Fantasia Ghost

The Night on Bald Mountain segment in Disney's Fantasia, has always fascinated me, especially the ghosts. Ever since I've been haunting, I've wanted to incorporate these ghosts. After failed attempts at projecting similar haunting images, I decided that I'd try my hand at building one out of cheese cloth. This ghost has always been my favorite and is my inspiration for the piece that I'm currently building:

I decided to try the method of stiffened cheese cloth to get the shape and to keep the gossamer look of this guy. In order to get the wavy shape on the ghost's cloak, I created a really wonky looking armature out of a foam head, pvc and foil... yes, foil ;)

 

 

Even made the arms and hands completely out of foil, in order to keep them light, since I want them positioned this way.

 

I brushed fabric stiffener and Elmer's glue onto the cheese cloth, in an attempt to get the cheese cloth to hold the shape that I created with the foil.  After it all dried, I removed the foil and the cheese cloth wasn't quite I the shape hoped that it would hold, on it's own, but leaving it draped on top of the foam head, it looked perfect.

This brought me back to the drawing board.  Finally I decided that it was going to need a frame in order to keep the shape that I wanted.  So, to get the effect of the ghost looking "faceless" I draped a piece of dark colored fabric over the foam head, letting it cover the entire PVC armature.

This created the effect that I wanted! 

 

I turned on the black light and this is was the result :)

 

 

 

This weekend, I tested gluing cheese cloth on one arm. Hoping that it would make the arms more visible in the black light and here is the result...

The arm on the left side of the picture is the one covered in cheese cloth, the one on the right is not.  Obvious difference.  I'll be coving the other arm now that I know it looks good :)

 

Hoping to get this guy finished soon!

 

I'll post more as I progress :)

 

Happy Haunting!