Il Fiore Mask @ Midnight Order

 A long long time ago, in an age of sculpty prims and flexi skirts, a designer of beautiful ball gowns and formalwear came to me and a few other creators with a lovely dress design and basically said "let's make this a whole look".  I accepted her invitation, and was able to collaborate with some other creators I admired.  The outfit was Le Fleur, and of course my contribution was a mask.  This mask was quite a feat at the time for my burgeoning abilities and sculpty techniques, and I was quite proud of the flowers.  However, of course, time has marched on and it has now been relegated to the antiques section of my store.

 Imagine my surprise when I saw someone blogging it!  Eighteen years later!  My sculpty mask on a modern mesh head and outfit, with PBR lighting and it looked... okay? It sparked an urge inside me to drag the design into modernity.

 

 This is more of a re-imagining than a remake, but the spirit is there.  I liked the original shape and concept, and every time I tried to add embellishment to the mask itself or some flare to it, it felt wrong.  For this design it felt right to let the flowers take focus. 

 

 Once again, I'm most proud of the flowers.  I modeled them mostly after magnolias, and started with a simple array of an ovate mesh and contorted it with radial symmetry tools in Zbrush.   I actually used some cloth manipulation brushes, along with liberal use of polygroup masking to make those basic ovals into these delicate, curling, soft petals.  

The flowers weren't enough, though, and I simply wasn't happy with the shapes I was getting from the branch like forms I was playing with.  I scrapped them and went for feathers.  These feathers are a sort of mix of the ones from the Feather Mantle and the Volto Altiero/Altezza.  I blended aspects of them together and added a whole new collection of colors to play with.

 

Il Fiore, like "Le Fleur", means "the flower".  It can be found at the new round of Midnight Order starting today. You can also find my Ravenna Hennin and the Barocco Necklace and Earrings there for 25% off until August 20th.

 

Midnight Order @ Syndicate 

Cigno Curia Mask @ Engine Room

 I wasn't sure about being able to do another event so soon after another,  but after I got a message saying that The Engine Room had a spot for me if I wanted it, I felt I had to grab the opportunity.  The Engine Room is a Steampunk themed event that also welcomes other historically inspired and fantasy themed items, and since coming back to SL has become one of my "must see" shopping stops whenever I hear a round is going on.  For the past couple of years, I had an aspiration to one day be a part of it, since so many of my items fit the theme.  I'm happy to say that today, I am!  

 

 The Cigno Curia mask is a return to my roots, an ornate masquerade mask inspired by traditional Venetian maschereri. I couldn't be too ambitious with the limited time I had, but I figured I'd make a new variation on my Curia series.  Cigno means "swan", and is characterized by an elegant sweeping wing or feather shape framing the face.  Its usually a riff or variation on another character or style of mask, like a Volto Cigno or a Columbina Cigno.  My version is somewhat based on my Civetta mask, and offers eighteen color variations for the mask itself as well as my usual set of six metal colors for the accents, all accessible via an easy-to-use HUD.

 

With the Steampunk theme, it made me think of an item that would be a perfect option to update next. 

 

Despite a corrupted file that nearly prevented me from being able to complete this, I can thank a stray temporary quick-save file on an old computer for the high detail version of this mask. Because of this serendipitous savior I am so pleased to share that I have updated it with a new, higher definition model, PBR materials and HUD.  I also included the limited edition RFL colors that I released at Fantasy Faire in 2021, and added a blue color and a red vinyl option.  I have to say, the vinyl material really does pop with PBR materials and a reflection probe.

 

These can be found at the Engine Room event, which starts today and runs until April 20th.  

Curiata Remastered

    For thirteen years the Curiata mask has been one of my favorite designs.  It is one of my most distinctive masks, and it's become a symbol of my brand.  However, while I've grown in my skill and ability as a creator, the Curiata has aged, if not in its style then in its execution.  

I have been working on revisiting many of my most popular masks to update them to PBR and HUDs, but when I pulled this one out and took a good look at it, I realized it needed a little extra attention.  There was more to be done than just new materials.

Thanks to dutiful backups and my data hording habits, I was able to load up my original files and give this mask the update it deserves.

