gmhTODAY Fall 2023 | Page 72

Kids Corner : Cultural Mask Art

Guest Artists : Taylor Smith , age 9 , Kaylee Smith , age 12 , Evan Bowen , age 12 Nadine Quintero , age 11 , Avery Pemberton , age 9 , Aaron Fong , age 11

Mask making , decorating , and creating is fun . Here we are taking it to another level by decorating a premade mask with designs from different cultures . Ask your child what mask they would like to make as you research images online . Or maybe research masks from your own heritage .

When you find a mask image they like , print it out and take inspiration from the image for color and design , as each culture is unique . Prior to decorating , we talked about each culture and learned about the traditions behind the masks .
We disregarded the face on the premade mask and used a permanent black marker , referring to the printout image , to draw our designs on the paper mask . You can also use graphite paper and trace a face on the mask .
After the drawing was done , we painted large areas using acrylic paint . When dry , use permanent markers to fill in smaller areas . After all the color is finished , you can glue on embellishments if needed , such as gems , flowers , and any paper additions . Evan made the feathers on his African mask out of heavy paper , painted them , cut them out and glued them to the back of his mask so they stick up above his head . Use your imagination and the possibilities are endless .
SUPPLIES ( Above
Photo # 2 : ( Above ) Kaylee Smith uses permanent marker after painting the large areas black . Taylor ’ s paints her Chinese mask red .
• Pre-made mask
• Inspiration Image printed out
• Permanent Markers
• Acrylic paint
• Brushes
• Water container
• Paper plates for paint
• Gems , stickers , feathers , flowers
• Cover for work area
• Scissors & Glue
Photo # 4 : ( Above ) After drawing over the mouth & eyes of the premade mask , to create a Day of the Dead design , Aaron Fong paints in patterns .
Photo # 3 : ( Above ) Avery Pemberton designs her Venitian Mask as everyone works together to paint their cultural masks .
72 FALL 2023 gmhTODAY Magazine : Go . Make history ... gmhtoday . com