Kaonashi Mask

I’m a huge Hayao Miyazaki fan, my childhood was filled with his films. I love his art style, the stories he tells, the pace at which they’re told, and Joe Hisaishi’s music. In July 2025, I decided to print a Kaonashi (No-Face) mask for myself. I thought it could be fun for costume events. I found a No-Face mask model on MakerWorld, and it was time to print it.

First, I printed the model using my FDM printer.

A friend gave me a square of black mesh fabric, which I placed mid-print on the build plate and held in place with magnets. This allowed me to cut out the eyes and darken them for the mask.

My goal was to achieve a very smooth surface so that it would look and feel like a real mask.

I sanded the print repeatedly using sandpaper with different grit sizes. I used approximately 120 → 240 → 400 → 800 → 2000 grit. If you are wondering: yes, it was long and tedious.

After cleaning the mask with water and soap, I applied a grey primer filler (essentially a thicker primer) and sanded it again. I then applied a white primer once it felt smooth to the touch.

I added a transparent silicone snorkeling mask strap and a neoprene diving band so I could wear it securely without it falling off or pulling out my hair.

Here is the assembled result after painting:

On Halloween night, I wore it while greeting kids from the neighbourhood. Some of them jumped in fright, which made me laugh. A few even recognized the character and said it was a cool mask.