A local artist creates life like masks

You see them every Halloween and even on the big screen. Masks and stage make up can turn fantasy into reality. Dan little is a local artist who can bring life to some of our nightmares.

“Painting a man to look like Darth Maul, it took four and a half hours to paint this guy up to look like that character,” said Little.

He’s always aspired to be as great as the special effects artists in Hollywood. His inspiration comes from all areas like movies, nature or something from scratch.

“In fact I’m blue printing all the time,” Little said.

Creating these works of art is something little started when he was just a kid.

“I could never tell if the neighborhood mothers liked me or not because I’d paint up bruises on their sons and daughters and fake blood and scars and occasionally my mother would get this unfriendly phone call regarding me and the makeup job I did on their sons and daughters,” said Little.

He wanted to go a step further than makeup. Little taught himself how to sculpt and mask with everyday elements.

“When you cast it or create it in makeup on someone and you take pictures and you go, ‘Did I do that? I did that,’ it’s like Christmas every time, every time you see your creation come to life, ” Little said.

Little’s biggest piece of advice to any artist is to never give up.

“We’ve recreated all kinds of amazing things that had I listened to anyone when I was younger would never come to life,” said Little.

Little has done special effects makeup and masks for a variety of different places including local haunted houses. The Discovery Channel even contacted him about a Big Foot costume.