Mask

It's been awhile since I had any new art. I do have a couple of sketches lying around, but in the meantime, here's a look at my current project:


I've learned some interesting things in making this mask. The first being that I need a better (read stronger) base for it. I used a cheap platic mask to model my clay on, and it isn't really the right shape, but it has been bent by the weight of the clay, so it's too flat and wide. Not that it matters too much, as it was never intended on being worn, but it is a little annoying.

Also annoying is that despite that I only let it dry out really slowly, it still cracked. The paint covers most of it, but it's still really annoying. After I'd left it for a couple of weeks (mainly because I got lazy o_O) I took it out yesterday and started sanding it back. It's too lumpy to become truly smooth, largely as a result of the plastic mask base not being at all strong enough to support the weight of the clay, but also a lack of proper tools. So I left it kind of lumpy. Texture and all that. (EDIT: As I've been adding more layers of paint I've found that the clay not being 100% smooth has led to a beautiful texture being built up. I'll have to try and get a picture. It's starting to look more like leather than clay now, which is really nice.) A piece off the top right corner fell off whilst I was sanding it. It was cracked there, but it didn't look that big, so I was surprised when it fell off.

I've now sealed it all over, and then twice on the fron with sealer mixed 1:1 with paint. I've used a mix of burgundy red and bronze acrylics. I was searching though my mum's box of paints yesterday when I found them. She used to do folk art and has proper artists quality acrylics, as well as some other neat stuff. I only have cheap students acrylics. I don't use acrylics enough to justify buying expensive ones, but they do have such a nice depth of colour. As well as the burgundy, I also found bronze and gold paints (which have a much richer colour than mine), as well as a crackle medium. Fun fun. I'm finishing with the burgundy mixes now, before I start detailing in bronze and gold. I'll finish with the cracke medium.

I really want to learn to do this properly. Anyone with any knowledge on mask making want to share? I'm going to try and find some classes too :)