Tutorial: Superhero Eyemasks for Costumes

Creating a superhero eyemask for cosplay is a fun way to immerse yourself in your character. Whether you’re aiming to replicate the iconic look of characters like the Incredibles or crafting an original creation, the eye mask is a central feature of many superhero costumes. 

The process of making your own superhero eyemask is surprisingly simple. You can create a custom mask that fits comfortably and looks great. The key is to tailor the mask to the contours of your face.

EVA foam or craft foam is what we’ll be using here because of it’s ease of molding. By heat-forming EVA foam, you can achieve a snug fit that follows the unique curves of your face. Once your mask has taken shape, securing methods like spirit gum or elastic bands can be used to keep your mask in place as you display your superhero persona with confidence at any cosplay event.

The best way to make a fitted superhero eye mask is to use EVA foam. You can heat-form foam so that it will bend around your nose and the contours of your face perfectly. Once you’re finished with the mask shape, you can attach it directly to your face with spirit gum or use elastic. This type of mask is pretty simple to make, so you’ll be able to do this pretty quickly even if you’ve never used EVA foam before.

Supplies

• Tape measure
• 2mm EVA foam (or craft foam)
• Heatgun
• Spirit gum
• eyeliner/eyeshadow (optional)
• Flex acrylic pain (optional)

1. Measure the width of your face and your eyes. You want to measure the width that you want the mask to cover (for example, from temple to temple). Also, measure the height that you want your mask to cover.
2. Measure the length of your eyes. You also want to take your tape measure and check the space between the inner corner of your eyes so that you can set the eye holes on your mask accurately.
3. Make a rectangle and make marks for your eyes. Draw your design within the boundaries of the rectangle and eye marks.
4. Cut the mask out of paper and make any necessary changes. I made my eye holes a bit too big, so I corrected the mask before cutting it out of my foam sheet.
5. Cut your mask out of craft foam (or EVA foam). Trace your mask onto the 2mm foam sheet and cut it out using a sharp razor. Then, sand the edges if necessary.
6. Heat-form your mask using a heatgun. Wave the heatgun over the front and back surfaces of your mask until it softens slightly. Then place the EVA foam against your face and hold it in place. As the foam cools down it will retain its shape, giving you a custom-fit eye mask.
7. Prime and paint your mask. Now, all you have to do is paint your mask however you like. I recommend using a flexible paint to avoid the chance that the paint will crack over time since the foam remains flexible.

How to wear your superhero mask

Now that you have your mask, you may be wondering how to get it to stay on your face. You’re going to have to glue it, but don’t use just any glue. You’re going to need to use spirit gum, which is an adhesive that’s safe to use on skin and can easily be removed when you’re ready to take the mask off. Don’t put spirit gum on your eyebrows or in your hair, it can get stuck and painfully pull at the hairs.

If you don’t want to use an adhesive directly on your face, then you’ll need to attach the mask using elastic or strings that you can tie. Depending on your wig, you can sometimes hide the strings fairly easily, so it won’t detract from the costume. Alternatively, you can find clear elastic or use skin-tone paint to make the attachments stand out less.

The other step you might want to take when wearing your mask is coloring your eyelids and the area just under your eye to match the mask. In anime and cartoons, the mask will often be directly flush with the character’s eyes, leaving no skin between the eyes and the mask. Reality doesn’t work the same way, so to get the same effect you’ll need to use eyeliner, eyeshadow, facepaint, or a similar makeup product to cover the gaps and create the illusion of a mask going smoothly onto the eyes.