Kohaku/Haku Dragon Mask.

[merimask]

I finished the new Haku mask and it was a lot more complicated than I thought it'd be.  For some reason, it turned out to be a HUGE mask.  He's a river dragon with a long dog-like face and long flowy horns and he just needed to be grand and sweeping. 

I went into a lot of detail, carving every hair.  In the anime, Spirited Away, his face doesn't have scales, but when he flies and his fur ripples you can see them on his body.  I did scales on his snout because I thought I'd better do something to make him look more dragon-like...without the body for context he just looks like a dog with horns.
View from the side...
I put a rather imposing brow & cheekbones on the little guy.  Even though he's a GOOD dragon, he can be a little fierce.

I did the mask twice, with two different horn configurations.  It's funny how the change in the horns (which is all in the shaping...on the flattened pattern they're identical) sort of changes the tone of his expression.  The mask above has the softly curving horns that were like the ones in Miyazaki's film.  Here's the other mask...
...see how the slightly angular horns give him a fiercer look?   It's based on  purplerebecca's version of Haku.   I like it...it looks almost tribal.  They're even neater from above.

So yep, this design was a TON of fun to make.    purplerebecca, as per our agreement, there will be an art hostage exchange program involving some amazing Sesshoumaru art and this mask.  :-)  I LOVE adding new members to the Mutual Art Appreciation Society.

As an aside, I'd just like to add that I risked my life to take these pictures.  Only outdoor light would do, but OMG it's 25 below outside, today!  I was out there for maybe a minute and by the time I came in I couldn't feel my fingers.  F-f-f-ff-frrreaking COLD, people.

Comments

[merimask.livejournal.com]

Waah, I know, I want a sequel too! That's why I love Purplerebecca's fanart so much. It satisfies my need to see Chihiro and Haku meet again as adults.

I read an interview with Miyazaki once that made me SO sad, because he said his intention was that Chihiro lost all memory of her time in the spirit world once she passed back into the real world. Waah! She make Haku PROMISE that they'd meet again someday. I just hope he keeps his promise even if she forgets him. He seems like the kind who would.

I'm not sure why he looks like a child...perhaps we was a very young, small river. The saddest part is, he's actually the ghost of a river, since the river was drained for construction and is no more (Chihiro mentions that in the movie).

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

Maybe Yubaba is keeping him frozen in a childlike state her own nefarious reasons?

Or river-god-dragon lifespans and ageing may just be on a totally different sort of timeline...

*ponders*

This is, needless to say, an utterly gorgeous set of masks. And somehow I don't think I ever noticed before just what a puppyish nose he has in dragon-form. Now I want to grab him by the ears and kiss the top of his head like I do with my pittie girl.. :)

[merimask.livejournal.com]

I always figured he was a very "young" river, which is why he rescued Chihiro when she fell in. It fits his nature; he's soft-hearted and idealistic, like a young kid would be.

Thank you, I'm glad you like the mask. :-) He DOES have a sweet pink nose...it's very cute! Any self-respecting dog person has to love Haku by default, because he's just the coolest flying puppy ever. With horns.

As a note, if you have the Spirited Away DVD, there's a whole disk-full of cool extras including a fascinating behind the scenes look at Miyazaki and the animation team researching Kohaku's dog/dragon form. Seems the young animators had never owned dogs because they had all lived in the city all their lives, and Miyazaki had to take them on a field trip to see what a real dog looked like & how it acted & moved! lol! Miyazaki seemed appalled by this.

[moonphased.livejournal.com]

*LOL* Let me rephrase this. Many people who live in the city own dogs, but they're not dogs. They're accessories. Y'know, the kind that you can stick in your purse and you have to carry around in large crowds for fear of them being stepped on. I swear my guinea pig could beat up most of the dogs that we see being walked around our neighborhood!! *LOL*

HEheheHEhe.

Oh man. I didn't know that about Chihiro when she went back into the real world. I had the feeling that he meant for her to maybe remember it as a dream because when she looks back, it really seems like she's "remembering" something but caaaaan't quite place it anymore. ^_^

Spirited Away is probably my favorite movie of all time next to the original Indiana Jones and Star Wars movies. It's something I never get tired of watching.

And as such, I must say that the masks made me do a total kohakumaskgasm! :D :D :D *much Meri Luff!* :D

[merimask.livejournal.com]

"Many people who live in the city own dogs, but they're not dogs. They're accessories."

lol...that explains why Miyazaki sought out a golden retriever to show to the animators. That was probably the problem; he wanted them to have a BIG dog for a model (otherwise poor Kohaku might have looked like a teacup poodle! Eeek!)

I love that movie too. It pushes all of my buttons.

Yay, I'm glad you like the mask! :-D

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

...the things I miss, not owning that DVD yet.

(But a GOLDEN? I would have parsed Haku as more an Akita, or a malamute even -- friendly yet capable of an aloof dignity as well...mind you, I'm biased about those breeds. *chuckle*)