Guest Ron Feller designed and demonstrated this project.
Materials:
pencil
scissors
white glue
12" x 18" and scrap pieces of paper:
- 3 or more sheets of one color
- 3 or more sheets of a contrasting color
- 2 or more sheets of a third color
- 2 or more sheets of a fourth color for the background pieces
12" x 18"graph paper
12" x 18" pieces of chipboard or tag board
30 " x 40" piece of 1/4" foam board
spray adhesive
brayer
craft knife (optional )
Steps:
1. Prepare one piece of bi-colored paper for the head, brow, jaw, nose and lips. With spray adhesive, glue your first piece of paper to a piece of lightweight tag board. Glue a second piece of paper (in a contrasting color) to the backside of the tag board. Use a brayer to help seal the papers. Note: No other sheets of bi-colored paper need to be prepared. The rest of the paper can be glued to tag board with adhesive spray on one side only.
2. To create the pattern (figure A) for the mask: On a piece of 12" x 18" graph paper, draw half of the sun's head, brow and jaw along the outside edge.
3. On the opposite edge of the graph paper, draw half of the sun's nose and lips and half of the background circle (which should be an inch larger than the face shape) (figure B). Then cut out the pattern pieces.
4. Place the pattern piece of the head, brow and jaw along the fold of the 12" x 18" sheet of bi-colored paper. Trace and cut out the piece (figure C). Save the cutaway scraps to make the nose and the lips.
5. Make the head by folding the brow and jaw section over the front of the basic head shape, crease and glue the tips of the brow so the brow and jaw are in a raised position (figure D).
6. Make the nose and the lips by folding pieces of the bi-colored scraps and placing the patterns along the fold. Trace and cut out the pieces.
7. Glue the nose to the mask. Run a bead of glue along the inside edge of the top triangle of the nose. Hold gently in place until dry.
8. Glue the lips to the mask. Put a dot of glue on each corner of the mouth so that the lips will be slightly raised (figure E).
9. Make the eyes by using three different colors of paper to make the three parts of the eyes: the eyeball, the iris and the pupil. Start by making the eyeballs. Fold a piece of paper in half and cut out the eyeball shape from the outside edge; then you will have two.
10. Repeat the process to make the irises and the pupils. Note: A background piece behind the eyeball and a catch light in the pupil help to highlight the eyes and make them sparkle. Glue the eyes to the mask. Make the eyelids by cutting a crescent shape from a folded piece of paper. Gently curl each eyelid between the thumb and index finger. Put glue on the curved edge and set the eyelid above the eye. Don't push too hard--let the glue do the work (figure F).
11. Place the mask on a sheet of foam board. Draw around it and cut it out. Then glue it to the foam board. Cut a 1/4-inch strip of paper and glue it around the edge of the foam board. Use one of the colors from your color design.
12. Make the background pieces by folding two pieces of the paper lengthwise and placing the pattern along the fold. Trace and cut out the pieces. These pieces will be the background and support for the rays. Then place these pieces on a sheet of foam board, draw around them and cut them out. Glue the background pieces to the foam board. Cut a 1/4-inch strip of paper the same color as the background pieces and glue it to the edges of the foam board.
13. Make two 1/2-inch spacer/support pieces out of scraps of foam board by cutting two small circles or squares of foam board from your scraps and glue them together to make a 1/2-inch-high piece (figure G).
14. Glue the mask and background pieces together on the spacer/support pieces (figure H).
15. Glue one of the support pieces between the mask and the first background piece. Make sure it's centered (figure I).
16. Glue the second support piece between the two background pieces. Note: In these 1/2-inch spaces will be positioned all of the rays, which create the radial design (figure J).
17. To make the rays: Start by making templates of the various shapes you will use in the radial design. These shapes can be long or short triangles; they can be flame shapes that are broad at the base and pointed at the tip; or they can be any shape in your imagination.
18. Place templates on paper and draw around them. You will need at least four and perhaps eight of each shape. A line may be scored down the middle of each ray to give it more strength and dimension.
19. Create your radial design. Start with the largest rays first, and position the first four north, south, east and west between the two background pieces (figure K). Make sure the spacing is even. Then begin filling in diagonally at the northwest, southwest, northeast and southeast corners. Position the smaller rays to create your desired radial design. Place some of the rays in the upper level between the face and the first background piece. After all the rays are in position, then begin gluing.
20. To create cheeks, eyebrows, designs around the perimeter of the face, designs on the tips of the rays, etc., use your imagination.
Tips:
- When cutting out any shapes, turn your paper rather than your scissors.
- Try to make crisp cuts.
- Use a minimal amount of glue.
- This mask may be hung as a wall decoration.
- If you choose to wear this mask, cut small crescent-shaped slits under the eyeballs and attach the mask to a paper helmet. (A paper helmet can be made from three strips of 1 1/2" paper. Staple or glue two of these strips together and wrap around the head to make a snug fit. To turn this headband into a helmet, attach the third strip to the front and back of the headband so it rests on the top of the head.) Attach the mask to the headband with Velcro.
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