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A couple weeks ago, i posted an initial batch of reviews on mask books, a sampling of some of the works i've been reviewing as potential textbooks for my upcoming class on maskmaking and costume armor. I've made my way through another batch of them, so here's a "part two" installment, including a couple of armor books i'm definitely using. There may or may not be a "part three."
First up is...
Masks and Masking: Faces of Tradition and Belief Worldwide, by Gary Edson
Dense academic prose, ahoy! This book, published in 2005, takes a look at the role of masks largely in indigenous non-European cultures, and is written with the sort of circuitous scholarly vocabulary i find obfuscative (look, it's rubbed off on me). If you are interested in cerebral analysis of meaning, symbology, and iconography in masking, tempered with a whole lot of philosophical musings on human nature, this is the book for you. It is full of a lot of extremely detailed pen-and-ink drawings of masks from cultures all over the world, some of which are apparently previously undocumented. I think it will be useful to have on the bookshelf in my workspace as a reference for students to get inspiration and research images from, but i'm not going to require anyone to read it.
The Mask Handbook: A Practical Guide, by Toby Wilsher
This is a brand-new 2007 textbook, so new they had to glue a register into the back of it for me to check it out of the university library. Wilsher co-founded the Trestle Theatre Company, a performance group well-known for its innovative maskwork. This is a short little book (188pp) full of an enormous amount of useful, fascinating, succinct information on masking. Wilsher covers mask origins and history, techniques for making and using masks, info on writing theatre pieces for maskwork, and even some exercise suggestions for actors working with masks. I'm evaluating it from the perspective of someone teaching production technique, and i like that it includes lots of info on working with masks--to build a good mask, an artisan needs to know what working with a mask is like, needs to consider how it will be used and worn, or how it might potentially be freeing or limiting to its wearer, etc. I'm seriously considering adding this one to my syllabus as a required text.
On the subject of armor...
Basic Armouring: A Practical Introduction to Armour Making by Paul Blackwell
This is essentially a primer for fighters in the Society for Creative Anachronism who are considering making their own armor. Blackwell is not messing around with kostoomy crap here, he's talking about how to make metal plate armor meant to be worn by real people who are really going to hit each other with sticks and clubs and rattan canes and other non-sharp-stabby swordlike things. He includes a lot of great info on armor padding and a whole host of actual pattern shapes for various pieces of armor. Even if you aren't going to be making steel armor, the patterns and instructions are valuable for adaptation to thermoplastic or foam or fiberglass or other costume-material construction methods. Highly useful, and what's more, my students will probably be overjoyed to learn that Blackwell's book is available as a free downloadble PDF at the above link. I printed mine out and put it in a 1/2" binder for tabletop reference.
Amethyst Angel's Guide to Making Really Kickass Costume Armor, by Teresa Dietzinger
I really wish this book had a different title. I dunno, i'm not a prude about cussing by any stretch of the imagination, but i feel like in the case of this excellent, thorough, well-put-together book, the jokey-foul title really undermines the credibility of the author initially. Everyone that has seen it on my desk has made a disparaging remark, and i'm put in the position of having to defend its usefulness as a text in a graduate program. But trust me, believe me when i say to you, this is an excellent book for an introductory look at costume armor that doesn't utilize potentially dangerous and difficult materials like fiberglass!
Dietzinger is a cosplay enthusiast (folks who make elaborate costumes, usually of characters in Japanese animation, video games, etc., usually for the purpose of wearing them to conventions) who makes highly-detailed lightweight armor from foam and plastic. The book is written for the absolute beginner--early chapters introduce common hand tools and sewing equipment, discuss how to take accurate measurements of the body, and suggest methods for making your own dress form to work from. What i think is so exciting as how well Dietzinger illustrates her method with step-by-step photographs. The book really covers all aspects from start to finish, too--patterning tips, painting techniques, how to do relief details, even tips on shipping and storing and materials sourcing.
The link above goes to the page for the black-and-white version of the text, which is the one i'm going to recommend to my students. However, i think it's great that Dietzinger also offers her text in a full-color option and in a CD format as well, for different price-points. When i put out my own stuff later this year, i'm going to go that route as well. It's cool that the dedicated costumer who wants to shell out for the full-color printed work can do so, whereas someone who might be unsure whether they really wanted to try armor-making could go for the less-expensive CD or B&W text.
And, i've got a few cool links to share as well:
Theater Helper is a blog after my own heart! Written by theatre professional Laura Salvaggio, Theater Helper is chock-full of tutorials and advice on a range of tech topics: propbuilding, lighting, scenic painting, carpentry, etc. I created a syndicated feed for it for LiveJournal users, so you can add it to your friends lists if you wish:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-syndicated.gif)
theater_helper
The Utah Shakespeare Festival has put up a 2-minute video clip (QuickTime required) of the world premiere i worked on this past summer, Lend Me a Tenor: The Musical. See if you can spot the millinery-malfunction, much to my chagrin, which occurred during first dress...
