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Gargoyle Masks

Made by Scott Emrick

For the local musical production of Hunchback of Notre Dame I created seven masks. Six are typical gargoyles some based on actual Notre Dame gargoyles, the seventh being a saint. I used the original process and recipe in Jonni’s book to create them.

I first had to create a form to build them on starting with a styrofoam manikin head. I reinforced the head with plaster cloth wrap strips.

I used an old action figure from when I was a boy to figure out the designs for the masks. I then made a full size sculpture in clay on the mask form. I covered that with paper mache. After it dried I removed the mask, trimmed and sanded as necessary. I then painted the mask with monster mud which was part gray latex paint and part thinset (for the stone like texture and hardness).

I finished with a thin black wash (water and acrylic paint) and some lighter gray/white dry brush for highlight areas. Lastly I added a black braided elastic strap threaded through two slits in the mask and hot glued to itself. Last a cord stop made the mask adjustable.

Paper mache Gargoyle Masks in the Hunchback of Notre Dame

Paper mache mask of a saint in the Hunchback of Notre Dame

3 thoughts on “Gargoyle Masks”

  1. Wonderful, wonderful work. Don’t store these masks after production! See if a local pub or other venue would like to exhibit them for a time.

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