 

 

    The original mask was made to be extremely geometry efficient, but now after this many years I feel a bit better about using more vertices. It was also made for the original system avatar heads, so I made some subtle shape tweaks to fit modern mesh heads better.  Originally, I was limited to the twelve colors available in my touch script, but the HUD has no such limitations. I've added three new colors: the missing copper color that I had originally swapped out for Niobium, an orangey red gradient I've been calling "phoenix", and a green and red ombre that I just thought looked cool.

 A side by side comparison really lets you see the difference.

 

 This is the version of the Curiata that it always was in my head.  I don't think I ever imagined it being for sale for thirteen years but what better way to celebrate its anniversary than by finally bringing it to its full potential.  

 This update is available for free if you already own this mask.  An automatic update has been sent out, but if you did not get yours, feel free to visit the redelivery terminal at the store on the Twilight or reach out if you have any issues.  If you don't already own this mask, I've just put it out at Midnight Order for 25% off for half time through to the 20th.

 Midnight Order

The Twilight 

 

Verdan Mask @ the Autumnal Court Fae Faire Hunt

The Fae Faire: Autumnal Court starts today, and is my first "modern" hunt event.  I could shake a stick at the clouds and shout about how, in my day, hunt prizes were always free, but I have to say the themed areas and the quality of the prizes is a nice improvement.  The theme is autumn and fall fantasy, and while I still need to complete the gauged Seelie ears, I took a break from them to work on a blast from the past.

 Back in 2012, I hosted the Unseelie Ball, a night of dark fae themed revelry and dancing in my event hall on the Carnivale sim.  That was a long time ago, but after rummaging around in my old mesh files I found the mask I made as a party favor.  After some discussion with the folks in my Discord server they said they would be fine with old exclusives being available for normal sale.  I decided to set myself to fixing some of the oddities and issues with a mesh made I made back in 2012.  

 

After some remeshing, texture touch ups and a slew of new colors, I am pleased to reintroduce the Verdan mask as a release for normal sale.  It is now updated with PBR materials, with new colors in a range inspired by the colors of leaves and fall foliage as well as my metallic colors.

However, as this is a hunt event, you have the option to search for discounted versions with more limited HUD's for just 25L each

Come explore the beautiful fall themed sim and find prizes from myself and exclusive items from many other talented creators, like my friend Violaine who has a gorgeous set of fairy wings to find.

Fae Faire runs from today to November 24th on the Seas of Eden sim.

Illusions @ the Halloween Shop & Hop 2025

 It's been a busy few months for me in real life, but I'm happy to be back at this year's Halloween Shop & Hop! 

I've been quietly working on some modest projects with the time I have currently.  I am very pleased to share that I have now released my Batty Mask, a previous limited time freebie, with a new HUD and PBR materials just in time for Halloween.

 

I don't know if you would consider it a new release, but it's something!  I am going to try to go through my old mesh files for event exclusives and other items that were only available for a limited time, and update or otherwise finish them so that they might be released for normal sale.

Speaking of event exclusives, part of participating in the Shop & Hop is contributing a new item as a freebie.  This year I whipped together a variation of an old mask I once made in a new color. 

 

 

Inspired by my old Phoenix mask, the Raven Mask can be picked up for free from the black and purple giftbox on the stand in my stall.

Another bit of news is that my good friend Violaine Villota of Fancy Fairy has recently returned to Second Life.  Like me, she took a long break from creating things but has come back to bring her gorgeous art into the metaverse with all of the fun new tricks we have to play with.  Since she is still working on updating her work and building up an inventory, I let her have some space in my stall.  She makes incredible fairy wings in real life as well and I highly recommend checking out her website. 

You can find us both on the Chickory sim, where you can pick up the Raven mask as well as a gorgeous iridescent set of fairy wings by Violaine for FREE!  All items there are also 20% off!  There's no better time to grab a set of elf ears or a mask for an upcoming event.

