Beginner's mask making question

[andyste1]

Quite a few questions sorry. I've done some googling but there seem to be as many techniques as there are articles and videos...

I'm looking to make a silicone face mask. It won't be a full head - I'm really just covering the front half, partway down the neck, over the forehead, and along the sides to in front of the ears. I will need to attach this mask to a hard "skull", which again doesn't need to be full head either, but as much as I can get away with yet still be able to put it on over my head. The top of the mask/skull will be a few inches higher than my head so there is some leeway there.

First question: I'm a little nervous about letting anyone lose on me with alginate (although I will give it a go as a last resort!). As an alternative I have seen the clingfilm (saran wrap), duct tape and expanding foam approach. Would this bust be sturdy enough to use as a base for clay modelling? Could I use plaster instead of foam, or would the duct tape be too flimsy? Could I strengthen it up with plaster bandages?

Moving on, once I have my plaster "bust" with clay head sculpt, what is a good material to make a mould from this?

Next, once I have *this* mould, what technique should I use to make the final silicone mask? Most articles seem to use the "injection" method, but I was wondering why I can't just paint the silicone onto the inside of of the mould?

Lastly, do I just use the same mould for both the silicone mask and the fibreglass "skull"? They would obviously turn out exactly the same size, but I assume this isn't a problem as the mask would obviously be flexible enough to glue to the skull.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Jediknightandy]

Hey,
you indeed have quite a number of questions, some techniques you are asking about are pretty advanced, have you any experience at all making masks?

Silicone face mask- Why silicone? and how do you plan on keeping it on your face? Silicone can be quite a tricky material for a beginner, not to mention expensive if there is any failures in your process. Would you consider doing some test runs with a cheaper material like Latex instead? also, why would you need a hard skull under this? would a rubber mask not be all you need?

Face cast- do you specifically need it to be your face? Apart from the alginate cast ( which I do not recommend trying without someone who has experienced in life casting as it can be dangerous) the techniques you mention will only give a rough face shape, so would a shop mannequin suit your needs?

 

[andyste1]

Hey,
you indeed have quite a number of questions, some techniques you are asking about are pretty advanced, have you any experience at all making masks?

Silicone face mask- Why silicone? and how do you plan on keeping it on your face? Silicone can be quite a tricky material for a beginner, not to mention expensive if there is any failures in your process. Would you consider doing some test runs with a cheaper material like Latex instead? also, why would you need a hard skull under this? would a rubber mask not be all you need?

Face cast- do you specifically need it to be your face? Apart from the alginate cast ( which I do not recommend trying without someone who has experienced in life casting as it can be dangerous) the techniques you mention will only give a rough face shape, so would a shop mannequin suit your needs?

No experience at all (other than watching "Face Off" last year on SyFy!). I normally relish challenges like this but this could be a step too far even by my standards!

I assumed silicone was the standard these days - I've not seen any articles that mention any other material. I had assume latex was the norm before I started reading, but it seems this is prone to deteriorating over time?

The hard skull is a necessity due to the design of the mask that I'm planning - Chewbacca basically.

Yes I could probably use a mannequin head at a push. The top of the mask would extend a few inches above my head so an accurate fit would be less of an issue. The jaw/snarl mechanism would rely on a more accurate fit but nothing a few alterations wouldn't fix I guess.

While the clay sculpting will be a challenge in itself, I think I'm more concerned about the steps after this, as mentioned above. The injection method in particular sounds tricky.

 

[udog]

I agree 100% with Jediknightandy
If you are not familiar with molding and casting a silicone mask can be expensive and difficult for a first attempt.
Also if accurate fit is not the issue, you could try first with other materials like latex.
About the injection, take in account the main goal with a silicone mask is to get a good fit. This means you need a core for your mold (actually another part of the mold).
So the best way is to inject(It could also be poured, but better injection) the silicone in the gap left between the mold and the core. This means you will have to use more advanced techniques.
As for the manequin, if you go for silicone, it should be a shape designed for silicone masks.

A normal manequin could give problems.

 

[Biff Superman]

If properly taken care of latex wont deteriorate until long after you're dead... or close to it.
Silicone is great because it has an intrinsic realistic flesh look, movement and feel. If you want to attach it to an under-skull whats the point of realistic movement? Annnd if you're making a Chewbacca head aren't you just going to cover it in fur anyway?

