During October 2014, as part of the Doxey Arts Experience, Merv ran some mask workshops. We made masks out of some very simple and cheap materials, that ultimately looked rather good (we thought).
Previously we have made masks using our faces as moulds. This is great because the masks fit perfectly, and it makes the creator of the mask feel very connected to it. The problems with this are that some people feel rather uncomfortable sitting still and having wet paper applied in layers to their face. Also, once you have taken the mask off, it is less easy to work on as it doesn't have a base to sit on and keep it in shape.
Therefore this time we used polystyrene heads as the base. The masks were kept on the heads throughout the making process. We decided that they would be decorative rather than functional, which meant we didn't have to worry about fitting into the masks.
Before you start with the instructions I've written, here are a couple of tips, as I've made masks a few times now, and have learned some valuable lessons.
1. Little and often: Leave a gap of a day between each layer of work you put onto the mask. The materials you use are quite wet, and often piled up to create exaggerated features. This is important for the look of the mask, as the dramatic effect is increased through this exaggeration. If you try to do too much in one go, you will not get as good a finish as you could, or worst case scenario, ruin it altogether.
2. Patient, careful application. Set yourself up in a comfortable area, with enough space to do whatever you want to. Have all your materials on hand. Switch mobile phones off. Put some nice music on. Go into the zone. The more patient and careful your application, the better your result will be.
3. Build up gradually. Think about how you will support the mask whilst wet so that it doesn't lose it's shape or come apart whilst drying. You can be quite ambitious with the shape but planning is essential.
Ok, so. Materials you will need to start:
Brown paper sticking tape - get from post office or stationary shops.
Kitchen Paper towels
PVA glue
Newspaper
Water (lots, in pots)
Paint (poster or acrylic paints)
Other items to decorate
Tools:
scissors
paint/glue brushes
1. 1st layer: Brown paper sticky side up
The head needs to have bands of sticky tape fixed round it, stuck together so it is sticky side up. Use the water - you will have lots and lots of sticking to do!
The bands are connected together with shorter strips of sticky paper, also sticky side up. Keep going until you have covered the whole area that you want to make the mask of. This will result in a brown sticky shell encasing the front of the head. This is the most fiddly bit. but stick with it, the process gets more fun once this bit is over and done with.
This mask was made with eye holes. Others were made without. If a mask is going to be worn, breathing holes are very important. Also the eye holes can literally be pin sized, as the wearer will still be able to see out of them, but it means that you can decorate the eyes however you like. Alternatively an opaque or gauze material could be used.
Onto the sticky side up shell, add about 4 ore 5 more layers of paper tape, sticky side down. This one here will become tulip, the vampire flower. One of the challenges of working with the paper tape is that it tends to leave very sharp raised bits all overthe mask. This can be combatted by cutting the tape down the middle, lengthwise, before sticking, thus meaning that the strips are thinner and raised up less. Also, as you build up the layers, you can make it very tight, smoothing it down as you go. Layers of newspaper and tissue paper will also act to make the finish smoother. Finally, once it is completely dry, your mask can be sanded. But first, you need to build it up more.
Swampy the bog monster and Lizzy the alien lizard cat, were built up using kitchen paper soaked in a mix of pva glue and water (about 50/50). Once the features are built up, they need to completely dry before continuing. Lizzie was made in two sittings, with a day to dry between each layer of features. this ensured that the tissue paper will retain it's shape. Once it is dry, it can be built on, with more sticky paper or with layers of newspaper, or magazine sheets.
Tulip is having petals added, and these needed to be done in several stages, so that they would stay intact. Again, leaving them to dry thoroughly between each stage.
Mr Punch has a very large chin and nose - these were held in place with brown paper to keep them attached.
Lizzy was covered in newspaper over the features, as her features are very contoured, and the edges on the brown paper would make them lose their shape.
Here is Mr Punch.The shape of his face is now completed and you can see that there were a few layers added. He is very front heavy and needs to be supported. Hence being held in place with someone's hand. This was a problematic feature of the construction and decorating processes for all of the masks. Eventually we stuck them to boards with tape to prevent them falling over.
Getting the large petals right on Tulip was very tricky, and needed several layers of sticking. If too many layers had been added in one go, the petals would have got too wet and fallen off. during the final layer of drying, circular pieces of foam rubber were inserted between the smaller and larger petals to keep the rear petals from falling onto the front ones. Once it was all done and dried properly, the petals were very firmly fixed in place.
Once the mask is firm, smooth and dry, the base paint layer can be added. Use poster or acrylic paint, with added pva glue. This makes the paint harder wearing and the colour more reflective, hence brighter. Have a think about what you want your final piece to be like. It may need two layers of base paint to cover the brown paper, newspaper or whatever your construction is made out of.
Already, we can see the different characters coming out in the masks. The character is defined by the shape of the features, and the colour added. These are all very distinctive from each other in the examples shown.
When the base layer is dry, further layers of paint, or other decorative media can be applied. 
Be adventurous, paint on its own, even with the advantage of having PVA glue added, can look very flat. Using other materials, some 3d, some reflective, adds interest, character and dynamic effect to your final piece.
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