Prosthetic Resarch
Prosthetics can make a vast difference in a character makeup no matter how small the pieces are, it can drastically change the look of a person's face. Therefore it is crucial to fully understand the technique and be able to create pieces to a high quality and standard. There are many different materials available for creating prosthetics, I will go into further detail below, there are also many different methodologies that I have found for creating prosthetics, although I have not been able to experiment and practise some as I do not have the equipment and materials at present.
More detail concerning the closed mould prosthetics can be found on the 'Moulding' page, found under Essential Techniques. This methodology is used mostly in industry to create effective, thin prosthetics that will perfectly fit the model's face. Creating these moulds also allows for one piece to be cast many times with different materials. The mould will not restrict the use of certain materials allowing for a wide range to be made.
The first prosthetics that we created were silicone flatpieces the methodology for this process can be seen on the 'Moulding' page. I practised many times creating these pieces as I wanted to achieve a final result to a high standard. I found that creating silicone prosthetics was relatively simple and I believe that the pieces I created throughout the process were completed to a high standard making for effective application. Most of the pieces that I have created throughout this project can be seen on this page with information concerning their application and any issues that occured.
There are many advantages and disadvantages of using silicone as a material for prosthetics, Silicone can be altered through deadener and hardener to create different textures which can represent different regions of flesh and various other surfaces. Flesh has slight translucent tones to it, just as silicone has a slight translucency making it reflect the look of flesh particularly well. A negative aspect of silicone is that it is 'very difficult to paint. Silicone is resistant to acids, bases, solvents, chemicals, oils, and water. Nothing sticks to silicone except silicone.' (Debreceni.T. Special Makeup Effects for Stage and Screen: Making and Applying Prosthetics. pg 163) However a solution to this issue, for flatpieces, is to encapsulate the silicone in cap plastic. Another is that Silicone cannot be blended and therefore needs an encapsulating layer which can. This also means that if the silicone edges are very thick it will be extremely difficult to make a seamless edge. Silicone is a relatively viscous liquid and air bubbles are easily caught in the misture therefore it is neccessary to try and remove all of these bubbles before pourig into the mould. In the industry there is equipment available such as a vaccum chamber, this removes all air from the chamber and thus the liquid inside it. This can then be poured into the mould. The only issue with this methodology is that silicone has a short curing time and may be partially set once the process is complete. Another methodolofy mentioned in Debreceni.T. Special Makeup Effects for Stage and Screen: Making and Applying Prosthetics. pg 164 states that using a pressure chamber, this presses the silicone rather than pulling a vacume and the pressure chambers are much cheaper than vaccum chambers. However both of these methods are quite advanced for creating silicone flatpieces. A simple method to remove air bubbles is to let the silicone sit for a short time letting the bubbles raise to the surface and pop.Whilst pouring the silicone into the mould hold it at a great height with a thin stream which will automatically remove bubbles on the journey down.
The first silicone flatpieces that I created are shown below, they are a range of wounds and infections.
 Infected Knife Wound ApplicationThis photograph depicts the application of my Infected Knife Wound prosthetic piece. I was very happy with this application as it had a successful edge with only a slight wrinkle as the silicone edges did not hold the piece flat during application. The silicone's colouring matches the skin well creating an effective prosthetic. On a second attempt I would try to blend the edges more smoothly with a more seamless application, overall I am happy with the direct application. |  Infected Knife Wound ApplicationThis photograph shows the Infected Knife Wound prosthetic piece with the camera flash on, I think that this style of photography works well. The edges are slightly visible, however with more blending the edge would vanish. My prosthetic pieces were very thin with too little silicone which meant that application was difficult, the piece folded over on itself slightly. However this is better, if the prosthetic were too thick it would look unrealistic. |  Infected Knife Wound ApplicationThis photograph shows the initial colouring of the prosthetic piece. I used the illustrator palette to create this effect. I used a relatively bright red colour, 'aged blood' and yellow colour for the fatty tissue in the wound. I like the effect it has created on the prosthetic, however on a second attempt I would slowly layer up the yellow to create a more realistic colouring. Although I do like the bright yellow colour it doesn't look realistic I think underneath the blood it will work well. |
