Deadmau5 fans! Can't stand not owning the head of everyone's favorite house music artist? You don't need to be a globe-trotter, or be nominated for a Grammy to look like your idol! Below you will find all the information you need to create your very personal and impressive Mau5 head.
Steps
There are two possibilities to create your own Deadmau5 head: you can rely on our advice or go your own way; in any case you will realize that knowing the actual size of Mau5's head, just like the one you certainly saw on stage, will definitely give you a big advantage. The head is made up of a central spherical component, two eyes, also spherical in shape, two large circular ears and an evil grin. The indicative measurements for each component are below. Of course feel free to make any necessary adjustments based on the size of your head!
- Central Sphere: 35.5cm in diameter with two ear slits.
- Eyes: they must have a diameter of about ten cm, they must be distant from each other by about 12.5 cm and be positioned just over 5 cm above the mouth.
- Ears: flat, round, rigid and slightly elongated in shape. They must measure approximately 33 cm in length (from the bases to the ends) and, when you fix them on the head, they must be about 9 cm apart from each other. Remember that the angle of the ears should be turned slightly towards the nape of the neck.
- Mouth: 50 ° "wedge" angle cut in the central part of the main sphere. The upper edge of the mouth is horizontally aligned with the two minor spheres which act as eyes. The edges of the mouth must reach the exact center of the sphere when viewed from the side.
Method 1 of 2: Construct Deadmau5's head with papier mache
Step 1. Inflate a beach ball
A beach ball is the perfect "mold" to use if, as in our case, you intend to use papier-mâché for the construction of the head of DeadMau5. If you are going to build on the above dimensions, you will need a ball that has a diameter of 35.5cm when inflated. Pour air into the ball until it is nice and firm and make sure it is capped properly - also remember that it is best to prevent it from leaking during the long drying process of the papier-mâché.
Of course, you can use any spherical object and not necessarily a beach ball. Any spherical object is appropriate for this use as long as it is rigid and is roughly the right size
Step 2. Cover the ball with paper mache
Later we will see how to use papier-mâché to create a rigid "shell" that will form the central sphere of DeadMau5's head. There are several ways to make papier-mâché, any method that works is fine. Once you have made the liquid mixture (based on water and vinyl glue), dip into it some thin strips of torn newspaper, then gradually spread them on the beach ball. Continue until the ball is fully coated and you can no longer see underneath the papier mache, make sure you have left an empty space around the air vent of the beach ball. Leave the ball to dry overnight.
The goal is to obtain a rigid and resistant Mau5 head, it is therefore advisable to apply several layers of papier-mâché. Some methods available on the web recommend applying as many as nine layers
Step 3. Don't hesitate to add more papier mache where and if needed, then remove the beach ball
The initial layers may turn out to be not as thick or stiff as you wish. Feel free to add more to your liking. Whenever you add layers of papier mache to your mask, it's best to let it dry another night. Finally, when you think that Mau5's head has taken on exactly the characteristics you wanted, open the air valve of the balloon and let it deflate inside. Once it is free of air, the balloon will surely be able to pass through the space you have left around the valve, so take it out.
Be careful when you throw the deflated beach ball out of the center sphere, as some spots may be stuck to the inside walls of the mask. So be gentle to avoid any tearing
Step 4. Cut out a hole for the head
Simply widen the hole made around the beach ball valve until it is the size of your head. Make small, neat cuts as you work, often making sure the hole is the size of your garment. - it is always possible to cut more, but it is not possible to undo cuts already made, so be careful!
Obviously, every person has a precise head size. A circular hole 17.7 to 20.3cm in diameter will fit most people, you may find that the hole needs to be wider or narrower
Step 5. Cut a hole for the mouth
What good is a DeadMau5 mask if you can't show off his evil smile !? Use a pencil or pen to trace the outline. The width of the corners of the mouth must be approximately 50 ° and they must both be positioned on the two opposite ends of the mask. In practice, the two corners should be aligned at an angle of 180 ° (in other words to the upper horizontal edge of the mouth). Use a knife to carve the center of the space where you have decided to place your mouth. Then, using a pair of scissors, carefully cut along the drawn lines until you have completely extracted the piece of papier mache from the main sphere.
Step 6. To build the ears, cut two cardboard circles (with tabs)
DeadMau5 has two large circular ears whose diameter measures just over 33 cm. To make an almost identical copy, simply cut two circles of the same size from a cardboard box, remember to leave a small tab on each ear to fit the slots you will need to make in the main sphere to fit in place. There is no need for the ears you create to match "exactly" the actual size of the real DeadMau5 mask, any diameter between 30.5 and 38cm will do.
