In the first two videos I created a mold for a traditional Pantalone mask with modeling clay, and then covered it with two layers of fast-setting paper mache. In this video I show you how I finish the mask. This is similar to one of the mask projects from my new book “How to Make Masks!” which is now available on Amazon.com.

I really like how this guy came out. That bright face and long nose would really get some attention.

By the way, I’ve been contacted by several artists who have blogs of their own who intend to put up links to my new book, or even write reviews – which I appreciate very much, of course  . If you do link to the book, be sure to use your own Amazon.com associates link if you have one. And if you write a review, please let me know so I can link back to you.

And now, here’s:

Finishing the Pantalone Mask:

This is the second of three mask-making videos. In this series I’m making a traditional Pantalone mask using the same methods and materials that I used for the masks in my latest book, How to Make Masks! If you didn’t see the first video, you can find it here. We made the positive mold in the first video, and in this one I’ll show you how I add the two layers of paper mache. In the next video I’ll show you how I make the mask all nice and smooth with some home-made gesso, and paint it – just in time for Mardi Gras.

Just before we get to the video, though, I thought I’d ask if anyone out there happens to live anywhere near Brookings South Dakota? Odd question, I know – but Jessie will be moving there in a few weeks. Any advice for her?

And now…

Adding Paper Mache to the Pantalone Mask:

My book How to Make Masks! is now officially published, and it’s available on Amazon.com. To celebrate, I put together the first of a short series of videos so you can see the actual process I use to create the masks in the book.

Pantalone is one of the characters in the Italian Commedia del Arte tradition. A Venetian mask called the Bauta, which appears in the book, is made in almost exactly the same way.

Today’s video shows how to make the positive mold over a mask form, using modeling clay (I like to use Super Sculpey). In the next day or two I’ll make another video showing how to make the fast-setting paper mache paste. I’ll use the paste along with large pieces of super-strong shop towels to add two layers of paper mache over the mold we make in today’s video. When that’s dry I’ll make a third video showing how I finish the masks.

So – just in time for Fat Tuesday, here’s how to make a Pantalone mask:

Today’s guest post is by Barbara M. Kaplowitz, who offered to tell us how her interesting sculptural piece was made — and what all the individual design features mean to her. I love the way she created a piece that will be such a strong reminder of her mother – and it is a beautiful piece of art, as well. So, from this point on, here’s Barbara (be sure to click on all the photos below to see them full-sized:

Hi Jonni,

I am sending along a photo of  my most recent papier mache project. The dress design is taken from the dress my mother is wearing in the photos dated 1936.  The necklace is hers as well.  I had the two photos reframed to match the art deco design and have them all on display in my foyer.

My mother’s name was Anne, hence Mannequin became M’Annie.

Here is the birth of my project:  I bought a papier-mache mannequin (pink one in photos) in a vintage shop in old town Leesburg, VA.  The owner had 7 different forms on her walls and I mentioned that I could see them all dressed in vintage clothes of the Art Deco period.  So I bought one to use on my project.  (had no idea when I went to lunch with friends that I would come home with a dirty old mannequin!)

When I got home I realized the mannequin needed work to smooth out the ridges and grooves from use and age. I worked with self – drying clay and worked it in all around and sanded the many white areas.  When it was dry I used the original mannequin as the armature and produced a second mannequin made of papier-mache by putting newspaper and glue over plastic wrap on the armature.  When it dried, I pried it off.   Voila! I had two!

I painted  the new one (white one in photos) with lots of gesso and let it dry.  Then realized I had the photos of my mom and dad and her dress was perfect for the mannequin.

I used plaster tape which served as papier mache fabric and formed the dress design with strips to form the striped pattern on the body of the dress.  I made the belt by scrunching the wet plaster tape and the straps were scrunched too a bit to show folds.  I also made folds randomly on the body with the strips.  I made a bow and added that too.

When dry I found wonderful metallic paint in black and champagne colors which represented the colors on the photo.  After several coats of paint and touch up I sealed it with matte Modge-Podge.  I drilled a hole on the form in the back and placed it over a nail in the wall.

I had the 2 photos reframed to match the mannequin and hung them together above other family treasures on the table.

So there it is in a nutshell.

Barbara

Thank you, Barbara! And now, here’s the photos she sent so we can see how the piece was made.

For anyone who is interested in my foal that I have now finished I am sending some of the details of how and why it was made.

Last year I was asked to renovate a rocking horse – an old fiberglass one that had been dumped on the local tip. I got on the internet and by so doing came across Jonni’s website  and her information on paper mache clay. This I decided was something I needed to play with, and after looking at her details on her foal thought that as a lifelong horse lover I should attempt one as well.

Pepper started life as some scrap aluminum that I had in the shed, I stuffed it with scrunched up newspaper, covered that with paper mache, and then started with the paper mache clay, the texture of which improved with my proficiency of mixing. It took some time to build up the muscles and bone structure. After a few weeks I was happy with that, I then had to go overseas for 7 weeks to stay with my daughter so had to put everything on hold – all artists will feel for me here as it is very frustrating to have to leave work in progress.

