Post #601145 by bigbrotiki on Fri, Aug 5, 2011 8:36 PM

Well, first of all, I find it very commendable that you are concerned about your Tikis being the real thing. That is the exception nowadays, where folks go only internet page 3 or 4 deep, and then think they know enough to design their first Tikis.

In brief, from what I see, your facial features are definitely recognizable as Tiki, and that is a plus compared to other "monster" or "wood spirit"-looking attempts out there. So you are on the right track. But what gives you away as not having gone as far as studying authentic Polynesian art is the frills on top and on the bottom of the faces. Those patterns are all made up and have no roots in Oceanic art like Tapa, petroglyphs, or PNG paintings and shields. I am not saying you have to copy any such sources, but just know them and let them flow into what you are doing, then the mask will come across as believable.