Project Progress Evaluation

Researching this project was an exciting process as I really got to understand prosthetics. Looking at other artists who share the same passion for it, made me feel very inspired and motivated to create my own character! I did find it difficult to find the right model and I did find it quite time consuming, because I wanted that person to reflect all of characteristics of my creature. I straight away knew what I wanted to do, and what kind of a world I wanted my creature to live in. I had a vision for everything so it was quite easy for me to know what direction I needed my research to go in. The thing that I wish I did differently about this project is practise. I should have focused on hair application in order to really understand how it works. When it comes to my wound assessment, I feel like it went really well and the outcome was exactly what I wanted it to be. That part of the project made me realise that the make up looks that we do for assessments, do not always have to be over the top- but they have to truly reflect our characters and send the right message across. Researching anatomy, was an interesting part of it as well because it was something new, that’s never came up before. Overall, this project has been full of learning curves, however quite stressful at times also because very often I was trying to rush and that is the least helpful thing to do while making a mould, I’ve learnt.

My Technical Evaluation of the Project

This project was one of the most educational so far in my opinion when it comes to the technical side. I have learnt a lot about the application of prosthetic pieces and the importance of lack of contamination as it may damage the product, i.e. silicone. By this I mean that it is essential to wear a different pair of gloves whenever using a different type of product. I feel like I have grown as not only a student, but as an artist also because of the amount of techniques we have learnt and the amount of obstacles I had to face. For instance, the fact I could not use a nose piece for my human hybrid because it was not flat, meant I had to put in extra work, and concentrate on other areas of the body also. This meant extra work, however also more practise and experience with silicone and the appropriate measurements, which I have had a problem with. In result it helped me to understand the process better. It also made me feel a lot more confident about the whole process of making a silicone mould in general. I do feel like I should have spent more time practising hair application, as the final outcome is not what I was going for. The hair on my character was too thick and I feel like I should have placed more hair on the rest of my characters body in order for him to seem realistic. I have also used a lot of products during the application process and that gave me even more experience as it was a time of trial and error and I feel like it encouraged me to experiment with the products/application even more, which just made it even more enjoyable.

Photos of my character + EDITS

EDITED VERSION

These are photos of my final design + character. When it comes to the wound on the chest- I am very pleased with it. However, I should have created more texture in order for it to seem realistic and a part of the model's body. When it comes to the hair on the face, I think the amount should have been reduced as with out the teeth, my character looks more like a monkey then a wolf... I did not see that until I took the photos, which is quite frustrating as it is such an easy thing to change, but it would have made a big difference.

The brow part that I made out of silicone, did not want to stick on properly, no matter what glue I used. I did try to blend the edges as much as I could with alcohol, however, I did prove to be almost impossible.

My 1:1

The 1:1 with Kat has really helped me to understand and develop my idea. We spoke about the way I decided to represent my character and why I decided to do it that way... It made me feel a lot calmer about the whole project and I knew I was doing something right,which encouraged me to carry on researching and thinking of ways to improve my blogging etc.

When it comes to the moulds- at the start I only wanted to mould the wolf's brows... However, considering I was using the nose piece and it would have been in the centre of attention- Kat suggested I mould something else that will make the character more of a wolf and that would also improve my grade. I decided to do a scratch on the wolf's chest considering he lives in a very dangerous world and 'everything you want- you have to fight for'. I felt like it was appropriate for me to do and therefore decided it would be a good one for me to do.

Kat also suggested I do more face charts in order to really show what I want my character to look like... This would also help me see what elements will work and what elements won't work when it comes to actually creating my character.

The moulds I have created for my character

These are the pictures of my moulds that I have created for my wolf character. I have made the scratch on the chest after speaking to Kat who suggested I mould something else, as the eyebrow bit would not be enough. 

I have found the wound application effortless and easily blendable. I feel like it totally completed the look and I am happy I decided to make this mould last minute... 

Human animal hybrids grown in UK labs

I have found a very interesting article on Daily Mail, which talks about human creating real life human/animal hybrids in the lab. The article talks about how scientists have created more than 150 human-animal hybrid embryos in British laboratories. 

