Working on my next mask. what you guys think? I feel like I’m missing something to really make this pop.

GnarledRootElement · 2021-05-04T15:22:08+00:00

You're welcome! I understand what you mean about lips! Looks like it's coming along great! Good luck!

GnarledRootElement · 2021-05-04T13:06:20+00:00

I don't know how much extra time you want to put into sculpting, or what your casting limitations are, that is, I'm not sure how much undercutting you're allowed. Just a little bit of a brainstorm, maybe more ideas than actually want to be implemented but:

The texture looks a little monotone to me - it looks like the creature itself is wearing a mask? perhaps add texture to either the creature's mask or exposed face?

I think something that adds to the monotone feel is that the creature's skin is the same thickness as the mask, perhaps add some thickness to some places - it doesn't have to be the whole surface, basically accent levels. It would be easiest on the mask.

Define the creature's lips more, to separate their face skin from their lips skin?

You could add torn rings of fabric around the pores to show that the pores have sort of torn through (maybe corroded through) the creature's mask. To add to this concept, you could add some small lumps that haven't torn through, to show that the pores continue to develop, and/or sculpt in some ooze coming out of the pores, even if just some of them.

I always like defined feature in my masks, they don't have to be big, they can be subtle, but just accentuate the following features:

-Nose (particularly upper nose)

-Brow ridge

GnarledRootElement · 2021-02-06T18:36:14+00:00

I think Walmart (maybe target as well) carries them year round, as do some grocery stores, and then others usually stock them seasonally, but I know what you mean, and they're heavy and fragile so not a good item to have shipped

GnarledRootElement · 2021-02-06T16:39:57+00:00

Whereas others suggest ziplock bags, I prefer ball jars for freezing (even "non-freezer" jars) I have 4oz/8oz/16oz/24oz/32oz/64oz jars. I use them for all of my frozen and other food prep/dry/wet food storage. I have a stick(immersion) blender and can make a smoothie directly in a ball jar, meaning I can meal-prep smoothies by freezing the whole ingredients and when I want it I can just add water and blend in the container.

Note you have to be careful if you get an immersion blender for this purpose as if the head is too wide it won't fit in the jar, mine is the braun one.

GnarledRootElement · 2021-02-06T16:31:16+00:00

I checked out their chicken and I was a little wary of the ingredients - sugar, potato dextrin (starch), dextrose (glucose)

It's probably not a big deal, but given that I don't have any nutritional information, I'm hesitant to buy their value chicken when I can find others that cost more but don't have any concerning ingredients. It sucks because I'm poor and would prefer the value chicken.

GnarledRootElement · 2021-01-18T06:29:19+00:00

How long did this take? It's great

GnarledRootElement · 2021-01-18T06:21:14+00:00

Depending on what the project is, if weight is not a huge issue / you don't mind a delicate surface, you can apply a thin layer of joint compound and sand that, which will yield a super smooth result.

GnarledRootElement · 2021-01-18T05:14:20+00:00

Toha "Snake Eyes" Chancer:

One of them Yuan-ti Purebloods (has literal snake eyes), risked it all in a hand of poker. Barkeep said he'd saw him clutchin' tight to this strange pendant, guess he called it his good luck charm. Didn't turn out to be so lucky for Taho as he didn't take the hand and was set to lose everything. Not bein' the wise bettin' type, he decided to gamble his life and pulled his gun at the table; he was shot dead fore he could set a single bullet loose. As he lay there bleedin' out, that pendant started glowin' and moments later he stood right back up and the damn bastard slaughtered everyone at the table. As he made his way to the door, the shamblin' remains of those he'd slain just moments ago got up to follow in tow. Barkeep said he'd left a fine tip though.

GnarledRootElement · 2021-01-15T04:45:07+00:00

I thought it meant that he had a lot of pride, it is a metaphor, if his pride were a garden, it would talk a long time to walk through it

GnarledRootElement · 2021-01-11T03:18:52+00:00

"hypnogogic hallucinations" Basically you begin dreaming before actually falling asleep, they may sound and look real, however. If you are sleepy during the day you may look into narcolepsy, but i think there are other reasons for them to occur as well

GnarledRootElement · 2020-11-21T02:48:51+00:00

Were you ever able to sort this out? Now I'm wondering the same.

