Our page banner is a detail of a Buffalo mask from Burkina Faso.
Photo: (Creative Commons) © Andreas Praefcke
Designing an African Mask - Step 7
Styling the hair - 1
- On the light background draw a stylized design to represent hair or braids.
- A straight, simplified, linear design is used here to contrast with the curves on the rest of the mask.
Styling the hair - 2
- Cut out the stylized hair braid, flip it over and place it onto the dark side of the design.
- This completes the symmetry and is the final counterchange of the arrangement.
- The layout of the mask is now complete.
The Finished African Mask Design
- Once you have completed the arrangement of your design, glue the light shapes down onto the dark background.
- Take care to ensure that a neat line is formed down the middle of the mask where the two halves of the design meet.
- An accurate symmetry across this line is essential to the success of your image.