The hybrids have been produced with out the public's realisation over the past three years by scientists looking into possible cures for a range of diseases.

"The revelation comes just a day after a committee of scientists warned of a nightmare ‘Planet of the Apes’ scenario in which work on human-animal creations goes too far.

Figures seen by the Daily Mail show that 155 ‘admixed’ embryos, containing both human and animal genetic material, have been created since the introduction of the 2008 Human Fertilisation Embryology Act.

This legalised the creation of a variety of hybrids, including an animal egg fertilised by a human sperm; ‘cybrids’, in which a human nucleus is implanted into an animal cell; and ‘chimeras’, in which human cells are mixed with animal embryos.

Scientists say the techniques can be used to develop embryonic stem cells which can be used to treat a range of incurable illnesses. Three labs in the UK – at King’s College London, Newcastle University and Warwick University – were granted licences to carry out the research after the Act came into force. All have now stopped creating hybrid embryos due to a lack of funding, but scientists believe that there will be more such work in the future.

The figure was revealed to crossbench peer Lord Alton following a Parliamentary question. 

Josephine Quintavalle, of pro-life group Comment on Reproductive Ethics, said: ‘I am aghast that this is going on and we didn’t know anything about it. ‘Why have they kept this a secret? If they are proud of what they are doing, why do we need to ask Parliamentary questions for this to come to light? ‘The problem with many scientists is that they want to do things because they want to experiment. That is not a good enough rationale.’ Earlier this week, a group of leading scientists warned about ‘Planet of the Apes’ experiments. They called for new rules to prevent lab animals being given human attributes, for example by injecting human stem cells into the brains of primates.

But the lead author of their report, Professor Robin Lovell-Badge, from the Medical Research Council’ s National Institute for Medical Research, said the scientists were not concerned about human-animal hybrid embryos because by law these have to be destroyed within 14 days. He said: ‘The reason for doing these experiments is to understand more about early human development and come up with ways of curing serious diseases, and as a scientist I feel there is a moral imperative to pursue this research.

‘As long as we have sufficient controls – as we do in this country – we should be proud of the research.’

However, he called for stricter controls on another type of embryo research, in which animal embryos are implanted with a small amount of human genetic material. Human-animal hybrids are also created in other countries, many of which have little or no regulation."

Martin, D. (2011). 150 human animal hybrids grown in UK labs: Embryos have been produced secretively for the past three years. Available: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2017818/Embryos-involving-genes-animals-mixed-humans-produced-secretively-past-years.html. Last accessed 27th Nov 2015.

Practise of crepe hair application

Step by step guide:

First thing you have to do is cut the hair that you have and you want to use as stubble or anything else, then using an old brush mix the hair in the bowl so that it is not all stuck together.

Next, you need to apply prittstick or stubble stick onto your hand to warm it up, which will make it a bit easier to work with. Then apply it onto the face and then using the brush stick the hair onto wherever you want it to be. In order to safely remove it from the face you can use spirit gum remover.

** in the photo below I have used an eyelash glue as that is all I had at the time.

I have found this process very easy and I feel like it will be very useful while creating my character- the wolf man. It made me realise about the layers and how careful you have to be while applying the hair onto the face in order to make it seem realistic.

The removing process proved to be quite difficult and painful for the model so I am planning on researching different ways of removing crepe hair in order for my model to feel comfortable.

My vision of my character

Words to describe my character:

EVIL

EMOTIONLESS 

DETERMINED 

AGGRESSIVE 

DEDICATED

FIGHTER

Products needed for my wolf character

There is a few products that I need for the creation of my wolf character. 

