may be built up with modeling clay to create animal or fantasy masks. 2) Cover the positive face cast with a thin layer of petroleum jelly. 3) Pour some glue in a dish and thin it a bit with water so that it can be painted on smoothly with a paint brush - mix well. 4) Place the cheesecloth over the face form one layer at a time and brush each layer with an even coat of glue. Use three or four layers. 5) Allow the mask to dry completely before removing it from the form. 6) Trim a piece of thin felt so that it will be large enough to line the mask with a slight overlap. 7) Trim the outer edge of the mask to the desired shape with sharp scissors or utility knife, and cut out eye and nose openings. 8) Fit the mask to the wearer's face and pad any areas which feel uncomfortable. Eye and nose areas frequently need a bit of padding. 9) Paint or decorate the mask 10) Trims can be applied with Elmer's glue, hot glue or with a needle and thread. 11) An elastic band, ribbon ties, or a stick (for a hand-held mask) may be stitched in place. |
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| A quicker way to make your mask is to buy a plain plastic mask and decorate it to your taste. You can either paint it or coat it with glue and cover it with the fabric of choice - felt, velvet, corduroy - even fake fur. For to attach heavier fabrics and trims, you may want to borrow or invest in a hot glue gun. You can decorate it as described above. For a more natural look, you can glue dried autumn leaves in a fish scale pattern over the mask or even use pine cone scales, spagnum moss and other natural materials or the great silk flowers and leaves that can be bought in craft or hobby stores. |
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| I've seen some marvelous leather masks - check out some of the web pages below for examples of these. I've never made one of these, but I'm told that the method is to boil some medium weight leather at 180 degrees just long enough to soften the leather, then mold it onto a form and let it set and harden - it will shrink a bit as it dries. Then stain or paint it as desired and finish it off with some kind of polish - like atomic balm to keep it from drying and cracking. |
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Animals - cats, birds, birds of prey, wolf, bear, fox, swan, etc. Mythical Creatures - Unicorns, goblins, elves, fareies, dragons, medusa, wood, water, earth, air, fire and tree spirits, ghosts, daemons, etc. Gods and Goddesses - Choose from the Norse, Celtic, Welsh, Greek, Roman pantheons etc. Seasons, emotions, virtues, vices, flowers, trees, etc. |
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http://www.angel-mask.com/movindex.htm http://www.mansourdesigns.com/ |
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