Giant Mask: Horror Head!

Step 2 The Devil's In The Details

I had set myself a lot of challenges with this mask, which became all the more apparent as I worked through the all-important first complete layer of papier-mache. The nails sticking out of the face and head were a constant obstacle. The free-floating brackets that attached the mouth to the nails are not only a challenging shape, but they required very careful application to keep them from sticking to the nails or the face. Then there was that particularly problematic area where the left nostril was affixed to the lower eyelid using another ring... what was I thinking!?

Basically, all of these design decisions just required me to cut many long, thin strips of paper (about a quarter of an inch wide) and use them to spiral-wrap the rings, the nails, the nail heads, etc. Takes a long time, with frequent hand-washing as the paste built up on the ol' fingertips.

At this point, I did not attempt to coat the ring in his right ear, which was fashioned as a completely separate piece. I wanted to wait for the paper on the ear to be dry and solid before I tried any work on the ring.