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 my Final YouTube Video About How to Make a Paper Mask:
If you missed the other videos in this series, you can find them here – How to Make a Mask, Part 1, and How to Make a Mask, Part 2.
- My favorite online bookstore.
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Jonni,
I’ve tested the recipe you used for this mask, but unfortunately haven’t had much luck.
The mix didnt apply nearly as smoothly as yours and dried very powdery. I think it might be down to the plaster of paris I’m using. Its a fine ‘casting’ plaster of paris, but I see I can also get courser powders called ‘Herculite 2′ and a harder setting version called ‘Crystacast’. Can you give me any details on the type of plaster you are using ?
On another note, for those in the UK, Scott Shop Towels can be purchased from Halfords car accessory dealers, whose branches are a lot more common than Costco’s over here.
Thanks.
Hi Jon. The plaster I used was plain old plaster of Paris, from the hardware store. I don’t know if they call it different things in different countries. Are you talking about the gesso recipe? Maybe you just need to mix the glue and water and vinegar really well before adding the plaster. If you throw them all in together at the beginning the plaster tends to clump together with the glue, and be grainy.
Yes, I’m talking about the gesso recipe. I did add the plaster of paris at the end. It also started to go off after about 5 mins. I’ll try again but spend longer mixing it this time.
Thanks.
If you have some joint compound in the garage, you could use it instead of the plaster. It won’t set up until it dries. The recipe is here, about half-way down the page.
Hi Jonni!!
I love all the tips and tricks you have on here. I have just one problem though, when I went to make the recipe you used for the mask, it came out rubbery. it did that with another recipe somewhere on here too.
I did what you did in the video and it didn’t turn out like yours did. do I use less plaster maybe?
Thank you for any advice!
That’s an interesting problem that I haven’t heard about before. I know that the paper mache clay recipe sometimes turns into rubber if the joint compound was made by the Dap company, because one of their ingredients reacts weirdly when mixed with the Elmers. I’ve never seen that happen when glue is mixed with plain old plaster of Paris, though. Does your mask ever harden? Are you using the blue shop towels?
Well, the husband said it could be the glue that i’m using too. Was just talking to him about it. All I have to work with is wood glue, not sure where to get elmers glue in the gallon size. I’m also using DAP plaster too, so kind of wondering if that’s a factor as well, since dap joint doesn’t work. I’m not 100% sure if it is one or the other or both, will have find normal elmers glue and see if its the glue.
I’m not making a mask, was going to use it for another project and see if it works with cloth mache. Just mostly testing /playing around trying to see what I can come up with.
I do plan on making masks later on, but I also have some little projects that I’ve been experimenting with to see what works and such for what I wanna do.
Hi,
I am working with your Pantalone mask with students.
They are studying Greek mythology and we are making ‘Zeus’ mask
Thank you so much for all your helpful techniques.
We are working with ceramic clay rather than super sculpey – do we need to put Vaseline (or something else down) before we apply plaster?
Many thanks!
Hi Gia. You probably will want to put some Vaseline on your ceramic clay, if only to keep it from drying out as the plaster hardens. It’s a lot easier to get the masks off if the clay form underneath is soft.
Good luck with your class – this sounds like a lot of fun! I hope you’ll post some photos when you’re done.
Hi Jonni,
I’m a fan from Australia and I really love your work! I only recently came across this interesting technique and I want to try to make a mask or two of my own. I am not overly accomplished in this area, but I know practice makes perfect, so the only thing that bothers me is the shop towel. What is a shop towel? I have tried to find out by searching Google, but I still don’t know if it is one of those ‘super absorbent’ types of paper towel, or if it is more like a chux (thin, easily torn, synthetic material commonly used for wiping up messes) . I’m trying to find something similar to shop towel near me, but I can’t find any good explanation of what it is, can you help out?
Again, I am a big fan & I think your work is fantastic!
Cheers!
Hi Rachael. The towels are sold here in the US in the hardware department, and they’re a strong, absorbent blue paper. They aren’t woven or cloth-like (I tried some like that, and they only stretch in one direction). If you can’t find something called “shop towels,” just use the strongest paper towels you can find. You may need to use more than two layers, but that’s sometimes true with the shop towels, too – it depends on how strong you need the item to be.
Have fun!
Jonni,
I wanted to let you know that I am extremely pleased with the results I acheived by following your brilliant tutorials. As I explained in another post, I am making costumes for a production of Toy Story. I used a beach ball as the armature for the Slinky Dog head. I was so pleased at how simple it was to make the paste and how few blue towels it took to acheive a really sturdy base for this project. The piece was completely hard and dry inside and out in only one day. All of your hard work and time spent finding the perfect combination of materials has made it easy for the rest of us.
I will post pictures when the costumes are finished.
Since I work in a Public Library, I was wondering if you would like to have your book become part of our circulating books collection?? I belong to the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium which would mean that the book would be available to people who have cards from 35 different libraries in Northeast Massachusetts.
Let me know so that I can ask our director of acquisitions to purchase a copy or two.
Hi Denise. I’m so happy that your project is coming along so well. And yes, of course it would be very nice if your library would put a copy of the book on their shelves.
Just got the book – and while I have yet to try anything yet (because I’m at work), the techniques in here are completely brilliant! I have tendonitis on both hands (I hope to find very soft modelling clay) and paper mache is easiest for mask-making. After much research and experimenting using types of paper/cloth mache, I’ve had some success, but not satisfaction. The techniques in this book look like they may be my holy grail (or at least a variation of them). I’m thrilled to have a three day weekend to play with this, and I will blog my mad science crafting and post here with results.
Thanks so much for sharing this – especially from the POV of an experimenter – it makes a huge difference! –Tam
Hi Tam. I think the Super Sculpey is the softest clay you’ll find, and it definitely is the easiest clay to work with for the masks. You don’t bake it, so you can use it for as many different masks as you like.
I hope you’ll post a photo when you get done playing this weekend – I’d love to see what you create.
Well Jonni – let me just say that I simply love the outlaw and Pantalone masks. I hope there are instructions in the book for the new recipe you used. Does your book go into the mold making for the entire process? How you use plastic to get the mask form off, etc.? My best congratulations on your new book – can’t wait to get my copy. Yours, Joanne.
Hi Joanne. Yes, the book goes into all those things in great detail. I didn’t have time to give all the details in the video, but there are six chapters on the process before we even get to the actual projects. And all the recipes are in the book, too.
Your mask came out so nice!
I’m going to do one now that my daughter was so sweet to bring me her bucket of plaster.
I put my Bear up on my blog (sharonsfancy) today. Amazon isn’t an affiliate of mine (I don’t know how to do that), but, with the image I made reference to your new book. Immediately I received a comment from one lady who said she was going to come over and check this out. (Surprising anyone comes by since I probably post something once every 2 or 3 months). Just want to let you know your book is generating interest! Congratulations!!
I will also leave feedback on Amazon once I’ve read my book cover to cover.
Can’t wait!
Sharon
Thanks, Sharon. And I hope you’re back on your feet soon. It was so kind of you to make the mask for the book so soon after your surgery. (Your mask looks fabulous, by the way – go check it out, everyone!)