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DESCRIPTION
The Haunted Busts were created for the March entry for The Mad Lab Contest found at www.themadlab.com.
The contest required the construction of a Halloween props using CD cases or as they are more commonly called jewel cases. The plastic CD cases determined the final size of the prop and worked well to create a solid pedestal base for the busts.
This project used a variety of recycled materials including aluminum cans, cereal boxes and newspaper.
The Haunted Busts would make a great addition to a haunted library or placed on a haunted organ.
The base was created by gluing strips of corrugated cardboard between two plastic CD cases creating a pedestal. An aluminum can was hot glued to the top of the base providing support for the bust. 
The bust shape was achieved by gluing a piece of cardboard to the can, the sides of the bust were created by applying strips of masking tape. 
The heads were made by covering a balloon with papier mache strips. Templates were used to create the facial features. Strip mache and papier mache clay were used to create the finished skulls. The bust section and the skulls were created separately.
After the busts received a coating of strip mache the ribs, jacket and collar were created with recycled cardboard. Strip mache and clay were used to add dimension and detail to the busts.
The final step involved attaching the head to the bust using a rolled up piece of newspaper that acts as the neck armature. Papier mache clay fleshed out the neck and once dry helped to firmly secure the head to the neck.
The Haunted Busts were painted with flat black exterior latex then dry brushed with white primer and gold acrylic. A final wash of diluted black latex paint was used to give the gold a tarnished and aged appearance.