Illusions & Fancy Fairy @ the Halloween Shop & Hop 2025

Ladro Mask

It's a spooky season surprise!  I have another release, just in time for October, and for Fallen Gods' 16th anniversary celebration.  Unlike me, the distinguished Mr. Baroque never took a multi-year hiatus which makes his achievement certainly worth celebrating.  He and his partner were kind enough to invite me to have a spot in the marketplace on Selidor and that was good motivation for me to finish up a project I've been working on in drips and drabs.

Something that surprised me, once I started paying attention to my market listings again, is that of all the things that I sell in my store one of my old sculpted masks from 2011 (!!) was still selling pretty regularly.  While that's quite a compliment, I realized if that's still selling then it's about time people have a mesh option.

The Ladro mask is a classic rogue's style bandit mask, made of supple leather and tied behind the head with a knotted cloth.  Included is a version of the mask without the sash as well, and two different fits for masculine or feminine faces.  One has a pronounced brow and wide forehead, the other has softer features.  If that's not enough options for you, I also am trying out something fun with Bakes on Mesh.

While it's been out for a few years now, Bakes on Mesh is new to me, and after learning about it and seeing what it's all about I decided to experiment with it.  I figure everyone else is used to it by now but just in case you're out of touch like me or haven't been paying much attention, here's the basics:  When you wear an object, instead of using a texture from inventory, you can now assign it to read a texture from a wearable clothing layer.  If you wear both the object and the clothing at the same time, the item looks to the clothing layer for its color information and updates it along with your skin and other worn textures to show the viewer one, "baked on mesh" texture to download.  Now, the cool thing about this is that there's virtually no limit to how many clothing layers you can wear, which means that, without any scripts or extra geometry, you can have a tintable base layer underneath a shading and highlight layer, allowing you to infinitely customize the color as you wish.

 

    In the past I've considered doing this with actual geometry layers, in fact I did do this with my ears, but decided against it as a common practice because that much extra weight on your character was... well, quite gauche.  Now we can have the best of both worlds: any color you'd like, but without losing the fidelity of the texture details.  You'll notice, though, that I am also still selling this as a scripted mask with my usual texture choices.  I am still experimenting with BoM and not willing to completely swap over just yet.  Let me know how this works for you, if it was easy to use, and if you prefer it to the scripts.  I think some of my pre-made textures are still nicer than some of the similar colors I got with tinting, but if people really like this I'm willing to start implementing this with existing designs.

And, before you ask, yes I've been working on this for the elf ears!  It's still in progress.

The Ladro Mask can be exclusively found on Selidor for the next few days, in the beautiful marketplace there.  It will be released more generally on October 5th at my store and at the upcoming  2023 Halloween Hop and Shop.

Ladro Bandit Mask: 325L

Civetta and Farafallina Curia

I'm happy to say that I did get a chance to do as I hoped, and have another Curia mask to share with you all. Two, in fact!

The Civetta Curia was the original partner to the Columbina Curia, and had the same issues with its construction that bothered me.  Despite that, it's been the "mascot" mask of my brand for many years, so I'm happy to replace it with this newer version.  Again, the geometry is much smoother and more efficient, the shapes a bit more defined, and I got rid of a central element I had been waffling back and forth over.  After six or seven years my blog banner could use a refresh, huh?

Speaking of refreshes, the Farafallina was the first mesh mask I released, in fact it was the first mesh item I ever released, way back in 2011.  I was just learning how to do things, and while the geometry was really not that bad, I had sort of goofed on the UV seams.  I decided to give it a refresh, give it the "basic mask collection" treatment, and update its color selection to match the other basic masks I have out right now.  I ended up adding in those metal textures after all.  Of course, if it's going to be a basic mask, it needed a fancier version.

The Farafallina is slimmer and more delicate than the Civetta, but they were similar enough shapes that it made adapting the pieces pretty simple.  This one has become a favorite to wear around.  I don't know if it has the surface area for the Barocco details but I like how this one turned out.

These are available now at my store on the Twilight and on the marketplace.