- Spirit gum to apply the latex nose piece

http://www.propsandmakeup.com/graphics/
GraftobianSpiritGum1oz200x285.jpg

- Pros- aide glue to apply the brow piece and the scratch on the chest 

http://www.norcostco.com/ProductImages/detail/991.jpg

- Cleansing oil to remove the pieces

http://www.struts.co.uk/party-fancy-dress-shop/images/
pro%20cleanrs.jpg

- Wound filler to fill in the scratch on the chest

http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0275/8531/products/
woundfiller_1024x1024.jpg?v=1399591257

- Fake blood to fill in the scratch on the chest

http://www.bodyjewelleryshop.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/
2011/07/Fake-Blood-Gel.jpg

Wolf anatomy

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll220/Kecki/
grey-wolf-snow.jpg

"Wolves are covered in a moderate length pelt across most of their body. The color of their fur may range from pure black to pure white, with any tint or shade of gray, tan, cream, ochre (yellow-gold), sienna (reddish brown), and brown between. On Wolves having light and dark patterned fur, the markings tend to be lighter on the ventral (belly) side of the body and graduate to darker/longer/thicker fur on the dorsal (back) side.

The ears, forehead, and top of the muzzle are usually of a short/course/lighter fur, mingled of dark and/or mid pelage tones with the underside of the muzzle and throat being of lighter pelage tones. The legs and paws also have short/course/ lighter fur. The tail is generally covered with a long/thick/bushy fur, the color scheme being similar to that of the rest of the Wolf; dark on top and lighter on the bottom. Light colored Wolves may even have a dark spot of fur covering the precaudal scent gland, also called the violet gland, at the top of their tail, about 10 cm (4 inches) from its base and on the tip.

In the wintertime a Wolf's pelt usually grows quite thick to keep the Wolf comfortable at cold temperatures. During this time the pelt fills in with a short, dense, under-growth of fine, or downy, light colored fur. This is sometimes called a "prime coat." In spring this fur is then shed, thinning the pelt dramatically to prevent the Wolf from over-heating as summer temperatures rise. Some call this thinning of the pelt "blowing" or "blowing-out" the coat.

Wolves are usually born with deep blue eyes which lighten and then gradually fade into the adult eye color over the next six to ten weeks. A mature Wolf's eyes are often amber/brown or gold, but also commonly come in hues of brown, gray, yellow, and green. It is interesting to note that puppies are born with blue eyes, while mature Wolves do not retain blue as an eye color. Huskies often have blue eyes, and because of this people think there must be blue eyed Wolves as well, but this isn't true. If you see a Wolf with blue eyes then he or she is likely a Wolf-hybrid and not a full-blooded Wolf.

A Wolf's eye sight is just about as good as that of a human being. However some experts believe that Wolves may be nearsighted because their eyes lack a foveal pit, an indentation in the retina which provides for focusing, especially on distant objects. Wolves have excellent peripheral vision and their eyes are optimized to detect motion. In addition, they have a very high ratio of rods (grayscale receptors) to cones (color receptors) in the retina; in fact, about 95% rods. This abundance of rods aids the Wolf in the ability to see at night. A Wolf's night vision is far superior to that of a human being.

Some Wolves, especially dark furred Wolves, have phases where their pelt lightens significantly during certain seasons or as they age. A black-phase Wolf starts life with a very dark or black pelt which may become lighter in the summer and then darken again in the winter. A dark or black-phase Wolf's fur also tends to lighten with age and may become light gray, or even white, as the Wolf reaches his or her senior years.

Wolves are generally born with dark or black fur which lightens as they mature. It is unlikely that Wolves are subject to albinism, as no living examples exist."

Wolf Howl Organization. (Unknown). "Wolf Anatomy". Available: http://www.runningwiththewolves.org/Anatomy.htm. Last accessed 26th Nov 2015.

Practising wolf's hands!

Here I was practising wolf man's hands. I have used the supra colour palette and some crepe hair. I thought it would be a good idea to incorporate that into the final outcome as it would add a nice touch to the whole thing in my opinion. 

Kristyan Mallett - Prosthetic make up artist

"Kristyan Mallett has worked in the industry as a prosthetic make up artist for ten years and due to requests from Make up Designers and Production Designers, he decided to set up his own company. The work has so far been obtained solely from word of mouth. Kristyan prides himself on the quality of work that his crew and himself achieve and it is through this reliable and consistent reputation the company gets further work."

These are some of the pictures of Mallett's work that I simply find amazing!

