Book Review: Mask Making Techniques by Mary McClung

 

Ever since I read about this Mask Making Techniques title, back when it was just a "Forthcoming" listing on the publisher's website, I'd wondered how it compared to the author Mary McClung's other similar and fantastic book, Foam Patterning and Construction Techniques (published 2016, reviewed previously here). They have similar subtitles--Creating 3D Characters from 2D Designs for Theatre, Cosplay, Film, & TV vs. Turning 2D Designs into 3D Shapes.

I feared it might have considerable overlap, or be basically a retitled second edition of the first, but those fears were unfounded. It's a completely different book although with some crossover topics covered in both. Basically, Mask Making Techniques is a must-have for mascot/character costume artists who require more formal guidance on making full-head creature masks than YouTube videos by furries [1].

After a short section musing on masking and its various significances in cultural and theatrical contexts, McClung dives into a fantastic and comprehensive chapter on mask design, design principles in general. working collaboratively with a designer as a maker, and practical factors to consider (like the wearer's sight/hearing)

McClung is a talented illustrator as well, and includes hand-drawn sketches of many of the principles and topic examples. I particularly appreciate the diagrams of support structure for horns, ears, and antennae, and the illustration of variable scale of the costume head compared to the physique of the performer.

I'm always thrilled when a book dedicates a significant quantity of text to safety and protective/cautionary practice. This one has a whole chapter of tips and advice, from the media-specific (solid vs gaseous inhalants) to the general (how to store goggles and other eye protection PPE).

McClung surveys various media for making large scale masks, from foams to thermoplastics to fiberglass and even gourds. She also goes through options for foundation-skinning fabrics, from spandex to fleece to fake fur and more, and includes stitches to use when sewing plus techniques for painting/shading/toning the skinned heads.

There's also a whole section of mask projects documented start to finish. This is a fantastic resource because when you make these kinds of pieces, you're always figuring it out for the first one, which might be a prototype that becomes the real thing, but might be a prototype that illustrates how NOT to do it. Reading about how other artists made similar pieces only helps in the decisions you make along the way to creating your own.

You may also be wondering how this book compares to another recent mask-centric text, Meaden & Brown's Theatre Masks Out Side In (published 2023, reviewed previously here). The Meaden/Brown book is specific to theatre masks, dating back to the Greeks and masked theatrical traditions throughout the history of dramatic art, as well as the making of those masks in the continuing tradition of Commedia and other masked performance modalities. It's more steeped in the academic theatrical tradition and would be a great text for a masked performance class that might involve a component of making simple masks.

McClung's text is more specific to contemporary character costume and full-head masks of the sort we now see among costumed entertainers like sports mascots, branded characters, fursuiters, monsters in haunt attractions, and so forth. As a maker, McClung's is more relevant to the types of masks I create for contemporary production work, and definitely for clients outside the realm of traditional theatre.

[1] No disrespect to furry YouTubers! I'm grateful for their expertise and enthusiasm for sharing information! I work in academia and academic institutions want official textbooks for classes and reference books for libraries tho, and this fills that need.