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 Infected Knife Wound ApplicationI found the final result of the prosthetic very effective, I like the depth that the blood creates. I used Screenface's Congealed Blood to create clots and darker areas in the areas of the wound that would be deeper. The use of the blood pulls out the detailing of the prosthetic giving it an exciting texture. The sculpt works well as the edges of the wound fold in slightly which would be representative of a genuine wound. The yellow colouring is slightly visible through the blood giving depth. |  Infected Knife Wound ApplicationThis photograph shows the final wound with the camera flash on, it looks more effective as the blood reflects the colour like real blood. The blood has darker areas within the wound, for extra effect I stippled blood around the wound to create a more overall powerful makeup. The blood picks up the detail of the sculpt in the centre of the wound giving the prosthetic more impact. The flash also picks up the detail of the yellow colour in the wound showing the different layers of flesh. |  Infected Knife Wound ApplicationThis photograph shows the prosthetic once the congealed blood had dried slightly, it shows clearly the detail of the wound. However it also shows the bubbles that were created in the prosthetic piece due to the cap plastic drying too quickly under a heat that was too high. It is particularly prominent around the edges of the skin on the prosthetic. The infected areas of the wound are very prominent in this photograph. I like these added features as they work successfully with the wound. |
 Bullet Wound ApplicationThis is the final prosthetic piece for my gun shot wound, this prosthetic still had the walls of silicone attached around the piece allowing for an easier application. I began to pre paint the piece as I was applying it to a relatively inaccessible area. To paint this piece I used the Illustrator palette to give a good range of colours within the wound itself. I started by colouring the fatty edges of the wound a yellow colour to emulate the fatty tissues. I kept the wound quite dark and fresh. |  Bullet Wound ApplicationThis photograph shows the application of the piece, for this I used prosaide, allowing it to dry thoroughly before application to make sure that there were no pathes of white underneath. I found this slightly difficult to apply as the prosthetic pieces were very thin and tried to fold over itself at many points. As I had pre-painted the piece on another surface a part of the prosthetic came off on the previous surface. This was because the silicone element of the prosthetic was too thin. |  Bullet Wound ApplicationThis photograph shows the initial application of the prosthetic, the edges folded over themselves quite a lot. Therefore it was quite difficult to blend the silicone into the skin. This was a difficult application as the cap plastic layer was so thin and therefore difficult to hold on to. At this stage in the application the prosthetic did not work too well, however the edges were blended more effectively in the later step. |
 Bullet Wound ApplicationThis photograph shows the final stage of the direct application, I think this blended successfully considering the initial application. The edges are still slightly visible, however they are significantly blended in to the skin. The silicone colouring is a close match to the skin which works well for the overall makeup. There is a slight raised edge at the top of the wound, however I put this down to being unable to see that portion of the wound. |  Bullet Wound ApplicationThis is the final gunshot wound, I like this result as the edges are much less visible and the wound looks irritated and realistic. I am happy with the blood I used as it gives the finish a powerful look. On a second attempt I would spread the colour further to make it look slightly more realistic. The stipple sponge shape is visible at the top of the wound making it seem slightly unrealistic. I like the speckling within the wound as it gives the impression of broken capillaries and broken flesh |
Bondo Flatpieces
 Infected Wound BondoThis photograph shows my first Bondo mould, I used the previous moulds - Infected wound, Pustules and Gunshot Wound. I found that there were a few air bubbles in the mould, after asking my lecturer I found that this may be due to putting too much vaseline as a release on the mould. Therefore if I were to run these moulds again I would use less to try and reduce this effect. |  Pustule BondoThis is the mould for the pustule appliance, again the same issue occured with many bubbles. Another issue was that the Bondo did not cure fully through after a long period in the this is why there is a white colouring to the piece. To rectify this problem I could use professionally made bondo as this is made specifically to dry clear or I could layer the bondo in thinner to allow all of the moisture to evapourate creating a more successful piece. |  Gunshot Wound BondoThis is the third prosthetic piece, the gunshot wound. Again the two issues were present in this piece, the whiteness and bubbles. As the Bondo that I used was home made this could be partially due to the whiteness in colour. The bubbles mainly formed around the edges of the mould. This could be reduced by using less vaseline. |