The detail in the mask above looks incredible. It shows the importance of texture in creation of a 3D mask. It makes it look a lot more realistic and believable. 

How REAL does this look... Amazing!

Not everything in the world of prosthetics is about the face. These are fake hands which Kristyan has produced for one of the projects he was invited to work on.

Fake head... You wouldn't think it was fake if it had a body though :) !

Source: http://www.kristyanmallett.com/company-profile/about/

I think Mallett as an artist is able to produce some great pieces and is a true inspiration... I have also found some videos on YouTube where he talks about his work.

 

An amazing make-up demonstration using identical twins Steve and Mike. Here, Kristyan Mallett successfully applies ageing make-up on identical twin Steve.

TRUE INSPIRATION! 

Videos that have inspired me

I have attached a few videos to this post, as they have really inspired me and gave me loads of ideas for application etc, therefore wanted to share them :)

 

      

Wolf - scars

Considering the only mould I will be making for my hybrid will be the eyebrow part- I thought it would be good to create something else that would add to the effect. Because of the world my charatcer lives in and it is so dangerous I decided to mould a wolf scratch... I have researched some images of what I would like to do and will place the scratch on my model's chest.

 

I have researched the scratches in order to see how deep they are and how far apart they are. I want my hybrid to look as realistic as possible. 

Wolfman - Make Up/ Characterisation

Even though we live in an age of computer generated imagery & effects, there's something irreplaceble about real, practical make-up effects. It is known as a fact that a good combination of make-up and the actor's skills, can create a creature that haunts the mind for a long time even after the credits had stopped to roll.  

Actor: Lon Chaney Jr
Make-up Artist: Jack Pierce
Hours In The Chair: 9

Above you can see the Wolf Man played by Lon Chaney, and make-up artist Jack Pierce, creating a rather terrifying look. It was very surprising how Chaney Jr. put up with the long process of the application of this make up look that was required for this iconic role. The process of application  "involved rubber prosthetics, wigs, and crucially, thousands of yak hairs for his swollen pompadour." Unfortunately for Chaney, the application process was not the only thing that took a long time to do. The removal of all the prosthetic pieces on his face, took roughly about 3hrs, which sometimes caused tension between the make-up artist and Chaney, who reportedly grew to hate each other.

"In their second Wolfman film, Pierce attempted to simplify his method of application by rebuilding the nose and increasing that pompadour hair. However, the sequences showing the Wolf Man’s transition into a beast required constant touch-ups as Chaney posed, shooting a few frames of film, and lined himself up with etched glass to ensure he stayed still for the next shot. The fact that Chaney was required to stay motionless (and toiletless) for hours at a time no doubt added to the tension between the two. Chaney complained of the removal process that, “What gets me is after work when I’m all hot and itchy and tired, and after I’ve got to sit in that chair for forty-five minutes, while Pierce just about kills me, ripping off the stuff he put on me in the morning.”

 

Nannar, R. (2014). Becoming The Wolfman: Monsters In The Make-Up Chair. Available: http://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/movie-make-artists-chair/. Last accessed 18th Nov 2015.

Wolfman (2010) - researching reviews...

Directed by: Joe Johnston

"A practical man returns to his homeland, is attacked by a creature of folklore, and infected with a horrific disease his disciplined mind tells him can not possibly exist."

- http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1194949-wolfman/

The 2010 version of the Wolfman is known to represent the character in a better and more realistic way (compared to the original version of the film from the 40's), which has been influenced by the higher level of technology used and a budget that allowed for that to take place. Johnston had the opportunity to expand on some of the rich psychological territory of the original Wolf Man, and make it look glossier in the process.

"Jumping off from the same basic starting point as the original film, The Wolfman finds del Toro as Lawrence Talbot, the wasteful son of a rich family who returns home when his brother Ben is found dead, attacked by a strange beast. Dad (Hopkins) seems not all that interested in his living son, and in fact treated him pretty terribly as demonstrated in childhood (scenes or sudden mental pictures where earlier events are shown or remembered), but Ben's fiancee Gwen (Emily Blunt) supports Lawrence's mission to figure out what happened to his brother. The hunt leads to a gypsy camp that is attacked late at night by an almost the same seeming strange beast; Lawrence is bitten in the resulting struggle, and before you know it, he's starting to feel a little odd come the full moon.

