Steampunk Oz

The Wizard's robot head is now complete, although I may tinker and add more cables and tubes as I go along.
It's taken a few weeks to get him right, because, as ever I'm figuring both the mechanism and the look of the piece as I go, and have added a few movements along the way. Some of these are quite subtle, such as the eyelid, but as a whole it works.

The mask started as a cheap plastic mask which I cut roughly to shape.
It was edged with florist wire and tape to give strength and covered on both sides with papier mache made from newspaper to give a good surface on which to build.
I've used a thick solid card and split pins here to give it a more angular and mechanical shape. The original nose was hidden below the triangular one. The edges of the card are secured with hot glue and covered with masking tape.
The jaw was built entirely from card, and as it was too light to drop open as the mechanism turned has about an inch of DAS inside it. A piece of rass wire created the jaw hinge.
Each section has a few layers of pva added along the way for strength and also as a good painting surface.


 

Brown and black acrylic are painted over the surface. I use a stiff brush to apply the raw paint and mix as I go, rubbing it back with paper towels. I don't use much paint, spreading it as far as it will, once dry I add more layers, often with a layer of glue in between.

Below you can see I've added some tubes and brass pipes as well as a telescopic eye from bits of brass and palstic.

The back part  of the head, which move it from side to side has a weird plastic bit added here. I did this because it needed a counter balance to stop it swinging to quickly. I will add some green fairy liquid to these.

Still lots of work to do 'behind the scenes' of the Wizard's head but I am pleased because this was the most complex part around which everything else will fit.