Inspired to make a full mask....but now what?!?!

[hauntedkimmy]

werewole sculpt2.jpgwerewolf sculpt 1.jpgAllen's AWESOME tutorials on how to make a full mask inspired me to get off my butt and try my hand at it. So I get to sculpting away, having a blast creating a smaller sized mask for my son because he's 8 and is around during haunting time sometimes and hates when I break out the makeup. So I thought, alrightie I will make a werewolf mask (because I guess I couldn't start with something a little simpler cuz I'm crazy like that....) I'm not finished, but as I'm sculpting I got to thinking..... HOW THE HECK AM I GONNA CAST THIS WITH STICKY OUTIE EARS?!?!?! Really....like I said I hafta do things that hard way apparently.

So any advice?!?!?! I'm scared now that I might have to ditch this and try something a little less advanced.

If it makes any difference, I'm going to cover (sparcely) with hair around the crown of the head so the ear backs will have some covering on the back. I'm not going too heavy handed with the hair because I want the werewolf to look very young, so going for minimal hair.

[Allen H]

Here are two options.


I cant see the back of your ears so I cant say which one is better. If your ears are thick and you can imagine cleaning them out of the mold (they will be completely surrounded by plaster) any turn will be tough to pick the clay out.
Odds are really good that across the top of the head and along the edge of the ears is still the best route.

Or... cut the ears off with a wire tool and mold them seperately then glue them on. Thats pretty common and it will keep your mold from weighing 100lbs. That will also give you the option of sculpting a different style of ear later and changing up the sculpt.
Allen H

[hauntedkimmy]

I like the idea of cutting off the ears. I was thinking that is probably the best way to save this. They are thick, I reinforced them from the back, but still not to a comfort level for me to seam around them. Plus they are angled back so I don't think it would even work. Seaming from the center didn't seem that great either because I know I'll probably not have the greatest seam considering this is my first true sculpt with a seam.

So if I cut the ears off, how hard is it to reattach? I am going to use latex because it's what I have available and haven't braved the next step to silicone yet. I would imagine I would have to build up a bit of a base on the ears after I remove them but before casting to give me something to glue down? I would assume I would glue using the latex or do I need something to reinforce inside so they don't pull off?

[Allen H]

Sounds like you know what your doing..

[hauntedkimmy]

Sounds like I know what I'm doing and actually knowing what I'm doing are two entirely different things, LOL!!! I will work at it tomorrow and most probably cut the ears off and move on from there....all with a high level of anxiety that I'm gonna ruin this mask, LOL!

And seriously.... thanks Allen for your great tutorials! I honestly would have just done a sock half mask for this if it wasn't for your great tutorials. I even got my hubby watching them...he thinks you're a hoot, LOL! I'll probably be bugging you in hysterics again sometime soon as I start on this mask casting journey.....

[Wellinton]

I am so impressed with all the artistic talent !! Excellent job!

[Allen H]

When you cut the ears off, sculpt some simple nubs that you can glue the ears to. Does that make sense? Think of them as sockets that the ears will fit over- just a few registration points.

[hauntedkimmy]

Yepper, I'll give my baby wolfie some nubs today and crossing my fingers this whole thing works. I'm a chicken butt so I've been nervous to tackle this, LOL!

[hauntedkimmy]

...and thanks so much for the kind compliments Wellinton!

[hauntedkimmy]

Alrightie, cut the ears off of wolfie, got everything cast today and WOO HOO!!! It came out!!! Some air bubbles in the tricky part, but I think I fixed them after I pulled the mold apart, so hopefully after the plaster cures I can go ahead and pour the latex!!!! So excited and (hopefully) the hardest part of it is done and it'll be smoootthhh sailing from here!!!

Then I guess my next project is gonna be dryer lint rats after Allen makes that tutorial, LOL! Cuz rats out of dryer lint sound incrediby cool!!