First Mask: Thanos

I finally came across the opportunity to test my sculpting skills! I have a friend whose all into comics along with the whole dressing up part so he wanted me to make him a mask based on Thanos. Would've loved to finally try casting and making latex masks but didn't really have the time and money to experiment with new materials. (Got that on my to-do list though!) So as for the process of my first mask, here it is!

 Using some plaster wrap i made a cast of my friends face...Using an image of the character I decided to first do a quick sculpt with some modeling clay. I first wrapped the mask in aluminum foil and then proceeded to cover with the clay.

 Once I sculpted the rough features i went ahead and using a needle tool, poked at the parts i deemed would end up thicker. Made note of the various thicknesses...

 Felt like his chin (above) needed to be larger so I ended up adding more clay to make it more square...After some though i decided to slap some plastic over the modeling clay and using plaster wrap, made a mold of the chin as seen below...

 After the plaster dried took the clay and foil off of the plaster mask, set the chin in place...

 Added more plaster wrap to bond the pieces together and got what you see below...

 From the back side you can tell the difference. This would save me some clay when i start sculpting the final mask...

For the final mask i went with using Sculpey. Didn't know if it would bond to the plaster mask once out of the oven...or if the plaster wrap was not going to withstand the heat...yeah, first mask and first time using plaster wrap actually! So i just went with covering the whole plaster mask with foil again, this time pressing it as flat as i could to the mask...

Using the 'measurements' i did to the modeling clay mask i made a couple of different shaped pieces of crumpled aluminum foil based on those thicknesses. ...

 Added those under the foil. (below)

 And began adding on the sculpey...

 Slapped some more...

 And then the fun part began!

 Added on the pieces of clay you see above and below, blended 'em in...

 Added some more...

 more blending...

 Realized the jaw was getting a bit too thick, thicker than half an inch if i remember correctly...I want this mask to be as thin as possible, won't be that heavy in the end...

 So i made yet another chin piece out of aluminum foil...

 Using the clay i adjusted the chin piece in place...

 more slapping of clay...adding and blending in...

 and BOOM! i'm done with the sculpting! Didn't take any pictures of the transition from the image above to the final. Too busy having fun sculpting! Got this baby in the oven and out safely.

Used the image above to sculpt. Gotta find the website where i found it along with its creator...edit: credit for the Thanos Head design goes to Rodrigue Prailer

 Ended up breaking off the plaster mask...ripped all the foil off...Sanded the inside a bit. Cleaned edges of the eyes, nostrils, and mouth with an x-acto knife...

 Et voila! ...not that heavy in the end!

 Made some teeth using some translucent and beige sculpey to form what you see below...

 Tested them in the mask and they worked pretty well. Left some breathing gaps!

Aye, not bad for a first mask i say! In the next post you'll see the final!