 

Civetta Curia: 295L

Farafallina Curia: 295L

Curia... again

 When I first started getting comfortable with making mesh items one of the first masks I made was the Columbina Curia, a meditation on pretty, curly flourishes that I can't seem to get enough of.  I had fun designing and sculpting and tracing pretty swirls all over my new mesh masks.  Unfortunately, now that I am looking at all of my mesh items as a collection I realized it's a weak link.  As I took new pictures of my masks to update all of my vendors I just couldn't quite get myself to give the Civetta and Columbina Curia the same treatment.  At the time, I just didn't have the chops to do the concept justice, so I made some clumsy mistakes. 

With the new standardized basic shapes providing a potent platform for pretty permutations, I wanted to revisit the Curia.  I opened up some 10(!) year old files and threw my improved skill and experience at a new version to satisfy my insatiable perfectionism.

The new Columbina Curia uses the same base mask and color options as the basic Columbina, along with my six metal trim colors for the flourishes.  The geometry is smoother, the textures are silky smooth, and the mask is a single object now to make fitting much easier and more customizable to your avatar.

For comparison, here is the old version in the same color combo:

I won't pretend it's terrible, I can understand it still has some appeal.  Where I see the flaws, I know some people might see the charm.  The two versions are distinct enough from each other that the old version could be missed if I did away with it completely.  Because of this, I'm going to keep the old version for sale, but the vendors will not be updated to the new standard and the prices will be discounted.  

I think it's funny that in that original blog post I predicted that one day I would look back with the "facepalm of hindsight" at this mask.  Well, now that we have reached "one day" I will be more kind to myself, and recognize that it held up pretty well considering its age.  I just can't help but always want to strive for better.

Like the Barocco pieces, I plan on creating Curia versions of some of my other basic masks, starting with the Civetta and I'll see where I go from there.  

The new Columbina Curia is out now at my store on the Twilight and on the marketplace.

Columbina Curia: 295L

Civetta and Civetta Barocco

 I can't explain how or why but in the past month I've had a bug, an itch, to fiddle with things on Second Life.  This hasn't happened to me in a long time and I've seized upon it in order to get some things done around here.  

It was long overdue that I update my mesh items to my "new" vendor system (from 2017 oh my god how was that six years ago?) and took a good look at my store inventory.  I got rid of some things that were still up at the Twilight that I think were truly obsolete and reduced the price on many older sculpted items.  I am still in the process of going through those and plan on reducing more items to reflect their vintage.  I was happy to see some things still look pretty good in this day and age of fancy bento stuff and newfangled animesh but I still felt like making some tweaks where I could.  

I've added some new colors to the Bauta, Mezza, and Columbina masks, and their Barocco counterparts.  I decided to add orange and brown, but since I can't leave well enough alone I also added more metallic options than just the gold and silver so they now have all of my six metal options too.   It makes for a very luscious effect and... oh... right... yeah, I made another one. 

 

I know, I know, another release?  Has it been a year already?  No, I just stayed up late every night after the baby fell asleep because I realized that I had never just released a simple mesh version of the Civetta mask.  There was the Civetta Curia, the Civetta Musica, but where was just the Civetta?  Gotta have those simple options.

"Civetta", the Italian word for owl, is a nod to the shape of the mask and how it frames the eyes.  What once was too simple to be exciting to my novelty starved brain is now totally in my lane for my current limited time budget.  It too got the extra color treatment, and now my simple masks all have the same metal and color options.  If I get a chance I might even update the Farafallina to have metal options.  Are you getting sick of the barocco masks yet? Maybe I'll do a version for that one too....

In any case, it's nice to work on things again.

Civetta Mask: 125L

Civetta Barocco Mask: 325L

Columbina and Columbina Barocco

As you can imagine, this past year has gone by in a blur of diaper changes and sleepless nights as I adjust to motherhood, as well as settling in to our new home.  Yet things have calmed down enough in the past month or so, that, with some help, I was able to make some time to make a new thing.

It's been a while, I had to blow the dust off of my programs and remember all of the hot keys.  I decided to do something easy and quick that would still be very satisfying.  Ever since mesh was released I kept saying to myself I'd make a run of simple, flexible, infinitely versatile basic mesh masks, but I kept putting them off to do more ambitious projects.  Since saying I'm feeling unambitious lately is an understatement, this was a good opportunity to do just that. 

