Making a Wintercroft Mask Book

Have you ever wondered what goes into a Wintercroft Mask design?

Does Steve eat polygons for breakfast, or is he himself an instrument guided by angular visions bestowed upon him from the great geometric beyond? In truth, we have a secret collaborator that helps a great deal more than you might imagine... you. Your input is a critical component to the final design. The truth is that we are all instruments in the creative ensemble that is Wintercroft.

After the success of our Fox and Skull Press Out Mask books, we knew we wanted to put something out for the kids and the press out platform was the perfect vehicle. It requires no computer, no internet and no printer. Opposable thumbs are a plus, but again, not essential. We also thought a Half Mask would be perfect for smaller people with smaller attention spans, so we upped the ante and decided to include four Half Masks in one book, so that kids could build together.

Once we had the idea of a Jungle Animal Mask Set solidified, Steve started the prototyping process. Steve starts by using a fine-tuned process of physical and digital design to get the shape and facial characteristics just right, but the Masks are much more than just a pretty face. They must be enjoyable to build, robust in structure and well balanced. Each design has its own microcosm of unique challenges to achieve this crucial set of criteria.

If you have ever wondered why we are unable to simply make a custom Mask on order, it's because this process can take weeks, even for just one design.

When we were happy with the form, build process and wear-ability of our new Jungle Animal Half Masks, we had a few crucial subjective aesthetic decisions to make. Naturally, we turned to you for help. You might remember last year when we called upon our global creative collective to help us with our Parrot Mask’s crowned plumage. All your comments and insights informed the final design and we are grateful and pleased with the results as something we can all be proud of.

Once we have the designs finalised, it is time to send the templates to our publisher down in London, Carlton Books. The process has literally many angles to consider for both us and the amazing team at Carlton. The components need to be laid out nicely and logically on each page and be die-cut (or, pre-scored) so that they are ready to press out and assemble.

Crucial factors such as card thickness, Mask surface artwork, text layout, front and back cover art, photos, sustainable materials and countless other minute details are ping-ponged to perfection between us and the team at Carlton, resulting in the book you see today.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank our ethical publishing partner Carlton and you the builder for helping us bring these lively 3D Jungle Animal Mask Book to life. We could not have done it without you. We hope you and the kids in your life enjoy building and romping about on many a masked adventure. We also urge you to learn more about the beautiful creatures these Masks represent and how we as humans can help protect both them and the environment in which they live in any way that we can. Click on the image below to order your copy of our new 3D Jungle Animal Masks book. Non EU customers please get in touch for shipping details.