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 Gunshot Bondo ApplicationUnfortunately I did not have any makeup with me whilst applying the Bondo pieces therefore the finish was not as effective as it could have been. I would have used the skin Illustrator palette or greasepaint to create a realistic flesh tone around the wound and then add bruising to the edges and a variation of red tones in the wound to add depth. I used some blood on the piece however I did not have washing up liquid to combine it with therefore it beaded in the wound and did not look realistic. |  Bondo PiecesThis photograph shows the three different prosthetic moulds before application, I made sure that the moulds were very smooth on top in order to make an effective application and the edges were not too thick and therefore look unrealistic. |  Gunshot Bondo ApplicationThis is the applied gunshot Bondo piece, I was extremely happy with the result of this application. The piece came out of the mould perfectly and the edges were non existant I wiped away some small lumps of Bondo to make sure that the finish was realistic. The bubbles in the prosthetic were not too visible which was successful and therefore made the prosthetics more effective. |
As further research into prosthetic application I experimented with the use of Bondo to fill the moulds creating flatpieces. Bondo is made from Prosaide and Cab-o-sil combined together creating a thick paste that can be applied to a mould. Once dried it sticks to any surface that it is pressed against, therefore making it a very effective transfer. Bondo can be used to patch up prosthetic pieesor during the seaming process it is fumed silica which can be found in ketchup. (Debreceni.T. Special Makeup Effects for Stage and Screen: Making and Applying Prosthetics.) It is quick and easy to apply, however the removal of the Bondo is very time consuming. The concept of the product is that it is predominantly glue based and therefore will adhere to the skin exceedingly well. I used my pre exisitng silicone moulds to create these bondo pieces in order to experiment and deduce if the technique would be useful in this current project. The results of these experiments with bondo can be seen in the photographs below.
To get a better understanding of the prosthetic application I researched into the various types of glues available on the market for the use with various different materials. Stuart Bray's Blog - Learn Makeup Effects has an entry about the many different types of glue available and the removers needed for the different products. The first element to understand with adhesives is that there are two types, Water Based Acrylic Emulsion Adhesives and Solvent Based Silicone Adhesives. These two categories cover all materials used for creating prosthetics ensuring that there is a suitable adhesive available. Water Bease Acrylic Emulsion Adhesives can be used on materials such as Gelatin, Latex, foam lates and Silicone with a cap plastic barrier, Bray states that these are the cheaper products available for adhering prosthetics to the skin. Whereas Solvent Based Silicone Adhesives will adhere most products to the skin but cost a much greater amount.
Water Based Acrylic Emulsion Adhesives Solvent Based Silicone Adhesives
- Prosaide - Telesis 5
- Prosaide 2 - Telesis 7
- Telesis Beta Bond - Snappy G
- Aquafix - Kryolan Medical Spirit Gum
- Kryolan Prosthetic Adhesive - Bluebird Silicone Adhesive
- Ben Nye Prosthetic Adhesive
- Technovent ProBond Adhesive G609
- Graftobian Theatrical Pro Adhesive
Bray.S, 2014, Sticky Situations the Zen of Prosthetic Adhesives and Removers, 18 January 2014, Learn Makeup Effects [Online] Available From: http://www.learnmakeupeffects.com/sticky-situations-the-zen-of-prosthetic-adhesives-removers/ Date Accessed: 28/10/2014
Applying a prosthetic to the actor is a crucial stage in the makeup process as it is the basis for the overall look. However removing these prosthetics at the end of the day is also an essential process that may take time but needs to be completed thoroughly. To remove a piece effectively products must be worked into the skin and underneath the prosthetics. This will slowly disintigrate the adhesive used to attach the piece. There are many products available for removal, the most popular are Proclean, Telesis Super Solv, however there are many others which work just as successfully. It may seem obvious but the longer the piece has been worn the easier it will be to remove as the performer will have perspired into the piece, if the piece is on for a short amount of time it will be difficult to remove as the adhesive is at its strongest. Cap plastic encapsulated silicone has a tendancy to peel off the silicone and remain attached to the skin, this is due to the adhesive being stronger than the silicone. Similarly Foam latex can absorb the removers meaning that it is essential to directly apply remover to the skin so that the piece detaches from the skin successfully. A tip from Stuart Bray suggests to use a hot towel over the face to remove any excess glue that is left behind. Sticky Situations the Zen of Prosthetic Adhesive and Removers, S.Bray.
