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heresjohnny
06-04-2006, 05:47 PM
I have finally had the chance to try some paper towel mache. Currently I am building a new scarecrow head, a corpse type head, and skull that will hang on a tree (inspired by trishannees faces on the tree), and a couple of plaques with skulls pushing out in an attempt to repeat some of the tombstone techniques. Here is what I got done this weekend on the 2 heads.

http://johnnyspage.com/images/Picture%20608.jpg

http://johnnyspage.com/images/Picture%20606.jpg
Dr Morbius
06-04-2006, 06:09 PM
Oh man...HJ ..Those look Awsome!
roadkill
06-04-2006, 06:26 PM
What did you use to create the nose on that skull? Is that clay?
krough
06-04-2006, 06:32 PM
Very nice work HJ, Now hurry up and paint them. LOL
Otaku
06-04-2006, 11:09 PM
Awesome, HJ! What did you use for the armatures?
heresjohnny
06-04-2006, 11:24 PM
What did you use to create the nose on that skull? Is that clay?

Yes, that is clay. Real easy to shape eyeballs and noses and such

Awesome, HJ! What did you use for the armatures? The armatures are paper mache pulls (full head) from bucky skulls (tinfoil, followed by paper mache). I cut them off and tape them back together, then one final coat of mache. They have a tendancy to collapse when they get wet on the second coat of mache, so I tried filling with great stuff (and a scrap piece of PVC) before the second coat. Don't use too much, it will split the pull. I also want to try polyeurathane before the second coat of mache.
Vlad
06-05-2006, 01:50 AM
Cool stuff HJ. Try adding one or two more layers of mache before you pull them off of the original, that should take care of the collapsing problem. I'm afraid that you'll kill the adhesion between the mache layers with urethane in between.
DeathTouch
06-05-2006, 08:22 AM
I really like that. I plan on getting my but going and building some myself. In the mean time I have gotten lazy and bought a foam head from TS, from their gravestalker collection. I bought one of the full and the full head with the mouth open. I think with a little latex and paper mache it might look pretty cool. But yea, I am starting to get lazy. I need to start another website call lazyhaunt.com. Here is the link to those foam heads.

http://www.terrorsyndicate.com/catalog/index.php?cName=prop-skulls-full-and-half-skulls&osCsid=5e5428479c397c936c8ee643dac9a9ef
heresjohnny
06-05-2006, 03:49 PM
Cool stuff HJ. Try adding one or two more layers of mache before you pull them off of the original, that should take care of the collapsing problem. I'm afraid that you'll kill the adhesion between the mache layers with urethane in between.

Thanks Vlad. In the future I will try adding additional layers of mache before doing the pull. Problem is I am ready to texture the things right away, and any work along what will be the seam will be wasted...oh well, I may give in and start buying Bucky skulls in quantity.
Otaku
06-05-2006, 03:59 PM
Yeah, I agree with the extra layers. I tried adding mache to a thin-walled pull and wound up putting it back on the plastic skull so it wouldn't collapse while adding the new layers. I usually do most of the texturing after the skull is on the corpse body.
mrklaw
06-05-2006, 06:48 PM
I really like that second one.
heresjohnny
06-09-2006, 08:39 PM
I have been wondering what to do with the second head. I painted the base coat on, then changed my mind and built a ground breaker out of it. Seems like everyone is building a ground breaker, now I am too!

http://www.johnnyspage.com/images/Picture%20633.jpg
Dr Morbius
06-09-2006, 10:21 PM
Cool! I'm gonna HAVE to try this mache thing on a full bust too.
DeathTouch
06-09-2006, 10:49 PM
How did you make the neck and chest?
Frighteners Entertainment
06-09-2006, 10:50 PM
This is getting me really interested in trying this out
heresjohnny
06-09-2006, 11:32 PM
It's amazing how little time this technique takes, you should defintely try it. The base is a peice of scrap shelf board cut to shape. I heated the PVC and twisted it to pose the head. Then newspaper and clear packing tape, which I think came from krough came from pumpkinrot? Then slather on the paper towel mache.
DeathTouch
06-09-2006, 11:40 PM
Do you have a picture on the technique?
Bram Bones
06-10-2006, 01:11 PM
any update on these great corpses?

