Xothique

It's been a while since I posted here. I've been a mask maker for some years now, working in papier-mache, and only branching into leather last year. And now that I am becoming more confident with my leatherwork, I want to experiment with some different techniques. I would like to carve the leather as well as wet-form it, to produce things like dragon scales and other exotic designs. I've tried stamping some designs into the work before shaping it, but found that the wet-forming process pretty much obliterated the stamped design. I don't expect the design to remain on areas where I have to hammer the leather into shape, but perhaps I wasn't stamping the leather hard enough in the other areas? I've carved some basic feather shapes into my latest bird mask design with a 'v' gouger - I figured that if the feathers were carved in rather than stamped, they would remain on the finished mask. The process is very much trial and error at the moment, so if anyone has any tips, or ideas of how I can improve my technique - apart from practise more - I'll be very pleased to hear them. Thanks everyone! Helen. Here is an 'in-progress' photo... Now I have to decide what colours to use on him. Raven black or Kingfisher blue?

Ah, I thought so too - the mica or whatever it is that gives them the lovely pearlescent sheen is quite a large-particle sediment. But they are such lovely colours. There's always the old fashioned method of colouring things with a paintbrush... Or even fingers, it wouldn't be the first time I've fingerpainted a piece.:D ...Is it just me, or is there something really funny about the word 'nozzle'... ~giggling~

Oooh another mask maker! Brilliant.:D That's a gorgeous mask, Very fluid flowing lines, and a lovely smooth finish. Thanks for the help - I've seen Lumiere online, the colours look really vibrant. I think I can order it here in the UK - I'll look into it. Other than that - I have some craft acrylics that are pearlised, and I'm going to try out the acrylic inks that Pip suggested, though I think the metallic pigment particles might play havoc with my airbrush.

Ahh, I like chameleons! He has such a lovely expression. I think he's really lovely - and very effective, and the colours look gorgeous. I can see the inks in the background. Thanks for the help - I clearly have a lot to learn - I'd never have thought of putting the ink on before the dye. I'm finding that the dye is quite tricky to use too - prone to streaking, especially the lighter colours. I have a turquoise which is gorgeous, but almost impossible to use, unless you want a 'mottled' effect. I will try diluting it. There's such a steep learning curve with leather, but it's very enjoyable.

Ooh, I think I know the inks that you mean. Made by Daler-Rowney, in little glass bottles? I have some that I've used for illustration, and they are really lovely colours. I never thought of using them on leather though. I might have to give them a try. Thank you! :biggrin:

Ohh.. brilliant! Thanks Cecil. I shall do that this evening and happily lose myself in the forums.

Well met Pip! Ken, thank you for visiting my site, and your kind words. I'm so pleased you like my work. It's a longshot, but if I see someone walking past in an exquisitely designed waistcoat, I'll know that your customer was from my town. :D

What a gorgeous dragon! How lovely, thank you for sharing your work. I didn't realise Createx did a pearlised range. I was talking about Medea fabric paints because the colour range looks fantastic, but I'm going to look into Createx colours now. I suppose my question should have been - 'Does anyone know of a metallic or pearlised finish for leather that is suitable for airbrushing?' Helen.

Wow, thanks everyone for the warm welcome! :D Helen.

I'm looking at the wonderful range of pearlised and metallic colours that you can get with fabric paints, some of which are fine enough for airbrushing. The directions state that they are suitable for use on leather. The drawback is that they have to be heat sealed, either with an iron or a heat gun. I make masks using wet-formed leather, and therefore can't iron my work. I'm not so sure that using a heat gun is a good idea. Has anyone tried this type of fabric paint? Is it possible to achieve good results, or is it to be avoided at all costs? Thanks, Helen. Ah.. with apologies for posting this in the wrong place. I realise now it should have gone into 'Dyes and Finishes'.

Hello all! I'm an artist and mask-maker from Wales, UK. I've been making papier-mache masks for the past seven years, using traditional Venetian techniques. I have wanted to try mask-making in leather for a long time, but I suffer from tendon problems in my arms, so I shied away from leatherwork for years, thinking that it might aggravate my symptoms. Earlier this year I was given a piece of veg-tanned leather to experiment with, and wow! I totally fell for this wonderful material. I have made a couple of masks, but am very much still a beginner; I want to learn as much as I can about the craft and try out many different techniques. I'm so pleased to have found this friendly and helpful forum. Helen.