MASK FINISHING TIPS
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Your mask is shipped trimmed and ready to paint...if however you wish to do additional trimming use good quality sharp scissors or a razor knife.
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Use newspaper or plastic grocery bags to fill out the inside of the mask and place it on a pipe stand or use a foam wig form. A cheap pipe stand can be made using an 18" piece of 3/4" black pipe threaded into a 3/4" pipe flange fitting and mounted to a 12" round or square plywood base.
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Masks can be painted with a variety of different mediums. Just to name a few: there are commercial mask paints, latex acrylics, artist inks, airbrush colors or make your own mix. You are looking for paints the remains flexible not one that dries hard and will crack off the surface of the mask.
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I prefer to use a mix of mask latex and a good grade of flat latex paint for the color tint as a base coat.
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Base coat paint the entire mask with a skin tone. This gives the additional paint colors something to adhere to and starts the overall look.
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The base coat is applied with a cheap disposable chip brush, spray gun or airbrush. A fan or hair dryer can be used to speed up the drying process as long as you are not using flammable paints or solvents.
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Once dry apply another lighter skin tone color to highlight the raised areas.
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Shadows and details are highlighted by brushing or spraying the low areas and wiping excess paint off with a soft towel before it dries. This leaves paint only in the recessed areas and brings out greater detail.
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The eyes and teeth are painted white with a small brush. Additional detail around the teeth can be achieved by brushing or spraying a darker color over them and wiping off the excess paint. This leaves dark color between the teeth and around the gums.
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Continue painting the mask as desired. If you don't like the way it turns out you can always start over.
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Use a Quick Set 5 Minute Epoxy to give the eyes and teeth a glossy wet look. Epoxy even looks good when applied for mouth drool running down the chin or a runny nose, etc. Apply with a small disposable child's art brush or q-tip swabs.
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You can buy cheap synthetic hair from a beauty supply store for a few dollars or use a costume wig. Thin layers of hair can be applied to the painted mask using 3M brand #90 Spray adhesive. Do a few practice applications on a scrape of something before applying to your mask. Allow the adhesive to tack up a bit before trying to get the hair to stick.
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You can also find other mask painting methods online for additional information and techniques. Go with what works best for you and have fun.