In my head, I am rather clever at making things out of papier mache. My fingers nimbly tear newspaper into tiny narrow strips, drip them with glue and drape them expertly around the wire frame of the zebra's head that I made last weekend.
Of course, I have not made anything out of papier mache for forty years, and that was a Frank Sidebottom-style head that was made by simply plastering a balloon with the torn strips'n'glue, waiting for it to dry, and popping the balloon, leaving a hard shell to paint with features in poster paints.
This was a small and complicated exercise, and as fast as I stuck paper on to the frame, almost-dry but very sticky strips attached themselves to my fingers and unpeeled themselves again. I ended up like Struwelpeter, with elongated paper fingernails and rolls of greying glue all over my hands.
I have left it to dry for a few hours, and will begin again when it's less adhesive.
You could try plaster bandage instead-modroc. It sets quite quickly though it is heavier than papier mache.
ReplyDeleteI'd use glass fibre matting. Goes of in a few minutes and then you can sand or even grind it
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should gives prizes at your gigs for the wackiest head, or nominate a gig so at least all the regulars here would be able to spot each other from their headgear.
I need to get out more