A little costume history

          The first Matrices mask and costume I made was for Halloween of 2000, it was created using paper maché and cardboard with faux fur details glued on top, and painted screen for the eyes. The medium of paper maché isn't very forgiving, so the shape of the mask was rather geometric. I also made a matching tail, and gloves with foam paw pads attached. 
          The second Matrices mask I created the Halloween of 2002, it was also made using paper maché and was a little bit better than the other Matrices mask. I took the time to dye white fur the proper shade of grey, but the paper maché still had its limitations, the mask turned out huge and was very hard to see out of, let alone breathe in. 
          My third, and most ambitious mask, was started around June 2003, and at this point I gave up on paper maché and checked online for ideas on a "better way" to do it. Paper maché always had taken forever to create (and it was messy!), so I thought if I started early I'd have a great costume in time for Halloween (my favorite holiday if you haven't guessed yet). I found a few construction pictures and suggestions of using Plastic Canvas for the understructure, with upholstery foam to "flesh" the features of the character's face. So I thought this may be worthwhile trying out. I had really no idea how to do what I wanted, there wasn't really any tutorials available (that I could find on my own at that point), so I tried to make it up on my own as I used vague construction photos, of what other people have done before, as reference. 
          There was a point in the beginning where I decided there was two things I needed with this mask that I knew I could never have done with paper maché as easily; moving mouth, and moving ears. At this point it was blind ingenuity, I used what I had learned in school about pulleys, fulcrums, and leavers to create the jaw and ears, as well as a bit of help from my father. I used the most inexpensive materials available, because this wasn't something that I really wanted to invest a ton of money in (as I never had before with my previous paper maché masks). So I used plastic canvas, foam, rubberbands, yarn, string, brads, and hot glue, as well as fake fur and other stuff, detailed here in the original construction photos.
          After the initial construction of the mask, the first outing was for a 4th of July parade. I was hooked, since then I loved going out in public with my costume! 
          The mask was later revamped as I learned new techniques, I eventually replaced the eyes with plastic bowls, and replaced the nose with one made of oven-bake Sculpy clay covered in vinyl. I also reversed the white blaze, since it had accidentally been reversed when I originally made it.
          My Matrices costume has appeared at two conventions, Conifur Northwest 2003 and 2004. She's also been on many outings in public, including parades and Halloween parties.