When the movie is titled The Wolfman, there's no real need to build the audience up to the show of the main character in monster-like form, but we (appearing to be) spend forever waiting for Lawrence to finally stretch those claws. The effects that come with the change work pretty well, but Johnston seems unsure what to do with the monster once he has him. The wolfman spills buckets of blood and sometimes swipes some heads clean off, but none of the kills feel good or fun. The added problem is that the wolfman is a monster without reason (for doing something)-- he (appearing to be) kills anyone in his path, for no reason beyond (desire for killing and death). A killing machine monster is fine as a partner to the main character, but when he's also the hero, the boredom sets in quickly."

 Rich, K. (Unknown ). The Wolfman (2010). Available: http://www.cinemablend.com/reviews/The-Wolfman-2010-4456.html. Last accessed 18th Nov 2015.

My Character

I have really thought about my character and how I want it to look... After much consideration and discussion with my tutors, I got to the conclusion that I will not be able to mould the whole thing for my human hybrid. This is because so far we have only learnt how to make flat surface moulds. I have researched prosthetic pieces and where I can get them from. The image below shows the piece that I have bought, however I will cut off the top bit of the piece and mould it myself, which I am really looking forward to! The piece will need to be applied with spirit gum, which I have also bought.


Image from: http://www.morbidmask.co.uk

I have also bought crepe hair to use around the face and on the chest area for the wolf. 

These is a collection of images I have collected to show the type of thing I want to do for my hybrid:

Applying a bold cap

Needed:

Water spray
Spirit gum- matte
Extra strong hair gel
Supra colour palette
Sponges
Stuff to blend the edges
Pin tale combe
Brush

Steps:

-Spray the hair with water!! **do not leave any bits of hair dry
- Rub hair gel in evenly
- Go through with a brush
- Apply the cap onto the head
- Cut the edges of the cap to suit the shape of your models head
*while cutting near the ear cut a straight line then a triangle shape towards the corner of the mouth
- Apply glue underneath the edges of the cap
- Mix red and white to create a pinky shade
- Apply the mixture onto the cap in order for it to blend it with the skin
- Powder

*can apply foundation afterwards for the colour to seem realistic

About my wound assessment...

Creating my own mould was a very exciting and educational process. I feel like I have found out a lot  of information that I did not know before, but most importantly I have acquired techniques and skills that I will most definitely use in the future while creating my designs and making them become something more tangible. Sculpting was the most exciting part for me as it was the part where it all started. I could have sculpted whatever I wanted, whatever shape I wanted. Personally, I found this whole process very therapetuic and relaxing. It is something that I will definitely do more often, even as a hobby. Even though it's quite time consuming, it is definitely worth spending some time on it for it to come out ideal. The tools that I have used to sculpt my mould, helped me a lot and that's made me realise how important tools are when making your own piece. Or even doing someone's make up... They are just as much important as the quality of the make up itself.

When it comes to creating the silicone mould, I have found that quite stressful at times, because I knew that if I contaminate the products- it won't work. It was the pressure of it not working out that made the whole process more challenging the anything I have ever done before. However, I have soon come to the realisation that only practise will make me feel more confident while creating my own silicone pieces and all of a sudden it wasn't that bad! There is a lot to remember during the process of creating your own piece so I have learnt that it is very important to have your notes with you because you do have to follow the instructions, as they are very strict and like I have mentioned before- it is very easy to make a mistake while mixing the two types of silicone.

Applying the wound was the hardest part. I found that I applied too much glue onto the wound itself, the edges started folding and that made it very hard to blend. This is unfortunately visible in the photos, however I do understand why that is the case, and know what to do to stop it from happening again in the future!

I have enjoyed every part of this process, even though like I have said above- it was quite stressful at times, but it was all educational at the same time. It has really helped me to stay focused and concentrate on my work instead of my nerves and I am sure that lesson with stick with me for a while, if not forever.