Prosthetic Application from Rights of Man
During this project I helped on the theatre production of Rights of Man. There were a lot of interesting makeup involved in the show including one man with whip marks on his back created through one large flatpiece. The designer took charge of applying and colouring this throughout the play, however I was able to help with the initial application of the flatpiece for one of the shows. As the piece was extremely large it required multiple people to apply to the back. I have photographic evidence of my application for one of the shows, I was not involved in the colouration or creation of the piece, however the experience of applying the piece was educational. Similarly there was a character with many scars on his face and arms who was predominantly created by one artist, there was one occasion where she was not available in which I helped to apply and colour the makeup. I applied two prosthetic pieces to the actor and a few collodian scars. I then coloured these and applied the general makeup to the actor. I was very happy with the application of these pieces as the edges worked well and the colouring was realistic and accurate. However I don not have any images of my application of the makeup. On the particular occasion that I helped to apply the piece the flatpiece had been made extremely thin with very little cap plastic and some of the edges folded over themselves slightly. However I was able to reduce the look of these wrinkles when blending the edges of the piece. Overall I think the application of this piece went successfully, there were some slight blemishes, however these could be easily recified with a good paint job and as the makeup was for theatre the audience would not be close enough to see anything. The photographs of this piece are below:
Alternate Method for Creating Flatpieces
A simple tecnique to create flatpieces that hold their shape and do not need the wall around the sculpt itself is to use a ring of cardboard to hold the cap plastice flashing. To create this type of flatpiece the sculpt only needs to be moulded with one outer wall. Cut out a small carboard rim that fits around the sculpt you have created and place this around the mould. Then begin the process of creating a silicone flatpiece. Once the whole process is complete simply lift the cardboard and powder underneath to lift the flatpiece from the mould. Once fully removed you will end up with a flatpiece that has a cardboard edge for easy application and will hold its shape not getting damaged. A photograph of the final result can be seen on the right.
Prosthetic Application on Sci-Fi film - 'Bound'
During this project I have designed and completed the makeup on a film student's film, the film involved prosthetics on the main actor and another minor character. It also involved the concept of flesh being ripped out of the back of the head, many extras and some other minor characters. There was a lot involved in this film, the most that I have completed so far and it was definitly a learning experience in being on top of the situation and also working in a team to make sure that everything was done on time.
Creating and applying the prosthetic was great experience as it had to be completed very succesfully as it was seen on HD cameras therefore the edges would be visible if not applied correctly. The prosthetic had to be applied on the back of the neck which is an area of high movement so we had some issues with the prosthetics lifting off the neck, however we were able to successfully rectify these problems. I had created extra flatpieces in case this had been an issue and we needed to completely replace the piece. However this was not neccessary and we did not need the pieces. The flatpieces had to hold a camera lense lid that would be attached to wires on set so the piece had to be sufficently sturdy to ensure it remained on the neck. The prosthetic pieces held the lens caps as planned, however due to the prosthetics curving around the neck and the side of the body it meant that the original circle that I had created to fit the lense cap no longer fit perfectly. There were gaps in the prosthetic on two edges where the prosthetic was pulled creating more of an oval shape in the prosthetic. To rectify this problem we filled the edges with liquid latex, however this did not dry effectively leaving white areas around the cap which needed more colouring to create a realistic flesh tone. We also occured problems when trying to attach the wire to the prosthetic as it was much heavier than originally expected and therefore pulled the cap out of the prosthetic often. We tried many different methods of gluing the cap more securely however there was very little alteration time and the director decided to change the placing of the prosthetic onto the side of the body. Throughout the shoot we altered the application and decided that it was less distracting to not use the latex therefore we left this out. Similarly throughout the pocess the application of the prosthetic became smoother and we picked up speed and the finish looked more realistic. I found that the edges became more visible through the day as there was a lot of large movements in the neck area, however I think the overall effect of the makeup worked successfully in the Sci-Fi atmosphere. I was very happy with my teams work, working together to create a successful film. There are photographs to display the whole process below:
Prosthetic Materials
I was particularly interested in the different materials which are available to create prosthetics and the various properties they hold and their advantages and disadvantages. I have already explored Silicone in its use for flatpieces and closed moulds, I have also explored gelatine in the creation of prosthetics using a closed mould however I wish to further expand my knowledge on the different materials available. My research on Gelatin can be seen further down on the page. I will look at Foam Latex andCold Foam predominantly. I wanted to find out the diffrerences between the two, their properties and what kind of prosthetic they can be used for.
