My
daughter calls this a dragon mirror and others reference Snow White quotes when
they look into it, but it was intended to look demonic. The picture here makes
the frame look glossy, but the finish is actually quite dull and antique looking
if you see it first hand. If you would like to try your hand at this project you
will need the following:
* 1 oval mirror (My wife picked this one up at a yard sale for five bucks)
* green floral foam - This is the kind of foam that you put in a flower pot and stick fake-me-out flowers into.
* Crayola Model Magic - I bought one of those buckets with 4 packages inside. I used three of them for this project.
* 2 styrofoam cones
* coat hanger
* spray adhesive
* dark gray latex paint
* gold spray paint
* utility knife, exacto blade, marker, wire cutters, paint brush
Design your mirror on paper first. I didn't bother making a template for this project because it would be too difficult getting it to stick to the foam. Once you have an idea of what your design will look like, lay your blocks of floral foam together and draw with magic marker directly on to the foam. For this particular project, I left out the teeth and horns, drawing just the face on one group of blocks and the bottom jaw on another.
To apply the foam, simply place a block of foam on the mirror frame where you will be attaching it and press down. The floral foam is easily imprinted with the section of the frame you are pressing it against. You now have an idea of the amount and location of the foam that must be removed from the block by the impression that has been made. Cut out the section imprinted to the depth of the imprint only. Repeat this step until your foam block fits snuggly to the frame. Then do the same for the next block.
To attach the foam blocks, spray the block heavily with a spray adhesive on any section that will be touching the mirror, frame or another foam block. With most spray adhesives, sticking parts together immediately will give you a permanent bond as opposed to waiting a minute before putting the pieces together for a temporary bond. In this instance, we want a permanent bond, so attach the pieces to the mirror immediately. You may notice that the adhesive doesn't stick very well to the foam, but for now it will do.
Once the blocks are in place, carve them with the exacto blade. This sounds harder Than it is. The foam cuts easily and you can shape it to an extent with your fingers by pressing on it. Plus, you don't have to get this part perfect. You are creating a basic armature, not a finished piece. Remember that the foam will be completely covered with the model magic.
Once the basic armature is shaped, it is time to work on the teeth and horns. The horns are simple. Cut the styrofoam cones to the length you want them. Cut two 4-6 inch lengths of wire hanger. Stick half the length of a piece of wire hanger into the bottom of your cone and then stick that into the foam head where you want your horn to go. Spray adhesive might help here as well.
The teeth are carved from the floral foam before they are attached. Spray the back of the teeth with adhesive and attach them onto the mirror surface. Use a 3 inch length of wire hanger for each tooth to secure it to the foam head by pushing it through the top front of the tooth and into the head.
Now
that your armature is finished, it is time to apply the Model Magic (from here
on in we'll refer to Model Magic as clay, even though it quite different in
texture). Many clays crack when they are applied over an armature. Model Magic
is no exception. So, two applications of model magic have to be applied. With
the first application, cover the entire armature and do the finish sculpting.
Smooth overlapping clay. by dipping your finger in a cup of water and rubbing
the overlapping seams together. This may add to the cracking, but cracks can be
filled. If you try this without the water, the clay. will crumble and become
unworkable. Let the clay dry for two days after the first application. If you
start filling in cracks after only one day, you may find more cracks the next
day.
One note about Model Magic: The product comes in foil-type bags and the manufacturer states that once a bag has been opened you have to use the entire contents because the bags weren't meant to keep it from hardening. Well, if you wrap up your extra Model Magic in plastic wrap it stays soft and can be used later.
After two days of drying, it is time to start filling in
the cracks. To do this, roll up little lines of clay and push it into the
cracks, letting it overlap slightly, then blend it in by rubbing it with a wet
finger. Do only a few cracks at a time. The clay only takes a few minutes to
become unworkable. Again, let the sculpture dry for a few days. You may find
yourself filling in a few smaller cracks later.
It's time to start painting. Do not use spray paint directly on the Model Magic. It will actually melt it. First, coat the sculpture with dark gray latex paint. Let the latex dry completely. Then spray the gold on. I didn't mask the mirror because it is easier to scrape the paint off later with a utility blade then it is to put masking tape on to begin with, so don't worry about getting paint on the mirror. When the gold paint has dried, it is time to age it. To do this, dip your brush into the dark gray latex and wipe the excess paint off onto a piece of cardboard so there is just a hint of paint on the brush. Now dab it randomly on sculpture, let it sit for a few minutes, then brush it out. I used this method to cover up imperfections in the sculpture as well as age it. Don't forget to paint the frame as well.
Scrape the excess paint off the mirror with a utility
blade after it dries. It comes of easily when it is dry, but makes a mess if it
is still wet.
That's it. You're done. You might want to place it in your haunt where your victim will approach it as opposed to walking by it. A person's own reflection makes a good distraction for a misdirection scare.