Make a Chinese Opera Mask
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China is essentially among the most recognized countries worldwide with rich, dynamic, and continuing /surviving culture. This Southeast Asian country has long manifested distinctiveness, creativity, elegance, and exceptional knowledge of its remarkable culture since time immemorial. And opera masks are one of China’s interesting artifacts that have fascinated the rest of the world.
Mask 101
By definition, a mask is a work of art worn on the face. It is normally worn for various apparent reasons, such as disguise or camouflage, protection, entertainment, or show. Masks have been basically used since ancient times both for practical and traditional purposes. Although more commonly worn on the face, these masks can also be put on or rather positioned on other parts of the performer’s or wearer’s body as an effect.
Chinese opera masks
Specifically, opera masks in China are used according to a basic “common” form of opera, which is performed without actually having a backdrops or stage. Consequently, these masks eventually resulted to colorful facial patterns more often seen in nowaday’s Jingju or Beijing Opera. Jingju is essentially a mode of traditional Chinese theater that combines vocal performance by mainly four performers, music, dance, and acrobatics.
The art of mask making can be clever, requires patience, creativity, and keen eye for details. But the best part of it however is on selecting and applying the design and color on the built paper-mache mask. Following are simple steps that can be followed when making Chinese opera masks.
1. Research. You can either look on books from the library or research from Internet for the main or traditional mask characters of the Chinese Opera. Choose the relatively appealing mask for you, if not your favorite one. You can have the design then either photocopied from the book or downloaded from Internet.
2. Draw. Outline or trace the photocopied or downloaded traditional design. After that, make some painted color studies so you can plan a 3D form mask.
3. Build up. You can use a mask template to work up a paper-mache mask. It is advisable to wear some latex gloves when making your mask. Gloves can be helpful particularly when working with PVA mix and cellulose paste in building up layers using newspaper strips or newsprints. Face features such as the lips can be work up using some scrunched up tissue paper and more newsprint layers on top. Once all facial features are done and in proper places, you can leave then the mask to dry for 3 days maximum.
4. Color or paint. Using paint or any coloring tool (as long as permanently decorated on the mask), re-trace the design on the mask, then later carefully paint or color the mask. Once paint or colors are dry you can now then add 2 holes on the side and string or elastic to fasten the mask around the head to wear it.
5. Create (optional). You can always have the option to create your own design of Chinese opera masks. Just make sure however, to have considered and finalized all the basic elements of opera masks, such as symbolism, mood, color, and shape before creating your own design. Then, you could perhaps share later your individual explanations or descriptions of your personalized or customized 2D design of the mask.
More than worn masks
There is actually more behind these fascinating Chinese opera masks. These masks are created or built in accordance with some set patterns and norms. Most importantly, opera masks are made distinct from each other by choice of color. Different colors can essentially mean various things, such as personality, character, or mood.
Therefore, in any event that you decide on creating your own Chinese opera mask, make sure you choose the best color that can stand for you.
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