Custom Mask-Making

Bring Your Vision to Life with Custom Masks by Douglas

Your creative vision is the foundation of every project. By collaborating with Douglas, you ensure that your unique ideas are brought to life with precision and artistry. Douglas works closely with you to develop custom mask designs tailored to your specific needs, whether it’s for an original work, an existing play, or personal use. His expertise guarantees your project’s success by transforming your concepts into stunning, tangible creations.

 

Why Hire Douglas?

  1. Personalized Collaboration: Douglas provides one-on-one consultations to understand your vision and requirements, ensuring every detail of your mask design is meticulously crafted to match your expectations.
  2. Expert Craftsmanship: With years of experience in mask making, Douglas brings a high level of skill and artistry to each project, creating masks that are not only visually striking but also durable and functional for performance.
  3. Unique Creations: Every mask designed by Douglas is a one-of-a-kind piece. He specializes in original interpretations of characters from theatre and literature, ensuring that your mask stands out as a unique and imaginative creation.
  4. Stress-Free Process: Douglas handles all aspects of the mask-making process, from initial design to final production. This comprehensive approach saves you time and effort, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your project.

Benefits of Hiring Douglas:

  • Custom Design: Tailored mask designs that perfectly fit your project’s needs and enhance its visual appeal.
  • Professional Quality: High-quality masks that are both aesthetically pleasing and practical for performance use.
  • Creative Collaboration: A collaborative process that brings your ideas to life, making your vision a reality on stage.
  • Peace of Mind: Reliable and professional service that ensures your project runs smoothly, with Douglas managing all the details.

Theater Lunaire Policies:

  • Copyrights and Permissions: Theater Lunaire retains all copyrights to custom mask designs and reserves the right to use images of completed masks for advertising purposes, as per agreed-upon permissions in non-disclosure agreements.
  • Originality Assurance: Theater Lunaire does not reproduce copies of pre-existing character masks by other artists, guaranteeing the uniqueness of your custom mask.

If you appreciate our aesthetic and are looking for custom masks that inspire and captivate, Douglas and Theater Lunaire are here to make your vision a reality. With our commitment to originality and imagination, we create mask characters that leave a lasting impression on both performers and audiences alike.

The custom mask making process involves:

Phase One:

  1. One-on-one collaboration about your vision and project needs, including a clear completion deadline.
  2. Once your mask design has your approval, sculpting a clay prototype is time.
  3. You will receive regular updates on the Mask’s progress and will have an opportunity to alter the Mask or Mask’s design at this point.
  4. Then it’s onto the final draft of the mask sculpture (clay form) and your final design approval.
Phase Two

  1. The approved Clay Mask Form will be cast in plaster to create a custom press mold of your Mask. Once your Mask is cast in plaster, there is no opportunity to change the clay form’s design.
  2. It’s time to create the papier-mâché mask in the press mold.
  3. The Mask is pulled from its plaster mold and will need a few days to rest, dry and cure.
  4. Detailing the Mask’s overall design includes the type of head strap, colour, texture… etc.
  5. You will receive updated photos throughout the painting and detailing phase of the creation of your Mask. You will have the opportunity to alter minimal features of the Mask’s cosmetic look.
Phase Three: Shipping and Delivery

Once your Mask or masks are finished and ready to make their journey, you will once again be contacted about the precise shipping day, delivery and shipping cost. The exact costs of shipping can’t be predicted until the masks are packed and at the shipping depot. This is due to varying shipping costs being subject to change and the distance the Mask needs to travel.

It’s important to know that we want to make sure your masks get to you as quickly and safely as possible. We take extra care packing your masks to ensure our mask collaborations get to you in perfect condition. We don’t like tight deadlines, especially when masks need to be in actors’ hands at a precise time. So we always build in extra time in our contracts, enabling us to have your masks in your hands days before, if not a week before you need them.

MASKS FROM PAST CUSTOM PROJECTS

Contact DOUGLAS (TheaterLunaire@gmail.com) to discuss your project and get a quote.

Custom work is priced according to each project. We strive to be upfront and honest with you throughout the custom mask-making process. It’s hard to give a rough price without knowing a few details about the individual project, the type of Mask or masks needed, how many you require us to create for your project, the materials and supplies needed, etc.

Generally, we have found that custom work per mask starts at about $900 and Up. We also keep the molds from your project for a year if you need another identical mask made due to loss, theft, or damage. We always make two copies of the Mask and keep one in reserve in case of unforeseeable events and for our companies archives. This does not mean you pay for both masks. It’s a security measure we take so that we can ensure you receive your mask or masks promptly and on time. There is also the option to buy the molds for your project, which is recommended if you will be touring your show for many years.

However, buying the mold does not give you full access to the copyrights of the Mask or the license to reproduce or sell the Mask as your own. You have the option to buy the copyrights to the designs, But Theater Lunaire and the artist who created the concept design reserve all rights to protect their intellectual property and the quality of their masks and concept designs.

We have been making masks for over 30 years, and there has never been a problem we can’t solve and fix with good communication and teamwork.

 

Custom Mask Making Checklist:

Here is a checklist so we can help you manifest your vision into reality. Let’s create something unique together.

  • Have an idea of what you’re looking to have created for your project. This can be in many forms like notes and personal sketches, vision boards, pictures and inspirational pics.
  • Your deadlines versus reality are based on creating custom masks for your project, how many and type of masks you need to be completed, the distance the masks need to travel.
  • Contact us at least six months before your project starts. It takes time to make a custom mask and a cast of Masks. We always build extra time into our contracts to account for shipping problems or delays.

Important Note if you are applying for art grants:

  • It’s best to give us as far in advance notice as you can, Within a two-year timeline of your upcoming project to guarantee that we can create your Mask.
  • You may need to supply some concept drawings or maquette photos in your project application. That will involve an upfront fee to pay the artist creating the basic concept designs for your character mask or masks. This fee will go to pay for the artist’s time and effort. Should you win the grant. The artist fee will be subtracted from your overall project total, But it is not refundable if you should not receive the grant. 

 

Testimonials:

“I’ve worked with Douglas on two separate projects.  Both times he delivered masterfully created, highly effective masks.  Doug makes masks with power in them–I am always surprised by their effect, and they always bring so much to the work I’m creating.  I highly recommend engaging Douglas Witt for your creative projects.”

David van Belle, Playwright/Theatre Creator