Removable full mask suggestions

[StrangeVisitor]

Working on a project for a figure that has a full mask that covers the face. Tried cardstock wetted down to make it pliable, then pressed against an existing head to get the features then drying the paper. You can see the eyes, nose & mouth (& ear which wouldv'e been part to be trimmed away)



Would've trimmed it & done further designs but this method left significant veins or wrinkles in the mask. Any thoughts on another way to go about this or others materials that might be more usefull?

[YANOULI]

you could use a really thin piece of sculpy or a thin layer of PVA glue.

[Bizarro Amy]

Use Plastidip instead of cardstock. I like to make a copy of the head with any details added. Then you dip it and let the plastidip cure, repeat a few times. Once a layer is cured, you can trim it, cut out eyeholes or any other details you want. I usually trim between each layer to keep the details a little sharper. It's not as detailed as, say scuplting a masked head and making a mold, then pouring in silicone or something, but it's fairly simple for your first try at masks. Here's a Catwoman mask that I made for my first Mego custom:
Notice that the eats are a little blunt, that's what I mean about losing some of the detail, but if you don't need a lot of sharp edges, it should work fine for you.
IMPORTANT: Do not apply Plastidip to uncured Sculpy. They don't seem to get along well. I've had the best results with making a wax cast, but resin copies have also worked ok. With resin, I always apply a coat of clear nail polish or something like that to the cast before dipping it - it helps the Plastidip peel off.
Here's a link to the tutorial I learned from. It explains the process better than I can. The writer gives a few additional suggestions you might like. http://www.geocities.com/nguyetun/FAQ/mask.html

[MeerkatMego]

What about rubber latex? You can brush it on a layer at a time till you get the thickness you want.

[Bizarro Amy]

Can you paint/dye the latex?

[Tothiro]

Can you paint/dye the latex?

No. Natural latex doesn't take dye well (plays with the ammonia evaporate) and can't be painted. It also has a limited shelf life because it is chemically unstable (it can be vulcanized, but it's not perfect) and goes on like oatmeal, so you can't really control the end surface result.

Del is right, plastidip is probably best.

Also Friendly Plastic is a brand of plastic model material that melts at low temperature (like in a bowl of water in the microwave, say) and it comes in colored sheet/stick form (size of two business cards laid lengthwise and about 1/8th of an inch thick or less) as well as pellets - conceivably you could get a small strip and lay it over a guide (either the original if you have duplicates or a resin cast - it does tend to stick to everything once it gets going) and melt it by pouring boiling water across it, then trim when it's cooled (you can also smooth it out under hot tap water by running your fingers across it). This would give you a more rigid mask. I made some really early customs with this stuff when I was starting out.

Another option with a wicked steep learning curve would be to cast it out of this stuff micromark.com is selling - casting rubber said to be identical to rubber tires from model cars. You can dye it just like their plastic line but it makes squishy colored rubber casts. I've got some in mind for a project coming up that uses a single color head, and I want to see if I can get a mego squishy vibe going, but I haven't worked with it to see how it acts (might be too ashy or rough when cast for what I want).

If you're not terribly experienced I'd say you should definitely go with plastidip as del suggests or play around with friendly plastic.

[StrangeVisitor]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! I think I'll look into the plastidip and friendly plastic (available at hobby stoes?) options first since it will need some paint work done and I'd prefer some rigidity to it.