I'd love to see some more pics.
heresjohnny
06-10-2006, 05:52 PM
heres an update on the scarecrow head. The teeth are made with DAP chaulk, the painting so far is a flat black base coat, followed by gray. Next I will be painting the tans and browns for the flesh tones.

http://www.johnnyspage.com/images/Picture%20646.jpg
Dr Morbius
06-10-2006, 07:17 PM
Oh, that's sweet! Most excellent!
ruafraid
06-10-2006, 08:29 PM
heres an update on the scarecrow head.

Man that is really creepy looking already! Great work, is that a bucky skull underneath ? or a copy of a different one with paper mache.
heresjohnny
06-10-2006, 09:12 PM
Do you have a picture on the technique?

DT, sorry I didn't take any pictures while I was building up the torso. Krough descriebs it well, and shows pictures for his second tree, thats the basic method I followed. I started with http://johnnyspage.com/images/Picture%20606.jpg
which is mounted in a hole I drilled in a peice of scrap wood. I heated the PVC and twisted the pipe a little to position the head, and trimmed the base some so it was more rounded, not square. Then just started crumbling up newspaper and taping it on with packing tape. I built everything up, then tightly stretched tape across sections to form it, stepping back and looking at it every now and then. Once the shape was good I layered on the paper towels after dunking them in paper mache mix and wringing them out.
DeathTouch
06-10-2006, 09:14 PM
I can I can live with no pictures. Thank you!
heresjohnny
06-10-2006, 09:15 PM
Man that is really creepy looking already! Great work, is that a bucky skull underneath ? or a copy of a different one with paper mache.

I made a full paper mache pull by layering a bucky skull with tin foil, followed by paper mache. Then cut it off, taped together and mached some more. When it was dry I used great stuff to fill the head with a piece of PVC (be carefull to do the great stuff a little at a time, or it will expand and crack open your head)
heresjohnny
06-19-2006, 09:33 PM
Help, I can't stop!

http://www.johnnyspage.com/images/Picture%20818.jpg

http://www.johnnyspage.com/images/Picture%20814.jpg

A little more work on the second head, I think.
GreenCapt
06-19-2006, 10:05 PM
Tres cool, man... tres cool!
krough
06-19-2006, 10:08 PM
Help, I can't stop!


A little more work on the second head, I think.


Ahh yes the addiction takes hold.
Welcome aboard!
Dr Morbius
06-20-2006, 02:19 AM
Ok,I got a bucky and tin foil...i think I can manage paper towels and paint..OK, I will try this!
Hellrazor
06-28-2006, 08:04 AM
I couldnt get my mache head off my bucky head... I used tin foil but it was too attached and I ripped it alot taking it off. I think I can salvage it with a little tape and a couple more layers of mache, but what did I do wrong? any ideas?
Sickie Ickie
06-28-2006, 02:11 PM
Well, for one- next time use a skull. Not a guy named Bucky! j/k
krough
06-28-2006, 02:22 PM
I couldnt get my mache head off my bucky head... I used tin foil but it was too attached and I ripped it alot taking it off. I think I can salvage it with a little tape and a couple more layers of mache, but what did I do wrong? any ideas?

Was it a full head cast? If it was, you would need to cut about halfway up the back with a razor and then gently work your fingers under the dry mache. Once it comes off you can repair the seam with duct tape on the inside and a quick layer of mache on the outside.
I never use foil, I place the mache directly on the skull and I am easily able to get it removed once its dry.

Also I dont mache the eye sockets until after the mache is off the skull
Hellrazor
06-28-2006, 02:33 PM
thats what it was Krough, I mached his temples and eye sockets and that was what gave me the trouble. I also know i was too detailed with the mouth and had a hard time with the jaw. I will try what you said about not doing the eyes.... but I dont want to mess up my bucky, I only have 1... so Im gonna keep using tin foil....
heresjohnny
07-02-2006, 01:26 AM
Hellrazor, sorry for not answering sooner, I was out of town. I usually pop the full head cast off after only a couple of layers, it is still flexible enough to work around the temples and eye sockets, but you have to be careful when adding additional layers because the mache is not think enough to hold it's shape if it gets too wet. I usually cut a seam all the way from the back to the top of the nose, and the all around the lower jaw. Some times I cut out the eye sockets, sometimes I caste them deep and work the cast off while it is still thin (like for the tombstone skulls).

Good idea krough, I will try casting a Bucky skull without the tinfoil and see if it works. I think you could always wet it down to remove if it sticks, at least if you are using a flour formula.