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.

How do we make Animal Masks?

The solution for transforming a human face base into an animal character is simple! Use designs from a Face-Painting Book!

Because of the need for speed and easy delivery, face-painters have evolved designs that are simple and achieveable...effectively paring down an animal or character into its essential characteristics, using only the painterly tools of line and colour!

Face-painting Books, available from the school library, are perfect for providing wonderful inspiration for simple and effective animal masks.

Accomplishing Symmetry

Q. What is the easiest way to create a symmetrical pattern on my mask?

A. Three easy steps:

• As your Multimask cannot be folded in two like a flat sheet of paper can, the easiest way to transfer a half-pattern from one side of the face to the other is to draw on one side, then trace it using semi-transparent lunchwrap paper and soft pencil...


• Next gently shade over the top of your tracing in lead pencil, and then flip it over, placing it upside down on the other side of the mask so it reflects the original pattern...


• Next copy the outline of your drawing onto the mask pressing firmly (the pencil shading should act like carbon paper) leaving a tracing behind - which exactly matches your first half pattern...hey presto = Symmetry!

FAQ Beyond Limits

Q. Why do many masks look scary?

A. Most masks do not mean to scare.

The mask's facial features are often emboldened (exaggerated) to represent bold ideas - ideas that can take your mind beyond the world you know. The Mask as Storyteller transports you to that otherworld of imaginary creatures, gods/goddesses, spirits, visions and dreams, or the funster world of 'political satire' (poking fun at serious issues).

Most importantly, those often misunderstood emboldened characteristics are really about making visible the hidden potentials that are within everyone. Making, wearing and sharing masks gives the opportunity to be bigger, braver & bolder than you usually are. See Making Sense of the Funusual on MASKS2GLOBE weblog.

FAQ Kids at Heart

Q. Do you have any mask ideas for Valentines Day?
A. Try our Sweetheart Mice Masks in junior class...

You will need:
Multimasks, one for each child
Strong scissors and small curved tip scissors, pencil
White gesso or paint
Pink paint (for sniffy nose detail)
Florists wire for whiskers (available from Spotlight)
Lippy sticker (can be purchased from Spotlight or make your own from felt)
Assorted cupcake patty pans
Glue gun and Ribbon to match

Making Method:
Cut out a heart shape from a flat sheet of paper, sized to fit neatly inside a Multimask. Draw around the heart shape as best you can (centre it first) then cut it out. Now you have a heart-shaped template. Pop the template on top of each student's Multimask and draw around it, then cut it out. Cut out a small 'mouse-ish' eye template from scrap paper and draw around it on the heart mask. Open eyes using curved tip scissors. Now you are ready to paint your heart mask with 2 layers of white paint. Dry, then embellish. Paint nose first then make two pin-pricks either side and thread wire 'whiskers' through from the back. Bend wire into whimsical kinks (a dab of glue on the back secures them). Stick on lippy detail and cupcake 'ears'. Make two holes on each side at eye level and thread ribbon ties. Add eyelash details in gold pen, and your Sweetheart Mouse mask is ready to go...

FAQ Risking Intensity

Q. What capacities does mask making develop in the student?

A. A unit in mask-making can do a great deal to foster creativity by engaging students and enabling them to use and integrate the whole range of their thinking. Authoring and sharing mask work involves risk taking as masks stimulate aspects of thinking which thrive on adventures and problem solving.

FAQ Multimask Users

Q. Who is the Multimask designed for?

A. Since 2004 the premoulded Multimask has been used by a range of organizations including primary and secondary schools, colleges, museums and art galleries, youth theatres, hospitals, drama and healing arts practitioners, and artists.

FAQ Money Worries

Q. How much does it cost?

A. Multimasks cost no more than a standard stationery item (and considerably less than traditional mask-making materials like plaster, etc). A mask making session can even RAISE money for your school, for example; fundraiser masquerade balls, mask art cafes or wearable art evenings. Some schools find they have a little money leftover in the kitty towards the end of year, and mask-making makes an excellent activity for students at a loose end.

Another option is the Artists in Schools Programme (NZ) where a Ministry of Education-funded artist can bring their expertise into your classroom http://arts.unitec.ac.nz/artistsinschools/

FAQ "Open" Curriculum Opportunity

Q. What subjects can mask-making be applied to?

A. Masks can now be tied to any subject or topic in the newly-released NZ Curriculum. Now is a golden opportunity for masks to not only link to the Arts Curriculum...but ACROSS curriculum as well, for example; English, Social Studies, Self-Science, Enterprise Studies, Technology, etc all work well as intercurriculum links (see MASKBLOG Beyond Drama).

FAQ Gently Unfolding Creativity

Q. What does the MASKWORX ribbon logo mean?

A. Someone once said "Innovation begins with an 'eye'". To that we will add: and good eye begins with a 'hand'...and good hand begins with making a mask...and a good mask begins with Multimask...and Multimask began its life as an image in the mind's eye of its creators, an image that became innovation...see how the creative flow is like a ribbon? Da Vinci called it Connessione: An appreciation of the Interconnectedness of All Things and Phenomena.

FAQ High Touch

Q. Which grade of Multimask do i choose?

A. While the Standard grade Multimask is great for classrooms and general experimental wizardry, for those Makers who have masterminded 'fingersight' or seeing with their fingertips, there comes a time to graduate to the PREMIUM GRADE Multimask. So "utterly butterly", it's a touch thing - silky with subtle absorbency, almost breathing...the perfect skin for making art of the carnival kind. (Discounts can be arranged for bulk purchases)

FAQ Big heads or Little heads

Q. Does the Multimask fit adults?

A. Even though the Multimask is designed with young people in mind, yes it does fit an adult female easily. For an adult male (with a larger sized head) it may be necessary to cut off a small portion of either the top or bottom of the full face mask (and a YouTube video demonstrates this on MASKBLOG). The Multimask can also be shaped as a masquerade or half-mask or phantom-shape which will fit adults of either gender.

FAQ Mask as Art & Icon

Q. But is it Art?

A. Almost every culture represents human and animal faces in some kind of mask. Unfortunately, Europeans used Ancient Greek idealism (classical perfect human features) as a measure of great art. Sadly, many of the symbolic masks from the cultures of Africa, Australasia and the Americas were seen as somehow less than great and declared "primitive". Now in the postmodern period, the term "primal" is more useful because it refers to people who have not lost their connection with the cycles of nature (For today's shift in protocols see Permission-based Design on MASKS2GLOBE weblog).

FAQ Eye Opener

Q. What are masks for?

A. Masks change the way we SEE the world. Somehow masks make us believe comfortably and safely in the illusion of 'someone or something else', the way a child believes that an animation character is real when, like masks, it is quite unrealistic.

FAQ Making Sense of the Funusual

Q. What does the mask's funny face shape really mean?

A. The ridiculous appearance of funusual (exaggerated) facial features suggests the liberty to transcend the taboos and imposed boundaries of our time - really the carnevalesque or grotesque Mask is all about POTENTIAL or "the shape of things to come".

FAQ Eye Catcher

Q. Why do we make masks?

A. Mask is the essence of drama. The act of putting on a false face and becoming someone (or something) else for a limited time has not been changed by time. Face decoration is at least as old as music and has been a part of storytelling since language development began. Masks add WOW factor! If you want to add DIMENSION to your story, occasion, event, outfit, show...then make masks.