My Brave New World - Moodboard and atmosphere

 

Far, far away... There was a place that was so terrifying, people were not allowed to speak about it. No one wanted to know anything about this place, as they believed the creatures that live there might try and hurt them. They were believed to be so evil and dangerous, no one wanted to explore it or find out why. It was known to be the kingdom of darkness, it was known to be the only place on the planet with no daylight. Money was not a thing- everything you wanted to get, you had to fight for. If you are not covered in fur, you might freeze to death. 

It is a dangerous world out there...

History of Special Effects

Before the creation of movies, actors and actresses used make-up in order to strengthen their appearance when seen from a distance, making themselves look more attractive, dramatic or loathsome as required. This is because their features had to be visible to the whole audience, even in the most distant, low-priced seats. 

Theatre performers often found that they needed a different sort of make-up. Appearing in close-up on the larger than life silver screen, there was little chance of their features being missed. A more subtle, tonal make-up was therefore required. 

Appearing on film also presented actors with a new set of problems. Early black and white film was not capable of capturing every skin tone. Many actors, such as romantic idols Ramon Novarro and Rudolph Valentino, ringed their eyes with a wide rim of dark make-up so that the whites of their eyes would not blend in with the surrounding skin which became very pale when photographed or filmed.

http://blogs.denverpost.com/library/files/2012/08/
Lon-Chaney-in-Phanton-of-the-Opera1.jpg

The sensational subject matter that quickly became the staple of the movies often called for more then simple tonal make-up - monsters and madmen were the order of the day. Actors such as Lon Chaney began to specialise in fantastic 3D makeovers, using a range of primitive materials to transform the actual shape of the face. Mortician's wax or putty was smeared on and built up in thick layers, the sculpted to create false noses, scars and other pieces. Perhaps the most unpleasant of these early materials was collodion, a syrupy liquid plastic normally used in the production of photographic plates. It was highly flammable and often irritating to the skin. Collodion, combined with cotton was built up layer by layer to give Boris Karloff his freakishly high forehead in Frankenstein (1931).

https://marruda3.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/
the-wolf-man.jpg

The mechanical and optical principles of cinematography provided film actors with opportunities not available to stage actors. The frame by frame nature of film meant that radical changes could be made to a performer's appearance between takes. This technique was used in the Wolf Man (1941) which was also the inspiration for my human hybrid. 

A significant breakthrough in make up came in the late 30's with the development of foam latex technology, used to make fake noses, chins and other parts that could be stuck on directly onto the actor's faces and bodies. The first major film to use foam latex appliances on a larger scale was the Wizard of Oz (1939). The make up artist- Jack Dawn, among others, created the magical make up for the film's much loved characters. The pre-made foam latex pieces could be glued to the actor's faces the start of each day, removing the need to build up fresh make-up each morning and guaranteeing consistent results. Foam latex appliances and costumes form the basis of many make up effects to this day. 

The changing style and subject matter of the movies has been the cause of many revolutions and evolutions in the work of a make up artist. The 1950's saw a rash of lurid science fiction films that required a range of aliens and atomically mutated creatures. This was the age of the rubber suit and a generation of stunt performers were dressed in latex to flail about in front of the cameras. The most fashionable couturier of the day was Paul Blaisdell, whose monstrosities added colour to films such as It! The Terror from Beyond Space (1958). 

During the 60's, mainstream movies became increasingly explicit, and the film-makers dared show their audiences gruesome details of murders and mutations. Make up artists became as adept at re-creating the appearance of the insides of the body as its exterior details. The Exorcist (1973) brought new levels of horror to the screen and inspired a generation of make up effects artists specialising in fantasy and horror creations. 

Whether a film requires an actor to age by a decade or decompose in front of our eyes, to be subtly altered with a new nose or transformed into an astonishing character from our worst nightmares, special effects make up artists all over the world now use the same basic materials and methods. 

Rickitt, R. and Harryhausen, R. (2006) Special effects: The history and technique. United Kingdom: Aurum Press. 

