Traditional Indian Paper Clay Mask

This tutorial elaborates how to make a traditional Indian mask from paper clay, and is posed in a way that is understandable by people of all levels. So whether you are a newbie or an expert in crafting with clay, lets begin!

The supplies we require are:

1. Paper clay (also known as fiberclay)
2. Newspaper (for the support)
3. Tape
4. Gauze
5. Paint (Acrylic preferred) and paintbrushes
6. Stiff cardboard (for the stand)

Envision your mask by outlining your design on paper with a pencil. Color it afterwards to get a sense of what would go well with the initial design.

Crumple your 2-3 newspapers together to create a ball-like structure. Ensure one side of the ball is smooth while you roll the edges of the paper to the other side. Tape it down to your bench.

Roll more newspapers for additional areas that may extrude from the mask, such as a crown, or ears. Tape these sections adjacent to the main support. Place an even piece of gauze such that it covers the whole of the support, ensuring that it covers the whole of the smooth side of the support. This piece of gauze will ensure that if the mask breaks in between the pieces are bound together to be glued to each other easily.

Ensure the clay has sufficient (but not excess) moistness. Pat it down on the ground into a convex shape of appropriate size, and place it on the support. Add extruding regions to the mask such as crown or ears if necessary. Join these regions by making a paste using the same clay with more water content and applying this between the two pieces to be fixed. Ensure the pieces are aligned and stuck properly to prevent breakage.

Add more features to define your design and make the mask pop out. Design elements may include a nose, ears, moustache or even a crown! Make sure to carve out holes for the eyes, as this makes it the method unique from other types of designs.

Leave the piece to dry, preferably for up to one or two days. Ensure the clay becomes hard enough for the ensuing procedures.

Apply a thin layer of gloss to the dried mask, after carefully removing the base (bound with gauze) from the newspaper. Let it dry for an hour. Paint it according to your imaginations, preferably following the planned color scheme. Apply finishing touches to make the mask look more realistic, and further oat it with blemishes using supporting colors. Let the paint dry for preferably a 1-2 hours.

Apply a thin coat of varnish on top of the paint, so that it does not come off easily. Let it dry for an hour or two.

Create a vertical support from the stiff cardboard by cutting it and fixing corresponding pieces to make the mask stand, preferably a bit tilted in the front. Now it stands majestically!

Revel with the completed design of the mask proudly standing in front of you!