Erasurhead Baby Model

In 2012 for Halloween I decided to attend a party that a group of friends arranged as Henry Spencer from David Lynches film Eraserhead. To complete my costume I constructed the baby that features in the film from paper mache, chicken wire and clay. In this post I will outline the process I went through to achieve the model you can see here.

To begin I created a basic head shape from paper mache using newspaper and PVA glue.

After constructing the basic head shape I then built the body and neck from chicken wire. This material is very basic and required some patience but I did find it pliable to quite complex structures despite its basic quality.

Once I had the basic body parts I then had to find a way to connect the head to the neck. Initially I thought of making a large hole into the paper mache head and placing the wire neck into it and then building up the model around. However I had some chicken wire left over so decided to construct a device that wrapped around the top of the head from the back of the neck. The neck also had enough length to build anchors to brace the base of the head too.

Once the wrap around device and neck anchors where made I then used PVA to glue them in place. Once the PVA had dried I could then set about applying the quick drying clay to the model. There where only a few more days to go before the party and I had to work on all the days apart from the actual Saturday of the party.

To secure the clay I decided to insert some small pieces of chicken wire left over from the construction of the body and neck into the paper mache head. I then used PVA to secure them in place.

In the picture above you can also see that I have filled the neck with paper mache also so as to give it more rigidity. I have also decided to make the model slightly interactive by introducing a moving tongue. To enable this I have made a hole through the head and placed a pencil in it to keep it empty when applying the clay.

The quick drying clay is very affordable and does exactly what you expect. I found it very easy to work with.

Once all the clay had been applied to the head I created the eyes and kept them moist for application at a later stage. I could also now start to mold the clay to the shape of the actual baby that features in the film. Because I didn’t have access to any original designs or pictures I had to use the film as reference. In the film I believe there are several different types of model used for different scenes. Also to create the amazing mood of the film the lighting is very low maintaining the mystery of the baby character. By having the film playing in the background I found it easier to capture the feel of the piece rather than simply working off of a still picture. However I did pause it regualy to study the shape and form of the baby character.

I then set about moulding the head to a more accurate shape and I applied the eyes to the model. All that was left to do now was dry out the model and apply the paint and the fabric body. Time was really ticking now as the party was the next day.

Once the model was dried I could apply a base coat of matt white paint to then paint over with the finished colour. Drying the clay took some time and required using a hair dryer as well as placing on top of a radiator. The problem with drying clay so quickly is it tends to crack which happened a few times mainly around the mouth  and thinner clay sections. To resolve this I simply made a watered down clay putty and applied to the areas to fix.

The baby model/puppet in Erasurhead is I believe made from latex and due to the fact the film is black and white there is no way of really knowing the true colours of it. At first I thought about painting the baby model the colours I thought it should be but then reconsidered and tried to paint the model as accurately to the on screen representation.

The model was really starting to take on a life of its own by the time the eye detail was applied. The party was in a few hours time now and I still had to get changed into my clothes and create a container to carry the model in. Once the paint was all dry I could then coat the wire body frame with some fabric bandage material. I had waited the body with a spare pack of clay so as to balance the model because the head was a lot heavier than the wire framed body.

Once the paint was dry I could then place the model into its carry box and get ready for the party. I dressed up as Henry from the film with his trade mark hair and drain pipe trousers. People really liked the costume and found the baby really cute and showed lots of interest. I also made a giant version of the babies head for later on at the party.