Columbina is one of the classic characters from commedia dell'arte, her name meaning "little dove".  She often poses as a love interest and the only functional intellect on the stage.  The mask is elegant and characterized by the smooth line from nose to cheek and upswept sides. 

 I did warn everyone though that when I released the Mezza Barocco mask that I'd be using those pieces again.

Along with the Bauta Barocco, the Columbina Barocco offered a sumptuous way for me to capitalize on previous work done to make something new.  It was something that I was able to put together in the time that I had, generously donated by my mother as she kept my rambunctious offspring at bay. Along with this, I realized I had another quick and easy project I could release with a bit of spit and polish.

Another basic mask was hiding all along underneath that Mezza Barocco.  I cleaned up the textures a bit and added a gold and silver version, to match the others, and put that together as a simple, clean alternative.  Can never have enough options, and of course the more basic mask shapes the better.  Different shapes will look good on different faces!  As always they are all modifiable, I still leave them unrigged so you can stretch and reposition them to fit your avatar's face, as long as it's vaguely anthropomorphic.

 

While I had originally hoped to have these done in time to participate in Fantasy Faire, I decided to take the win of finishing anything at all.  These masks are now for sale on the marketplace and in my in-world location at the Twilight. 

Columbina: 115L

Columbina Barocco 325L

Mezza: 115L

Illusions @ Fantasy Faire 2021

It's certainly been a year, hasn't it?  I hope you and your loved ones have been staying safe, hiding inside, basking in the dim glow of LED screens staying entertained in quarantine.  Once again I have come out of my own hole in the ground in order to release something for Fantasy Faire: the one event in Second Life I simply can't bear to miss. 

Are you guys sick of masks yet?

Well, I guess I could always make "I Survived a Pandemic" T-shirts, but I get the feeling you guys might like a mask better.

 

The Vaporbecco is my interpretation of the popular steampunk vision of the Plague Doctor mask.  "Vaporbecco" literally means "steam beak" in (bad) Italian.  I wanted to model the brass goggles, the machined metal beak tip, and of course everyone's favorite steampunk motif: rivets.  In case you missed my old post about the Plague Doctor, the distinctive beak shaped mask was developed in the time of the black death.  They had the general  idea that being around sick people was a bad idea, but they believed that the reason was because of "bad air" or "malaise".  To protect themselves, doctors would clothe themselves in oiled robes and a mask stuffed with sweet smelling herbs.  Rather than having the herbs right up against their faces, they created the beak shape for a pocket, and thus we have the eerie bird-like silhouette of the Dottore Pestere.  For what was known about sickness at the time, it was a rather reasonably engineered piece of personal protective equipment.

Steampunk culture seems to have embraced the plague doctor, who might be seen seen as a tragic hero of a bygone era.  A plague doctor muddled through a harrowing time, using their best understanding of the science of disease, while protecting themselves as best they knew how.  You know, kinda like how we're doing right now.  

 

 

 

For RFL I've put out two unique colors not included with the original mask, for roughly half the price.  They still allow you to change the rivets and metal details, but not the mask itself. 

These will be available for sale on the Fantasy Faire sim of Tempest Bay, where you can find my store from April 22nd to May 9th.  It's sort of pirate themed so I've also put out a couple of my old pirate hats and the Niobium Alato mask from 2018.  I would love to have done more this year but truly real life is just kicking my butt.  This year has been so crazy in a lot of ways, and has certainly kept me busy.  As always I appreciate your patience, and I hope you enjoy this spooky and iconic mask in honor of the... (hopefully) unique experience that was 2020.  

Illusions @ Fantasy Faire 2020

 Oh hey there. 

With all that's going on in the world at the moment, I'm relieved and happy that Fantasy Faire is happening again this year.  With so many of us having to stay home and avoid gatherings, Second Life can provide a way for people to come together and socialize safely. It's also a celebration of the fantasy genre in Second Life as well as contributing to Relay for Life, so of course I crawled out of my hole once again to make a few pretty things.

It's been longer than I'd like to think about since I last released a Bauta, a classic Venetian mask that's long been a staple of Venetian Carnivale.  I'm long due for a new rendition. 