I spent some time researching what to use to hopefully make Pepper waterproof as I would like to have him in the front yard. I have come up with ‘Flow Coat’ I am not sure if this is available outside Australia, it is a finishing product for fiberglass and goes on beautifully, it has an additive that makes it set, and it is advisable to only mix what can be used in about 20 minutes as it goes off. I have used 3 coats of this absolutely everywhere on the foal.

The mane and tail are real horsehair from a friend’s horses and are stuck in with external waterproof glue and I am hoping that this seals the holes made for insertion and that no rain will run down the hair. I plan to also paint a polyurethane varnish over the whole thing now that it is painted, but this is to help the paint from wearing off.

I have to find someone who can weld me a stand, as my original idea of incorporating stiff wire on the two raised legs did not work, I should really have made him with all four feet firmly planted on the ground, but I have to make things hard for myself!!!! He will then be placed in the front yard on a patch of artificial turf I have placed in the middle of a flower bed

Watch this space!!!

Paper Mache Frog by Carol Samford

Carol with her baby elephant

Carol Samford sent in a number of photos of her paper mache clay frog, elephant, and other critters, and she’s offered some instructions so you can make a frog of your own. (That’s Carol in the photo on the right, with the elephant baby. You’ll see a close-up picture of him down below.

Before we get to Carol’s post , I have an announcement. This morning, bmaskmaker, (who recently showed  us her gargoyle and Halloween display), asked this question:

“Jonni … is it too early to start talking about a Solstice / Hanukkah / Christmas party?”

I think that’s a fantastic suggestion! I’ll change the wording on the guest post submission form right away, (and, hopefully, get an actual form up and running – the last one broke) and I hope you’ll all start thinking about what you’ll send in. I’m hoping for photos of items you’ve made for the holiday season, along with nice, easy-to-follow instructions so other people can make them, too.

(By the way, your guest posts really help me out because I’m in the middle of a huge project – a paper mache book that I can’t tell you about quite yet because I don’t want to jinx it. If you write the posts, it gives me more time to work on my book. )

But enough of that – you’re waiting to see how Carol made that frog, and to see her other animals. So – here’s Carol:

Plan for Making Paper Mache Frog

My frog was fun to make–in fact, it seemed to make itself. This is my first attempt at a paper mache frog: it is very different than working with polymer clay.

The outer edge of the body is 16 gauge wire cut to a length that is formed into a circle about 6 inches from head to butt. We’re not building a piano here–so don’t stress over dimensions! You will need 2 lengths of wire to be the armature for the legs. Make them long enough so you can shape the ends onto toes–longer for hind legs, shorter for the front ones. I  use pliers to squeeze the toe “loops” to as skinny as I think they need to be.

I made a circle of wire which I shaped into a rough oval shape. Newspaper was then wadded up into a flattened ball and tightly wrapped with masking tape. After fitting the ball into the wire, the leg wires were laid across it and they , too were fastened with the tape.

The entire frog was now wrapped in masking tape, even down to the toes! For me, it was less of a hassle to do the legs after the body was covered in clay (don’t forget the balls of clay for the eyes!), then allowed to dry over night. This allows me to use the body as support for the legs . I turned him on his back while I filled out the legs–but NOT the feet. After the legs were allowed to dry I turned him upright and did his feet. This helps me to get them into a more realistic position.

It is now time to sand him off as smooth as you want: luckily frogs are, by nature, kinda bumpy, so this was fairly quick. I next applied a coat of gesso. The top 2/3rds I painted a light brown , then added white to the paint for a much lighter shade of tan for the rest of him. Next, I rummaged around in my paint brush jar for brushes with the right sized tips–they DO make the most perfect little dots! The teeniest dots are toothpick tips. Acrylic glaze—then VOILA-a frog is born!

Here’s a few more of Carol’s recent creations:

Paper Mache Elephant, Which she donated to the local adult day care center.

Paper Mache Dragon

Paper Mache Fish

Paper Mache Snake

Paper Mache Turtles

Thanks, Carol!

Anna's Einstein Bobblehead Mask

I know Halloween’s over now, but when I received Anna’s email I couldn’t resist posting her mask. This would be a great school project, at any time of year. Here’s how Anna describes this project:

Hi Jonni,
I hope I’m not too late to add some things into the halloween mask party.

This year, my daughter asked to be an Einstein Bobblehead like in Night at the Museum 2…sooo

I started with a frame of plastic canvas to give me a space to put her head.

Adding Papaer to Plastic Frame

Then I used crumpled lumps of newspaper to get the basic shapes and did a layer of regular paper mache.  Then, for the first time I tried the homemade paper mache clay recipe…and I’m definitely a fan!  Helped me smooth out some features and build up the mustache.

Adding Paper Mache Clay to Mask

Even though I did paper mache the head did get a little too heavy for my original plan of mounting it on a helmet so I ended up mounting it on a back pack and it actually bobbled!

I don’t know what I’m going to do with my giant Einstein head now that Halloween is over but I had a great time making it and I think it came out really well.  Thanks for the clay recipe!

