Sorceress With Skull Mask and Horns

Intro: Sorceress With Skull Mask and Horns

A few days before Devil's Night, I decided I needed a(nother) costume! So I decided to put together a witch-sorceress-demon thing. The goal was to make a costume out of supplies I already had in the house, and I wanted to make something out of paper-mâché, since it had been *years* since I had worked with the stuff.

I sketched out my initial design, then got to work. Instead of having to apply makeup and fake nails on the night I was going out, I glued nails to nylon gloves and dripped black paint over the hands. For the mask, I drew out the top and side of a skull on my computer, printed it, then made a rough cardboard pattern that I duct-taped and hot-glued together. I paper-mâchéd the skull, sped up the dryer process with a fan, spray-painted it and then used acrylics to paint in some details. For the horns I cut six horn shapes out of foam, hot-glued them together and shaved down the sides with scissors. I used a wood-burning tool to cut details into the foam, then spray-painted the horns black. I cut a slit into the base of both horns and passed a plastic headband through the openings before gluing them to the band. The dress was made from cheap broadcloth using an old medieval dress pattern I had - I improvised on the sleeves. I tattered the ends up a little bit with a cheese-grater, and sprayed water-down acrylics at the ends of the sleeves and bottom of the dress. I back-combed and hair-sprayed the heck out of my hair, wore black contacts and some red eye-makeup, and made people feel a bit uneasy all night.

There was a lot of rain that night, BUT my mask held up surprisingly well - must have been the coats of Mod Podge.

Comments

[MatteoP17]

Your costume is amazing! I was wondering where you found those nylon gloves you're talking about...

[Tatterhood]

Ebay! The seller I bought them from is no longer active, but if you do a search for 'nylon gloves' you'll find some.

[MatteoP17]

Thank you! I've been searching for it on the web but I didn't find anything as transparent as yours... I'll search better C: Thank you again

[AnnaM54]

How long did it take to make?

[Tatterhood]

Just a few evenings - I didn't have much time!

[SophiaB10]

Do you have the template for your skull still?

[Tatterhood]

Alas, I don't think I do!

[timevortex]

how does it stay on your head?

[Tatterhood]

I cut two slits on either side of the back that I slid two ribbons through and secured. Then I just tied it around my head! An elastic would work as well.

[timevortex]

thanks! this is great

[MrChrillwis]

Damn, almost looks like the Skull Wizards from the game Hexen II, and thats pretty awesome. I'll maybe try do a mask for myself, but I'll probably make the horns a little smaller :)

[Dominic Bender]

Great costume, both as witch as well as skull-witch. Did you draw the whole skull pattern yourself?

I like how it actually looks authentic, meaning like a skull taken from some beast. And I actually prefer it without the horns.

Am I right that you cannot see very well with the skull on?

[Tatterhood]

The initial paper pattern I drew on the computer, using a goat skull as reference (and then when I was painting I used the paper pattern as reference!).

I can see all around me, just not straight ahead of me. So while walking I generally moved slowly and held my arms out in front of me (partly for creepiness, partly for sight-guidance!)

[Dreamchronic]

nice:))