PaPIER MaCHE: Help with detail work on masks

1. • Gramps 5 years, 10 months ago

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   • Hello good people,

     I have recently caught the bug for paper mache. I just finished sanding my first mask. (Gesso cracked and peeled, color timed wall plaster worked fantastic!) I now have a well rounded female mask, yet there are still some small annoying "seams" or small lines that seem to stay no matter what. Oh well, on to my actual question.

     I was wondering what to use to get the raised 3d designs I see on the faces of other venetian masks. The work is all very precise and beautiful. I tried hot glue to make the raised tracks on a practice mask, but it is hard to manage intricate designs and it globs in places. What tool or type of medium do I use to achieve the effect?

     Another question. I tried using my acrylic paints on my practice mask, the problem is its extremely difficult to do minute detail such as fine lines and such with a paintbrush. The paint always globs a little too much or smears no matter how careful I am. What would be a good way to achieve very fine lines/detail?

     I have also found that after the paint dries, there are obvious brush strokes visible. Is there a good way to make the color "solid" and not show brush lines?

     Is it better to do the painting after the sanding and before the gloss coating? or does design work show up better if you paint over a layer of gloss, and then re-gloss after decoration is done?

     Lots of questions from the newbie.

     Thank you in advance!

     -gramps

2. • rainamarie 5 years, 10 months ago

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   • wow, gramps those are some really great questions! i too normally use acrylic paints and have problems with the brush strokes showing up. i am currently trying to use a sponge to paint certain areas and that seems to help a little. i got some very fine tip paint brushes from joann fabrics that work to an extent; i have also tried using a toothpick for extremely fine lines. as far as the papier mache goes, i have no idea how to do mache yet (i am very new to this) and would love pointers if you could give them to me. i think the best person to ask advice is rozani, she knows what she is talking about but is hard to get ahold of. good luck and i hope my trinkets of advice help alittle.

     rain

     p.s. i have found that getting the sponge a little damp works to blend the lines as well.

3. • Creaturiste 5 years, 8 months ago

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   • Hi gramps.

     I used to struggle with the same problems with acrylic paint.
     Until I discovereed painting mediums!

     After years of struggling for smooth procelain finishes, I realised I like brustrokes now, so I like that they show, when need be.
     Some people use a self-levelling medium (Golden makes one) that makes the paint level itself. I tried, and don't see the advantage of it really.

     Since I now mostly work in glazes(transparent paint mixes(paint+medium+water)), brush strokes are hardly noticeable.
     Especially because I wipe my colors with rags and papers, I can soften the strokes even more.

     
     For small details, I use liquid acrylic paints. Choose a professional artist quality, high pigmented paint. I either use Liquitex or Golden. they slide very well. No need for more water.
     Choice of paint is as important as choice of brush.
     I paint my details with my Kolinski watercolor brushes. At first I dared not, thinking the acrylic would kill and stick to hair. As long as you clean them quickly, shape the point, and let dry without touching anything to modify the shape, they wil last you longer than any detail brush out there.

     
     For absolutely no brush strokes: try an airbrush

     For dusty, almost-airbrush finshes, use the dry brush technique.
     find any good book on stencil painting (in Hobby section of bookstores)
     The trick is to use a stiff brush (bristle), and use very little paint. Wipe in a circle on a clean surface, until you get the powdery feeling you are looking for, then paint!

     I believe the raised details on venetian masks are probably made freehand, using a device similar to a cake decorator (a pouch with a tip).
     I tried with a special tube of paint made for just that, but it globs and is hard to control.

     I sometimes make twisted paper and use that to make raised detail.

     
     Hope this helps.

     
       

     Creaturiste
     check out my mask section in the galleries of my website:
     www.creaturiste.com

4. • KyMask 5 years, 8 months ago

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   • Gramps,
     I think you are forgetting that the mask is hand-made and that the brushstrokes are a gift of the hand-made technique. Revel in the brush storkes, it shows the mask wasn't pushed out by some machine in China, made for Wal-Mart.

     KyMask

5. • Anonymous 4 years, 5 months ago

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   • Hi Gramps,

     to prevent seams you can always paint your mask with a mixture of emulsion, pva glue and polyfiller in a 4:1:1 mix - paint it on thick (trying not to cover fine detail) and sand when dry. This will help cover any seams or lines you have. You can also use a filler such as DAS to fill any small holes, lines and then paint over to cover them.

     As far as raised 3d designs go, Agostino Dessi uses gold paint directly from a fine tipped tube straight onto the painted mask then uses beeswax over the top. You can get 3D paints which come directly from the tube in most art shops so this might help.

     Alan C

6. • rozani 4 years, 4 months ago

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   • Hello Gramps.

     All are great suggestions. If I'm not too late, I'd like to add that it can be as simple or as complicated as you want.   I prefer simple and natural with textures. My favorites raised techniques are from using twisted, absorbent packing paper, craft tissue and/or pulp from all of the above. Saturate and twist. Then, stick and smooth. I love liquid starch because there is no mixing. I'm not a gesso person. I'm paper on paper. Other than embellishments afterwards, of course! That's mixed media type fun!

     Hope this helps.

     Rozani

7. • owlmoon 4 years, 4 months ago

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   • For raised details venitian masks style, I use either "pluster pen" or "pic tixx" pens. They come in a variety of colours. Just type "pluster pen" or "pictixx" in your search engine.

8. • Anonymous 4 years, 4 months ago

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   • Hi Gramps.

     I also started off making Venetian style masks, and strived to get the best possible finish - porcelain smooth, with no brushstrokes. Perish the thought that I should have even the slightest blemish on my masks - I wanted them to be perfect, just like the ones from Venice.
     And then someone bought me a genuine Venetian mask, and guess what? The finish was not as smooth as I had imagined, and ~shock, horror~ there were plenty of brushstrokes. It was a very beautiful mask, but as I grew more confident with my own techniques, I realised that it was not beyond my skills to masks to match it in quality.
     And so can you.:D
     I still strive for the best possible finish, of course. But brushstrokes are really what make your masks unique and hand made - not mass produced in some factory somewhere, and spray painted.
     The raised texture on my Venetian mask was indeed done with glue gun glue, and then gilded over and very probably sealed with shellac. ( I sacrificed part of the mask in order to discover this.)
     3D paints as mentioned above also produce lovely effects.
     The Venetians also use something called 'Macrame lace' which is intricately woven lace in various beautiful designs. They then paint over this with gold paint.
     Hope this helps.

     Xothique. (I can't sign in at the moment.)

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