Skylar Fornfeist - ATCM 3355.001 Project 5: Prosthetic Model

 Concept:

    My design for this prosthetic was a plague doctor's mask and a gas mask combined. Plague doctor's masks were used during the time of the Bubonic plague to keep bad smells or the “miasma” away. Herbs were placed in the beak of the mask to dampen the smell of death and disease. At this time doctors believed that good smells would counter the “evil” smell and keep the doctors healthy and unaffected by the diseases they faced. I blended this design with the more modern plague doctor's mask: the gas mask. Blending these two ideas together created a quite jarring and uncanny-looking prosthetic that fits my aesthetic perfectly. I wanted to create a mask that might be worn in a Mad Max-type setting where aesthetics and functionality are both important. 

Process:

    I worked in both Rhino and Blender for this project. The reason was that I found modeling certain parts of the mask was easier to do outside of Rhino. I used the bend modifier in Blender to create the straps instead of using the bend command in Rhino due to functionality. Working between two software was a challenge but I’m happy with the product. 

Materials:

    I used a woven fabric material for the base of the mask. I messed around with the other leather textures but I didn’t like them as much as the woven ones. I felt like the woven texture brings the mask to life and gives it more personality. I used brown leather for the straps and a copper texture for the buttons. The vents on the gas mask or a rough plastic material. I wanted to use a darker palette for this design seeing as it is based on darker subject material. I also wanted the buttons to pop against the fabric of the mask.