Makeup
I have been practicing special fx makeup since I was 11 years old, now I'm working to make it my full time career. Below there are some of my favorite looks, along with descriptions and somewhat short explanations of how I created them.
Hot Water Burn
The process of creating this look was a bit complex, I used a lot of different materials. to begin I tinted the hand using alcohol based paints. Then I used old age latex to make the peeling skin and colored it with alcohol paints. To create the gooey, burnt skin I used warmed up gelatin and spread it over the pre colored skin. Finally I used white alcohol paint to really get those fleshy, exposed skin tones.January 2023
Surgery
These are always fun. To make this I used scar wax, sculpting the anatomy and textures directly on my hand. I used cream colors to give it some life (including yellow all over my hand to imitate the look of surgical iodine). Then of course finished it off with fake blood.Side note: when I posted this on Instagram, one slide got a sensitive content warning!!October 2020
Infected
These looks both depict extreme infections. The first being an open wound with maggots crawling about, and the second being a severe staph infection of the lip. Both were created using scar wax and colored with cream makeup. Noticeably, there is pus in both looks, both looks have a different material however. For the first one I used liquid latex and took pictures before it dried, for the second one I mixed vaseline with white and yellow cream makeup.October 2020
- Gelatin Prosthetic, depicting a hand with severe road rash
- Silicone Prosthetics, applied on nose, upper lip, and chin
- Pros-Aide Transfer, bad scratches on finger
Prosthetics
Silicone, Gelatin, and Pros-Aide TransfersThese types of prosthetics are the most realistic because they can be tinted to match the skin tone of the person wearing them. I made all of these from scratch, meaning I sculpted and textured them, made molds, tinted, mixed, and put each material into the molds, then finally applied each one using pros-aide adhesive. Silicone and Pros-Aide transfers result in the cleanest and most natural edges, especially Pros-Aide Transfers because they are so thin. Gelatin prosthetics are not as commonly used because they are thicker and therefore harder to blend in, they also start to melt if the atmoshpere is too warm.March 2023
Bald Caps
There are two types of bald caps, latex and plastic. Latex bald caps can be homemade or store bought, though usually the store bought ones are not as realistic because of the lack of texture. Homemade caps are made by stippling 8 layers of latex onto a plastic head, then removing it using powder. Once applied to the head, the bald cap is covered with a color matched Pax (Pros-Aide mixed with acrylic paint), and then tinted and finished off with alcohol paints. Plastic bald caps are thinner and store bought, generally they are easier to blend into the skin because of this. The process is the same as the latex caps. The third slide is an example of a plastic bald cap.January 2023
Hair Laying
Hair laying is the practice of glueing loose hair onto the skin. The hair, typically Yak hair, can be glued and cut in any shape and length to fit the character. Spirit gum adhesive is used to secure the hair.January 2023
Walkers
When I make "prosthetics" at home, I use liquid latex and cotton balls, and sculpt directly on my face. Then I paint the face with acrylic paint and use cream colors on my skin. The finishing touch is, of course the blood.October 2020
Badly Beaten
Creating this look was fairly simple. I used scar wax to form the swollen eye and nose, and the small cuts in various areas, I then used cream colors to create bruising. Final touch was adding the small amount of fake blood in the cuts and out of the nose.October 2020
Rotting Corpse
Doing this look was a challenge, I first had to find reference photos of decaying flesh and piece together a look in my head. Once I had done that, I started by using old age latex and tisue paper and painting it black/brown to create peeling skin. I used gelatin and spread it around areas of the face to get that wet fleshy look. I used a strong hair gel called Gafquat to hide a section of hair above the ear, and colored that using alcohol paints. While I did these things I also made those hanging flaps of skin using latex and tissues on top of wax paper so they would peel off easily. Once these were dry, I lifted them from the wax paper and painted them with alcohol paints, then I used spirit gum adhesive to put fake hair on one of the flaps. The final touch was using that same adhesive to glue the flaps onto the skin, and using KY Jelly to give it the wet final look.January 2023
Horseshoe Crab Creature
This look is made with foam latex prosthetics, which is a sponge-like material typically used for creatures and less human-like looks. I made this from scratch, starting by sculpting the look onto a stone mold of this person's face. Then I used that same stone (ultracal) to create a negative of the sculpt. Then mixed the ingredients for foam latex and put the mixture into the mold and baked it so it would cure. Once that was cured I used acrylic paint to give the pieces life. Finally I finished by applying the pieces using Pros-Aide adhesive.Fun Fact: the crab legs were not sculpted on the original piece, I used light air dry clay and painted them to match the prosthetic befre glueing them into their spotsApril 2023
Degloving
This type of injury can happen anywhere on the body, it is characterized by the removal or "degloving" of the skin from the body, similar to the removal of a latex glove. For this finger degloving I used a two part material called 3rd Degree, which is basically silicone that can be sculpted directly on the skin. I used this to create the excess skin after first putting my own ring onto the finger. I finished off the look with gel blood.January 2023
Fisherman
This character look was done on a woman, a prime example of how character makeup can change the entire loook of a person. I used old age stipple around the eyes, pulled apart some of that stipple for the peeling skin, and used alcohol paints to give the skin that weathered and burnt color. I also used yak hair and attached it to the skin using spirit gum adhesive.January 2023
Old Age
To make someone look older than they are, old age stipple is used. It is a thinned out latex which makes for a smooth blend into the skin. To create the wrinkles I pull the skin in different directions and use a sponge to stipple the latex. When I let go of the skin, the latex makes it wrinkle as it tries to go back to its original shape. Age spots and other coloring is done with alcohol paints.January 2023
Character Makeup
This category of makeup is the quickest way of transforming an actor or model into a completely different person. This typically consists of injuries, old age, hair laying, and bald cap applications.
Prosthetics
A prosthetic is a 3D piece that can be applied to the skin for a more realistic and durable result. Prosthetics are usually made from silicone or a material called foam latex, which is more often used for whimsical characters rather than realistic changes (think Jim Carrey's "The Grinch")
"Professional" vs "Amateur"
Certain materials are occasionally seen as "amateur", such as the classic liquid latex+cotton balls combo. Although this mix can yield some pretty sturdy results, and it's cheap which helps with lower budget productions. Some differences can be noted when comparing these materials to foam latex or silicone. For example: it is quite difficult to achieve a continuous texture when using latex and cotton, whereas with silicone or foam latex, the prosthetic is sculpteed with clay first allowing for perfect intricate details to be included. However, I believe that these facts are entirely subjective and the results are dependent on the capabilities of the artist.