No Halloween can do without a costume party. Everyone at this holiday is trying to show with the help of a suit what he is capable of. But the image would not be complete without a mask. Latex faces can be bought at a nearby draw store or made at home.
What do you need?
To create a latex mask, you will need special materials that can be bought at a theme store or ordered online with home delivery or to the post office. Unfortunately, not in all cities it is easy to find some devices for working with such unusual material. So, to make masks, latex overlays and other attributes for the image, you will need:
- High quality liquid latex.
- Special molds for masks.
- Mannequin head.
- Brushes of different sizes.
- Foam sponges.
- Pure gauze or bandage.
- Scissors.
- Acrylic paints.
- PVA glue.
Well and, of course, some skill is useful. The first time, a latex realistic mask may not work, so we recommend practicing on small forms of animals or fruits.
Separately, I want to focus on time costs. The fact is that latex dries for a long time, and it will have to be applied in several layers. Therefore, plan ahead to make a mask. Latex ones look much more realistic and they are more comfortable to use than plastic ones. But to make them harder.
How to make?
- Make a mold from plaster or polymer clay. If you have a ready-made mask mannequin, place it on a flat surface and secure it to avoid damage.
- Cut a bandage or gauze and glue them with PVA glue to those areas that need support. Usually this is the so-called T-zone of the face and the region of the cheekbones and cheeks. This is necessary so that the finished mask holds its shape and does not spill.
- After the glue has dried, carefully use a sponge to apply the first layer of liquid latex to the mold. Do not make it too thick. Firstly, it will harden for longer, and secondly, it can leak and spoil all the work.
- After the latex has dried, use a brush to gently apply a second coat and also wait for it to solidify. In total, you need to create 10 such layers, alternately adding a bandage to the right places.
- When the mask is completely ready, sprinkle it abundantly with talcum powder or baby powder so that it does not stick together.
- Carefully pry off the finished product and remove it from the mold.
- Now you can start coloring the resulting mask. Latex work requires thorough surface cleaning before applying paints.
- Add a small amount of acrylic paints to the liquid latex and paint the mask with brushes.
- Allow the material to solidify.
Your mask is ready. It remains only to try on it and come up with a mount, unless, of course, you did not make it continuous.
Advice
The following simple tips will help you maintain the look of your mask for a long time. Latex products are finicky in storage and handling.
- Do not spare the talcum powder. It is needed so that the latex product does not adhere to the mold and work surfaces.
- To speed up the curing process, you can dry the layers with a hairdryer.
- If possible, instead of acrylics, get castor makeup.
- To make the mask last a long time, store it by stuffing it with a cloth or paper.
- Be sure to wash the product well with soap and dry before storing.
Mask ideas
The most popular masks to date are all kinds of monsters, vampires, superheroes and warriors. For example, the Joker is a favorite character of all comic book fans.
There are also female latex masks. Girls can be transformed by super-girls or various fantasy characters. Let's say a catwoman never loses popularity. However, the choice depends on your taste and imagination!