I found a website by the company Special Effect Supply in which there was an article written on 'Foam Latex vs Kryoklan Cold Foam' this was incredibly helpful for understanding the basics of the two materials, I have inserted quotations from the site below which the main points for each material.
'Foam Latex is used for prosthetic pieces that are glued to the skin. In order to successfully use foam latex you will need the following equipment; Mixmaster, gram scale, oven dedicated for foam work. Foam latex is more complex than other materials and should be considered an advanced technique. The payoff is a very flexible, light-weight material that is wonderful to act in. Pieces can only be used once and then are thrown away. Because foam latex is baked it is often called "Hot Foam".'
'Cold Foam is called cold foam because it is not baked. It is not latex, but is polyurethane. To successfully mix it you will need a gram scale. The Kryolan brand cold foam is safe to use on the skin only after it has fully cured. Because it is polyurethane, it is what you would call, "Quick and Dirty." but it is not dirty unless you consider the hard chemicals used to make it. It is great for filling props and for quick prosthetics when you are out of time, but lacks the flexibility of foam latex. If you are not using it for prosthetics, such as a mask project or to make a prop you can save money by using a normal polyurethane foam.'
From these arguments I have worked out that Foam Latex is a much more advanced product than Cold Foam and is used more for prosthetics as the actors expressions are much easier to project through and is much more flexible for application on skin. (Debreceni.T. Special Makeup Effects for Stage and Screen: Making and Applying Prosthetics. pg168, 307 + 309) Debreceni's book details the process and characteristics of the two materials with in depth information as to the various elements. It also gives a short Glossary definition of the two products stating that Foam Latex is a 'soft, lightweight spongy material' that is essentially made up of 'Liquid Latex mixed with various additives and whipped into a foam which is then poured or injected into a mould before being placed in an oven to cure'. The difinition for Cold Foam states that is is a 'soft or rigid two part urethane foam that does not require the application of heat to cure'. Cold foam can be 'used for prosthetics that do not need to be flexible such as horns, forehead pieces, noses and chins' Speical Effect Supply, Foam Latex vs Kryolan Cold Foam.
There are negatives to foam latex, it is 'probably the most difficult material to work with overall' as it requires a lot of stages and precise details. Foam latex is opaque therefore does not represent the translucency of skin very well, the latex 'must be painted with numerous transparent later of pigment to acheieve the look of real skin' (Debreceni.T. Special Makeup Effects for Stage and Screen: Making and Applying Prosthetics. pg169). Another issue is that Foam latex requires heat to cure and therefore needs a special oven as when heated the foam latex gives of toxic fumes. Foam latex is prone to shrinkage depending on various aspects of the process, the material that the mould is made out of, the amount of air whipped into the mixture and many other factors.
I have only explored into the basics of these materials, however it has given me a great insight into the experiments I can conduct at a further date and understand the uses for each. At this stage in the learning process it may be too advanced to try and create prosthetic pieces with these materials, I will need to practise with different mould making techniques and materials in order to run certain prosthetics as they cannot be done in the basic mould we have created through plaster.
I have looked at examples of foam latex prosthetics used in films, foam is a very common material used to create prosthetics therefore there are numerous examples, I looked at some from the earlier stages of prosthetic creations. The Wizard of Oz displays some of the first foam prosthetics on the characters, the tin man and the cowardly lion. Another example of foam prosthetics used in the earlier stages of prsothetics are the ears of the famous character of Spock played by Leonard Nimoy in 1966. (Prezi, History of FX Makeup in Films). Foam latex was used for these prosthetics as they have strong structural support yet blend well into the skin. Spock's ears needed to hold their structure well which works well with foam latex similarly the tin man needed to look structural and therefore the material worked well. Examples of both of these makeups can be seen below.
