For my first attempt at special effects makeup, I decided to create a realistic burn wound on my arm. I'm very excited to practice and refine my theater makeup skills in time to help out at the Key Club Haunted House.
On Thursday I spent class time watching tutorials, as my makeup that I ordered hadn't arrived yet. I was a little worried that all the products that I ordered were completely new to me and I had no idea how they would work. Through watching tutorials and looking at pictures I decided to use liquid latex as my base, rather then other methods using Elmer's glue, gelatin, etc.
Supplies:
- Forum Novelties Liquid Latex, Clear
- Mehron Red Face and Body Paint
- Mehron 5 Color Bruise Wheel Cream Makeup
- Colormates Beige Pressed Powder
- Max Clear Lip Gloss
- Mehron Coagulated Blood Gel
- Various paint brushes and sponges
1. First I applied a thick layer of liquid latex to my arm and let dry. When it dried, I then ripped holes in the latex to simulate burned and blistered skin. I ran into a small issue with the latex wanting to tear into unnaturally perfect circles, but I decided to leave it as is and see how it turned out.
2. I then coated the skin outside of the circles torn in the latex with the red body paint. To make the red less vivid, I watered down the paint before applying. I also applied the red, maroon, and yellow shades from the bruise pallet to imitate an infected wound.
3. Finally, I added patches of black char with the bruise pallet, drips of fake blood, and a clear gloss over the entire wound. The fake blood had a horribly thick consistency and refused to drip, so I don't think I'll use it again.
Conclusion:
Overall, I got very positive feedback from my board of judges. The most consistent comment was, "Wow, that's gross," which I took as a compliment. A few flaws pointed out was that I could have done a better job blending the paint around the edges of the wound and that some white char would have also been realistic with the degree of burn I was simulating. I also learned during this process that liquid latex will tear in a circle if you start at the center and that the fake blood I bought wasn't a good consistency to imitate fresh blood.
I would agree with your judging panel that it looks gross. As someone with a severe latex allergy, I was wondering about your use of liquid latex. Are you going to experiment with other methods? If so, what do you think the challenges will be? I know that using Elmer's glue as a substitute sometimes works, but the consistency is off and it doesn't always rip as well. I hope you can find an alternative so I can get some sick fake burns too.
ReplyDeleteWhat other special effects could you make without liquid latex? Do you think things like drying time will effect your ability to do make up at the haunted house?
I will be experimenting with substitutes for liquid latex, such as Elmer's glue and gel based makeup. Consistency and dry time will probably be the biggest challenges with the substitutes, but I'll work through it. If I didn't use any liquid latex or substitutes I would be using body paint for special effects. Dry time and speed of application will be a large factor in what I use for the haunted house, but practice should allow for more elaborate makeup.
DeleteHow long did it take you to finish this? The blending on most parts looks really great, were the products you used easy to work with or was that just from talent?
ReplyDeleteAfter doing this burn and using some of the new stuff that you bought do you plan on trying different brands or types of makeup?
It probably took me about an hour and a half to finish the burn. The blending was just a lot of patience more than anything. I'll probably keep using all the products that I like, but experiment with new ones for the stuff I didn't like using.
DeleteI love the fact that when you noticed slight issues in the process that varied from your original plan, you continued to work with it and had an open mind. I think the wound looks quite realistic and I’m very impressed! Good job Kaylee, I think it’s great that you are very prepared to adjust your process in order to improve it. I’m excited, and kind of scared, to see your effects become even more gruesome!
ReplyDelete