Tips and advice for making masks

In the dark shrouds of a long summer night,
The shades and forms of midnight shake off the last light of day,
And arise to dance an endless night away.

(The following was written with masquerade masks in mind, but generic enough for most mask making I guess.)

Part One: Tips for the Beginner

• The golden rule for first-time mask-making - be prepared for the mask to end up looking nothing like how you intended it, but _don’t_ make the common mistake of thinking that because it fails to look how you intended, it fails to look good. Everyone else sees your mask, not the design in your head. During a spate of mask-making for a ball a while back, most people making their first mask made this mistake and thought their masks sucked yet everyone else’s were cool, everyone else disagreeing of course, because _their_ mask was the one that sucked and the rest were good…
  
• As indicated above, getting the design you want can be difficult. For this reason, you can save yourself a lot of trouble by planning an asymmetrical mask rather than a symmetrical one. Attempting a symmetrical mask commits you to trying to make each side the same, which can be difficult, time-consuming and frustrating. Fortunately, this problem is easily avoided, as deliberately asymmetrical masks, if anything, tend to look more interesting and more creative, and wildly asymmetrical masks can achieve very distinctive or extravagant results.
  
• Leave extra-large holes for your eyes. As well as usually looking better than eye-sized holes (IMHO), you are guaranteed to be able to see out of them. Eye-sized holes can be seen through fine when you start the mask, but by the time it has been added to and finished, then worn for a while, it can become a major nuisance. Giving the eye holes plenty of height is the main thing, as the most common problem is the mask interfering with your eyelashes.
  
• Plain plastic face masks make a good cheap base to work from or work on. They are sold in craft shops, costume shops, toy shops, etc. Some fit better than others (many are designed for children), and many are more flimsy than desirable, but they provide and easy start - cut them to the desired shape, add the features you want, and the result will sit comfortably on your face.
  
• When you paint your mask, shade it - paint the recessed areas darker and the protruding areas lighter. The absence of shading is one of the most distinctive signs of mass-produced cheap rubbish, and not shading a mask can often make even a masterpiece look like $3 vacu-formed plastic.
  
• When wearing a mask for an hour (let alone several), you can forget you’re wearing one if you made it well, or it can ruin your night if it’s uncomfortable or restricts you or your vision. As you make a mask, continually check that it fits comfortably, will stay on, and try to keep it light.
  
• The weight of a mask can greatly affect its comfort. When choosing materials, give preference to light ones. If you are going to be building prominent features, avoid extremely heavy materials like most modelling clays. If building huge features (eg a long nose), use some wire and make it hollow :-) I know a lot of people automatically think paper mache, but it takes days to dry and isn’t very flexible, so I tend towards nasty chemically things that set quicker :)
  
• Don’t forget that there are heaps of things that can be incorporated into masks. Obvious ones include feathers, stones, jewellery, ribbon, chain, glass fragments, beads, etc. Unusual items can inspire the entire mask design…
  
• Make it reinforced and strong enough that you don’t need to worry about breaking it on the night.

Part Two: Tips for the More Experienced

• Masks are worth keeping - the look great on the wall, and can be lent at the next ball, but they do wear and get damaged. The most visible sort of damage depends on the mask. The way I make mine, knocks and scrapes can damage the painted surface. This sticks out like a sore thumb when the surface is dark, but the underlying material is light (or vice versa). To minimise this, make you construction materials the same colour as you intend to finish it. Eg, if you use some sort of filler compound, put some paint in the mixture before you apply it.
  
• A better way to minimise wear and tear is to make the mask more resistant to it - make them light and flexible. A plastic cup survives a drop better than a china one. (And a light and flexible mask is more comfortable). So look for and investigate potential materials, experiment with them. Find a method you like.
  
• Once you have a flexible mask, remember to paint it with flexible paints :-) Fabric paints are not only very flexible, but extremely hard-wearing, and I know at least some brands have a really good finish.

Part Three: Tips for the Expert

• Send me your tips.
  
• As an expert is probably much more experienced than me, my advice would be of limited use to you, so you’ll just have to wait until someone acts on the previous tip and I can add some. Send me your tips.