Henninger: Sugar Skull

A sugar skull is a classic decoration for the Mexican holiday, la dia de la muerta, which is basically halloween. Traditionally, it is made out of sugar that has been formed into a skull shape and is decorated in a colorful and intricate pattern. 

While sketching on my own, my style tends to lean towards creepy. So when designing what to make my skull look like, I wanted to make it disturbing while realistic. 

The process of making the mask was not too complicated but it was certainly a new experience for me, starting with the casting of the mask. We had to make mold of our own faces using plaster sheets. After making the molds, we had to shape them by rounding off or cutting edges. In my own design, i decided it was not odd enough to begin with, so I attempted to cut out eyes, to give it another level. But then I continued with painting the mask, starting with a what base coat and then adding any and all details. Finishing touches of the mask included removing the strings hanging off of the edges and fixing any smudged paint. In the end, I feel I reached my goal and am very proud of the product.