Go latex. It's light, cheaper, easier to paint, and smells awesome. Go to youtube and watch every Distortions Unlimited Monster Lab video. Ed Edmunds basically tells you exactly how to do every step in the whole process by making it fun and approchable

 

[Buliwif]

Hi there... I'm going to jump into the middle of your initial post and answer one specific question that will likely prove to be moot for a Chewbacca mask... Painting silicone into a mold... The reason injection molding is most commonly used is so the silicone will properly fill all of the voids between the negative and the core. Painting the silicone in will both prove messy and the finished product will be uneven. Foam latex is often slopped into the mold before the core is added(not really slopped, but you get the idea) for appliances because it foams and fills the voids... and a lot of material is lost out the sides as a result... Silicone is much runnier and expensive, so you want to make the most of it...

Anyway, there are a ton of lifecasting tutorials on YouTube. I myself have used RigidWrap to make basic lifecasts for mask making, it could work (basically low temp plaster bandages). I DO NOT recommend doing it yourself, I've seen people do it by leaving one eye uncovered but man... lol... I'd recommend getting a mannequin head, and if you really want a closer replica of yourself, get your friends and use the mannequin head to practice... if you don't lubricate well enough or or don't place the seam right you could get a mold lock, in which case you're eating your meals through a straw... or god forbid block off your airways or, as I'm sure plenty here can attest, myself included, you'd be surprised how few hairs actually need to get caught up in the plaster before you're screaming bloody murder as they try to pull off the negative, and if you're even the slightest bit claustrophobic things can get ugly real fast... practice and assistants, is basically the moral of this story, lol

Also I have to agree on using latex. It's easy to use, doesn't require expensive paints and like Biff said, smells awesome, lmao (don't have your nose near the bottle when you open it or you won't be smelling anything for a while, lol) Plus, laying hair on latex is a breeze.

I suppose I should have asked this first... are you planning on making a fully functional screen ready Chewbacca with articulated lip, a loose jaw mask or a simple pullover?

 

[andyste1]

I suppose I should have asked this first... are you planning on making a fully functional screen ready Chewbacca with articulated lip, a loose jaw mask or a simple pullover?

I want the jaw to open and close as I move mine, and preferably include the lip snarl mechanism too.

Thanks for the rest of your advice anyway. I think I was already coming around to the idea of just using a mannequin head - accuracy isn't so important as the mask would be fitted to an underskull rather than my face directly.

Is there any reason why I couldn't use the mannequin head for the clay sculpting, and skip the lifecasting stage altogether?

 

[Buliwif]

Is there any reason why I couldn't use the mannequin head for the clay sculpting, and skip the lifecasting stage altogether?

Not at all, using the mannequin head should work just fine, and save a lot of time.

 

[Gato]

I disagree with many of the comments above. Dont waste your time practicing on latex. I made a Chewbacca mask with a silicone face and a fiberglass under skull on my first try. Just did a lot of research before trying my hand at it. It will take a lot of work to get your molds ready. You'll have to get your lifecast. I did mine by myself with plaster bandages then poured plaster into it to get the face. It didnt need much detail because I would be sculpting with clay on top of it. It is recommended to use alginate if you have a partner to administer it though. Once you have your face/head cast, sculpt out your Chewie face. Once youre happy with the sculpt, make the mold. I used Rondo (resin and bondo mixed with hardening agent) for the beauty coat. Then added a few layers of fiberglass. Once that was done, you'll have to make a plug. The plug will be an inner mold that goes inside your main mould to keep the injected silicone in place to make the skin. I added a 1/4" of clay inside the main mold then laid in some layers of fiberglass. I pried it out once dry with screwdrivers. I pull my fiberglass copies of the underskull off the plug. It always works better for me. I just coat it with many layers of PVA which is like a liquid that turns into a plastic so the two fiberglass appliances dont mechanically bond together.

After writing all this, I should have just advised you to check out the Rebel Legion forum under Fringe, then Chewbacca and other wookiees. I have a build thread of my mask there with pictures. I also have builds on Facebook at my Making Wookiee page.
Good Luck!!