Mike's Muntjac Mask

Okay, so this was done for my boyfreind for LARP and it presented a lot of interested design requirements.
1- nothing could be rigid due to safety constraits of the LARP
2- Had to be lightweight, non constricting and require as little makeup as possible
3- had to have all periferal vision
4- Somehow come accross as being the species that its inteded to look like, while haveing almost no muzzel and being made for a fairly big guy (Mike is very very tall and build like a bit of a bruiser.)
5- have optimum ability for wearer to breath and emote as much as possible.

So what I ended up doing, is after taking a cast of mike's face and makeing a mockup in plaster, I sculpted the base of the mask onto it, and then cast a skin in latex, wich was then filled with a 2 part soft expanding foam and given an interior contour OF mikes face by putting the cleaned plaster mockup back in side while the foam expanded. The mask was then pulled from the mold and trimmed.

Fit was checked. From there, elastic straps were added and the ears were started. The ears are built in very very similar fashion to the coyote ones I did, the wearers ears will sit inside the mask's ears makeing them sturdy, non floppy and keeping ears a little bit insulated while at the same time not inhibiting hearing.

Then the antlers were constructed from upholstery foam and given multiple coats of latexs, this insures they cant possibly hurt anything but will still retain their shape. I also made them a little bit proportionatly bigger so that the average person could more easily recognise the animal as some sort of deer...

After being painted, they were attatched to the mask and everything was furred.

Paint was then airbrushed on thismorning, I may darken a few areas more.

Mike will be wearing this with just a little bit of eye-blacking makeup and a little black lipstick on his lower lip. He will also be wearing some Scarecrow brand fangs...cause Munjac males have fangs (kay technically "tusks" but Im calling them fangs.) Breathing is possible, of course through the mouth since its not at all obstructed, but also through the nostrils, as much of the foam inside was carved away.. wich will look neat on cold mornings with steam coming through the nostrils.

Now, you may be asking... why the HELL a muntjac character?... well, he came to me last week and asked me if I know of any animals with both fangs AND horns... this was the only thing that came to mind.

... I personally love the nose... lol.

So yes. Muntjac.

Pics of the actual animal:
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