Moulding Horns for a mask

Hi all,
I'm relatively new to mould-making and was hoping you could help me with my question.
I'm planning to mould a mask with horns. I want to sculpt and mould the horns separately and add them later to the finished mask. So I'm wondering now if there is a best practise way to prepare the mask mould for this? I'm thinking about prepping the mask with two "feet" for the horns but I'm not sure if that's a viable way to do. Any suggestions?
TIA
DANIEL

Comments

  • Hi Daniel,

    I would leave a socket in the mask that the cast horns would insert into, that way the bond will be more secure once glued in place.  Picture a small crater with a flat bottom and raised rim.  Though this also depends on how you want your horn to visually transition into the mask surface.

    If the horns are large or heavy, you may need to incorporate support into the mask, like an internal plate or shell.

    /Chris
  • Thanks Chris!
    That's what I had in mind, too. I thought of sculpting around the horns and then remove them afterwards. I'm just not sure if the clay walls will rip off. But I'll try that!
  • Hi Daniel,

    It's pretty common to sculpt horns in place so the bases blend naturally into the head, then cut them off and finish them and the head independently.   You can use a thin wire or a blade to cut them off, as long as the armature inside can slide out of the head so you don't need to cut it as well.  There will be some repair work on both, more if you have to cut the armature, but that's just part of the process!

    /Chris
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