Mask on Mask

[leatheroo]

i have always been inspired by the work of Michael Taylor (http://www.artoncairncross.com.au/architecture/index.html) and have tried a couple of times to make a full face mask.

this simple looking mask was the hardest thing i have done, it was sooooo hard to do, it too many hours of moulding, trying to get all the leather creases out that you get when you try to make a flat piece of leather into a 3D shape. lots of stretching and also using peter mains model tool to smooth the wrinkles.

if anyone has done this type of mask i would really appreciate some advise on the techniques that you use...this was such hard work!

1mm leather, wet moulded, airbrushed and sealed.

hope you like it, i called this mask....Mask on Mask. leathercat is the live model!

[Beaverslayer]

Roo, that's a wonderful looking mask. I can just imagine the work you put itno getting it to looks so good. Those fin thingies on top, are they actually the same piece of leather that the rest of the mask is made of, just foled and molded?

Wonderful job, thanks for sharing.

Ken

[leatheroo]

thanks beav, all one piece of leather

[TomSwede]

Oh Roo! That is one cool mask! It reminds me of early days scandinavian metal and some of the bands facial paints.

They were black on white though.

Have no clue how to rid the last remnants of the wrinkles but you sure did a good job with them anyway.

Outstanding!

Tom

[Spider]

This is a cool mast, Very cool Roo. And I especially love the hair style on the first one. Very pretty.

[Froghunter]

Well done!

I can't help ya with the wrinkles, but I can admire your work!

[Gremlin]

Very cool!!

[rdb]

Incredible piece of work!. The molding is fantastic. The nose and mouth - wow.

As for your questions, I can't really answer, except trying to use some logic:

1. Different parts of the hide - try cutting from a stiffer section. Each hide is a little different, but they all are stretchier closer to the belly. This can actually help in molding, but possibly you were too close on this one.

2. Casing - too wet, and you end up having to push water, not hide. Maybe better to wait a hair longer before beginning to mold. Use less water (spray) when re-wetting.

3. When you can't beat the leather, go with it. Those look more like real facial wrinkles, anyways. Possibly indent/push into some of them to represent age wrinkle lines.

Others, way smarter than me, may have better clues, but maybe this is a beginning....

[Storm]

i have always been inspired by the work of Michael Taylor (http://www.artoncairncross.com.au/architecture/index.html) and have tried a couple of times to make a full face mask.

this simple looking mask was the hardest thing i have done, it was sooooo hard to do, it too many hours of moulding, trying to get all the leather creases out that you get when you try to make a flat piece of leather into a 3D shape. lots of stretching and also using peter mains model tool to smooth the wrinkles.

if anyone has done this type of mask i would really appreciate some advise on the techniques that you use...this was such hard work!

1mm leather, wet moulded, airbrushed and sealed.

hope you like it, i called this mask....Mask on Mask. leathercat is the live model!

Nicely done!  Beautiful piece of work. Spot on!

[lindatt]

Awesome.... too hard for me to try..... Linda

[TomBanwell]

Great job, Roo! I love how you incorporated the fins into it to take up some slack. The detailing around the nose and mouth is awesome!

[Drac]

great work as always! the wrinkles are too minor to worry about in me opinion.

[TomBanwell]

if anyone has done this type of mask i would really appreciate some advise on the techniques that you use...this was such hard work!

1mm leather, wet moulded, airbrushed and sealed.

hope you like it, i called this mask....Mask on Mask. leathercat is the live model!

Roo, have you considered using a vacuum to pull the leather down around the form? It can be very effective. You'd need a fairly strong vacuum to do this, stronger than a household vacuum cleaner. You can either embed a pipe into the bottom of your form and suck down a plastic bag around the whole form, or you can build a vacuum table upon which you set your form. If you're interested I could post some pictures.

[leatheroo]

this sounds very interesting....please please post the photos you spoke of....many thanks

[zman7458]

Wow! where do you even start to do something like that? I strugle just getting a passable image on a flat surface, but that is so dimentional, I can believe it when you say too many hours. beutiful work Roo. as for the vaccum thngy, do know that when they mold carbon fiber and fiberglass they use what they call a vacuum bag. which is basicaly just a bag big enough to fit the form and molding material into and it has a port on it that they hook a vaccum to. everything sucks down tight and the slick plastic leaves a perfectly smooth finish. but that would seem to be less craftsman like and more of a manufacturing type of rig. this was done completely by hand and the little imperfections just tend to accentuate that fact. just my 2 cents.really really nice work!

[TomBanwell]

this sounds very interesting....please please post the photos you spoke of....many thanks

Ms. L,

Give me a couple of days to get it together, and I will post this info as a new topic under How Do I Do That?

[Myriam]

Wow, beautiful work, roo! I really like it!

[Billsotx]

I've never tried what you're doing, just thinking out loud. Did you slick the leather before you start molding? Case it, don't drown it, and then slick it. It may get too firm, but you can sure tighten it up and workout some of those wrinkles.

[leatheroo]

hey bill...sorry for my ignorance...what is slicking....i put the leather in warm to hot water for about 30sec until there are no more bubbles. i have cut one of my 'heads' in half and glued to a big board. i placed the leather over the head and start molding. as the shape takes place i tack the leather to the board to hold in place. more and more molding and getting rid of wrinkles with modeling tool. the biggest problem is not the wrinkles on the face but the excess leather that is left around the chin and up the top. i creased the top excess into fins but really would like to be able to eliminate this to. i am waiting to see banwells vacuum method...looks very interesting...cheating maybe but i cant get the result i want the way i am doing it.

thanks again

leatheroo

[Tina]

Very impressive molding Roo. The mask lookes fantastic:-)

[zman7458]

I was afraid my manufacturing comment would be taken wrong. really there is no cheating and if theres a tool to make a tedious job more tolerable then its just that, another tool in our arsenal. besides its what you do after you get that basic shape that forms it into art. sorry if I offended, not my intention at all. I can't wait to see what you come up with next, especially if you can devote more time to the art part!

[leatheroo]

definately no offence taken zman, i do enjoy doing it by hand but there is a degree of frustration when you cant get the result you want with brute muscle!!! 99% of my masks are not full face so the vacuum method wouldnt be needed with those.. i was thinking more of the full face mask as wall decoration etc. the method is very interesting and could have some nice applications...the mind wonders off on a tangent!!!!

cheers

[Pauly]

That's so cool. Everything I make is pretty much flat, maybe I should enter the 3rd dimension just like that great/awful movie 'Tron'.

Mental note: learn molding and don't watch crap 1980s films.