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Make a Carnevale-Style Mask for Halloween
The traditional Venetian mask is made of papier-mbchi. Inexpensive to create, a
well done mask can become a wall hanging after October 31st or a
gift for your favorite ghoul-friend.
First, a positive facial form must be sculpted of clay and then a
plaster-of-Paris mold (that is, a reverse or a negative) is made from the
clay form. A mixture of paper pulp, rags, and glue -- the papier-mbchi
paste -- is then pressed into the plaster-of-Paris mold. After the paste has
dried, it's removed from the mold, sanded, and
finished.
The plain white mask is then painted -- in oils, watercolors, or gilt -- and
fitted with a tie so it can be fastened onto the wearer's face. It takes
about two hours to make a mask from an existing mold and painting it can
take as little as a half-hour to as long as a day.
The more masks you make, the better you'll get at this technique. Masks
can be worn during Hallowe'en, during Mardi Gras, or at a masquerade
party anytime.
Linda Ann Loschiavo, webmaster, Non-Stop New York
http://members.aol.com/nonstopny/2000howl/1030door.htm
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