Leatherface Mask Refurbishing Help/advice

[🪦 Tyreehot ●]

Greetings all, I was fortunate enough to find a Leatherface mask on ebay. $53.00 later and it was mine. The mask however had been desecrated! The hair had been removed (you can still see the holes where it had once been) and the stitches, in my opinion, are thin and uninteresting . The mask was then repainted by brush rather uninterestingly. I don't know what type of paint was used but I think it's acrylic. I am a halfway decent painter myself so I'd like to try and salvage this amazing mask. (No, I don't own an airbrush so I'd probably have to do this by hand) I'd also like to restitch it with thicker thread and reattach the hair, strand by strand.<b>I've never painted a latex mask or attached hair in this manner.</b><b>Questions:1. What type of paint might I use to give this mask some contrast (I suspect I'll just have to paint on top of the existing paint...what's there now might serve as a pretty decent base color)2. Where would I get the type of hair that I could push in strand by strand (or at least small group by small group). Are there special tools for this? I want that realistic, strand-by-strand look, not the clumpy look.</b>I am a huge TCM and Leatherface fan and I love this mask...the sculpture is so amazing! I'd also like to give it that fleshlike sheen that the silicon MaskMurderers.com Headskinner 5's have. It would give me great joy to give this mask back some dignity and wear it proudly next Halloween...or sooner. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated! Thanks!!Stay RottenVictor "The Undertaker" IvesPhotos:<img src=\"http://www.hauntedhotsauce.com/haunted/leatherface_mask/front.jpg\" border=\"0\" class=\"linked-image\" /><img src=\"http://www.hauntedhotsauce.com/haunted/leatherface_mask/left.jpg\" border=\"0\" class=\"linked-image\" /><img src=\"http://www.hauntedhotsauce.com/haunted/leatherface_mask/back.jpg\" border=\"0\" class=\"linked-image\" /><img src=\"http://www.hauntedhotsauce.com/haunted/leatherface_mask/right.jpg\" border=\"0\" class=\"linked-image\" />...and I've already unstitched it:<img src=\"http://www.hauntedhotsauce.com/haunted/leatherface_mask/unstitched.jpg\" border=\"0\" class=\"linked-image\" />and here's the teeth I painted to wear w/ it:<img src=\"http://www.hauntedhotsauce.com/haunted/leatherface_mask/teeth.jpg\" border=\"0\" class=\"linked-image\" />

[🪦 TallDarkandDisfigured ●]

Looks like a great start to a great mask! I'm not a fan at all of the old TCM, I know it's like blasphemy, but I never dug the flick at all.. Now that being said, the mask to me looks very good. The base color looks great too. If you are going to paint on top of that, you need -latex rubber-acrylic paints-some windex You mix the the windex into the latex until it's thin enough to airbrush or sponge/brush, then you add color till you get what you want. I find sponging on alot of paint in deep areas them wiping it down with a rag with some water on it, gives you that dark coloring in the crevices...It'll be hard to get that sheen like a silicone mask, but you can always use an acrylic clear coat to get a bit of shine to it. Like this<img src=\"http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a182/TallDarkandDisfigured/IMGP0844.jpg\" border=\"0\" class=\"linked-image\" />As for hairing, I'm not sure, there is a tool of some kind for punching hair but it's alot of work! That's all I've got, maybe someone else can offer some more info

[🪦 LeatherfaceFan07 ●]

That is a great find man. Make sure to post pics up on here when you're finished!

[🪦 Tyreehot ●]

Thanks so much for your response TD&D and LFf07.I'm anxious to get started and the Windex info was just what I needed. I love the idea of giving the mask washes that sink into the recesses of the mask. It's such a nice sculpture that I think that's the best way to bring out it's best qualities.Regarding the hair punching: I found the following on youtube that gives me a pretty good idea what I'm up against.<a href=\"http://youtube.com/watch?v=6-sa54F8T-w&feature=related\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube: Hair Punching</a>I don't think I need to be quite as elaborate as that demo but somehwere in between should more than do this mask justice.I also love the idea of giving the mask a light acrylic clearcoat to give it that fleshy sheen.I will definitely post my progress...this is going to be sooo cool!Thanks again!

[🪦 TallDarkandDisfigured ●]

Great vid there, thanks for the link!!

[🪦 Tyreehot ●]

Hey TD&D,I've never been a big TCM fan either. When I saw the movie many years ago I thought it wasn't really more than a bunch of screaming and running.Well, last October I went to Six Flags Frightfest (Georgia) w/ my family. I've been in the haunt industry for quite a few years so I don't startle easily.Secondly, it was advertised as a "family event" which to me means "LAME" so I was REALLY off guard.Anyway, we were walking up this fairly steep hill, at about 9:00 pm when my oldest daughter said, "Look, Leatherface!"As I glanced up I saw the horrific figure of Leatherface being eerily lit from above by an old lampost. I'll admit that he was startling and unsettling, even to a seasoned haunt veteran.He then fired up his chainsaw sending my family scattering in every direction. As the evening progressed I noticed the effect that the sound of the chainsaw had on the guests. You could always tell where Leatherface was in the park by the fleeing people.It was at that moment that I decided to pursue a Leatherface theme and create a cool costume for the following year (2007)I spent a good portion of 2007 learning about the Leatherface character, creating a costume and researching what makes him so scary.My Halloween party this year was themed "The Texas Chainsaw Chili Cook-off" where guests brought samples of their favorite chili recipe to be judged by me as Leatherface. Everybody won in some category and received some of my HauntedHotSauce.com products as prizes.Long story short...Leatherface is just plain scary...to EVERYBODY! That's why I'm so interested in refurbising this mask!You can see a few photos <a href=\"http://hauntindustrynetwork.ning.com/profile/HauntedHotSauceDotCom\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>It's going to be an even creepier Halloween in 2008...mostly because of your information and because of the creepy mask I'll be able to wear as a result.Thanks again,

[🪦 LeatherfaceFan07 ●]

I agree man. He's just plain scary. The sickest thing about him is that he's the most realistic of all the slashers (and before some idiot says that's becaus he's based off a true story, thanks. I'm already aware). I don't think that Tobe Hooper's Leatherface is as scary though. I think Marcus Nispel recreated him in such a fantastic way. Thomas Hewitt IS my favorite horror film killer. -Aaron-