How is the facial mask (face) made in Sichuan Opera? What materials are used?

Different technologies have different materials.

Generally speaking, there are three ways to change your face: "wipe your face", "blow your face" and "pull". In addition, there is a kind of "luck" face change.

"Wipe your face" is to apply makeup paint to a specific part of your face, and then wipe it on your face with your hands to become another face. If you want to change everything, draw it on your forehead or eyebrows. If you only change the lower half of your face, draw it on your face or nose. If you only need to change one part, you can only paint the part to be changed. For example, in The Legend of the White Snake, the old ghosts in Pei Li and Fei Yunjian all use the technique of "wiping their faces".

"Face Blowing" is only suitable for powdered cosmetics, such as gold powder, toner and silver powder. Some put a small box on the floor of the stage, which contains powder. When the actor danced on the floor, he took the opportunity to blow his face close to the box, and the powder was scattered on his face, which immediately turned into a face of another color. Be sure to pay attention: close your eyes, shut your mouth and hold your breath when blowing. Zizi in Capturing Zizi alive and Le Yangzi in Treating Zhongshan were all transformed by blowing their faces.

"Face-pulling" is a complicated face-changing method. It is to draw a face on a piece of silk in advance, cut it open, tie a silk thread to each face, and then stick it on the face one by one. The silk thread is tied in a convenient and inconspicuous place (such as a belt) in the clothes. As the story progressed, under the cover of dance movements, they were torn down one by one. For example, the bowl in The Legend of the White Snake (Zijin Bowl) can turn seven or eight different faces, such as green, red, white and black. Another example is the thief in The Old Main Building, and Nie Long in Watching Niang Beach. It's hard to pull a face. First, don't have too much glue on your face, lest you tear it off at that time or tear off all the faces at once. Second, the action should be clean and neat, and the fake action should be clever, which can deceive the eyes of the audience.

Another way is to "change your face with luck." Legend has it that when Peng Sihong, a famous actor in Sichuan Opera, played Zhuge Liang in "Empty City Plan", when Qin Gui reported Sima Yi's abdication, he could turn his face from red to white and then from white to green with qigong to show Zhuge Liang's fear after liberation.

In a word, changing face is a unique skill in Sichuan opera, which has been borrowed from other brother operas and spread abroad.