Bulldog mask

[TomBanwell]

I've been inspired by the board to try more masks, and here is my first one, a bulldog. Here is how I made the pattern. I sculpted the face in modeling clay, then covered it in tape. Then I marked the lines for the separate pattern pieces, then cut them out with an Xacto knife. I laid the tape onto cardboard and flattened it out, then cut out the cardboard pieces. Made of veggie tanned 5/6 oz cowhide, stitched together wet since some parts need to stretch or compress to fit together. All seams were done with the raw edge hidden. Once it was all stitched (all by hand) I cased it and reshaped it as needed, especially the ears. The pattern is below if anyone wants to try it.

[Drac]

first one?!?!?! FIRST one?!?!?! oh great googaly moggaly! ya gonna give the rest of us newbie mask makers a complex! ack! think I'm gonna go cry now and toss me masks out. *L* that's a great looking piece! now make a monkey. and a cat. and a horse. and a duck billed platypus. LOL

[faceOdd]

This time, you have me laughing! In the way I can't help but laugh at real bull dogs because they're so serious yet silly. Very, very well done!

I can't wait to see what's next!

I'm trying to make beautiful things today for a costume shop, but I'm too excited about the horror convention next month. I keep inadvertently making monsters and demons : )

~Tammy

[LarryB]

Wow, it looks good .... that is super good. I really like that. And I am like the others...Please share your other masks as you get them done. and thank you for the pattern.

[Tina]

You really crack me up:-)

Great mask.

[Ian]

Awesome - reminds me of my old Maxwell - but, can he skateboard?

[Myriam]

Awesome... I have no other words for it... and it's a first? *insert smiley icon passing out*

[lindatt]

Incredible..... mask making is definitely reaching a new level.... anxious to see the next one. Linda

[TomSwede]

Wow, you're just like a box of chocolates, you'll never now what you'll get!

Tom

[leatheroo]

woof woof...love this mask, so creative..waiting for the next one

[Beaverslayer]

Now that's a MASK. When the page first opened, I jumped a bit, kinda scared me at first. Great job, especially the coloring of it.

Also thanks for sharing the template with us.

Ken

[Xothique]

This is truly fantastic! I'm in awe. I really like the antique colouring effects that you've achieved here too. It almost looks as though you've sanded the leather - but I'm guessing you've added some sort of stain and buffed it off in the highlighted areas?

Anyhow - lovely work, well done!

:D

[TomBanwell]

It almost looks as though you've sanded the leather - but I'm guessing you've added some sort of stain and buffed it off in the highlighted areas?

Thank you! I first brushed on a clear gelled wood stain, followed by a brown gelled wood stain which is then wiped off, leaving the brown only in the recesses. If I didn't put on the clear first the leather would absorb too much of the brown. It's the same technique I use for my avatar helmet.

Also, I airbrushed some black dye around the outside edge and around the eyes.

Edited April 5, 2008 by Banwell

[Froghunter]

Outstanding...BEAUTIFUL work....now I must go throw my mask making tools away............

[Studio-N]

Now THAT'S COOL.

[TomBanwell]

Thank you everyone for your kind words. As I mentioned in an earlier post I want to make a minotaur/bull mask. I started with the bulldog as it was a little easier, but I think I'm ready now for a whole lotta bull!

[CitizenKate]

I'm not giving up mask-making, no way, not with all these great ideas coming forth! That tape idea was an approach I had never thought of, which I think could be applied to other types of projects. Thanks for sharing that, Tom.

Kate

[CitizenKate]

I first brushed on a clear gelled wood stain, followed by a brown gelled wood stain which is then wiped off, leaving the brown only in the recesses. If I didn't put on the clear first the leather would absorb too much of the brown. It's the same technique I use for my avatar helmet.

Are you talking about something like Minwax gel stain? I did not know these came in a clear color. I tried a gelled wood stain awhile back, and even with a resist, it really absorbed into the pores of the leather quickly and gave it a very "grainy" look. But the stuff is wonderful to work with, so if I could solve the "grainy" problem, I would probably use it for a lot of things.

Kate

[Leather Bum]

Tom, you did a fantastic job on that mask. . . Very cool. I'd almost like to build one like that.

L'Bum

[Clay]

oh great how am I going to make something for the PIF for you and be any where near half as impressive as what you already make.....LOL

Very cool

ClayM.

[TomBanwell]

Are you talking about something like Minwax gel stain? I did not know these came in a clear color.

Kate

Kate, I work in a lot of materials other than leather. In fact I work with resin and wood mostly, so my materials are really designed for them. The antiquing I use is called Jel'd and made by Wood Kote, and works great on wood and resin. It doesn't really work that well on leather, but it's what I've got in the shop. ;0) Frankly I think I'll look for antiquing made for leather. I think that Fiebings made that, years ago, when I first got into leather working. I don't know what's available today.

Edited April 6, 2008 by Banwell

[Spider]

Tom, this is truly an amazing piece. I love it. Looks like a gamorean guard from Return of the Jedi. Lucas would be proud and I'm sure a Rancor is out there licking his lips over this mask.

[SCOUTER]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Pip]

Ah no fair you made my blow tea out my nose, thats fantastic..... really captures that have I just swallowed something nasty look that bulldogs have, so generous giving up the pattern too. A true inspiration

[MHolzer]

Well, I'm blown away

My masks never even came close to that.