Question about sculpting open mouth masks and range of motion.

[Egon Spengler]

I'd like to sculpt a large creature head. I want the mask to just open and close similar to a hand puppet. It will be cast in silicone or latex. What I am wondering is, I want the mouth to be able to open pretty wide but I am unsure of how open I should sculpt the mouth so that it has a good range of motion and won't just pull and wrinkle strangely.

I'm hoping some of you might have some advice on this.

Thank you.

 

[cckaiser2]

Following - great question

 

[Egon Spengler]

Following - great question

Thanks! I keep thinking maybe having it open about an inch on the sculpt works, but then I worry that when the mask opens the mask will stretch and distort weirdly, or not open wide enough. Then I think about having the sculpt have the mouth sculpted atthe widest open point but then I worry that when it closes it'll distort as well.

 

[udog]

I´d go for a slightly open one. The stretchciness of the material will aid for the rest of the movement. Sculpting it open doesn´t sound as the best, as you say it will fold when closed. Can be funny though, some muppets play with this effect.
Looks like a job for silicone (ecoflex 0030 or similar), rather than latex which is actually more stretchy and resistant but will be harder to move. Silicone is softer.
Besides, you will need to sculpt over a bust that will be the core of the mold (cavity pour). That leaves silicone as the best option, it´s the standard for this kind of mask nowadays.