This project uses few colors, so shading is key.
Ryuk is a recurring character in the manga series "Death Note." He is a high-ranking Shinigami, death god and is responsible for releasing a death notebook into the human world. As is the custom in this circumstance, Ryuk proceeds to stalk Light Yagami, who discovered Ryuk's death notebook. There are three main depictions of Ryuk in the manga, anime series and feature film. In the manga, Ryuk has a round face, square chin and tight skin. When re-imagined for the anime, animators drew Ryuk with a longer face, pointed chin and distinctly blue complexion. The anime design was faithfully followed in the CGI version of Ryuk used in the movie save the skin tone, which was changed to a waxy gray.
Instructions
1. Cut an ovular sheet of cardboard that matches the silhouette of Ryuk's face if viewed from the front.
2. Crumble balls of newspaper and tape them to the cardboard circle to build up the facial structure. Use rolled newspaper to create the ridge of Ryuk's brow and high cheek bones. Tape paper down to create a flat, pig-like nose.Ryuk's mouth can be represented as a hollow cavity or flat, black surface.
3. Spray the positive mold with an adhesive and place two layers of plastic wrap on top of it. Press the plastic wrap into the crevices that you want to show. Stretch the plastic wrap across undesirable canyons and valleys to create a flat skin surface.
4. Dry overnight in a well-ventilated area.
5. Coat the plastic wrap with a thin, even layer of petroleum jelly.
6. Cut 1/2-inch and 1/4-inch wide strips of newspaper.
7. Pour paper mache paste into a bowl.
8. Dip paper in the bowl to moisten and then lay gently on the plastic-wrapped mold. Build a single layer of paper mache and then dry for 1 to 2 hours in front of a fan.
9. Apply additional layers of paper mache. Be sure to dry the mask thoroughly between each layer to prevent the retention of moisture.
10. Cure for 72 hours in a well-ventilated area.
11. Peel the paper mache mask off of the plastic-wrapped mold. The mold can be wiped clean, dried and saved for later use.
12. Apply small pieces of paper mache to the mask to build up the wrinkles around Ryuk's eyes and nose. Additional layers of paper can also be used to patch holes and fix tears.
13. Dry the mask thoroughly for 24 to 72 hours.
14. Paint the skin gray or slate blue. Use a darker hue to fill-in wrinkles and to create shadows under the high-cheek bones.
15. Paint the widow's peak black or dark gray. Faux hair can also be glued to this spot.
16. Color the lips purple-black or blue. Fill in the mouth with yellow teeth and a black cavity. Fake teeth can be glued to the mouth to create a more realistic look.
17.Halve a ping-pong ball with a craft knife. Glue the ball to the mask as bulging eyes. Paint the balls yellow or beige. Shade the eyeballs so that they appear brown around the edges. Cut out the center of the eye where the pupil would be located.
18. Spray the entire mask with a matte acrylic sealer. Cure for 48 to 72 hours.
19. Apply a high-gloss varnish to the eyeballs and lips to create the illusion of moisture.
20. Carve out the paper mache behind the eyes so that you can see through the holes in the ping pong balls.
21. Cut a 12-inch piece of elastic. Staple the elastic to either side of the mask so that it can be worn and easily removed.
