Creator Spotlight: Mask Maker & Makeup FX Artist Vicky Clerici

Many of us have abilities and have issues we aspire to be, however for causes, don’t take that expertise and comply with their desires. Vicky Clerici is certainly not a type of folks. Being artistic in a hands-on approach has all the time been a ardour and mixed with a love for the horror style, she has pursued completely different avenues to hone her abilities within the make-up FX and mask-making world in an effort to at some point be capable of do that full time.
“In the start, I used to be into making my very own horror motion pictures, making sensible results. I watched plenty of horror motion pictures, so I used to be figuring it out by myself. Eventually, I spotted I wanted some assist so I began researching faculties,” Clerici mentioned.

Clerici began out by making a street journey to John Russo’s Movie Making Academy in DuBois, Pennsylvania, however ultimately selected heading to Vancouver to work with Todd Masters at MastersFX, the place she did make-up day by day. Once she returned dwelling to Montreal in 2011, she actually dove headfirst into her craft, with somewhat assist from a pal.
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Photo: Vicky Clerici
“Todd Masters was candy sufficient to assist me out,” remembers Clerici. “He knew a man in Montreal, Adrien Morot, so I began working behind the scenes, making costumes, plenty of foam latex stuff, and that’s once I began getting my little studio going at dwelling. I all the time needed to make scary shit, make masks, in order that’s the way it started, and I actually haven’t stopped.”
The curiosity in making masking actually started after Clerici snuck right into a theater to see Halloween: H20 and received to see Michael Myers on the large display for the primary time. However, it isn’t only a love affair with the horror style and making masks that received Clerici this far. It can be dedication and lengthy hours, because the masks she constructs, both to easily replenish her inventory of iconic characters or do particular commissions, is extraordinarily time-consuming and really detailed work. The sculpting, pouring, and portray could also be a labor of affection however very heavy on the labor, particularly if you end up working a full-time job as properly.
“Right now, the entire course of can take a couple of month to finish, as I’m working full time. If I’m doing a fee of one thing unique, I’ll ask for some photos and designs after which go proper to the clay. I’ll sculpt it with clay, then make a cement mould on high, then comes the pouring of latex. It’s very time-consuming and never that glamorous, however the hands-on stuff, I find it irresistible. After that’s the portray and typically stitches or hair, relying on what the consumer desires. It’s a continuing studying course of too, getting higher as you do it extra usually, altering supplies, chemical substances, and even the surroundings has an impact on the work. The place I’m in now could be colder, so it adjustments how lengthy it takes it a part of the method to dry.”
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Photo: Vicky Clerici
Obviously, the horror style lends itself to some nice concepts, each basic monsters, and other people’s personal imaginations, by way of creating masks. For Vicky, her love of the horror style began like many others did, at a younger age, discovering one thing vivid, darkish, disturbing, and actually fascinating.
“At an early age, there have been a few moments for me that had a huge effect by way of getting turned on to horror. Watching The Making of Thriller, the Michael Jackson video, was an actual eye-opener for me. Also, I went on a visit to Ottawa with the household, I used to be 8 or 9, and at my cousin’s neighbor’s place, I found that the mother and father had a kick-ass horror assortment. In the pile of VHS tapes was the place I discovered The Evil Dead and that scene with the pencil within the ankle? I watched that time and again and I used to be fascinated, not simply on the violence however how the hell did they try this? So yeah, these two issues actually spurred on my love of horror, for certain.”
It’s been a troublesome 12 months for artists, with no reveals or conventions occurring for them to point out off/promote their work, and Clerici isn’t any exception. However, she has had an enormous upswing in on-line enterprise the final year-and-a-half, giving her confidence to point out off extra of her work and the method on-line. Now she is seeking to the long run, hoping issues open up and she will delve deeper into her love of masks making.
Photo: Vicky Clerici
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“I’ve a lot footage of my work, so I’m utilizing that to attempt to develop my YouTube channel to assist assist my supplies, however I’m actually pushing to attempt to be capable of do that full time. I’ve all the time performed this whereas working a full-time job and it’s bananas typically, man. I’ve all the time simply plowed by means of, saying fuck it, I’ll sleep once I’m lifeless! But then you definately hit that wall, have these moments the place you end up falling asleep sitting up. (Laughs) When I used to be working full-time in these results retailers, doing on-set work too, I spotted I used to be starting to lose my ardour as I used to be too exhausted once I received dwelling to get pleasure from doing what I actually liked, my actual ardour. I need to create these items, produce other folks purchase them, put on them, take nice photos, put them in motion pictures, I really like that, I thrive off of that.”
You can take a look at Clerici’s web site right here and get a glimpse of how she creates her masks on her YouTube channel.
Photo: Vicky Clerici
Photo: Vicky Clerici

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