Halloween Mask Making is one of my favorite advanced art projects.  I teach this as a summer camp to rising middle schoolers, or rising 6-9th graders.  I include rising 9th graders so that my 8th grade graduates have one last creative hoorah before the big dance.  I have never seen a project that captivates the imagination of a middle schooler the way this project does.

There are 7 stages that I recognize in the design and fabrication of the mask, however within each stage there are steps that are important to note.

• 1. Ideation: Drawing out some ideas
• 2. Preparation: This involves cutting off the back half of the styrofoam head and attaching it to a board.
• 3. The Sculpt: This has 3 steps: a. conditioning the clay and covering the head, b. building the features and "pebbling" the gaps, c. smoothing, texture and refinements.
• 4. The Mould: This also has 3 steps: a. 100% silicone caulk, b. plaster of Paris, c. plaster gauze.
• 5. Remove The Sculpture & Clean the Mould
• 6. Paint Layers of Latex (8 to 12 layers is ideal)
• 7. Remove the Mask and Paint/Decorate to your liking

Because I teach this as an introduction to the art form, we purchase wigs, hats, hoodies or faux fur to finish the mask.  There are more sophisticated solutions, but I find that the workload with the 7 steps listed is intense enough to stretch them without being overwhelming.  That said, even the 7 steps are too advanced for some students.