How do we create a "leather look" for Commedia masks?

Here's a hot tip that will give your Commedia dell'Arte masks that authentic "leather-look". Just rub shoe polish on with a cloth, let it dry a bit, then brush it to a shine. One or two coats of polish over the top of the final paint layer should be enough, as each extra coat darkens the final shade. We have successfully tried various colours; brown, black, red and even green & blue work well to create a leathery effect. Try mixing your own shades too. The illustration above was made by first year costume construction students at Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School using shoe polish FX.