I don’t usually take commissions but I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to make this mask of the Mouth of Sauron (from The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King).
You may only be familiar with the character if you braved the 4+ hours of the extended edition (also known as the greatest edition!), as he only appears in that version to speak to Aragorn at the gates of Mordor.
First, I modeled the general shape and textures in clay, took a mold and cast it in paraffin wax. I then carved the runes into the surface (as movie accurate as was possible) and added some details with modelling wax.
The final cast was in Jesmonite, described to me once as ‘water-based resin’. The tall horn has thin plywood in its centre for structural integrity, and the winged horns at the back were made of stiff foam.
The inside was cushioned with foam and a tiny pattern of holes were drilled in the front to allow for the wearer to see without compromising the look of the mask.
