Spider Report post Posted October 21, 2008 Ok, it's been a while since I submitted and I appologize but I hope to make up with this. I submitted this piece to a gallery in Venice, Ca. called The Grind Gallery this weekend (www.thegrindgallery.com). After talking with Tom he reminded me to post where I have received tons of support. THANKS TOM... ok here we go... The piece is called "Suffering" and it's made of leather on a framed mirror with silk roses as a trim. I started with a resin skull head and cut a piece of leather. I soaked the leather to where it is flexible and pressed it on the skull. Using my fingers I pressed the leather through the crevises and details of the skull while blowdrying it with my wife's hairdryer. This allows the leather to cool and set it's form. Blowdrying can really take a while and I go from hot to cool temps on the dryer to dry the piece. Don't forget to blowdry the inside of the mask also. I started with the "Good" side and this shows you the size of the mask. Next I grabbed my cosmotology head and wetformed the "Evil" half in the same manner. The next step was to overlap the two faces and cut the faces to overlap about 1/2" to give me enough room to stitch the two together. The next step for me was to add my horn to purtrude from the back and glue it in place after. I initially wet the leather to allow it to stretch and then forced the horn as far as it would go. After blowdrying the hole the leather shrunk around the horn. The leather, as you know, creates great friction to hold the horn. Next is the application of the red for the "Good" side. I personally started with the dark color cause i feel i can be carefull and then with the light color I don't have to be so careful. I can just go nuts with the antique as I love to do. After finishing the color on the "Good" side I began on the dark details on the "Evil" side. After my dark details are applied I add my "Tan" antique gel. I LOVE THIS STUFF!!! My goal was to give it an aged look. Like something that was just dug up. After the color was applied I decided that more black was needed in the mouth and then the leather was trimmed around the border to make the frame size smaller. A detail shot of the "Evil" side. Notice the glitter glue on the brow. She's pretty huh? Now this is the leather mounted onto the framed mirror and then the silk roses were applied as a finishing touch. I hope this shows another side of leather work for all the great artisans on this awesome site. Feel free to email me any questions or email me on my website so i can add you to my mailing list "Web News" and let you now of new events and items i make. Keep it up!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Schno Report post Posted October 21, 2008 Wicked, Spider! I love the color and detail you get into the relief of your masks. What are you using for leather, 1-2 oz, 3-4 oz, ...? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spider Report post Posted October 21, 2008 Wicked, Spider! I love the color and detail you get into the relief of your masks. What are you using for leather, 1-2 oz, 3-4 oz, ...? Hey Schno, I think it's 1-2 oz. Thanks for the comment. I have a few pieces to post soon. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomSwede Report post Posted October 21, 2008 Awesome again!! Good and easy to follow tut, great to see such an open mind and the will to share you're work bro! You're one of a kind and the piece is drop dead gorgeous!!! The roses look so good as trim and the red is perfect to the fleur de lis style frame. Good work!! Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jammon Report post Posted October 21, 2008 Spider-fantastic work! Thanks for posting it as a tutorial!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin King Report post Posted October 21, 2008 Thats some leather art right there! Nice. KK Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
leatheroo Report post Posted October 21, 2008 another spider creation!!! love the color and the roses Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spider Report post Posted October 21, 2008 Thanks everyone for the props. I believe this is my best piece yet. I have another idea for another gallery for December and I will hopefully work on it soon. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ArtS Report post Posted October 22, 2008 That is outstanding! Art Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TwinOaks Report post Posted October 22, 2008 Terrific piece, Spider, thanks for sharing it with us. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Colman Report post Posted October 22, 2008 Another great piece of art! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spider Report post Posted October 22, 2008 Thanks guys. I'll post more as I make them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freak Report post Posted October 26, 2008 The end result has takin it to a whole' nutter artistic realm . Very nicely done !! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
