From: "Creaturiste-AT-primus.ca" <creaturiste-AT-primus.ca> To: <puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org> Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:08:25 -0500 Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Paper casting contacts? Thank you, Hobey! The paper mache processes seem to force us to be attentive and to embrace a certain level of "imperfection", that adds richness and reality to the final result. Instead of fighting with the medium, we learn its properties, we control what we can about them, and choose what we like to keep within the possibilities it offers us. I think that applies to all mediums. Most Neoprene puppets and masks I've seen online seem to be painted with an airbrush. It tends to give a cold, too-perfect result (but not always). One exception I've seen up close were Larry Hunts masks, which I think he paints by hand. They look very alive and real, even with the wild colors he uses. A blue-green face will look as real as any human flesh tone. I love that Neoprene can be controlled in thickness and rigidity, and that it will conform perfectly to the mold's details. The speed in execution is also a great asset. If it was more readily available here, I'd spend the money to make some of my creatures in Neoprene, and paint them by hand. As it is now, the shipping alone is prohibitive, and so is the weather barrier (can't ship in winter, unless it's an expensive heated truck). My choice is to work mostly with materials I can reliably find locally, and that I could find most anywhere. In that way, I wouldn't be stuck if I were to have a contract where specialised materials are hard to find. For instance, a friend in Hawaii says she has to personaly import almost every Art supplies, and some are either prohibited, or unvailable for shipping, so she sometimes asks friends accross the water to receive the package at home, then ship to her. Paper mache is as basic as it gets, and so versatile I could switch all ingredients at a moment's notice, and still get neat results. The learning curve is extremely easy to navigate. It's so deceptively simple that people who are impressed by results have a hard time guessing how it's done. Humans are good at complicating things. I teach the same methods I use to 10 year-olds... My full range of methods can be learned in 3 days. _______________________________________________ List address: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org Admin interface: http://lists.puptcrit.org/mailman/listinfo/puptcrit Archives: http://www.driftline.org
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