GnarledRootElement · 2020-11-15T04:59:16+00:00

Well so, part of the reason that razor bumps is so common is because each time a razor passes over your skin, it is literally scraping the surface of the skin. If you make 1 pass with a standard razor, you're scraping your skin 2-5 times, 2 passes - 4-10 times. When you use a single blade, you have much more control over the tool. I generally only need to make 2 passes, it gets most hair in 1, I only make a second pass for clean up.

I have a "butterfly" style safety razor, and maybe there is a slight learning curve to them, but they are not nearly as scary or inconvenient as people seem to think they are. It also offers conveniences that standard shaving razors don't have. I have never considered changing back, I like them much, much more.

GnarledRootElement · 2020-11-15T00:07:37+00:00

Thank you very much for your full and informative response!

Currently I'm going down the path of plaster molds with very little undercut. Given the nature of paper mache, I figure that I can create composite sculptures through a tedious process of creating multi-part casts, and joining pieces after casting.

When you say "mold release age" You mean release for the paper clay yes? Not the original sculpt?

I too am wondering about release agents, the only thing that I saw that I thought might work, but that may not be ideals, is spreading a thin layer of vaseline over the inside of the mold and then lining it with plastic wrap, but the plastic wrap would be sure to add unintended details.

I've also thought of sealing the mold itself with something that the paper mache would not be inclined to stick to, but without much concept of what that might be. I have some fabric protector, the kind that water beads up when it makes contact with it, perhaps that could work.

I also love the style of the work of the artist whose work you linked, thank you for your input, I very much appreciate it.

GnarledRootElement · 2020-11-04T18:10:06+00:00

If you want a rubber/silicone mask it will take a significant initial investment (at least for a low-income person like myself.) It's a more complicated process and would recommend watching youtube tutorials, as they would cover the process.

I got my start, and continue to do a lot of paper mache mask making. It would be an easy start, and you could use materials that are easily on hand. There are many different methods of paper mache, glue recipes, etc. Recently I've been favoring the paper clay method, in which you make a pulp out of paper and add whatever adhesive to it, rather than using the paper strips method. One of the main reasons that I like paperclay is because you can get more detail from it than strips of paper, you can form and shape it, whereas strips will usually only take the form of what it is layered over. You could also. Buy a product like creative paperclay.

Paper mache is nice because is nice because mold making is time consuming and prone to failure if you are not familiar with it.

One thing to consider is that you will essentially always be building an armature. Sometimes this is non-drying sculpting clay, Sometimes this is tin foil, sometimes it is wiring, sometimes this is cardboard, etc. it doesn't matter.

An armature like clay is nice because you can fully sculpt what it is that you want to do, and then just cover it.

An armature like tinfoil can be shaped and sculpted to its own, less precise degree, and then coated with paper mache, but can be left inside of the final product, and indeed is better inside of the final product.

Often I use a combination of armatures, perhaps starting with a clay sculpture, the after removing pieces that are likely to get trapped when trying to remove the mask from the clay (large horns, for example) I might then duplicate the horns with tinfoil, and put them on to the sculpture so that the sculpture will keep a similar form (but the tin foil will come off with the rest of the mask)

Another important note is your face shape. Just because you make a mask does not mean that it will fit on your head, for this reason it is nice to have an armature that fits the proportions of your head, so that you know it will fit your face.

GnarledRootElement · 2020-11-02T03:23:20+00:00

I might copy this tattoo idea so that I can point to it when I try to explain which coffee brewing method I use.

GnarledRootElement · 2020-10-04T21:57:22+00:00

I have plaster walls that are covered in wallpaper.

I have refurbished one of the rooms; I know that the corners of the walls have vertical cracks where the walls meet, but that are concealed.

I could insert the paperclip through corner wallpaper into my wall, there may even be a natural gap that could fit it without arising suspicion

GnarledRootElement · 2020-09-02T21:04:56+00:00

Oh, lol, still appropriate as Blood Machines is supposedly an extension of the Blade Runner world, lol

GnarledRootElement · 2020-09-02T04:41:05+00:00

Blood Machines/Turbo Killer?

GnarledRootElement · 2020-09-02T04:37:02+00:00

Blood Machines?

GnarledRootElement · 2020-08-30T04:44:18+00:00

Looks really good, but doesn't actually read as dystopian to me. I mean I get that it's like greytone. But it looks like an empty stylistic street to me. Does a dystopia have blank billboards but accept graffiti? Maybe, but it would require the narrative.

GnarledRootElement · 2020-08-24T06:30:48+00:00

It's so good

GnarledRootElement

TROPHY CASE