Anthropomorphic Figure for Halloween Part 9

Painting of the head is still in progress.

So, after a brief interlude I am back to working on my Anthropomorphic Halloween Figure project.  As I blogged recently, I had experimented with making some home made modeling clay.  I used the clay to make heads for a couple of projects.  Yes, the clay worked, but I just did not feel totally comfortable with using the clay for the current project.  Nor was I really enthralled with the shape of the head I had made.  I
decided to make a new head for this project.

I decided to make the new head from paper mache', although I did use the stem made from the experimental clay.  I enjoy working with paper mache' and know how it is going to act with the other art materials I am using.   The head armature was aluminum foil covered with three layers of paper mache'.  Each layer dried completely before another layer was added. 

A piece of dowel was poked into the head and glued in place with white glue.  A corresponding whole
was cut into the shoulders of the figure to receive the other end of the dowel.  Once the head is complete the dowel will be glued inserted and glued into the body.

I have begun painting the head, but it is not yet complete.  First I painted it with a coat of Gesso.  The orange paint is fairly transparent so it needed a coating of Gesso to keep the print from the paper showing through.  After that, it was a base coat of orange paint.  Then I began to paint the facial features.  I still have a lot of shading to do on the head. 

I expect that I will have the head completed and the body put together by Sunday.  Once the body is put together I may still go back and do one more embellishment.  More about that on Sunday.