Making a mask

[Catbert]

my father made a mask when he was in college, and I really like it. So I was thinking of making some like it, does anyone know how to make one?

[Doomsday Cult Leader]

What kind of mask?
I mean, what material is it made from?
If latex, very basically...
Start with a clay sculpt, make a plaster or ultra-cal mold, pour in some latex, let it set a while, pour it back out, let the remainder dry, pull it out, paint it, put it on, scare little kids.

I (or quite a few of us here) could go into better details if you'd like.

[skeletonowl]

I would like the details too. What should I buy and etc?

[Catbert]

That's what I thought but I wasn't sure. Now where do you think I can find the materials?

[chubacabra]

Check out www.monstermakers.com I'm not sure how their prices compare to others, but I have ordered their Mask Making book, and it was a very good experience and the book was very detailed

[Doomsday Cult Leader]

I knew I should've kept quiet...

Latex Mask Making 101

Start with an armature, a lifecast is probably best, but a Styrofoam wig head covered with plaster bandages works well too. For your first one, go with a Styrofoam head.
Mount the armature to a board, about a foot or so square.
Use a non-drying or slow-drying clay to sculpt your mask on the armature.
Make the mask a little large as latex shrinks when it dries, (the amount of shrinkage varies with the solids content) and you'll want to be able to comfortably wear it.
Take care to avoid creating undercuts in your sculpt, (think ball and socket joint). You don't want your mask locked into the mold. Minor undercuts are OK though.
Make the neck large enough to get your head through, and also large enough to get the armature back out of! (and to make it easier to get the mask out of the mold)
Spray the finished clay masterpiece with a couple light coats of Crystal Clear. It's a glossy finishing spray, it makes it easier to clean out your mold later.

On to creating the mold...
The mold must be made of a water absorbing material. As water is pulled from the latex into the mold, it forms the surface of the mask.
Common plaster of paris will work just fine, but it will wear out and lose details after only a few pulls. (you "pull" a mask out of the mold, hence the term) It is also very prone to breaking.
Ultra-Cal 30 (made by US Gypsum) is a very good mold material. It has more strength than PoP and nearly the same absorption.
Hydro-Cal, Hydro-Stone, and FGR, (US Gypsum) are even stronger. They're more for the professional.

Unless you're planning on making a dozen copies, PoP is a good, economical choice.
I'll use PoP in my explanation, but UC30, Hydro-Cal, and Hydro Stone are similar.

This is a simple one-piece mold, no separation line, registration keys, etc. to worry about.

Coat the board with Vaseline around the neck of your sculpt. This will work as a release for the PoP.
Mix a thin batch of PoP and brush it into the nooks and crannies of your sculpt. Alternately, you can dip your fingers into the PoP and flick it onto the sculpt. This is to eliminate any bubbles of air trapped between the sculpt and the PoP.
Have the PoP go all the way down onto the board, you want a good strong mold opening, so make it a bit thick here.
Before this sets up, apply a thicker layer of PoP. Make sure no part of the sculpt shows through.
Apply a reinforcing layer of burlap. Use strips of burlap, soaked in PoP. Work the PoP into the fibers well, or instead of strengthening your mold, it will create a weak layer. Ensure that the burlap doesn't have any air trapped in it, or under it.
Again, before this layer sets, apply another layer of PoP.
Another burlap layer.
Another PoP layer...
By now it's setting up and heating up pretty well, you probably won't have time for any more layers. It should be roughly an inch thick at least. The thicker it is, the stronger it'll be.

OK, while it's curing you can buff the surface, even burnish it to a nice shine. This isn't necessary, but it does make a very professional looking mold.

Go clean up, you are done for the day. Let the mold set up overnight. Sure it cures in half an hour, but it'll get stronger over time, and do you really want to risk breaking it?


Alright! On to the part where you destroy all your sculpting efforts!

Carefully remove the board and armature. This is where a sacrificial Styrofoam armature is handy, tear it out of your mold in pieces if you have to. It may be easier to pull it free if you set the mold in the sun to soften the clay. Take your time, you don't want to break the mold or damage the inside details.
Remove the clay, for this you may want the clay a bit cooler so you can pick out chunks.
This was what all that work was for, so go slowly and carefully!
A fairly soft brush and some acetone, along with a gentle touch can remove nearly all the clay. It'll dissolve the Crystal Clear.
Let the mold dry out in the sun for a few hours, admire it a bit.

Now the first pull!
Don't expect a perfect mask, the first pull will show you where you missed some clay, it may even pull some out.

Do this in a place where you won't ruin the floor if you spill a gallon of latex!

Find a way to support the mold, open end up. A 5 gallon bucket lined with towels often works.
Lightly mist the inside of the mold with water, this'll help prevent bubbles.
Pour some latex in the mold. Gently roll the mold around to distribute the latex. If you have an airbrush, use it to gently blow the latex into the nooks and crannies, and to burst small bubbles.
Set the mold in it's support, have a helper hold it too, and fill it with latex.
Leave it alone for half an hour. This is going to be pretty thin for a mask, it's just the first test pull. This'll help you judge how long you'll want let the latex "dwell" for a mask.
With a helper again, pour the latex back into its bucket and let the mask drain into it for a while.
After it's pretty much done dripping, set the mold over a bucket, neck down, to continue drying. When the dripping has completely stopped, you can lie the mold on its side and aim a hair-drier into it to speed up the drying process.
The latex will shrink away from the mold when it is dry, and should be fairly easy to remove.
Very important! Dust some baby powder (talc or corn starch)onto the fresh latex surfaces. Fresh latex will stick to itself!
Check it for trouble spots that may need more attention, things like voids (bubbles) and thin spots (residue on the mold surface).

Let the mold dry in the sun for an hour or two before doing your next pull. Follow the same procedure, letting it dwell longer, 45 minutes to a couple hours is usually enough.

When it's dry, pull out your mask.

Paint it, hair it if you want hair.
Put it on.
Scare people.


I recommend FX Warehouse. I've never had any problems with Thea. Personally I've had too many problems with Mr. Goldman's Monster Makers, to ever order from him again. But, he does get good recommendations from many other people.


This should probably be moved to the "how-to" section!

[tonguesandwich]

One suggestion,
This is what I do when I teach my art students. Use a skull instead of a wig head. Check out an anatomy book and make muscles out of your oil clay, add them to the face. Next add cartilage, then skin.
After you have done that, now distort and make your beast. Your project will come out much better and you are on your way to being a master.

[Doomsday Cult Leader]

Do you make a mask from the students sculpts?

That's a great way to practice your anatomy for sculpting, but how do you remove the skull from a one-piece mold? The neck would have to be larger around than the head.

If you went with a two-piece mold that would work fine.
But, I think that's a bit too advanced for a first-timer. At least for someone who doesn't have an instructor handy.

That is a great technique for getting better at sculpting, that is the way to create believable creatures. The anatomy has to work, or we see "something" wrong.

[beelce]

My daughter made a great devil mask with a plastic milk jug and peel and stick red vinyl, foam insulation and blinking eyes. I have used it in our haunts for 10 years. Totally water proof and seems to be indestructible.

[tonguesandwich]

It was an after school class I taught and I will look for an example when I get back, I am at DisneyLand right now.
What I had them do was take a cheap half plastic face (from an art store). They actually had to build the skull first, on top of the plastic face, then do the rest. They used oil clay, latex, and ultra cal. I have had kids make masks for years and doing the build up first produced the best work and sparked a huge interest in the subject.