I wanted to do something for Halloween. This is the result.

I started by slapping some plastic wrap on the front of an anatomical skull model. This provided a form for the paper mache model, which I built up in layers using strips of newsprint and a PVA glue mixture.

After the paper mache was dry, I popped it off the form and filled it with spray foam. Since I knew I wanted to use phosphorescent paint for the eyes, I painted the inside of the eye sockets with white gesso.   Once the gesso dried, I applied a few layers of phosphorescent acrylic paint to the eye sockets.

I then poked holes for the mouth stitching and glued strands of sisal twine into these holes (I should have done this part before filling the back with spray foam, but for some dumb reason I thought this way would be easier).

Once the stitches dried, I gave the whole piece a series of brown and blue acrylic washes, then dry brushed accents with bone and white. Next came the arcane symbols, which I slapped on with hobby acrylics.

The final step was to give the whole piece a few coats of matte acrylic sealant.

I’m not sure what I’ll do with this yet, but I had fun.