November 2008

Make a Ceremonial African Mask with Paper Mache

Project Difficulty Level: Challenging. This paper mache mask is modeled after a one that was made by a Dogon artist. There are a number of websites that show these masks, because their beauty makes them valuable works of art. I found the hyena mask I copied here. The process was challenging because I was attempting [...]

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How to Make a Paper Mache Mask

Project Difficulty Level: Intermediate Paper mache masks are a lot of fun to make. Many traditional cultures use masks as a way to bring spirits or gods to life – and kids (and fun-loving adults) use masks on Halloween. The mask I made is a wall decoration, but it could be used as a traditional [...]

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How to Make a Paper Mache Whale Wall Hanging

Project Difficulty Level: Intermediate I found a photo of a rare white baby sperm whale in the wonderful book Sperm Whales by Jonathan Gordon. I couldn’t resist the idea of doing a sculptural portrait of this rare baby – is she Moby Dick’s grandaughter? During this project I encountered some challenges, and found a new [...]

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How to Make a Paper Mache Piggy Bank

Project Difficulty Level: Easy to Challenging < Piggy banks can be made with as much detail, or as little, as you like. For that reason, a piggy bank can be a good project for the beginning paper mache sculptor, and just as challenging for the advanced student. To see what I mean, take a look [...]

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How to Make a Paper Mache Dragon

Project Difficulty Level: Challenging My first project for this new blog is a paper mache dragon, which I made in honor of my readers over at my other site, DrawFluffy.com This dragon is made from newspaper, paste, masking tape and paint. The total cost was under $5 – an art project for the true cheapskate! [...]