Tribal Mask | Air Drying Clay | Inspired From African Tribes

Many tribal communites across the globe depict their lives and believes through their art. A mask is one such piece of art. This instructable will walk you through the steps and some cautions of building an African tribals' inspired mask using air drying clay.

While modelling (sculpting) using clay, primarily there are two operations involved - additive and subtractive.

Additive Operation refers to creating bulging features using extra amount of clay - other than the base layer of the model.

Subtractive Operation refers to scooping out clay from your base layer of model in order to create a perception of depth.

1. Air Drying Clay (https://amzn.to/3NhrDBA)
2. Modelling tools (https://amzn.to/3IFSCTI)
3. An idea for your mask
4. Roller pin
5. Rags of wet and dry cloths
6. Acrylic Paints
7. Spare plastic papers/sheets of size greater than that of your mask
8. 2x Metal/wooden sticks of uniform diameter. (~5-10mm)

Sketch on paper a rough design for your mask. Draw the features of the mask including eyes, nose, ears, lips, teeth, headgear etc.

Additionally, I would also suggest you to indicate A for additive and S for subtractive on different features of your mask. It will help you to plan the design in your head and assist you in using your resources judiciously.

This is the step where you actually begin fabricating your mask. Take a few number of plastic sheets and crumple them and put them inside a bigger plastic sheet in order to create a oval/circular like shape that resembles the shape of the outer boundary of your face. (I used a shower cap instead of the bigger plastic sheet). Use tapes at appropriate place to keep the shape intact. At last, fix the this former on a base/plate to make it easy to work on.

Before proceeding to the next step, do not forget to place a sheet of paper or cloth on the plastic bulging shape that you have created. In other words, your clay should be in contact with this paper or cloth and not directly with the plastic of the former. Paper/Cloth would later help you to detach the mask from the former.

At this step, I would like to pause the mask and help you with some tips to prepare the clay for use.

Tip 1

If you decide to buy the Mont Marte Air Drying Clay (which I mentioned in the Supplies list), this tip is especially for you. As soon as you unbox the clay, take the clay loaf and put it inside a moist cloth (not wet). The loaf should be well covered with the cloth. Let it stay this way for 10-15mins. This would make the clay soft and in turn not develop cracks in the later stages of the mask production.

Tip 2

While rolling the clay aggregate, take the two sticks that I asked you to procure in Supplies Point 8 and put them on either side of clay aggregate and then begin rolling the clay. This help you to ensure uniform thickness of the clay layer.

Tip 3

Since the clay that we are using is Air Drying, it rapidly hardens in air. So, do not sit directly under a fan or AC. This would harden the clay as soon as you put it making it difficult for you to add and remove clay from it to make the features.

Tip 4

Keep the inactive clay aggregate well covered inside a moist cloth to disallow it to dry and harden.

Tip 5

While working, you would often be tempted to wet your clay with water but as with other temptations, the success lies in resisting it. Rather, whenever you feel your clay is thirsty, wipe your hands with a wet cloth and continue working with the clay.

With the knowledge of dealing with clay, we are ready to get our hands dirty in it. Pluck about 70-80% of the clay from the loaf, and use the roller pin to create the flat base layer for your mask. Carefully, place the clay base on the former so that the clay base takes the curvature of the former.

Using the modelling tools, mark the features on the the clay base. Mark the shape of eyes, nose, ears, mouth and other decorative features which you wish to add. Get the symmetry and proportions of the mask right in this step itself.

The outcome of this step will serve as an outline for your mask & will help you in additive and subtractive operations which are coming up next.

Scoop! Scoop! Scoop!

For the areas where you wish to perform the subtractive operation, deepen the cut you made in previous step using the pointed tool in your toolset.

Then, use the spoon-like tool from your modelling tool set and gently remove the clay from the respective portions.

Use the flat-headed tool and your moist hands to smoothen the edges.

This step is not as easy as it seems! Take it slow, mate.

Few tips before we proceed -

Tip 1 -: To make symmetric extensions like that for ears or eyebrows, form a clay roll twice the length of one eyebrow(for example) then cut it into two. This would lead to two pieces of more or less same length.

Directly placing the extension on the base layer won't let it stick onto it. Rather you need to do some preparations to make it work. We will now have to prepare something called a slip.

Slip - Mix some piece of clay with water in a separate contiainer. Make sure to pour water gradually. Eventually, we require a clay paste with consistency similar to that of toothpaste.

Tip 2 :- Take appropriate tool and make some marks/patches(similar to one when an animal scratches a surface through its nail) on the base layer at the place where you wish to stick the extension. Now, apply the slip paste on these rough marks. Also, apply the slip on the extension you are about to stick.

After making the rough patches and applying the slip paste on both the parts, you are now good to go to stick the extension onto the base layer.

Grab a snack! It is a break time for you.

Now that you have completed the additive and subtractive operations with your mask, now let it dry for some hours (~10-12 hours, depending upon climatic conditions). However, there is one point that I would like to mention.

The mask might come out brittle if the clay hardens very quickly. The longer it takes to dry, the stronger it will come out eventually. Therefore, to prolong the drying process, cover the mask with a plastic sheet or cloth and keep it aside.

To ascertain, whether the mask is ready for further processing or not. Try to insert your nail slowly in the clay of the mask. If the clay particles stick to your nail and leave an impression on the mask, your mask still requires some more drying hours.

Do not rush into removing the mask from the former. It will be painted best when it is kept on the former.

However before painting we can do some processing on the mask to make it look even better. To remove the roughness from the surface and to fill in cracks we can do two things -

1. File the mask using a sand paper to give sort of a finishing to the surface. Note - File it slowly and do not apply large force which may cause it to break.
2. To fill in the cracks and increase it's durability, apply the slip paste that you made in Step 7 over the mask using a paint brush. This would also provide a smooth and even texture to the mask and further facilitate the painting of the mask.

Now, plan out the colour scheme, and use acrylic paints to give life to your mask.

As a mark of abundant precaution and strength, you might consider pasting a sheet of paper or cardboard at the back side of your mask to reinforce it and prevent it from breaking apart.

Hang it on a wall, use it as a door-hole or gift it to someone. You now have a reasonably strong, classy tribal mask based out of clay.