Leather Face Shapes

[archangelcharlie]

I'm very new to leather working, so forgive my silly questions (we all learned at some point, right?)

I want to make some well detailed human face shapes in a light leather. I'm making the reverse and standard mold using plaster of paris and clay, after which I want to mold the leather onto this form and make it harden and stay that way.

What kind of leather would the forum recommend as the best kind of molding leather to get some really good definition. I don't want the faces to look cartoony, the idea is to make them look as realistic (and ultimately eerie) as possible so I can sew a collection of them together.

Any ideas and tips are really appreciated, thanks in advance for helping a new-comer.

[electrathon]

You want to use vegetable tanned leather, about 5/6 oz. If you form it over plaster the wet leather will dissolve the plaster so you will need to cover the plaster with saran wrap.

[treybecca]

Check out this guys tutorial....I found it very helpful and he does some amazing things....

[Mjolnir131]

Try carving the filler/ plug from thicker leather. It's one of the embossing techniques for making a deep 3d figure.

[archangelcharlie]

Awesome guys, thank you. Really appreciate the tips. The video was great. I'll post pics of the results

[Logans Leather]

The best tutorial I have ever found on leather mask making is in Thurston James' book: "The Mask-Making Handbook", originally published as "The Prop Builder's Mask-Making Handbook" Available on Amazon at

http://www.amazon.com/Mask-Making-Handbook-Thurston-James/dp/0887349609/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380947126&sr=1-1&keywords=mask+making

Barnes & Noble Carries it as well, or at least they used to.

The book covers mold making, using positive& negative press molds, and molding leather over a positive mold using the traditional Venician Commedia del Arte mask forming techniques. He also covers papier mache, plaster, thermoplastic and other materials for mask making.