MASK.HTM

Creating a Mask

Create a mask or costume based on your depicted animal image. Research another cultural context and use the forms of that culture or transfer these animal attributes into a wearable form in your own personal contemporary context.

To make the armature or support for a mask follow these steps:

a. create a half-sphere or egg-shaped form of newspaper and masking tape and cover with plastic;

b. cover with clay about an inch and a half thick;

c. model (add and subtract) the clay trying to achieve both low and high relief volumes;

d. cover clay form with plastic wrap or thin laundry bag to make a mold release;

e. tear brown bags into strips and dip into thinned Elmer's glue;

f. cover the clay form with overlapping strips and smooth down;

g. repeat three more times alternating strip direction each time;

h. let armature dry for two days and remove from mold&endash;eye holes and edges may be cut and holes for straps and appendages may be added; and

i. paint, using acrylic paints, or cover with colored paper or fabric&endash;the color and texture should convey your cultural context.

Completed Masks

	Create a mask or costume based on your depicted animal image. Research another cultural context and use the forms of that culture or transfer these animal attributes into a wearable form in your own personal contemporary context. To make the armature or support for a mask follow these steps: a. create a half-sphere or egg-shaped form of newspaper and masking tape and cover with plastic;
	b. cover with clay about an inch and a half thick; c. model (add and subtract) the clay trying to achieve both low and high relief volumes;
	d. cover clay form with plastic wrap or thin laundry bag to make a mold release;
	e. tear brown bags into strips and dip into thinned Elmer's glue; f. cover the clay form with overlapping strips and smooth down; g. repeat three more times alternating strip direction each time;
	h. let armature dry for two days and remove from mold&endash;eye holes and edges may be cut and holes for straps and appendages may be added; and i. paint, using acrylic paints, or cover with colored paper or fabric&endash;the color and texture should convey your cultural context.