Super-Hero Facemask.

[FrogmanStudio]

Just recently finished up a facemask based on a comic book character (Nightwing to be specific), with the intent to mold, and cast in late (or if others with more experience suggest, another material), and hopefully put up for sale. Anyone interested, please feel free to PM me.

But I would love critiques from anyone, as well as any tips on smoothing it down more. I'm working in a water clay, WED I think, and have been having trouble keeping the thinner sections from getting too dry, and cracking. I personally, HATE water clay, it's just too danged finicky. I know WED is abit different, but on this piece, I've been finding I've been having to water it too frequently, and occasionally losing detail. Comments on detail, or any areas I could fix or change, are greatly appreciated.

I was also hoping for input on how to go about the mold. Normally, since I mostly just do figurative work from a standing model, I would just use a silicone, with a resin/fiberglass jacket. But since I'm planning on casting it in a material for application to the skin, thats a process I've not done before. Should I just go straight with a plaster mold? Input is DEFINITELY appreciated.

Anyways, here we are. I apologize for the semi-mucky quality of the photos, using a Sony Cyber-Shot and it's very particular on if it wants to make a detailed photo or not.

Also posted this over at The Effects Lab here.

 

[Darius Alucard]

I like that it's got pretty clean lines, but the symetry looks abit off.

maybe it's just the pictures but...

- the brow and nose area seem slanted
- the length and position of the bottom wings don't look like they match


Good work so far!
much better than I could do :thumbsup

 

[themanwoaname]

it looks really cool, but i dont understand what the new style is with adding in eyebrows to masks, rather than keep them a specific mask shape. that would be my only critique.

 

[stagelife]

looks great... but just to toss this out... how "real" is your head model cuz if its off the nose section would never line up with a real face

 

[FrogmanStudio]

I like that it's got pretty clean lines, but the symetry looks abit off.

maybe it's just the pictures but...

- the brow and nose area seem slanted
- the length and position of the bottom wings don't look like they match


Good work so far!
much better than I could do :thumbsup

There are some symmetry problems, but there is also a problem with the head cast I'm working on, it has some unique proportions in the eyebrow, and nose areas, which was occasionally throwing me off. I don't plan on using this one head cast again once I find a more suitable replacement, except for full head sculpts. Also issues with working in WED clay, found it harder to make things even with it than I normally do.

it looks really cool, but i dont understand what the new style is with adding in eyebrows to masks, rather than keep them a specific mask shape. that would be my only critique.

Mostly a personal choice really. I didn't want to do a straight 'comic-book' style copy for my first one, and wanted to make it 'my own', as it were. I have plans for other versions of various types of eye-masks and full cowls of various styles. Everything evolves, but I can understand the point of view

looks great... but just to toss this out... how "real" is your head model cuz if its off the nose section would never line up with a real face

It's real all right. I bought it several years ago, and can't recall the website right now, I can link it later. Over the years, I noticed the few weird things about either this guy, or just my cast. The top of his right ear is lower than his left, his nose is really up turned, and his eyebrows are set in rather far. I'm hoping that with it being cast in latex, it won't be too much an issue. I've seen a few other people cast their own, and notice similar problems on their own models, but the end result still comes out the same. Still, going to be looking for a more 'generic' head cast to purchase online, or find someone locally able and willing to sit through a lifecasting. Unfortunately, there aren't many normal looking people around!

 

[fettster]

if your sculpting on an unsealed plaster positive, thats why your having problems with the wed drying out as the plaster is absorbing the moisture from the clay.

in future, its best to seal the plaster before to put clay on it.

one option is to submerge the head in water upto but not including the sculpt so the plaster can absorb the water and that should help the clay from drying out so quickly

 

[FrogmanStudio]

if your sculpting on an unsealed plaster positive, thats why your having problems with the wed drying out as the plaster is absorbing the moisture from the clay.

in future, its best to seal the plaster before to put clay on it.

one option is to submerge the head in water upto but not including the sculpt so the plaster can absorb the water and that should help the clay from drying out so quickly

The head is some sort of foam, I'm guessing rotated cast, because its also hollow inside. It has some sort of paint-like sealer (hell, it could be house paint for all I know), and it still dries out, but usually in the thinnest areas, like the tips of the wings. It gets rather frustrating.

