Wanting to make masks but where do I start?

James Haddon

I am an amateur prop & costume designer. Been creating props for haunted attractions here in Minnesota for the past year or so & I am hoping to further my knowledge. have recently been creating sculpts with mannequin heads using an oil based sulphur free plastina clay & have progressed quite well. Recently picked up some hydrocal, have not used it yet as I am not sure what to do & I do not want to ruin my sculpts. Very interested in what this sight has to offer, just not sure where I should start. I am just wondering what classes or tutorials would be good for beginner mold & mask making (silicone,latex,foam,etc.)? & are you able to watch them multiple times? I am quite passionate about this & any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Christopher Vaughan

Hi James!

Yes there are a lot of great classes about moldmaking and mask making. If you have never created a stone mold (which is what you would use to make a latex mask) I would recommend the Shannon Shea Garage Monster series as he walks you through casting latex (in the first one i think) for a complete overview of stone moldmaking  the How to make a stone mold by Gary Yee is a complete master class in stone mold making. Very detailed and precise covering every aspect of stone mold making. For props you also might look at How to make props by timothy martin.

If you buy the stream you can watch it as many times as you want. I would recommend for you at your level of ambition the annual subscription, It will pay for itself very quickly.

Chris

Thom Compton

I totally agree. Annual subscription is the best way. It pays for itself in the first week if you are crazy ambitious. You will not find this kind of information anywhere else in the world. Yeah, there are videos and things but this entire site is condensed knowledge of the masters at work. 

James Haddon

Thank you for the input. What is a good tutorial for casting silicone,latex,foam,etc. from either a single or two part stone mold? Want to start creating my own masks, I am a beginner. Never done this before so I am seeking something simple to start with.

Becci Renfro

Christopher - did you begin one of the classes suggester here yet? If so, how is it going if I may ask? I seem to be right at the stage you described that you were, I have done the sculpts, and have made my mold and that's all so far...

James Haddon

I have not begun any of the classes yet. Just trying to find the right ones for me before I commit. I will probably check out Gary Yee's stone mold making tutorial. I am just trying to find a good beginner tutorial for making silicone &/or latex masks with a single &/or two part stone mold. Once I figure that out I will most likely commit to those two classes, just want to make sure that I have the best tutorials for my needs of educating myself. I will probably have to purchase alot of the necessary tools/ingredients needed for each tutorial through the school, & unfortunately I am not a rich man & I just want to make sure that the tutorials I choose are the best fit for me.

Rob Brown

you should check out monstermakers dot com, they have a kit that has everything you need to make your first mask. As you gain experience, you will learn the best types of , well, everything, that you prefer to use and where to get it, but for starting out, it's a good complete kit. Coupled with the lessons from these videos, you'll be making mask in no time.