This was a project done by Andrew Mandaliti from Tri Forged Studios. This included new techniques and materials.
The Mask of Loki original was made using various sizes of EVA foam on top of a hardened mask base. The foam was placed to give the mask raised and lowered details where the original base did not have. The wood grain was hand carved using a heated carving tool to get realistic patterns. After the carving was done, the mask was coated with a gloss spray paint to get prepared for molding.
Spraying in gloss will allow the mask to be casted glossy and will provide a smooth surface. Before molding could begin, the mask had to be secured for a smooth surface. So oil based modelers clay was used to clean up the edges to reduce silicone from pouring onto the inside of the mask and create a seal between the mask and the surface.
Smooth On's brushable silicone Rebound 25 was a great choice for this project as it allowed for a long working time and was viscus enough to get into all of the small details without trapping any air bubbles. The first few layers had to be done at the normal consistency while later rebound layers would have a thickening agent added to make the silicone thicker and reduce the amount of running that would occur. Adding this agent allowed the silicone to be sculpted into places that needed to the silicone reinforcement.
After the silicone was allowed to dry overnight, the next step was to create a mothershell. The purpose of this is to align the silicone and prevent it from shifting or warping while casting. It essentially acts as a cradle. The product we used is called Foam It and this particular one expanded 15 times it's size. After it is done expanding it hardens to a very strong but lightweight support shell over the silicone. One piece of advice when doing this step. Don't.Forget.The.Mold.Release. as the foam got very stuck to the silicone since it is such a sticky material when it is curing.
The mold was a success! With tiny pieces of foam sticking to the silicone, it is a small price to pay to be able to get multiple castings out of. Castings were made using a rotational casting material from Smooth On called Smooth On 65D. This material is used to "slush" the resin in with multiple coats. This material would be applied to the inside of the mold in 2 oz increments every 10 minutes until the mask is thick enough. After the castings are done, they are washed (to remove mold release) and to allow paint to stick better.
Since the wood grain detail is going to be done in black, a base coat of black was applied. Various coats of paint were used to achieve the weathering effects from the movie. The masks were later strapped with leather to be able to be hung on a wall for display!