The filming of 'The Fly 2' involved the use of gelatine appliances to create the change from human to fly. The transformation is very graphic and has a great visual impact. The first appliance used in the film is on his arm when stickysubstances begin to get excreted from the wound. Another use of gelatine appliances was to distort Eric Stoltz's face, it begins with eye bag pieces and soon after there are brow and cheekbone pieces to really give the impression of the brutal transformation. Eventually there is a whole head appliance which has been made from gelatine, before Eric Stolz's character cocoons himself the makeup used has been made from gelatine appliances to physically alter his facial structure and body shape. The reason for use of gelatine in the film is that Stephen Dupuis (Lead makeup artist) felt that the translucency of gelatine would work very well with the character design. Dupuis says the advantages outwayed the disadvantages due to its speed in creation and its tough and durable material, however they encountered problems when the gelatine was only 'partially responsive to adhesives' similarly it was constantly melting due to the heat created by the performance. (Monster Legacy, Son of Brundle) Due to the forementioned issues with the prosthetics and their durability modern day films use more advanced materials which have longer lifespans for shooting.
Silicone Prosthetic Examples
I researched through many issues of the magazine, Makeup Artist Magazine, to find examples of silicone prosthetics used in feature films, there were quite a few results, each with particular different elements making them very unique. The first that I came across was from 'The Hobbit' 'We were mostly using encapsulated silicone' (Makeup Artist Magazine, The Hobbit, pg) this quote is in reference to the appliances made for the 13 dwarves featured in the film. They each had their own makeup designs, with prosthetics made for the actors, stunt doubles and scale doubles.
Another example of silicone prosthetics was featured in the film OZ, The Great and Powerful. 'The wicked witch of the east makeup was a silicone cowl, that slid over the actresses head, gluing down on the chest and the top of the head, with a chin piece, a nose and a upper lip, both sides of the face, a forehead and ears aswell as finger extensions and top-of-hand appliances that went up to the elbows. (Makeup Artist Magazine Issue 101, pg 51) This makeup originated from a high fashion design, and eventually worked out into the image seen here. The overall effect is powerful as the actress can emote through the make and the soft material becomes part of her face.
The Lone Ranger was another film that used encapsulated silicone pieces throughout filming. The main character, portrayed by Johnny Depp wore a makeup of dried mud on his face. The makeup artists decided that 'using silicone pieces that would maintain the look without continuity problems' (Makeup Artist Magazine, The Lone Ranger pg 444) therefore making it an effective and realtively simple makeup.
Imgkid, The Fly II (2014) [Online Image] Available From: http://imgkid.com/the-fly-2-1989.shtml Accessed Date:7/12/2014
Beth Lane's flesh implant in wound
For further research into bondo I tried to find examples where it has been used in films, however it was difficult to determine in which circumstances they had been used. I found an example posted by Stuart Bray on Learn Makeup Effects of Todd Debreceni's application of a bondo piece on a man's face. Bondo is generally used for small appliances as it is directly applied to the skin in one motion therefore cannot be altered once there has been contect with the skin. I found that the removal of the bondo is typically the reason that it is not used in industry simply for the amount of time that it takes to remove every trace of the material. It may be incredibly quick to apply but the fact that the material is
essentially glue it makes for a very strong application.
This photograph shows the aforementioned bondo appliance created by T.Debreceni. I has been applied directly onto the face and coloured to look like scars. It is a simple process and very fast to apply and provides good results. The overall finish of the makeup is successful and effective. The only negatives are the removal time and the direct application from the mould in one piece. (Learn Makeup Effects, S.Bray)
To prepare for the historical portrait recreation I researched into the colouration of prosthetic pieces. I felt that it would be to my advantage to have a piece which is already partially coloured in order to reduce the time spent applying makeup during the assessment. I found in my research that many books suggested using flocking in to create texture and detail in the final prosthetic. The Complete Makeup Artist, Delamar.P, pg 221 details a method for colouring gelatine. It suggests using a small sponge and slowly building up the layers with several colours to create a realistic effect. This is only after the sealer has been applied. Whereas Special Makeup Effects for Stage and Screen, Debreceni.T, pg 184 states that food colouring or powdered cake makeup can be used to colour gelatine before casting. It also suggests adding flockingfor texture. I have practised creating gelatine prosthetics and altering their colour to make them suitable for my makeup.
