Questions about mask making

[TomBanwell]

I am enjoying making a few formed leather masks, but have some questions. What kind of paints can I airbrush on that will maintain some degree of flexibility? How about metallic paints?

What should I seal the wet-shaped mask with once it's finished to keep it from absorbing water in the future and lose it's shape?

And what do other maskmakers use for tying the mask on? Is there a wholesale source for those elastic bands, or do you prefer using leather or something else?

Thanks a bunch for any help.

[Gibbsleatherworks]

Tandys Eco Flo water based products are very user friendly and give some color options. I havent sprayed any but they stay flexible. This would be used on veg tanned and its not terribly vivid but may be worth a look.

Cova colors are less opaque and are also an option for colors different from typical browns and tans. Im sure any stain or dye will work for you and stay flexible.

Edited April 17, 2008 by Gibbsleatherworks

[TomBanwell]

Tandys Eco Flo water based products are very user friendly and give some color options. I havent sprayed any but they stay flexible. This would be used on veg tanned and its not terribly vivid but may be worth a look.

Cova colors are less opaque and are also an option for colors different from typical browns and tans. Im sure any stain or dye will work for you and stay flexible.

Thanks, Gibbs. I'm got a good set of dyes. I'm looking for paints that will be opaque so I can go with brighter colors. Is the Eco Flo a paint?

[Gibbsleatherworks]

Eco Flo is apparently the products brand name. It comes in stain, dye, and they have thier version of Cova colors. The cova type colors are paints that can be opaque or thined with water to be used as a wash. You can see more about them on Tandyleatherfactory.com in the dyes/finishes section.

[leatheroo]

hey tom, as i have trouble getting colored dyes in australia, i have always uses acrylics from the art stores..any good quality paint seams to work and there is a huge range of colors, lots of iridescents and pearescents and metalics, and if it is airbrushed on it retains the flexibility of the mask. I find i have to water down the paints for the airbrush but this doesnt seem to effect the mask. I use thin hat elastic for the masks. I would like to use leather but find if you want a good comfortable fit elastic is the way to go...i get it from sewing shops. I always put two small holes on either side so the elastic is double stranded and the two strands can be separated with one worn high on the head and the other lower.

I get a spray sealer from the craft shop, you can get matt or gloss, it protects the paint and leather, but i encourage mask wears not to get the mask wet if they can help it.

Edited April 17, 2008 by leatheroo

[TomBanwell]

Thanks, Caroline. I like the idea of the double elastic band. I'm surprised you spray a sealer on. I would think that something that would soak in would provide more protection. I was wondering if Neatlac would do the trick.

[Drac]

I've been using super sheen (first the spray can then when that got discontinued the super sheen in the bottle and ran through an airbrush) since i first started making masks a couple months ago and no probs so far and they've been through a bit.

[faceOdd]

Hi Tom,

I use Angelus brand acrylic leather paint, applied with an ordinary kitchen sponge. I wet, form, bake and then hang-dry my masks before painting. As soon as the paint is dry enough to touch, I use a boxwood burnisher on all of the edges (which I bevel during the cutting process).

I've found that using this type of paint leaves my masks (5-6 oz. ) flexible enough that they can be manipulated to fit someone else's face if they're too tight or too loose somewhere, and they can be crumpled up and will 'bounce back' into their original shape with a little help.

As far as water-sealing them, I don't add anything else. In the past year this has not been a problem, nor have I had any feedback from customers expressing any issues with water. I do warn people not to shower in them, because you never know... but my aviator helmets are painted first, water-formed second. They do take longer to dry, but no problems so far. I still have the first one, which I made in May of last year, and I wear it often.

Mostly I began using acrylic instead of dye because there are no fumes and I don't have to open the window; I don't have to wear gloves because the acrylic washes off, whereas I had one orange fingertip for awhile because the glove ripped while dyeing something British tan; I don't have to apply sealers and worry that somehow the color will still find a way to come off onto someone's face or clothes; and I paint several layers of color using the same little piece of sponge, adding lots of depth and color that stays put while incurring very little overhead and contributing only slightly to the landfill issues.

