Just over two years ago, I was scouring the Internet looking for leather mask making tutorials. I had no experience working with leather, but had bought a veg tanned hide to make a bag. I looked at a few tutorials and made my first mask. The only thing that I did right was the paint. So I searched some more and found fantastic YouTube videos by Andrea Masse-Tognetti and Angela Sasser. I watched the Merimask episode on Martha Stewart repeatedly. Those video tutorials changed everything! Along the way, I discovered the works of Tom Banwell and developed a bad case of laser cutter envy. :) There are so many brilliant mask artists working with leather! My second mask was not only better, it was beautiful. I was hooked. I had no idea when I bought that first hide it would cause me to fall in love with an artform, become obsessed and start a business!
Since I love to teach, I toyed with the idea of making a tutorial. A few weeks ago, I saw that Tandy Leather was sponsoring a leather tutorial contest on instructables.com and it was just the push I needed. So in my spare time, while creating masks for customers, I did it! While it would be great to win, I already feel good about it. I hope that my tutorial will inspire and help budding mask artists like I was not so long ago. And maybe it'll even be good for my Karma!
Here's the link. If you like it, please vote for me!
http://www.instructables.com/id/Sculpted-Leather-Mask-Tutorial/Renee
BeZi Artful Designs
