Hi everyone.  I am new to this forum and it has been awhile since I used papier mache.  I did a belly cast of a pregnant woman last year and that turned out wonderful.  I painted the belly with a scene of a woman-tree against the night sky, and the moon phase on the night her baby was born with some constellations.  I really enjoyed doing it. 
My newest project is a mask of Anubis, the Egyptian god of the dead.  He is typically portrayed as having the body of a man and the head of a jackal.  The person who will be wearing the mask has long hair like Anubis is usually pictured, so I was thinking I would do a face mask that extended just over the top of the head so I can do the ears and also extend down to the collarbone and finish it off in a rounded-off shape similar to a necklace. 
I am wondering what I should use to make the shape of the muzzle and ears and still have the mask be lightweight.  I would like the surface to be as smooth as possible, so should I use toilet tissue and wallpaper paste?  Would it be better to apply gesso before painting or can I get away without it by using the toilet tissue?  How long will it take to dry?
  Should I use a balloon as a base?  How would one of those plain plastic face masks work?  What is the best way to do nose holes?  I have really enjoyed reading the posts on this forum and I look forward to replies to this question.
That's all for now; time to take a glass of homemade raspberry cordial and go soak in the hot tub.