Mask Farm

Want to know how to make a paper mache mask? Look no further.

Phase 2 of 4

Clay

Every mask starts here — a humble lump of earth, worked by hand until something in it becomes a face.

Materials & Tools
MaterialQuantityNotes
Wet clay8-10 lbsEnough for most masks
Work boardAbout 9" x 13"Lets you turn or prop up the sculpture
Spray bottle1, with waterFor dampening the clay
RagsA fewDamp, laid over the sculpture between sessions
Clear plastic garbage bags2Cover the damp rags — clear, to prevent mold
Rubber mallet1For pounding clay into a head-shaped mound
Old credit card (or similar)1For cleaning up edges before molding
Hands Over Tools Avoid rigid geometry in the final mask — you don't want to see the hand of the mask maker in the mask. Clay tools tend to interrupt the form with scrapes and gouges. Trust your hands over the tools.

Working in Clay

1 Grab hunks of clay and press them into a rough, face-shaped mass.
2 Slam the clay onto the board to anchor it, and build up from there. Work tall — a face from ear to nose sticks out four to five inches.
3 Don't worry about symmetry yet. Leave room for pareidolia by making something interesting.
4 Fill in gaps and define the planes that make up the mask's volume.
5 If a rounded egg starts to form, break it up into planes with a few whacks of the mallet.
6 Slow down. Turn the piece upside down if you don't see it yet. Work to define what's forming, and stay simple.

Some Guidelines

Break Eggs

Break Eggs

If you're starting to form a well rounded egg, give the sides a few whacks with the hammer to break it up into planes.

Beware the Mice

Beware the Mice

Don't rob clay from around the edge of your form. Avoid mice bites and build from the board.

Stay Simple

Stay Simple

Your mask doesn't need to say everything. It can be simple, it will be held by a body, a form, a feeling, a story.

Snakes on a Plane

Snakes on a Plane

Build facial features with intersecting planes and full volumes of clay, not coils or by pinching in details.

No Hair

No Hair

In general, masks don't need eyebrows, mustaches or beards. Not in the sculpted form at least.

Circles

Circles

It's common to close the eyes off into a circle. Break the circle and connect the eye to the rest of the face.

Undercuts

The area highlighted in red is an undercut.
The area highlighted in red is an undercut.
Watch For Undercuts Overhangs on the sculpture make removing the rigid paper mache more difficult — usually under the nose or chin, but they can show up anywhere. A nasty surprise if you only find one after the mold is dry.
1 Run a hand under the form, feeling for inward curves.
2 If you find a lot of them, it might be worth the time to make a two-part mold.

Working in the clay is exciting — when you're satisfied, it's time to move on to paper mache.

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