Takes five to eight 45 minute class periods, depending on class size and participation.

Concepts: Molding, additive sculpture, three-dimensional shapes, masks in different cultures

Materials: plaster gauze, cut into strips approximately 1” x 3”, bowls, water, drop cloths, shower caps, petroleum jelly, plastic wrap, disposable gloves, acrylic paint, paint brushes, hot glue, feathers, rhinestones, etc.

Set up for the molding days: All but one table is moved out of the main space of the room. The entire floor should be covered with drop cloths. There should be enough room for half of the class to lie down on the floor. Bowls need to be filled with water, and also have bowls filled with several large handfuls of plaster gauze pieces. Shower caps, petroleum jelly, plastic wrap, and disposable gloves should be out on the table.

Students are put into pairs. It is best if people are very comfortable with their partner. One partner gets ready to be the mold for a mask. This person puts on the disposable shower cap. Depending on the amount of the face the mask will cover, and the tolerance level of the person, either their face will be covered in petroleum jelly, or a layer of plastic wrap will be placed on the area, and then covered with petroleum jelly. This student then lies down on the floor.

The other partner then gets a bowl of plaster gauze and a bowl of water. They may wear gloves if they feel it is necessary. This person then dips the strips of plaster gauze into the water, lifts it out, and gently squeezes off any excess water. Make sure that the plaster has become wet all the way through and is smearing into a continuous surface. The partner then lays the plaster on the mod student’s face on the area that they want the mask to cover. The mask can just cover the top part of the face, it can cover the nose, and the sides can come down to chin level, but it is not allowed to cover the mouth. It is the mod student’s choice whether the eyes are covered or not. The plaster strips should be layered in contrasting directions AT LEAST three layers deep. Once the face is covered, the mold student must wait fifteen to twenty minutes for the plaster to harden enough to remove the mask from the face while it still maintains its shape. It is very important for the mold student to not move their face during this time or it may crack or damage the mask. Once the mask is dry, the teacher can remove it from the student’s face. If it resists coming off, have the student “squish their face around” to loosen it. The students should immediately label their mask, and then go clean themselves. Then the partners switch roles and repeat the process.

Once the masks are all complete and dry, each student should trip the edges of the mask, and add additional layers of plaster to reinforce it. The students should also wrap at least one layer around all of the edges to keep them from fraying.

The teacher will spend a class period showing examples of masks from different cultures. Have the students identify common themes in the masks. Examples include animalistic features, supernatural  or demonic features, or exaggerations of natural features. The students will then plan how they are going to augment their masks. Encourage the students to pick a specific culture to emulate.

Discuss three-dimensional shapes, which they might use in constructing the foundation or the details of their masks. Examples include spheres, cubes, cones, cylinders, slabs, etc. The students will then use these shapes and other elements to add on to their masks.

Once the masks are complete and dry, they can be decorated. Provide pictures of cultural masks for reference on color use. The students will then paint their masks with acrylic paint. Make sure they paint around the edges and slightly past the edges onto the back so that no open plaster can be seen. Once the pain is dry, additional items may be added, such as feathers, rhinestones, googly eyes, etc. Depending on the weight of the finished mask, either hot clue a craft stick to the mask so that it may be held up to the face, or hot glue ribbons on the mask so it can be tied to the face.