Make in L.A. 2020: Monsters Masquerade Ball
Come one, come all to the Monsters Masquerade Ball! Every year, on October 30, the monsters of our world come together for a masquerade ball. They wear masks and costumes that show off the funky shapes of their bodies and dance the night away before celebrating with humans the next night on Halloween. This year the party has unwelcome guests: a flock of scary shapeshifters is trying to sneak in and make the monsters too sick to keep partying. Our monster friends need some help to fight off this sickness and keep the day fun. Can you create creatures to help the monsters in this battle against scary foes? Use your wildest imagination to sculpt two creepy creatures out of clay to help fight back against some spooky forces in our world.
Supplies:
- Sculpt-It modeling clay
- Markers of different colors
- Optional: plastic wrap
- Optional: sharpened pencil
1. Grab your Sculpt-It modeling clay. Find a clean space to work. You may wish to lay down and tape a piece of plastic wrap to cover your work station.
2. All of the monsters at the Masquerade Ball have a special power. Some can fly, others are very strong, and some can breathe underwater. What powers do your monsters have? When you decide, use your Sculpt-It to create bodies for your monsters. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Strength: You have muscles in your hands, arms, feet, legs—all over! Choose one part of a monster’s body that is especially strong and make it bigger than the rest.
- Vision: Can your monsters see through walls? Do they have laser vision? They’re going to need heads big enough to have specially shaped eyes!
- Animal Instinct: If one of your monsters can breathe underwater, run really fast, or fly, you might want to think about some animals that can also do those things. Model part of your monster’s body after that animal.
3. Optional: If you want, use a sharpened pencil to add details to your monsters. Try using a pencil in various ways to create different effects on the clay: press lightly for shallow lines, drag deeply for thick lines, poke with the pencil point, or use the other end of the pencil to press circles into the clay.
4. Let your monsters dry and become hard. You may need to let them sit overnight. When dry, use your markers to add color to your creations.
Show us what you've made! Tag us @hammer_museum and let us see your monster.
Be sure to check out Ann Greene Kelly's You: Inside Out Family Day project!