Brian Dickie's blog is a wonderfully chatty, snapshot-filled blog written by the general director of the Chicago Opera Theatre. Even if you aren't an opera fan, it's a fascinating look into the daily anything-but-routine of an opera company's director, and occasionally has fun graphics like this entry's inclusion of a David Hockney costume design rendering.
First up is...
Masks and Masking: Faces of Tradition and Belief Worldwide, by Gary Edson
Dense academic prose, ahoy! This book, published in 2005, takes a look at the role of masks largely in indigenous non-European cultures, and is written with the sort of circuitous scholarly vocabulary i find obfuscative (look, it's rubbed off on me). If you are interested in cerebral analysis of meaning, symbology, and iconography in masking, tempered with a whole lot of philosophical musings on human nature, this is the book for you. It is full of a lot of extremely detailed pen-and-ink drawings of masks from cultures all over the world, some of which are apparently previously undocumented. I think it will be useful to have on the bookshelf in my workspace as a reference for students to get inspiration and research images from, but i'm not going to require anyone to read it.
The Mask Handbook: A Practical Guide, by Toby Wilsher
This is a brand-new 2007 textbook, so new they had to glue a register into the back of it for me to check it out of the university library. Wilsher co-founded the Trestle Theatre Company, a performance group well-known for its innovative maskwork. This is a short little book (188pp) full of an enormous amount of useful, fascinating, succinct information on masking. Wilsher covers mask origins and history, techniques for making and using masks, info on writing theatre pieces for maskwork, and even some exercise suggestions for actors working with masks. I'm evaluating it from the perspective of someone teaching production technique, and i like that it includes lots of info on working with masks--to build a good mask, an artisan needs to know what working with a mask is like, needs to consider how it will be used and worn, or how it might potentially be freeing or limiting to its wearer, etc. I'm seriously considering adding this one to my syllabus as a required text.
On the subject of armor...
Basic Armouring: A Practical Introduction to Armour Making by Paul Blackwell
This is essentially a primer for fighters in the Society for Creative Anachronism who are considering making their own armor. Blackwell is not messing around with kostoomy crap here, he's talking about how to make metal plate armor meant to be worn by real people who are really going to hit each other with sticks and clubs and rattan canes and other non-sharp-stabby swordlike things. He includes a lot of great info on armor padding and a whole host of actual pattern shapes for various pieces of armor. Even if you aren't going to be making steel armor, the patterns and instructions are valuable for adaptation to thermoplastic or foam or fiberglass or other costume-material construction methods. Highly useful, and what's more, my students will probably be overjoyed to learn that Blackwell's book is available as a free downloadble PDF at the above link. I printed mine out and put it in a 1/2" binder for tabletop reference.
Amethyst Angel's Guide to Making Really Kickass Costume Armor, by Teresa Dietzinger
I really wish this book had a different title. I dunno, i'm not a prude about cussing by any stretch of the imagination, but i feel like in the case of this excellent, thorough, well-put-together book, the jokey-foul title really undermines the credibility of the author initially. Everyone that has seen it on my desk has made a disparaging remark, and i'm put in the position of having to defend its usefulness as a text in a graduate program. But trust me, believe me when i say to you, this is an excellent book for an introductory look at costume armor that doesn't utilize potentially dangerous and difficult materials like fiberglass!
Dietzinger is a cosplay enthusiast (folks who make elaborate costumes, usually of characters in Japanese animation, video games, etc., usually for the purpose of wearing them to conventions) who makes highly-detailed lightweight armor from foam and plastic. The book is written for the absolute beginner--early chapters introduce common hand tools and sewing equipment, discuss how to take accurate measurements of the body, and suggest methods for making your own dress form to work from. What i think is so exciting as how well Dietzinger illustrates her method with step-by-step photographs. The book really covers all aspects from start to finish, too--patterning tips, painting techniques, how to do relief details, even tips on shipping and storing and materials sourcing.
The link above goes to the page for the black-and-white version of the text, which is the one i'm going to recommend to my students. However, i think it's great that Dietzinger also offers her text in a full-color option and in a CD format as well, for different price-points. When i put out my own stuff later this year, i'm going to go that route as well. It's cool that the dedicated costumer who wants to shell out for the full-color printed work can do so, whereas someone who might be unsure whether they really wanted to try armor-making could go for the less-expensive CD or B&W text.
And, i've got a few cool links to share as well:
Theater Helper is a blog after my own heart! Written by theatre professional Laura Salvaggio, Theater Helper is chock-full of tutorials and advice on a range of tech topics: propbuilding, lighting, scenic painting, carpentry, etc. I created a syndicated feed for it for LiveJournal users, so you can add it to your friends lists if you wish:
theater_helperThe Utah Shakespeare Festival has put up a 2-minute video clip (QuickTime required) of the world premiere i worked on this past summer, Lend Me a Tenor: The Musical. See if you can spot the millinery-malfunction, much to my chagrin, which occurred during first dress...
Brian Dickie's blog is a wonderfully chatty, snapshot-filled blog written by the general director of the Chicago Opera Theatre. Even if you aren't an opera fan, it's a fascinating look into the daily anything-but-routine of an opera company's director, and occasionally has fun graphics like this entry's inclusion of a David Hockney costume design rendering.