The Bauta has a unique shape that, when worn, actually changes and deepens the sound of your voice.  So if you're out and about and up to some discrete debauchery, not only does the mask disguise your face, but your voice as well.  Plus, you can drink wine while wearing it, which is a part of all good debauchery sessions.

 

But of course I can't do anything so plain without elevating it with my favorite thing: curls and swirls.  The Bauta Barocco might seem a bit familiar, because the Mezza Barocco is kind of its sibling. I've been wanting to use the library of pieces I made for that mask for a while, so this project was a way to do that.  I still intend to elevate a few more basic mask shapes with these details in the future, so you can expect more members of the family.... eventually.

Of course, for Fantasy Faire, one needs to have an item that donates the proceeds to Relay For Life, The Bauta Diamonte is a classic pattern often found on Bautas, evoking Arlecchino (or more often known as Harlequin).  I've also put out the Shikoba necklace from last year out for just 25L.

These items can be found at my Fantasy Faire stall on the gorgeous Zodiac sim.  It's such a treat to once again be on Alia Baroque's build, as he always does a gorgeous job and I find our respective styles complement each other beautifully.  I recommend exploring the entire sim, there are many details and picturesque views to enjoy.

See you there :)

Illusions @ Fantasy Faire 2017

It's been almost exactly a year since my last post... that's a bit sobering. However, I'm alive, and well, and my life has finally been configuring itself in to something that looks like it could maintain me being more (aka, at all) active on SL again.

My long time friend Selos Dae has both nudged me gently and shoved me stubbornly in the direction of getting back into making things, and she convinced me to sign up for Fantasy Faire this year. It's an adjustment, coming back and seeing all of these new conventions and revelations and things that have changed while I've been gone (bento? mesh heads?!) but within the overwhelming unfamiliarity there have been some moments of amazing warmth. As I poke my head meekly back into the world, everyone I've spoken to has been more than welcoming and kind. Honestly, I'm surprised you guys remember me at all, yet I've had people enthusiastically greet me and tell me they're happy to see me. When I express guilt and sadness that I haven't been able to make anything in such a long time, they've said that if I even have one new thing they're happy for me.

That makes me especially relieved, because that's literally all I have. One new thing. Well, that and a new vendor design.

The Mezza Barocco is a mask I've been working on for a while now. I told myself to get back into things slow and work on something that I love: curls and swirls. I adore the baroque carved plaster style of certain traditional Venetian masks and I just went wild with this one. Lots of iterations of different pieces and shapes and refinement have ended up with me having quite a library of little baroque pieces I look forward to peppering into other creations.

The new vendor design is inspired by the minimalist look I'm noticing with a lot of my contemporaries.  I actually really like it, I love doing detail work and having so much of the space of the image focused on just my creations feels decadent.  I also wanted to simplify things and just go ahead and show color options right there on the vendor image.  I think this will work great on the marketplace and on wherever I end up in world.

I want to re-work my in world vendors to use a new system (one that does automatic loyalty points and re-delivery) but one thing at a time.  For now, I made a thing.  I think it's a pretty thing.  It's at Fantasy Faire, if you care to join me there ♥

Joker & Jolli Musica

I'm working hard on the new sim, and I hope to have an update about that soon.  In the meantime, I got into We ♥ Roleplay for June. Since I needed something new, it gave me the opportunity to make a variation on the Joker and Jolli I had planned since the start.  When I originally made them, I had wanted to make a "musica" version as well.

 They look so sinister with the eyes hidden, which is one of the things I love about them!  That's an option you can toggle on and off with the other Joker and Jolli masks as well, and it adds a certain mystique to them. 

They're currently only available at We ♥ Roleplay, and for 25% off of their price!  You can pick them up for 400L each, and they include my usual metallic selection of colors which includes sterling, antiqued and tarnished silver, and bronze, copper and gold.

We ♥ Roleplay @ Evanda Island

Joker & Jolli

It's been ages, but remember my Mardi Gras Masquerade? I've been sitting on my event masks for that party, working on colors and tweaking them mercilessly.