Anna Foster

Painting the Mask

Christine's Paper Mache Mask

Oops – Christine Majul sent in photos of her Halloween masks last week, and a very nice guest post to go with them — but I somehow forgot to post them. She sent them in plenty of time for Halloween, but now it’s just a teensy bit late. Sorry Christine! (On the plus side, I know readers will find this post next year when they’re in the mask-making mood, so all is not lost.)

You’ll remember Christine from her contributions to our Practical Paper Mache project. Now, here’s her post:

I decided to take a break from my vessel and basket projects to put my spin on Halloween masks.  I was looking for an inspiration and I found a flat African based mask for children online and used it for my inspiration.

I used a folded piece of aluminum foil and made a form of my face.  I cut out the form and made a rude outline on cardboard.  I used the make a simple mask tutorial to make the armature and shape.  I used folded paper and a plastic bag and duct tape to mold it to the cardboard.

Making the Armature

I made a form for the eyes and the nose and put on top the armature and covered it with red cling wrap and started applying the strips of paper made with homemade flour recipe.

Armature Ready for Paper Mache

To make this dry faster I had to put this in the oven on warm and let it dry for a few hours.  That way, I could take it off the mold in a lot less time if I had let it dry naturally.  It is now cold and humid and drying would have taken a few weeks.  And, added a few more layers of paper strips to make it stronger and dried in the oven each time.

Paper Mache Added, Holes Cut for Eyes and Nostrils

I used my inspiration mask to paint the face of the mask.

This mask does not hold a candle to the talents of Corey’s eight grade class, which are impressive and show a lot of creativity, but I had the fun and pleasure in making it.  I intend to add a few more embellishments to this mask and I hope to show off the really finished product.

Finished Paper Mache Mask

Thank you, Christine!

Jennifer Hickey sent in some wonderful photos showing how she made several costumes based on the Fraggle Rock characters. She says it all, so I’ll let her get right to it:

Hey Jonni, I made these paper mache Fraggle Rock characters for my friends and myself to wear out to a club for Halloween. It was a real treat trying to figure out how to make them wearable but with a little brain power I was able to do so successfully.

I used baseball caps sized to my friends heads to build from. I then stuffed a plastic bag with newspaper to get the shape of the beak.. taped that onto the peak of the hat.

Paper Mache over the Plastic Bag "beak" and eyeballs

I then attached 2 Styrofoam balls to the top for eyes. Then taped cardboard from a cereal box around the bottom of the hat along the back.. stopping at the edges of the peak of the hat.

Next I made a bottom jaw out of more cereal box cardboard but didn’t attach it. I then used the paper strips and paste to paper mache 4 layers. Next I painted it with acrylic paints, varnished it. Then attached the bottom jaw with fasteners so it can move.

Making the Bottom Jaws

Finally I bought some feather Boas and hot glued them on for the hair.

Feather Boa with Fraggle Rock Character

The masks slip over the head like helmets and your face perks out of the open mouth of the Fraggle. I will post a couple of pics of us in full costume on a later date. For now here are a few pics of the process. I think they turned out great and my friends and i had a wonderful time decorating them together on the weekend!!!

I think they turned out great, too, Jennifer. Thanks for showing them to us, and showing how it was done. I think these costumes are going to be a huge hit at the party!

Paper Mache Gargoyle

Bmaskmaker sent in her wonderful paper mache gargoyle for our Halloween Mask Party. Not a mask, I know, but definitely Halloween. In fact, with that expression on his face he’s really too sweet to hide away for the rest of the year. I’ll let her take it from here:

Here’s last year’s gargoyle. He was the ‘Trick or Treat’ part of the “Trick or Treat — Smell My Feet — Give Me Something Good To Eat” display I did last year. It’s the same theme this year, there’s just more and several items are getting upgrades.

I followed Stolloween’s (www.stolloween.com) Gargoyle tutorial mostly, so the body is 1 liter soda bottles, and the rest is built out of newspaper tubes, crumpled newspaper, cardboard and boxboard.

I followed your instructions for painting the eyes, and ended up using a paper mache balloon form for the face (which is a Dan Reeder technique).

There are a couple versions of clay on him, but I ended up with a version that I use regularly now that is based on a combination of your recipe, Scott’s recipe, but I use Methyl Cellulose instead of flour as my base.

He took a long time to make because I was learning on him, but I’ve making a second one, which will take me about 10-15 hours by the time it’s done. (Not including drying time). That’s spread over a couple of weeks, but it could be done faster if it was the only thing you were working on. I’m never only working on one thing.

Total cost is a wild guess.

Plastic bottles, newspaper, cardboard and boxboard were all free.
A batch of clay for me is about 5lbs of clay, which costs less than $5 to make.
Add in the cost of paints and a couple of coats of varnish … maybe $5 dollars, plus or minus?

So probably between $10-15 total. : )

Love Paper Mache!

Thanks for sharing, Bmaskmaker! Now, for a view of the gargoyle in progress:

Paper Mache Gargoyle in Progress

And here he is a longer view:

Paper Mache Gargoyle Halloween Display

The thing I like most about this project, aside from the great job she did, is the way she combined the techniques from so many different sources, and made them uniquely her own.

By the way, if you’d like to see more of her creations, click here.