The sponges I use are the yellow ones with a green scratchy surface. I cut them into strips and then cut the strips into squares that are just big enough to cover the bottle opening. Holding the scratchy part, I put the sponge over the opening and tip the bottle upside-down to get the paint onto the sponge. I've had very good results with this method.

I know this doesn't answer your question about airbrushing, but after painting so many Army trucks with a paint gun, I have zero desire to airbrush anything : )

~Tammy

[faceOdd]

Oh, and I use thin strips of oil tanned leather for the ties which are riveted in place. A square knot keeps it from sliding, but is easy to undo also. I've tried ribbon and elastic, but I prefer the leather. I cut them against a straight edge, a little wider at the top and narrowing as it goes. I also put one additional small hole in each leather strap, just at the edge of the mask on each side, for displaying it on a wall using two small finishing nails or similar. They can also be mounted to a background and hung in a coffee shop, for instance, using the little holes.

~Tammy

[TomBanwell]

Tammy, thanks for explaining your techniques in such detail. The finishing of leather is new to me, so everything helps. Where do you get the Angelus leather paint from?

[faceOdd]

I didn't know about using wood gel dyes, so I've already learned something from you in regards to new ways of finishing leather : )

I buy everything from MacPherson Leather in Seattle. I just checked their website, but it's not as complete as it could be. Patrick is their buyer, and their e-mail is info@macphersonleather.com.

It might be easier for you to get it locally, since it's made in CA. I just read the bottle (for the first time, I think... : ) and the company is Angelus Shoe Polish Co., Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670. But if not, I know for sure that MacPherson's has it. Rows and rows of every color you can imagine. Silver is too sheer to use alone, though. It creates a shimmery pink on natural leather. For silver that's not translucent (and not pink), Pewter is better either as the color or as the under-color. It's the only one I've found to not be opaque. White is actually really bright, which was exciting after a horrible experience with 'white' dye.

As always, I'm looking forward to pictures of your next fabulous creations!

~Tammy

[TomBanwell]

As always, I'm looking forward to pictures of your next fabulous creations!

~Tammy

Well, Tammy, I've been working on a lizard mask (before you ask, it's of a lizard, not for a lizard--ha-ha). I ran out of the brown thread I was using and I drove to town to get some more. The local hobby shop was all out and wouldn't get it in for several days, so I called the closest Tandys to order some. They have it on back order. So I ordered some other brown thread they had. The lady said it was a little darker, but not too different. Two days later it arrived in the mail. I opened it up and it was black (even though the package said brown).

So then I emailed ST Leather and ordered some from them. Two days went by and I hadn't heard back, so I phoned them. Got a recorded message saying they were going on vacation for 4 days. By then I figured my local store had it in since almost a week had gone by. No such luck. They still didn't have it. Well, I still don't have any brown thread, so my lizard mask is gathering dust. Sigh.

Thanks for the info on Angelus. I'll look into getting some.

[faceOdd]

Do you use Nyltex wax-coated brown thread? If so, I have a whole spool of it I can send you, if you want it. It's a dark brown, but it's definitely brown. I prefer black thread, even when making brown things. I also have the better part of a spool of Barbor's linen thread, which most sheathmakers use and I personally despise. It can easily be dyed whatever shade of brown you need, providing you have dye already.

I asked earlier if the mask was for a dog, because at our dog park on Halloween, people do show up with dogs wearing mask-like face coverings. Not cool ones like yours, though : )

~Tammy

[TomBanwell]

Dogs with masks. That is just too funny! Thank you for your kind offer of brown thread, but I will acquire it locally soon enough I'm sure. It's just testing my patience!

We have many, many lizards running around here where I live in Rough & Ready (really, that's where I live!). It would be a challenge to make a mask that small, let alone getting one to wear it! If you have any pictures of mask-wearing dogs I'd love to see them.

Thanks again,