I like to do traditional Venetian masks for Mardi Gras, and this is no exception.  This year, I decided to do Joker and Jolli masks!

The jester motif is a popular one amongst mask makers.  It's playful, ornate, and beautiful but irreverent.  It's based on the medieval tradition, the crest emulating the classic "ass's ears" hats of jesters.  They often have a chin piece as well that emulates a pointed collar, however I felt it would be awkward when actually worn by an avatar so I didn't bother.

The male version was a pain in the ass's ears!  I completely remade this guy from the ground up after the party.  I had a lot of trouble balancing the exaggeration and stylization I wanted with my natural instinct to try and make things more realistic and flattering.  The first mask I didn't take far enough, and some other pieces that ended up on the chopping block went too far.  This, I feel, is a good balance.  I wanted it to be sly, mischievous, almost evoking a goblin.

Both of these masks easily change from being playful and whimsical to rather mysterious and sinister with the "eye blanks" I put in.  I made it so you can have the option of blacking out your eyes, and it makes for a spooky effect:

I went overboard on the colors for these, doing nine colors for each color accent (gold and silver) as well as three extra colors each which are mixes, like gold, green and purple for mardi gras!

I especially love how the texture for the crest came out.  I printed on that luscious damask with alphas in Zbrush and it was so worth it.  I also utilized specular and normal maps to bring up the details so the damask shimmers a little and the metallic trim on the mask shines when the light catches it.  Have I mentioned how much I love having specular and normal maps?

Anyway, the mask is currently available at Fantasy Faire, and on the marketplace.  It'll be out at my store on Carnivale after the faire is over!

Out now at the faire
On the marketplace:
Joker: 550L
Jolli: 550L

Alato Mask

After the Luminous Masquerade I had some people asking whether or not I was going to sell the mask I gave out as a party favor.  I usually don't, to keep the masks unique, but I really liked the shape so I decided to revisit it and turn it into a simpler, classic and versatile mask.

Alato means "winged" in Italian, but of course when I read it I keep reading "a lot o'" mask, heh.  However, the name suits the shape.  The points coming down the cheeks are flattering on both men and women, and I went for a soft, gritty metallic look with the texture, with muted colors. 

 

This is actually the first mask I've made utilizing the specular and normal maps,  and I love the detail and effect they add.  My items from now on will be using them, so that's something to look forward to!

Out now at the store
On the marketplace: Alato Mask: 185L

Civetta Musica

Happy Mardi Gras!  Or Pancake Tuesday, however you want to look at it.  Today I had pancakes while wearing a mask so there's no reason you can't celebrate both.  Today is the actual day of Mardi Gras but of course I'll be celebrating with you guys on the 15th. 

To ease back into working after my absence (which I do owe you an explanation for and will probably write something up later) while not having a huge project with potential to run away with me, I browsed through my inspiration folder and found a simple and elegant mask in the musica tradition of Venetian mask making.

There's a tradition in Venice of making some masks with old sheet music.  Very often it's Italian opera, perhaps because it's romantic.  Personally, I think it's because if you're making masks out of paper anyway you might as well make it pretty paper.  But in any case, it was high time that I made my own "musica" mask.

  I love the baroque look of so many detailed curls and swirls, here I used some PS brushes turned alpha by the talented Coy Dreamer, whose work I also used in my Volto Altezza and Altezzoso masks.  But, I also love the three-dimensional look of my usual curlicues and sculpted filigree that I think I've become known for.  With this mask, I tried to marry the two so they could blend together to compliment and enhance each other.  Plus, it lets me add stones! 

Twelve different stone colors

Six different mask colors

Happy Mardi Gras!  Maybe I'll see you wearing it at my masquerade.

Out now at the store
On the marketplace: Civetta Musica 225L

Olokun Helm

Now that I'm finished with the Mystic Chains, I can finally shake off some of that frustration and get back to working through commissions.  Next one up is one designed by Darlingmonster Ember, who sent me a sketch of a concept she had in mind, and let me run with it.  She described a dark Mer helmet, a sort of unseelie headdress with tendrils and scales.

