Papier mache is a great art medium! As long as there is newsprint around--and any old newspaper will do--and you have a couple of handfuls of flour, water, a pan and a stove to cook the paste on--you have a very good fairly plastic medium for sculpting interesting forms.
Mix the paste with flour and water until it is about the texture of heavy cream--bring it to a boil and then cool.
Tear the newspaper in strips--all newsprint has a "grain" which can be easily torn--against the grain is difficult--strips about an inch across and the length of the folded newspaper I have found convenient--and you are ready to go.
For mask making it is very easy and good to start with a paper grocery bag stuffed with wadded up newspaper--tape on the features you want--cardboard noses, ears and so forth and then cover the whole "maquet" with newspaper strips dipped in paste.
Four to eight layers of paper strips will make a good, solid mask--if you want it to last for wall decoration or heavy theatrical use, twelve or fifteen layers is not too many--this will give the finished mask the hardness of light wood.
I have found that acrylic water-based paints give the mask very good color and a clear acrylic medium finish gives the mask a fine glossy appearance. (These colors and finish are the only pricy thing in mask-making!
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