NOTE: ALL PRODUCTS MENTIONED IN THIS POST ARE PROFESSIONAL GRADE, AND ARE ONLY AVAILABLE TO MAKE-UP ARTIST – SHOULD NOT BE USED WITHOUT PROFESSIONAL FULL KNOWLEDGE…(about product, how it works, how apply, risk, allergy advice) ALL THIS PRODUCTS ARE CHEMICALS – AND PATCH TEST SHOULD BE MADE BEFORE APPLYING! The purpose of this post is that I wish to show highlights of creating entire look – and idea what alternative products could use other Make-up Artists.
This look has been published inside + got front cover in Freque Magazine vol 6 part 1 Beauty and BodyArt – to read more visit this post!
I have to admit – first time when Marian Wodzisz Photography showed me basic idea – I wasn’t that positive about it… Basic concept was about “stabbed” body of model with attached glass and wounds…yayyks…I thought – how do you want me to attach the glass…??! It’s too heavy…!
first basic idea drawn by Marian:
So I started my tests and researches – far few weeks before we set photo shoot date… I was watching hundreds of photos accident, hospital, personal of other wound/stab/cuts related …I am quite resist to that kind of stuff, but after 4 hours even I had enough and I feel seek by looking at….but It was important If I wish to create pretty amazing, realistic effect…
Marian updated his idea – He found that we should use perspex – acrylic plastic. It’s much lighter then glass. Clean smooth A4 sheets can be bought at Ebay.
So I broke CD case for test. I knew that Liquid Latex wouldn’t work…( but hell I said – I give a try… and of course it was failed… ) there is no chance that Latex would hold it… additionally Latex is not very pleasant to skin if left on it for longer then 4 hours…when starts drying out – starts pulling all hair – so it’s gives painful, needle like sensation… Some Make-up Artist would suggest to use Gelatine – however I had working with it before – and it’s falls of the skin just in 1st hour…when photoshoots takes roughly 3-6 hours, I couldn’t think of using it….
I already new about set of Sculpt Gel – and it was clear to me that this would be one of the main product used for this look. ( I swear my self – why I didn’t buy it cheaper at IMATS!) I knew about this product much earlier from Make-Up presentation at Professional Beauty in Manchester. It’s 3 part gel like product – you need to mix the same size of parts A & B – 3rd part C (clear gel) is respond for flexibility of mixture – so depend how much you add, the wound becomes more flexible. In sale is Clear and Flesh version. I have Flesh tone. After making first props I tried first glue it to skin with Spirit gum – but that wasn’t working well… but Sculpt gel worked perfect.
So that was perfect! It’s long-lasting! Easy to shape, elastic and fully flexible, and holds well broken acrylic piece. The same time all is easy to remove!
Later we had figure-out that shaping so many large wounds would take too long and we needed to cut corners – I had to make props – wound base ready to apply.
I bought from Mould Life at IMATS another sfx product – although it was for different purposes, for filing up 3d shapes… so I start small tests with Platsil 00 Altrough after watching tutorials at YT I knew – that much easier would work Platsil 10. However that was fair enough for creating wounds….( please google it or search in YT if you want to know more about both products)
Have a look how does it works on tutorial bellow (applying directly to skin)
NOTE: ALL THIS PRODUCTS ARE CHEMICALS – AND PATCH TEST SHOULD BE MADE BEFORE APPLYING! The purpose of this post is that I wish to show highlights of creating entire look – and idea what alternative products could use other Make-up Artists.
products and tools:
- 2x plastic cups
- spatulas /plastic or stainless still
- foundation matching the skin tone
- platsil 00 or platsil 10
- sponges
- face paints (colour wheel or face paints)
- scratch blood
- pro blood
- scoop to 2 separate plastic cups the same amount of Platsil Gel part A and part B
- add tiny drop of foundation in one part (any, no matter witch one, you just need to mix it before 2 parts get together and become solid)
- mix well foundation with product – until you get smooth colour
- now mix well both parts together – until you get smooth texture and even colour
- you need work & shape fast with Platsil 00 as it’s sets very quick!
- apply face/aqua paints or grease paints
- apply bloods to make it realistic
Removing is easy and smooth even on very hairy skin…product does not dries out at all so no pain like in case of latex etc. – it’s all time fully elastic and flexible.
Few days before – for health and safety of our model – I’ve posted to her tiny samples of all products, incl. bloods, glues, removers to do the skin allergy test. All was clear so we could make our look.
After removing you may require wipes and pro clean to remove residue of platsil gel, bond off by ben nye should also work well.
Oh..ok…so How I made Props?
Products and tools
- air drying clay
- spatulas, knifes, sculpting tools, sponges
- biscuits die cutter (to guard edges)
- plaster cast /or Platsil gel 00/ or Platsil 10 (imho plaster cast works best to form negatives of wounds + its cheaper)
- talk, powder, or translucent powder, (although I was advised to use Wax Spray with platsil gels, but talk was working with plaster cast much better)
- foundation to tint Platsil gel
- shape in clay your wound – that how it should lookalike in reality (I have ticked small piece of glass in middle, do create slot for glass)
- put your biscuits cutter over (so wound would be in middle, and secure edges with clay
- apply well powder, talk etc.
- fill all with plaster cast and live until dries out
- remove all clay from dry form
- dust form with talk powder
- now you can fill the form with Platsil gel your form multiple times – if you really wish you can try fill form with latex or gelatine too… but I don’t rate this both as long lasting result…e.g. if this need last for at last 4h-6h…
As you see preparation was a long process, and all props (moulding all wounds) went prepared few week earlier. Shooting of look took about 3 hrs – but it took about 5- 6 hours to create entire look, attach all wounds, glass, and blood – before we even could take first pictures.
During shoots: make-up on half of face was removed & re-applied multiple times – due to different looks and applying of the blood different way . – like always in my work – make-up remover, baby wipes and MAC body and face foundation ware priceless!
I used mainly different types of blood by Kryolan – I mixed own batches to get right thickness and colours plus small add in one set of Pro Blood.
Cosmetic grade blood is totally safe for skin, May be held in mouth (got sweet taste :P), it’s easy to wash off from clothing, so no staining at all.
Pro Blood – runny fresh tone
Kryolan Fresh Scratch blood ( I used light and dark colour, on picture is only dark tone, as light runs out on shooting day so I haven’t got sample anymore ) I mixed both colours + added extra water to get right blood colour and thickness as each set required…more or less runny.
Backstage photos
Marian broken acrylic sheets to pieces – Bottom edges each “glass” were smoothed with thick nail filer.
Heart in hands of our model – Oh…again – It’s not real! but yet not added digitally! It’s just chopped ice brick with red food pigment made by Marian. ( fill bottle with mix of red food colour and water, freeze it to stone, chop and shape with knife ice brick. Run extra blood to make realistic effect. Yes, it may become difficult to hold a long time in hands – SINderella had kitchen tissues between hand and ice brick. Anyway our model is a Real Star – is really patient and pose with full professionalism + we had few really good giggle time and fun… If you asking was this altered in photoshop? – Yes, little bit… but it’s hard to make real looking hart isn’t? So this worked well for our final effect.
Hope that despite controversial look – you will stay with me and get fallow my further work. Thank you to all for lovely comments, likes, sharing, support!
Our team:
model: SINderella Rockafella
mua/sfx: Dorota – Make-up
Photo/retouch: Marian Wodzisz Photography