When she said Mer, my mind went to iridescence and the colors of abalone.  I wanted the tendrils to be a part of the helm, and while I tried the stone in the center, it didn't seem right with a half-mask. I added my own flare to it, giving it a polished, armor-like definition. 

Darlingmonster suggested we name it Olokun, for the West African goddess of the deep sea.  She's associated with the underworld, as the ruler of the sea floor where all dead sea creatures eventually lie, and rebirth and renewal, for those dead sea creatures become food for others.  She's depicted as a beautiful, black mermaid, and is known as the guardian of secrets.  For what was originally dreamt of as a mer helm, it seemed the perfect name.

In addition to the iridescent peacock colors shown in the picture, it also includes my usual palette of metal colors: copper, bronze, gold, and sterling, antiqued and tarnished silver.  You can also set the tendrils or the helm itself to be invisible, so if you'd like to simplify it you're free to do so.  There's also made a male version fit for classically masculine features, with a thicker brow and harsher cheekbones.  It's made to be worn with "half shaved" styles of hair,  such as Wasabi Pills' "Morgan" style, or no hair at all. 

Out now at the store: 150L
On the marketplace: 175L

Curiata

Since I still feel like I'm in my motivation dry spell, I decided to ask my friends for inspiration.  The ever helpful and lovely Evangeline Miles suggested I do something like laser cut masks .  One of the images clicked with me and I realized I could probably do something like that now with mesh.

It came a lot easier to me than I was expecting.  I sketched out some lovely curly prettiness in Zbrush, then followed the design in Blender to get my final geometry.  When I got it into Zbrush for sculpting, I was pleasantly surprised at how well it had worked!

 I might have gotten carried away, but I love the results.  Admittedly, it turned into something similar to the Columbina and Civetta Curia trim I did, which is why I gave it the name Curiata.

Unlike the Curia masks, this one has no "backing" which makes it more delicate and feminine.  For colors, I did my usual range of black, gray (silver) and white, and red through purple and pink.  I had eleven out of twelve colors after that though, so I decided to have fun with the last one.

Have you ever heard of Niobium?  If not, you might not have seen the beautiful and crazy colors that come out when it's anodized.  It's generally a gradient of purples and blues to cyan, but can sometimes have golds and pinks in it as well.  I thought I might have a bit of fun and include Niobium amongst my usual metal options.

I'm aiming to make more masks in the time leading up to Mardi Gras.  After all, it's only a month away!  I'll keep you guys updated on when the masquerade will be.  And of course, that'll be the perfect place to wear this one ;)


Out now at the store
On the marketplace: 315L

Unseelie Mask

In my Unseelie Masquerade post, I posted teases of the mask I wore that was subsequently awarded to Lady of the Unseelie, Yukio Ida.  Now I can happily present to everyone the mysterious and otherworldly mask of the Unseelie.

Creating this mask was an exercise in overcoming a creative block.  I pulled it like a stubborn weed out of my head, and it fought me every step of the way.  Fortunately, with my friend Selos and the freedom of Zbrush's Dynamesh feature, I put together every permutation I could until I found something that I loved.

The Unseelie mask is inspired by the delicate leather masks of more modern mask makers, and inwardly I've always associated the intricate tendrils and airiness leather allows with dark fairies.  I came up with the basic shape of the mask very quickly, but put it aside as it lacked the regal complexity I was after.  However, after trying a dozen other ideas that I didn't like anywhere near as much, I came back to it.  I decided to try and jazz it up more, but I still liked the original's sinister simplicty.  I realized with a very easy adjustment I could compromise and have both the version that was fit for the royalty of the Lady of the Unseelie and the more conservative base.

I separated the mask into two pieces, a mask and a headpiece.  They fit together so that when both are worn, it looks like one fabulous mask, but the pieces can be separated if need be to have a simpler mask or a delicate diadem.  They compliment each other but look lovely apart.

This mask is just one of the two I made for the party, but unfortunately I'm having a bit of a creative fit over the male mask.  Usually, I release the two together, but seeing as how this one is ready to go and the other still needs work, I decided not to keep you waiting.  Plus, this mask is unisex, and certainly holds well on its own.

Out now at the store
On the marketplace