Step 7. Insert the ears into the slots on the head
Use a knife to cut thin slits in the top of the mask head. These slots should be wide enough to accommodate the cardboard ear tabs. The slits should be oriented slightly towards the back of the head at an angle of about 15 ° from the vertical and should be symmetrically placed at a distance of about 9 cm from each other. Once the tabs are inserted into the slots, secure them using tape and / or glue.
Step 8. Finally, once inserted, add a few layers of papier-mâché on the ears
Add multiple layers of papier mache around the tabs both on the outside and inside of the mask, this will allow you to achieve optimal fixation. Let everything dry overnight.
Step 9. Cut a Styrofoam ball in half
Polystyrene balls, available at many craft and DIY stores, are an ideal and inexpensive solution for making Mau5 eyes. You will need a Styrofoam ball with a diameter of 11.5 cm, which will then be cut in half as accurately as possible (preferably with a knife, rather than scissors).
Step 10. If you like, attach colored lights to the back of the Styrofoam eyes using masking tape
If you want to experiment your artistic side, you can tape electric lights to the "flat" back of each eye to give your goggle an impressive effect in low light conditions. You might also think about engraving both eyes to incorporate lights into them. Once finished, you should be able to observe the light shining through the styrofoam, making your eyes appear sparkling.
Step 11. Glue the eyes to the head
DeadMau5's bulging eyes should be positioned approximately 5cm above the mouth and 12.5cm from each other. If you have decided not to use colored lights, you may want to stick the polystyrene eyes directly to the surface of the papier mache sphere. If, on the other hand, you have decided to use colored lights, it will be necessary to make small holes in the head to accommodate the wires of the lights. You can fix the eyes with duct tape or glue.
If you are using colored lights, run the threads (or wire) through two holes behind the Styrofoam eyes. If the lights are on, make sure you have the switch easily within reach. For example, when you wear the mask, you could try to slide it down your shirt and put it in a trouser pocket, so you can activate it when you want, without attracting attention
Step 12. Use a thin layer of mesh to internally cover the mouth
Stretch a layer of fabric (the same type used for the tights) along the ends of the mouth of the mask to fix the "teeth" of Mau5. To fix the fabric along the inside edges of the mouth you have two options: adhesive tape or hot glue. If the fabric you use is not white, dye it whitish yourself.
It is best to use very thin fabric so that when you wear the mask you will have no problem seeing where you are going
Step 13. Try on the mask
Once you have each part of the mask in place, make sure it is comfortable. It is the perfect time to make last minute changes to the Mau5 head in order to achieve a satisfying result both from an aesthetic and a technical point of view.
Step 14. Paint and decorate the mask to your liking
Congratulations, you've made your very own DeadMau5 head! All you have to do is decorate the outside as you wish. If you want it to have a more realistic look, based on those worn by the real DeadMau5 at his concerts, you can recreate it the same or draw inspiration from it. If you want to play it safe, use a "classic" bright red color.
Method 2 of 2: Construct Deadmau5's head with alternate materials
Step 1. Use fabric instead of paint
If you think you are comfortable with tailoring, fabric, compared to paint, is definitely a better choice as an outer coating for your mask!
Step 2. Try using a glass ball from a lamp instead of one made of papier mache (if you are tight with the times, avoid using papier mache as it takes time to dry)
A valid alternative for the central sphere of the head could be a thin but resistant plastic bowl, one of those that enclose outdoor lamps (even acrylic colors are fine). Obviously you will have to try to get as close as possible to the actual size of Mau5's head (35.5 cm in diameter). Clear plastic or glass globes are available from department stores and major garden furniture suppliers.
The ideal would be to find the plastic / glass bowl with a hole in the bottom that does not require modification to fit your head
Step 3. If you want to make the goggle more comfortable to wear, you may want to try mounting a bicycle helmet or hard hat inside
Again the methods of fixing the headgear inside the mask are: using hot glue, or if you don't want to damage the headgear, "a lot" of duct tape.
Heavy headgear, such as hard hats or helmets, can put stress on the materials that make up the mask when not wearing it. Make sure your Mau5 head is stiff and strong enough to support the weight of the headgear inside it, before it collapses and implodes
Advice
- Generally, the construction process takes about 5 days.
- If your electric eye lights burn out, you can always replace them with new ones.
- Avoid stepping on the head, once you have built it, it is not very resistant.
Warnings
- The hot glue is hot
- Don't stick your fingers together
- Be careful when handling knives and scissors