Any tips and advice on how to approach the mold?

 

[FrogmanStudio]

Bump for looking for advice on how to proceed with the mold. Don't know if I should go straight with some sort of plaster or ultracal, or something like Silicone, since I am wanting to cast this in latex.

 

[dog_biscuit]

this is only from reading, not personal experience as I am currently researching into making a latex cowl myself

I presume the details of molding you already know. Its more of a materials cos of the latex versus resin.

modifed from a post by the Blackbat on BOTB

as you must already know, the casting material - latex will shrink approximately 15-20% in it's final curing stages, polyurethane rubber is said to shrink very negliably

the BOTB guys suggest using Ultra-Cal (ie plaster). 1st layer should be very thin and watered down for capturinge detail. The following layers should be thicker. Final debth should be 1/2" to 1 inch thick.


slush with latex to a thickness you like. tap the outside of the mold with a rubber mallet or the palm of your hand to get any bubbles in the latex to rise to the surface and away from the mold. numbers vary but abt 3 - 5 coats is abt what most people use?

* Latex - very strong fumes.
** Ultra-Cal absorbs water readily - allegedly helps in latex to cure.



I have some suggest (for BM cowls though) - that you make a resin copy of your mask 1st from the clay model. Smooth that resin copy down and then make a hydrocal mold into which you pour latex. Your mask being so ickle - dont think you need this interim step? But I have yet to try any of this myself yet

- S

 

[FrogmanStudio]

Thanks dog_biscuit, I'd love to so pictures of your mold progress on those cowls if you have any. I plan on doing a few Batman-like cowls myself later too.

I was thinking of doing a resin cast first, to smooth out the detail more, as it makes the most sense.

My concern is, once thats all done, and I move on to making the mold for the latex copies, how exactly should I do that mold so that I would cast the latext, or would I just do a slush cast with an open mold (ie- just one mold with negative open to the air), to the thickness required? I'm also confused on if I should cast it sold, or hollow for people to apply it, as I'm unfamiliar with how to go about this.

More advice as well as pictures and references would be GREATLY appreciated. Progress has unfortuantly stalled as I've fixed most of the previously mentioned detail issues, and just want to move onto casting.

 

[dog_biscuit]

really sorry mate - have yet to try any of this yet
my only experience has been RTV and polyurethane casting - which sounds like what you are used to too

however, there are some nice pics of the process of a batman mold with the sculpt-mold-resin cast-remold- latex cast stage in this thread: Brotherhood Of The Bat :: Cowls :: Cowl Making Tutorial ~ Runboard (ou prob have to register to see that?)

might want to try the superhero boards - Brotherhood of the Bat or League of Heroes etc. I am sure I saw some threads on casting robin type masks. Will check it out later tonight mate.

 

[FrogmanStudio]

I may go ahead and try and get a resin cast out of it, to sand it down to a good finish. I'm just abit confused on how I'd go about the mold after that. I'm used to just doing multi-part silicone molds, not something like this. Oh the confusion!

 

[Aquaman]

Nice sculpt. I have to agree with the poster about the addition of the eyebrow wrinkles. I have seen a few sculpters do this on Bat cowls and some masks and it never seems right to me the wrinkles never "read" well when molded. IMHO.

 

[optimus89]

no pep for this?

 

[BlackKaos]

Very nice sculpt. Very clean and symmetrical.

 

[Powerhouse70]

Nice looking sculpt so far. Only critique I have is that theres way too much white space around the eyes.Fill in the areas Ive highlighted below with a crude paint.net sketch and this will look truly B.A.

 

[EyeofSauron]

all of you are aware that this is 2 years old?

 

[Powerhouse70]

all of you are aware that this is 2 years old?

He needs to hurry the hell up then