How can I cover this?

[spidermanc]

Hey guys, I'm trying to figure out the best way to cover a mask I'm making. It is a life size moose head. Right now all I've got is the substructure made out of card board. The substructure is put together almost exactly like this (except mine is wearable and has more modules):

It is important to note that I can only use paper materials, and adhesives. (however that is pretty lenient... i.e paper, bristol board, card stock, cardboard, papier mache, glue, silicone, cement, etc..)

Thanks!

 

[spidermanc]

Can anyone help me out?

 

[Hogosha]

If you are only permitted to use paper materials, (no faux fur etc.) you may want to cover the piece in a layer of paper mache', then a layer of paper mache' clay. This way you can sculpt all of the fine details including the texture of the fur. It would also be great for the antlers, nose and teth.

Another idea would be to cut thin strips of cardstock and glue them on in layers, you give it all a "haircut" at the end to look right. If you start with a brown, you can airbrush in detail, and color fluctuations at the end.

Maybe a combo of the 2?

 

[spidermanc]

Thanks!

For the fur I plan to put brown colored "builders paper" through a paper shredder and cut strands about 4 inches long, tape them on a long horizontal strand and wrap them around the body in layers.

I did plan to use papier mache clay for the details but right now I'm just interested in the best/lightest way to cover the substructure. I want to give it more surface area so I can papier mache it.

 

[Shylaah]

I was going to suggest the cheesecloth dipped in fabric stiffener, using a blow dryer to hasten the drying since it is going on over cardboard, but then I went and re-read your post that it had to be all paper product.....
Difficult since you need to dampen things to shape over that armature, and moisture is not a good for a cardboard armature.

Maybe just use the old piñata method of torn strips of newspaper dipped in glue water laying on just a small section at a time and use a hair dryer to dry it well before moving on to the next section to prevent the cardboard armature from getting too moist and warping.

OR maybe you could wrap the whole armature in saran wrap then cover it in the glue dipped newspaper strips. After all is dry, cut where necessary to remove the "full head cast", pull off the saran wrap then glue the dried cast onto the armature.

For the paper strips you're going to use, if you stuck them to that old "lick to stick" brown paper tape (if 2" is too wide, it's easy to cut down the middle) by just dipping the end of the strip in water and laying the along the edge of the paper tape. Then when all is dry you dampen the other edge of the paper short distances at a time and do the wrap around.

That way you could make the "fringe" rather long because you wouldn't be wrestling with the sticky side of sticky tape and trying get it not to stick to everything it touches as you are trying to position it both when gluing the strips to it and when doing the wrap around.

Shylaah

 

[spidermanc]

I was going to suggest the cheesecloth dipped in fabric stiffener, using a blow dryer to hasten the drying since it is going on over cardboard, but then I went and re-read your post that it had to be all paper product.....
Difficult since you need to dampen things to shape over that armature, and moisture is not a good for a cardboard armature.

Maybe just use the old piñata method of torn strips of newspaper dipped in glue water laying on just a small section at a time and use a hair dryer to dry it well before moving on to the next section to prevent the cardboard armature from getting too moist and warping.

OR maybe you could wrap the whole armature in saran wrap then cover it in the glue dipped newspaper strips. After all is dry, cut where necessary to remove the "full head cast", pull off the saran wrap then glue the dried cast onto the armature.

For the paper strips you're going to use, if you stuck them to that old "lick to stick" brown paper tape (if 2" is too wide, it's easy to cut down the middle) by just dipping the end of the strip in water and laying the along the edge of the paper tape. Then when all is dry you dampen the other edge of the paper short distances at a time and do the wrap around.

That way you could make the "fringe" rather long because you wouldn't be wrestling with the sticky side of sticky tape and trying get it not to stick to everything it touches as you are trying to position it both when gluing the strips to it and when doing the wrap around.

Shylaah

Thanks Shylaah. That's a lot of good info I'm going to wind up using! I was at the store today and thought of saran wrapping it but then was PO'd when I remembered I couldn't use it. I didn't think of the cutting and re-seaming idea though.. that's gold.

 

[u2ecila]

Hi,
You could crumple up 4 x 4 inch pieces of tissue paper in various colors and glue each one on separately. Sort of like going for a cotton ball mottled look.
Looks neat!
Please post pics of the final product too.

 

[Shylaah]

Thanks Shylaah. That's a lot of good info I'm going to wind up using! I was at the store today and thought of saran wrapping it but then was PO'd when I remembered I couldn't use it. I didn't think of the cutting and re-seaming idea though.. that's gold.

Hope it all works out for ya, and yeah, please post pics!! It can be a tribute to Melvin, I miss Melvin and Co.!!

Shylaah

 

[terryr]

Where did you get that Moose pattern?

 

[spidermanc]

Where did you get that Moose pattern?

The moose pattern I posted a picture of is sold online (just search cardboard moose head on google), but I made my own pattern for this project.

 

[SaberTech]

you may also consider filling the gaps with wadded up newspaper or brown paper so taht when you cover it with the sticky brown paper strips it does not sag too bad in between the cardboard supports ... jsut an idea

 

[chilidog77]

You can use plaster bandage sold at art stores,it will harden, example a arm or leg cast is layered in plaster bandage now they use a form of fiberglass bandage.

 

[spidermanc]

http://www.therpf.com/f24/life-size-moose-mask-completed-114419/#post1652774

^^ Link to my finished thread with pictures for those that wanted to see it.