Latex Mask Techniques

[DragoonProps]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlFzgccDNBk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EQRgJex_u8


Glad to know first post is a noob question. I have read many ways of making molds for latex masks, using plaster, clay and sculpture. But I came across these twos' methods, they do not use molds, rather they simply sculpt the mask and apply the latex over it. Now the real question, what are the true differences between making mold and simply applying the latex?

 

[Usurper]

this method is ******** but simply lol.
 
you will have NO detail from the sculpt, no scope for future copies, and several other issues.


spend the extra £40 and extra day moulding it properly in plaster. I would NEVER recommend this way as it never yields a perfect copy, especially of a Predator mask, and if I am honest the batman mask looks well...............like it could have been done better on all levels, and to make a tutorial about the wrong way to do something is plain bizarre. 

 

 

[backbone]

Listen to usurper man. A couple of years ago i tried this method for a small face appliance, it was terrible. It ended up all bumpy and the original sculpt was ruined. i would not recommend this at all. it held no detail whatsoever an ended up being a waste of my time and money. Just to show you what I mean, here's a picture of the texture I got and ended up with all over it.

 

[MasterAnubis]

This also happens to be really close to making a proper latex mold. Not that I'd recommend a latex mold for anything but this is a brush on technique.

All the detail is in the inside.  How is that helpful?  That second video keeps popping up making people think that's all it takes to make a mask. Yes, you can do it that way, if you want a mask void of detail and covered in brush marks.  You can even apply that with your fingers to keep that down to a minimum.  You still get something that the maker of that video clearly intended for a single use. 

It's a matter of detail transfer.  Your sculpture has detail, that transfers to the mold, that transfers to the casting.

 

[DragoonProps]

When I put this up the last thing I expected was for the Elders to actually reply, I had thought this was just gonna go unnoticed. Thanks a lot for the information, now I am certain I will use the mold-technique. I know the first video about the Batman mask looks like crap, but he tried and the second guy...I give him credit, he's closer to having a Predator costume than what I am at this instant.

 

[Giles]

The thing about the lair is that everyone still remembers that they were new once.  Luckily most people will help you, give you advice on where they went wrong and which way worked for them.  The important thing is what worked for them may not work for you based on time or budget so keep reading and asking.