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With the upcoming and awesome holiday Halloween, some people
would like to know how to make their own mask or just to learn how it is done.
To make a prosthetic piece with great edges you need a two-piece
mold. The better the edges are the better it will blend into the skin. To maintain
what you sculpted, accurate plasters are used. You don't want ones that expand
too much or the ones too brittle like "Plaster of Paris". The plasters used
here are White Hydrocal and Ultracal 30 Gypsum plasters.
The bust has been sealed with gloss paint. The gloss paint is more
resistant to damage and as it is applied it fills in the imperfections to
achieve the gloss finish. This will provide a sealed surface.
Water based clay is applied around the head. The clay
is approximately 1/2" thick. I just
sprayed PAM cooking spray onto a counter top. I then slammed a mound of clay on
to the table until the thickness was achieved. The ends and edges of the clay
were cut with a straight edge; then this is applied to the plaster bust where
you want the final casing to end. The clay is CAREFULLY pressed onto the bust,
trying to keep the edge flat and perpendicular to the surface. The area is then
sprayed, lightly, with PAM and using a dry brush, the PAM is evenly distributed
over the area.
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The next procedure uses alginate. Alginate is mixed and applied over
the area to a thickness of ¼ to ½". The thickness is kept to a slightly runny consistency.
The happy medium needs to be not too thick to trap air, and not to runny where
it is being scooped up and reapplied. As the alginate is starting to set,
cotton balls are pressed into the alginate for 3-4 minutes. Once the alginate
has set, the cotton is carefully pulled leaving some of the fibers imbedded in
the alginate. These will the keep the alginate in the mother mold. The mother
mold is made with plaster bandage from an art supply store. The ones I used are
4" wide and 2 layers think. The entire head is covered with 4 layers and the
outside edge has 6 layers. The edge needs to be a little thinker to take the
abuse of removal.
 Here is a shot of the inside of the alginate mold after is
has been pulled off the bust.
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Hydrocal plaster is added to the mold. The first coat is
applied very thin with a brush. I blow hard to make sure the plaster is in
every nook and cranny to make sure there is no trapped air. More layers are added carefully until the
layer is at least ½". This needs to set
for 1 hour.
After it sets, remove the plaster bandage and alginate. The new
casting needs to have the imperfections taken care of. Sanding works best when
using drywall sanding cloth or a rasp. There are plaster knifes out there that
also help.
Once the casting is clean, it needs to be sealed. Again
using gloss spray paint, apply even coats over the plaster casting. Once it is sealed I added a few inches of
clay to the bottom to allow for the overflow. A coat of PAM is sprayed and
spread evenly with a dry brush. Alginate is applied again as before and backed
up with plaster bandage.
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 This time Ultracal 30 is applied into the mold. A thin layer
is added with a brush to the thickness of 1/8". Any deep areas are filled in,
i.e. nose and lips. Once the plaster starts to set, it will become warm to the
touch and firm. The second layer is then applied with burlap dipped into
plaster until four even layers have been added. I also used 2 smaller strips to
secure the handle into place. A third batch of plaster is mixed and applied
over the burlap layer. This layer is known as the finishing coat. As this coat
sets up a spare piece of burlap can be used to buff out imperfections before it
fully sets up. It will take a full hour before the plaster is set. This piece
should be left in the mold for as long as possible. The longer left in, the
harder the surface will become. I prefer to leave it overnight.
This positive is pulled out and is all ready for the sculpture. A
thin layer of petroleum jelly is applied to the cast to help the clay stay in
place. Now it's time to sculpt. I use Roma clay because it is oil based and
never dries. Once the sculpture is complete it is covered in a layer of cap
material: thinned down plastic used to make bald caps. Kryolan crystal clear
spray can also be used.
 From here, the sculpture is molded in Ultracal 30 plaster
and is done the same way as before. A thin layer is applied to get all of the
detail. That is allowed to set up. Then a second layer with soaked burlap is
applied over the entire sculpture. Finally, the last coat is applied to keep
the outside smooth so it is easier to handle. This is allowed to setup
overnight. The two half's are separated and cleaned. I use acetone to help
dissolve to plastic remnants.
You now have a two-piece mold that needs to be filled. Depending on
the product you choose, find out what sealer to use, if any, and what to use as
a release agent.
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Here is an example of two different test pulls from the mold
using different materials before painting. This is a general idea of how it's
done; just testing the waters. If there is a high interest in this, I can get
into more detail on further DIY's..
Suppliers:
Alcone - http://www.alconeco.com/
PolyTec - http://www.polytek.com/
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Re: Mask Making for Halloween
