Mask Making

Mask 1

For mask 1, I thought the mask was very interesting in general. I liked how much it represented a human face. I can tell it is old which makes it unique. There is not much color, a few dull colors, but the symmetry is there. The artist emphasized the human like characteristics in black to make them known. There is a lot of balance. 

Mask 2

For Mask 2, I absolutely loved the colors of these masks. Like mask 1, they both portray human features, but very differently. I see art in these masks. They are themed and filled with brilliant, bright color. These masks are very persistent with lines and shape. They're both symmetrical. These masks are very unique and inspired me to make my mask.

Mask 3

For mask 3, the color is what attracted me the most. The bright yell and orange colors caught my attention. I loved the pattern in this mask. Once again, there are human characteristics portrayed in their own unique way. This mask has a lot of different symbols which I thought was unique. This mask is my favorite out of all three. There is the most color, pattern, balance, and symbolism which is what I like to see portrayed in art. 

This was my boring, dull sketch of my mask. I basically just pin-pointed the specific things I needed to create the mask and certain aspects of pattern and color I wanted it to contain. I did not follow the sketch very thoroughly but i'm kind of glad I didn't. Once I started to paint the mask, a mental image of the finished product was set in my mind: brilliant color and pattern. 

This was my finished piece. I was very happy with they way this mask turned out. I tried to use color and pattern mostly. 

The steps I used to make the mask:

• I had my friend Emily wrap three layers of tin foil around her face so I could portray the shape of a human face. 
• I cut out the holes for the eyes.
• I covered the tin foil in the cheesecloth. 
• Then, created the plaster mix. It hardens fast so I had to work quick. 
• I used a paint brush to paint the plaster onto the tinfoil-cheesecloth mask. 
• I had to wait 24 hours for the plaster to dry before I could paint it. 
• I used a mix of the most vibrant colors I could get my hands on. 
• I used a mixture of types of brushes: paint brushes and different types of nail art brushes to get the precise lines and dots. 

The whole process took about 3 hours total, minus the drying time. 

This project was for sure different. It was something I have never done before so I had to look up many different processes on how to make a mask. I kind of winged it. I was fun though! I like trying new things and going out of my comfort zone. Plus, I like painting. But for my first time at creating a mask, I think it turned out pretty well. Although, it could definitely be better. I didn't really know how to work with plaster, but I did the best I could.