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Hi all,
First of all - I've been through just about every post today, and thank all of you for sharing your experiences - its been invaluable.
Right now I have three masks baking in the oven - an experiment with construction paper because on maskmakersweb forum, someone suggested that it was a decent substitute for the all valuable Wool Paper. (I was and remain skeptical, but I had to try it out).
My fav kind of masks to do uses Dan Reeder's technique (and he's put one of mine on his page - fangirl squee! - http://www.gourmetpapermache.com/images … _mask2.jpg) but although it turned out gorgeous - I made it on top of a pre-made PM mask form -way too heavy.
So now I am experimenting to come up with a way to do lighter masks. This site (my current technique) suggests wheat wallpaper paste http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com/journ … er-mache/, i am using pre-made PM mask forms as negative molds - and am tinkering with flour paste/woodworking glue mixes. (I live in NYC and few places even carry wallpaper paste, and fewer still want to tell you what the paste is made of.)
Comments and suggestions welcome, but I really just wanted to say hi all, and its great to see people obsessed like I am with PM, especially with experimenting.
I will let you know how the construction paper turns out!
Best,
Des
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Welcome to the forum, and by all means, keep us up to date on your experiments!
When you dry things in the oven, don't you get some warping? I tried it once for a mask and it dried lopsided.
> "...fewer still want to tell you what the paste is made of."
I don't know about NY, but the people here can't say because they simply don't know.
If you want to try cellulose wallpaper paste, shop around for Henkel's Metylan wallpaper paste. It doesn't actually say it's wallpaper paste, it just says "for wallpaper, burlap, grasscloth and silk".
The box (purple and gold) says "Clear Cellulose Adhesive (Adhesivo de Celulosa Transparente)... Clear, non-staining, brushes or rolls on easily". One pound (16 oz) of dry mix cost me about $25. Mix one teaspoon with one cup of water. And it really should be CLEAR. If it's milky, it's probably wheat flour.
Sue
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And that is also a very nice mask! AND it's in Dan Reeder's book!
You're gonna hit the BigTime and leave us all in your dust... *sob*
Sue
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LOL Sue -
Its in the visitors gallery 
I showed it to Dan in case he had ideas about making it lighter. He didn't, but I'm happy that he liked it. Blessings from the dragon maker I can't advocate his blackwashing technique enough - it literally transformed the mask.
My pilot light went out (again) so I ended up not baking the masks. The residual heat is good enough, the bugs don't find them there and it stops me from fiddling with them. Most of my warpage has been a result of my fiddling with masks before they are dried properly.
I just popped them out of their molds - and one mask nearly took the lining of one of my molds with it, one mask ripped - half of it is still in the mold, and the third popped out perfectly. All three ( or 2 1/2) are back in the oven drying. Not sure I'd use construction paper on a positive mold, but in a negative mold it works pretty good- given one uses enough vaseline, and presses the paper firmly upon application. The one that came out perfectly had smaller torn strips in alternating directions per layer, so maybe that made a difference as well.
Still doubtful that this is anything like carta lana, but this batch is already sturdier than my last batch, and the one that popped out perfectly had a nice crisp shape from the mold. The real test is when I start cutting into the mask with my cuticle scissors to carve out eyeholes and such. On my last mask, the layers started coming apart when I made the forehead into snakes. Thankfully masking tape does wonders.
Thats it for this stage of the experiment, more news as I get it
Best,
Des
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CatPerson wrote:
If you want to try cellulose wallpaper paste, shop around for Henkel's Metylan wallpaper paste. It doesn't actually say it's wallpaper paste, it just says "for wallpaper, burlap, grasscloth and silk".Sue
Thanks for the info on the CMC paste - I read on the boards that Elmer's art paste also has CMC, and its four bucks on amazon with free shipping (I have student Prime) and a lot easier to find. I look forward to playing with it - especially since it will not attract bugs! Its strange, my uncooked flour and water/woodglue paste did not attract bugs, the cooked stuff does. experimenting is always interesting!
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Maybe it depends on where you live and what kind of bugs you have.
I left a mask in a lower drawer one time (el cheapo mobile home) and a mouse had eaten part of it (paper and all) and ALL the feathers on it except the central spine.
I forgot Elmer's Art Paste. Lineco also has some, but I think it's more expensive -- most of their stuff is, but it's also usually archival quality.
If you're into flour-based glues, try rice flour or potato flour, and see if there is any advantage over wheat flour. On the wheat flour, try cake flour (not cake mix), it's ground finer, some people prefer it.
Sue
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Hi all
Experiment with Construction paper - post-drying stage:
Good news - the layers of construction paper have fused wonderfully - and they are very strong - enough to use my hot knife.The construction paper *is* a little rebellious - in a few places it has stood up at the edges, but nothing tragic, and it is my first time using the medium.
Bad news - I forgot that cooked flour paste = brittle masks. Wearable art is going to take abuse, so I prefer some flexibility. Last year in New Orleans, I bought three paper mache masks - one $60 hand-sculpted artist mask (I'd say celluclay) and the other two were $15 factory-made masks bought at a tourist shop. Guess which one split in transit? (clean break - easily fixed)
Sue - thankfully I have no mice! I think the 50% wood glue in my paste keeps the bugs away, but I will keep an eye out since I've no desire to feed anything in my house that isn't paying rent. Also thanks for the info re the Lineco - if the Elmer's works out well, I shall want to upgrade to something archival. The only reason I am using the wheat paste (besides the cost) is that the wet-on-wet technique I am using stresses the need for wheat gluten. I look forward to seeing what the CMC will do though!
Best,
Des
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Check out what Mathieu has to say about boiled wheat past as a papier mache binder; he claims it is far more robust and temperature insensitive than PVA glue. If there is some critical difference in technique between the two of you that accounts for the difference in results, I'd love to here what it is.
http://creaturistelab.blogspot.com.
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Well, I'm not crazy about PVA, myself. I don't use it for PM, although I will use it to attach surface decorations.
My problem with wheat paste is not that I dislike it, but it absorbs moisture in my very wet location. When it gets damp, it molds.
It has attracted rodents and some kind of weevily insects that chewed or drilled holes in the PM.
My dog thinks it's delicious, and she is a notorious scavenger.
I find that methyl cellulose dries fairly quickly and doesn't seem to re-absorb moisture unless you drop it into water (dishwater will do, trust me! )8-O ). Since it's made from wood pulp, it isn't attractive to rodents, insects or Shilo the Belgian Piranha.
It isn't really the difference between techniques or materials as much as what suits your methods, materials and location.
Mathieu is a brilliant, creative artist, I've followed his work for several years, now, and I have the highest respect for his creations. But I can't use flour.
Sue
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Love that mask! I saw it in Dan's book! Great job!
That antiqueing method works wonders!
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