Below I have actually used Silicone Pigment in the gelatine to see if it worked sufficiently and the result worked very well. The final piece was flesh coloured the gelatine held its form well and the overall finish was successful. This was also an experiment to see if I could create a successful gelatine piece from a silicone flatpiece mould. To create this piece I heated the gelatine into a liquid and poured it into the mould I flattened the surface with a spoon and made sure that the layer of gelatine was very thin in order to create a successful edge. I was very happy with the result of the first piece. For the second piece I decided to mould two of the sculpts. These wee slightly thicker and proved more difficult. The edges were slightly thicker however these can be blended with witch hazel to achieve an effective edge. One got a tear in the prosthetic near the main part of the sculpt, however this can be patched or blended upon application.
Wizard of OZ (2013) [Online Image] Available From: http://flavorwire.com/411724/50-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-wizard-of-oz
Accessed Date: 09/12/2014
Reflections on Spock (2013) [Online Image] Available From: http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/leonard-nimoy/images/16863559/title/reflections-on-spock-screencap
Accessed Date: 09/12/2014
The Wicked Witch of the West (2013) [Online Image] Available From: http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Theodora_the_Wicked_Witch_of_the_West
Accessed Date: 10/12/2014
The Hobbit Dwarves (2014) [Online Image] Available From: http://churchm.ag/no-shave-november-hobbit-dwarf/
Accessed Date: 10/12/2014
The Lone Ranger (2014) [Online Image] Available From: http://www.thewrap.com/lone-ranger-one-chance-lead-make-hair-styling-nominations/
Accessed Date: 10/12/2014
A more modern example of where gelatine has been used in films is in the film The Hobbit. 'Galadriel's ears are still gelatine and so is Gandalf's nose' (Makeup Arrtist Magazine Issue 100 pg56-59) I have displayed photographs of both of these makeups.
Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2013) [Online Image] Available From: http://www.btchflcks.com/2013/02/2013-oscar-week-the-hobbit-an-unexpected-journey-the-addition-of-feminine-presence-during-a-quest-for-the-ages.html#.VIkGyjGsXLk
Accessed Date: 10/12/2014
Gandalf The Grey (2013) [Online Image] Available From: http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Gandalf
Accessed Date: 10/12/2014
This photograph shows one of my flatpieces, I was happy with the result of this piece as the cap plastic layer was thin and the flatpiece came out successfully without any blemishes. The edges worked very well to blend into the skin.
This particular flatpiece was the final piece that I used for the summative assessment, I was extremely happy with the result of these pieces. The cap plastic was relativly strong and held the shape very well. The silicone colour matched my models skin very well. It applied smoothly without blemish.
Gelatine Prosthetics
Gelatine - A powder made from calves' hooves, used to make jelly, it is availavle as '300-grade technical gelatine'. It is mixed with glycerol and sorbitol and poured into hot moulds. When cool, it forms a rubbery compound (The Complete Makeup Artist, Delamar.P) Gelatin is generally used for prosthetics as it has a fast set time, has a flesh-like jelly texture and can be coloured to look as desired. Gelatin is extracted from collagen (Special Makeup Effects For Stage and Screen, Debereceni.T) . Gelatin can be used directly in the closed moulds that I created as it does not need an encapsulating layer like silicone. Simply apply a layer of vaseline onto the plaster as a release agent, heat the gelatine, add colouration if desired and pour into the mould. Once poured close the mould, place a heaavy object on top and allow to set. It should not be removed from the mould whilst still warm as it will still be sticky and ruin the prosthetic piece. A good way to tell when the gelatine is set is to overfill the mould and feel when the gelatine that overflows has set into a jelly like substance.
When melting the gelatine be sure to not let it bubble as this will burn the gelatin causing it to change colour and leave bubbles in the final appliance. Gently swirlingand tapping the mixture will get rid of any air bubbles caught in the gelatine. When pulling the positive out of the negative try to make sure that the gelatine appliance remains in the negative as if there are any air pockets it will be easier to repair. Once finished remove from the mould continuously powdering and trim the ground off the piece to get a smooth area of flashing. Gelatin is simple, easy and inexpensive therefore it is a very effective product that can be used on a very tight budget.
