Azure Dragon - Moving Jaw Mask
Azure Dragon - Moving Jaw Mask
Description
Inspiration ~
Inspired by the Azure Dragon (Qinglong / Seiryū), one of the Four Symbols of East Asian mythology, this mask represents spring, renewal, and the life-giving energy of nature.
Its articulated moving jaw introduces mechanical expression, allowing the dragon's form to come alive with every movement. Handcrafted from paper, the design combines mythological symbolism with precision papercraft engineering.
Difficulty
Type
Build Time
- Access to a printer
- Colored cardstock:
Option A: Print directly on cardstock *
- Regular style: Colored cardstock (US letter-size or A4), 4 light blue sheets, 2 white sheets, and 2 dark brown sheets (or any 3 colors of your choosing).
- Moving Jaw style: Colored cardstock (US letter-size or A4), 4 light blue sheets, 3 white sheets, and 2 dark brown sheets (or any 3 colors of your choosing).
Option B: The transfer method **
- 8-9 sheets of US letter-size or A4 printer paper.
- Sheets of large colored cardstock or chipboard *
- A glue stick or spray adhesive. - Glue: (A strong glue stick, i.e. Pritt or Double Sides Adhesive Roller/Tap Runner) ***
- Ruler, Craft Knife, and 2mm Embossing Stylus (scoring tool)
- Substitutes for the Embossing Stylus: A bone folder, butter knife, or a non-working ballpoint pen. - Hole puncher and one 10" elastic string (or two 18" ribbons)
* Recommend: 270+ gsm thick paper on templates and 176 gsm thick paper on decoration.
** The Transfer Method
Print all templates on regular printer paper. Trim the templates to the
approximate size, and then glue the trimmed templates to the heavy cardstock paper (or thin chipboard).
Your printed templates will end up on the inside of the finished item. Make sure the templates are well
bonded to the card.
***
Use glue with a fast curing time so you don’t have to wait for parts to dry before continuing.