Tongue and teeth
teeth finished with latex and acrylic
Plastazote cut into teeth with latex skin
Tongue in position within the mask
These elements are made from a sheet of flexible foam called Plastazote. This foam is most commonly used in packaging, with the object sitting in a shape cut to fit it's silhouette. This material is lightweight, water resistant and available in various thicknesses. The foam availible in the store cupboard is 0.6mm thick coloured Black. For my tester piece, I was able to use a thicker sheet from which a rounded tooth could be cut from with a scalpel. However, when I was ready to make my teeth only the thinner sheet of foam was available. To reduce costs, I simply stuck two sheets of the plastazote together using contact adhesive. Once the glue had set, I could then cut a tooth shape from the foam. Following my reference imagery, I cut an array of different tooth sizes that are exaggerated from the relative proportions found in real crocodiles. To further bond the two sides of the tooth together, the foam was then dipped in liquid latex to give a smooth skin for which to paint on. The teeth had to be repeatedly coated as the latex tends to drip down to the base of the tooth. This process proved rather time consuming, especially as I then had to cut out bubbles and large imperfections in the cured latex. I used the same method to make the tongue, cutting a slit down the centre so that it fit into to jaw of the helmet. Each flap at the back of the tongue glues into the chin while the tongue is secured down at its tip where it touches the inside mouth.
Tongue in position within the mask
These elements are made from a sheet of flexible foam called Plastazote. This foam is most commonly used in packaging, with the object sitting in a shape cut to fit it's silhouette. This material is lightweight, water resistant and available in various thicknesses. The foam availible in the store cupboard is 0.6mm thick coloured Black. For my tester piece, I was able to use a thicker sheet from which a rounded tooth could be cut from with a scalpel. However, when I was ready to make my teeth only the thinner sheet of foam was available. To reduce costs, I simply stuck two sheets of the plastazote together using contact adhesive. Once the glue had set, I could then cut a tooth shape from the foam. Following my reference imagery, I cut an array of different tooth sizes that are exaggerated from the relative proportions found in real crocodiles. To further bond the two sides of the tooth together, the foam was then dipped in liquid latex to give a smooth skin for which to paint on. The teeth had to be repeatedly coated as the latex tends to drip down to the base of the tooth. This process proved rather time consuming, especially as I then had to cut out bubbles and large imperfections in the cured latex. I used the same method to make the tongue, cutting a slit down the centre so that it fit into to jaw of the helmet. Each flap at the back of the tongue glues into the chin while the tongue is secured down at its tip where it touches the inside mouth.
When painting the teeth, I started with a base coat of latex mixed with white pigment. I was hoping that this would provide further coverage of the Plastazote's surface. I also found that small holes in the latex skin could be filled with thick, white acrylic paint.
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