To colour gelatine it requires a layer of sealer, I used the Kryolan Sealer as this has worked well in previous experiences. Sealer is needed with gelatine as if not applied the adhesive will not stick well and when gelatin becomes wet it will lose its shape and become weak. If sealer is not applied to the gelatine on top of the piece the colouration will seep into the material in an uncontrolable fashion. Once the layer of sealer has been applied painting can continue as normal. Gelatine is a great product in the essence that it can be reused once melted and poured it can still be used again. After a period of being constantly reheated the collagen in the gelatine will break down and cannot be used after this point. An advantage of gelatine is that it can be blended with Witch Hazel and as the prosthetic piece will have no encapsulating layer the edges. This means that no matter the thickness of the edge with enough persistance the edge can be removed.
I used a generic face lifecast to practise my first nose sculpt with grounding around the edges and created a negative mould of this piece. I ran the mould in gelatine to see the result and I was quite pleased with the final outcome. The nose has a successful blending edge and the piece was not too thick. I practised applying the piece onto a nose, I first coated the nose in sealer, allowed to dry and then attached to the face. I have detailed the process below the photographs.
Flatpieces - Eyebrows and Eyebags
For my formative assessment I created four silicone prosthetic pieces. For this I used the silicone mould I had previously made (can be seen on Sculpting and Moulding pages) to run the pieces I first applied a thin layer of vaseline to prevent the cap plastic from adhering to the silicone mould. The next stage was to apply the cap plastic and IPA alcohol combination in a ratio of 1:3 this provides the encapsulating layer for the silicone piece and prevents the silicone from sticking to the mould. I applied four layers to the mould to ensure a relativly thick layer for application. The next step was to pour the silicone in the mould, I found that I was a good judge of measurement for this aspect of the process with very little excess residue. The final step is to apply a final layer of the cap plastic, IPA mixture to encapsulate the silicone for successful application.
Overall I was happy with the result of the pieces as they had thin cap plastic layers with little blemishes, I found my only issue was that I did not powder the prosthetic pieces immediately on removal thus causing them to stick together slightly creating folds in the piece. To rectify this issue for the summative I will make sure to powder thoroughly ensuring that the pieces come out successfully. Although there was an issue with removal from the mould I was able to successfully apply the pieces to my model with very fine edges. I was particularly pleased with the application of my silicone pieces as the edges were barely visible and made a seemless, subtle change to my model's face to make him reflect my portrait more accurately.
The creation of the flatpieces for the summative assessment went mostly well, the only issue I had was that the hood dryer was put on to a heat which was too high for slowly drying the cap plastic/alcohol layer and created a series of small bubbles in the first layers, therefore making them appear on the top layer of the prosthetic once removed from the mould. They are not obviously visible however under close inspection can be seen. I therefore felt that it was necessary to re-mould the pieces to make sure that the final result was as successful as possible. The second moulding of the prosthetic pieces was very effective and I used these for the summative assessment. I made sure to powder thoroughly to prevent the folding issue to make a professional and successful makeup.
I have researched into examples of gelatine prosthetics used within the film industry to deduce what they are primarily used for. I found that a lot of films from the 1970s and 80s used gelatine. This is because of its cost and also the products available today were not as advanced and easily accessible.
One great example I found was in Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark. (Prezi, History of FX makeup in films) When the two men get their faces melted off from the fire. The two heads were made from gelatine and were heated with a heat gun from below. This melted the layers of gelatine creating the final effect. Gelatine was used for many circumstances earlier on in sfx makeup history, however in modern days it has been overtaken by materials with more realistic qualities and successful applications. There is a short video of the scene mentioned below.
In this photograph the nose has a final blended edge, I used witch hazel to get a smooth finish. For a first attempt I was happy with the result especially as it did not fit my model. The top edge was blended really well, only a slight trace was visible. I did not colour the nose due to time constraints, however I will experiment with that further at a later date.
This photograph shows the initial application of the gelatin nose, I found the piece to be much too small for my model's nose and therefore it was difficult to apply the piece. This was due to it being sculpted and moulded on a generic nose. However I think the application was not too unsuccessful. To apply the piece I used prosaide as it is a strong contact adhesive.
difcymru (2012) Raiders of the Lost Ark - Face Melt Scene [Online] Available From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2ZpsbGr7s8&feature=youtu.be Accessed Date: 11/12/2014
