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Step 9The Comedian: Mask
Material used:
-plaster bandage
-plaster of paris
-petroleum jelly
-liquid latex
-black body paint
-toilet paper
-baby powder
-nose wax
Directions:
1- To begin with, a cast of my face was done using the plaster bandage. The face was covered with petroleum jelly, heeding special attention to the eyebrows and hairline. It is important to note the bandage was applied in small strips everywhere on the face except for the eyes and under the nose. When the cast was dry enough, it was pulled off and these areas were patched up.
2- When the cast was completely dry, some petroleum jelly was applied to the inside surface and a batch of plaster of paris was prepared and poured inside. After 24hrs of letting it set the cast was removed, leaving behind a perfect replica of my face. It was then set aside and left alone for a few days to make sure it was dry and ready for use.
3- A rough outline for the mask was sketched on the plaster face with a pencil, as well as a mustache just for the heck of it :)
4- Some liquid latex was poured into a seperate sealable container. Body paint was added bit by bit while mixing it. The idea was to have enough color to make the latex black while not diluting the latex so much as to compromise its usability. The final mix ended up being a dark grey. It is my experience when doing this kind of thing that the color of the latex will get darker as it dries.
5- A few layers of latex were then smeared on the plaster face. No need to be exact at this stage as this was just to set the base layers before defining the shape. The more you take your time in this entire process, the smoother the latex will be. Some people use a brush or a makeup sponge to apply the latex, but my preference is to use my finger. I have ruined brushes and sponges doing this kind of thing and prefer to use my finger because I can feel when the latex begins to get too tacky to be workable and found it very easy to peel off any that sticks to my finger.
6- The latex was then gently peeld off and some baby powder brushed on it as it was being pulled off. Failing to to this would have resulted in the latex curling up or folding and sticking to itself. Once the latex was completely removed, the shape of the mask was drawn on and it was cut with scissors. It was folded in half to get as symmetrical a shape as possible.
7- Once the mask was cut out, it was placed on the plaster face again and more latex applied, this time also layering in strips of toilet paper to reinforce the latex. Basically latex was applied and when dry toilet paper placed on top and latex added to hold it in. Then, when it was dry, more toilet paper and more latex and so on. There are probably a total of four or five layers of toilet paper. The mask was then pulled off the plaster face again and the edges recut to clean it up.
8- At this point the process could have ended (see picture hand holding up mask), but somehow the mask looked too bland. Boring. Uninteresting. It was decided to sculpt on some features using nose wax. The brows were given a sharper edge and the furrows for the frown was given definition. A few layers of latex were added to seal it in and a mask worthy of the Comedian was done.
-plaster bandage
-plaster of paris
-petroleum jelly
-liquid latex
-black body paint
-toilet paper
-baby powder
-nose wax
Directions:
1- To begin with, a cast of my face was done using the plaster bandage. The face was covered with petroleum jelly, heeding special attention to the eyebrows and hairline. It is important to note the bandage was applied in small strips everywhere on the face except for the eyes and under the nose. When the cast was dry enough, it was pulled off and these areas were patched up.
2- When the cast was completely dry, some petroleum jelly was applied to the inside surface and a batch of plaster of paris was prepared and poured inside. After 24hrs of letting it set the cast was removed, leaving behind a perfect replica of my face. It was then set aside and left alone for a few days to make sure it was dry and ready for use.
3- A rough outline for the mask was sketched on the plaster face with a pencil, as well as a mustache just for the heck of it :)
4- Some liquid latex was poured into a seperate sealable container. Body paint was added bit by bit while mixing it. The idea was to have enough color to make the latex black while not diluting the latex so much as to compromise its usability. The final mix ended up being a dark grey. It is my experience when doing this kind of thing that the color of the latex will get darker as it dries.
5- A few layers of latex were then smeared on the plaster face. No need to be exact at this stage as this was just to set the base layers before defining the shape. The more you take your time in this entire process, the smoother the latex will be. Some people use a brush or a makeup sponge to apply the latex, but my preference is to use my finger. I have ruined brushes and sponges doing this kind of thing and prefer to use my finger because I can feel when the latex begins to get too tacky to be workable and found it very easy to peel off any that sticks to my finger.
6- The latex was then gently peeld off and some baby powder brushed on it as it was being pulled off. Failing to to this would have resulted in the latex curling up or folding and sticking to itself. Once the latex was completely removed, the shape of the mask was drawn on and it was cut with scissors. It was folded in half to get as symmetrical a shape as possible.
7- Once the mask was cut out, it was placed on the plaster face again and more latex applied, this time also layering in strips of toilet paper to reinforce the latex. Basically latex was applied and when dry toilet paper placed on top and latex added to hold it in. Then, when it was dry, more toilet paper and more latex and so on. There are probably a total of four or five layers of toilet paper. The mask was then pulled off the plaster face again and the edges recut to clean it up.
8- At this point the process could have ended (see picture hand holding up mask), but somehow the mask looked too bland. Boring. Uninteresting. It was decided to sculpt on some features using nose wax. The brows were given a sharper edge and the furrows for the frown was given definition. A few layers of latex were added to seal it in and a mask worthy of the Comedian was done.
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The problem with stiff material is that when the face moves (due to the variety of expressions it naturally goes through any given day) the material does not bend or move with the pressure being applied, which means more stress on the adhesive (e.g. spirit gum), which means it's harder to keep it on there and requires more frequent reapplication.
If you're thinking of something more pliable like EVA, then yeah, maybe it's worth a try. Again, it's something I hadn't considered at the time. The challenge with this one is it requires sculpting due to the thickness, and personnally I find it easier to build up to the thickness and shape you need vs chipping away. The eye-holes-and-overall-shape-and-how-it-looks-on-the-face thing also isn't resolved with this approach.
I still prefer my approach Of course, anyone else attempting to do a mask is free to choose whatever method they feel works best.
I appreciate the suggestion, but I stand by my approach :-)
There is another product you can use, which is what they use in filmmaking, but I forget what it's called. Apparently it's better if you need it to stick for long periods of time. Can't confirm how the two compare, but I was in costume for a good ten hours and I don't recall having to reapply spirit gum at any time, though I may have used more than required.