Little Luna Part I

There's one moment in Venice that I remember very clearly: I tried on a gilded mask shaped like a crescent moon with a strikingly androgynous face.  It was a beautiful mask, but it looked strange on someone with my height and build.  I bought a Tarot jester instead, but I couldn't stop thinking about the Luna mask.  Why don't I simply make a Luna mask of my own?

sculpture © Chromeheart Illustration

I began with a small scale mock-up of my Luna to get a feel for the basic process.  I'm a little nervous about this, being that I never had an interest in sculpture before recently discovering its function in mask-making.  Little Luna is made out of Roma Plastilina no. 2, an oil-based clay that is often used for mold making.  

The next step will be to pour a plaster negative of Little Luna.  I've never used Plaster of Paris before either, so this is going to be a bit of an adventure.  

© Chromeheart Illustration 

Truth be told, I'm having a blast with the Luna character.  I did this little sketch earlier today, inspired by one of the more elaborate Luna e Sole masks I came across in my research.  Ink: Private Reserve Black Cherry.  I'm already in love with the color.  

sketches © Chromeheart Illustration

These are the preliminary sketches I did for my Luna mask, and some inspiration references from the Internet.  I want my Luna's facial expression to be relaxed and dreamy, with an underlying intelligence and that slight smirk that almost seems to whisper, "I have a secret." Luna is a monarch of the night, of sleep and dreams, and the night is for secrets.  The facial expression will be more distinct when I build the full scale mask.