Its time for a Masquerade

                 

The first mask that I chose was a Japanese Noh mask. These masked are used in performances that have been performed since the 14th century. Noh masks are typically carved from blocks of Japanese cypress and painted with natural pigments on a base of glue and crushed seashell. I always loved these types of masks but the one I really like would be the devil mask. The devil mask is the oldest type of Noh mask. This mask is a great example; I love the scroll work on the horns and the colors in the eyes and mouth. The texture of the hair and the ridges in the face and brow give off an ominous feeling. The next mask is a tribal mask that I found on the web. I am not sure what people were responsible for it but I just love the look of it. The mask has hints of Asian, maybe even Indian but I am not sure. It seems that I tend to like things that contain symmetry and I love this mask because of this fact and the use of bright colors throughout.  The crazy eyes and ears seem to convey a sense of movement. Texture is expressed in the forehead and facial features.   The third mask is an African tribal mask. I am not sure which deity or spirit this mask is suppose to represent but he looks to be scary and wise. I am pretty sure that there use to be hair or something attached around the head because of the holes that are present. This type of mask was used in African dance and worship, they usually not only represented a spirit but the person wearing the mask would become that spirit. I love this mask for the texture in the mouth and stippled emblem on the forehead. There isn’t much color expressed but it works for the overall tone of the piece.   Here are a few sketches that I started out with.  The mask that I decided to go with was a cross between Raggedy Andy and a voodoo doll. I used the pipe cleaners to convey texture in the hair, eye and mouth. The buttons add a bit of color and the other eye express line and shape. The stitching in the eye is an example of repetition. I don’t really like my mask, making it was a real chore. My sketches turned out better than the actually mask. I attempted paper mache but all I got was a big mess and decided to quit while I was ahead.  I always had a hard time creating things but I seem to do a much better job copying existing works.