Sunday, March 28, 2010

Mask with Eye Cages

What's that you say? Mask with Eye Cages? Huh?

I was intrigued by the idea of using the leather within the eyehole to create bars, rather than just cutting it out and discarding it. I'm experimenting with it in two versions.


The two samples cut from the larger piece of leather (shown above) are sewn together at the apex. The three other pieces are made with solid leather bars all the way across the eyes.


Here is my first attempt at making the bars integral with the mask, and stitching them together.



Here is a second version, with twisted leather bars. More work needs to be done on this, but it looks promising.


And here is one with the eye bars as a separate piece that is riveted on. I've marked the leather where I will be making changes. I am optimistic that these will turn out as saleable steampunk items.

3 comments:

  1. What a great Idea! Less waste, and it ups the creepy factor considerably.

    I'm particularly found of your first attempt (the second picture), it's as if the mannequin's eyes were eaten by venus flytraps.

    Lovely work, as always!

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  2. they bring to mind ribs or corset lacing ...I like them!

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  3. These are great, completely different feel to the two versions. The first has a real nightmarish quality, recalling Frankensteinian surgery with the stitching...really terrifying! The second recalls something more medieval, a component of armoury. Very nice Tom!

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