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Photos: Realistic masks

At SPFXMasks in Van Nuys, a six-person crew uses silicone that looks and feels like flesh, down to the pores. Artists methodically paint the masks to create realistic skin tones. Above left, a mask called "The Elder."

At SPFXMasks in Van Nuys, a six-person crew uses silicone that looks and feels like flesh, down to the pores. Artists methodically paint the masks to create realistic skin tones. Above left, a mask called “The Elder.”  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

Realistic masks

Rusty Slusser, owner of SPFXMasks and a former makeup artist, adds skin pores to a mask mold.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

Realistic masks

An SPFXMasks employee sprays a layer of paint on a mask called “The Player.” That model was used by a white man in a string of robberies in Ohio. An innocent black man was held until the culprit was turned in.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

Realistic masks

SPFXMasks owner Rusty Slusser blows dust off a mask mold. News reports have pumped up demand for the masks, which run from $600 to $1,200, Slusser says.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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