Designing an Original Mask

I sketch some ideas in a notebook.

Then I make small plasticine sketches of the ideas that I like. This allows me to figure out the basic shapes and proportions of a new mask quickly, without having to shove around pounds of clay.

Then I redo the sketches as full-sized sculptures on a life-sized armature.

I take a positive Celluclay cast of a sculpture when I am happy with its basic shapes and proportions. I like to make the finished original mask from something I can wear, as the mask always looks different on an actual human head than it does on an armature. I also very much like to see how a mask will "move" when it is worn.

I refine the positive cast both by building onto it with Celluclay and carving away from it with a Dremel.

Finally, I smooth the Celluclay with the Dremel, and apply final texture and detail with Paperclay.

It's time to send it to a mold-maker, and get ready to cast!