Practising the make up for my wound assessment

Today I have practised the make up on my model. I am very happy with the outcome and the way it looks, as it is exactly what I wanted. Natural, dewy, but still gives off this nice feminine effect! 

Make Up For My Character - Face Chart

This is the face chart for my wound assessment character. I wanted it to be very natural, with loads of 'naked' tones... Dewy skin, but all very feminine.

I have decided for the hair to be curly as I feel like there is this stigma about it and a lot of people straighten their curly hair. Taking that into consideration I thought curly hair would look more natural then any other hair style, especially considering the fact that my model's hair is naturally curly.

Story for my shoot

She had a big heart, but it kept being broken... Everyday, she would come home and face him. The man that was responsible for her fear and her tears, which would mark her pillow every night.

He never cared. About her, or anything else apart from himself. Everyday after work he would go out to the pub... his excuse was 'he needs some time to relax after a stressful day'. The truth was- he had no care in the world. She would do all the housework, look after the kids, look after everybody else apart from herself.

One day she met Thomas. A very handsome guy who managed to put a smile on her face every time she saw him, which was very unusual. It is not something she was used to... But definitely something she appreciated. One night, he invited her for dinner, in a lovely restaurant, which she always wanted to go to... They agreed to meet at 6pm outside of her flat. She was very happy that day...She even sang in the shower. Her make up looked so good, her husband noticed something wasn't right...She put his dinner on the table after she got out the shower, as she forgot to do it earlier. He was angry... He thought he was her priority. Her hair was still wet, and she was half dressed. She said she was going out with her friend... He knew that wasn't true because of how much effort she put into looking good that night.

He started calling her names. She didn't say a word, she was scared... He threw everything off the table and the only thing that was left was a bottle of beer which he got on the way home from the pub that night. He smashed the bottle and with a piece of glass, cut her back. After that, her make up was ruined, and she gave up on going out thinking she will never be able to be happy again.

Sculpting and moulding a wound

Today it was my first time sculpting! Not in general of course. I got the chance to sculpt a wound, a glass shard wound to be specific. 

First thing I did was I sculpted my wound using all the wooden tools. The wound was placed on a plastic tray. 

*it is very important to wear a face mask while doing the next step!*

First, you need to spray your wound with the fixing spray. *Don't make it wet or shiny!*

After about 5 minutes, spray the wound with petrolease which will help to take out the silicone mould. Then, in order to create a silicone base for the wound you need to cut a cup in half. Place it on the plastic tray with the wound in the middle. The cup needs to be glued to the tray using a glue gun as it is more precise. 

**It is also very important to wear gloves while moulding a wound!!

There are two types of silicone. A and B, and it is vital to remember that those two products cannot be contaminated as it will be not possible to use them again if that is the case. It is important to remember to use different sticks (I have marked mine A+B). Also, if you take the clear lid out of the product, it helps if you put it inside the bigger lid as it stops it from dripping!

Next, what you need to make sure is that your scales are on 0gm with the cup on top. The amount of each silicone is dependent on the hight/size of your sculpture. In my case it was 50:50, ratio is 1:1. This means there has to be the exact same amount of each silicone in the cup. It is very important to remember to use a different pair of gloves each time to use a different silicone. Next, you have to mix the two silicones together and pour it onto your sculpture. It will take a while for the silicone to dry, at least an hour. 

*tap the cup on a table to remove air bubbles!

Once the mould is all set, make sure you clean it with alcohol in order to make sure there's no clay cleft or any sort of fingerprints, etc. Next spray the mould with petrolease then pour the mixture into the mould in order to create the first layer. You can use a hairdryer to make this process quicker. Then mix super boulders in proportion 1:2 with alcohol. Make sure you mix it well in order to get the right consistency. 

*never put any of these products down the sink!!*

Next you need to measure 8gr of silicone B and 8gr of silicone A = 16gr. Then you need to add 75% of 16gr of deadener, which would be about 12 gr. After that you need to add pigment to the mixture in order for it to match your model. After you've poured the mixture into your mould, smooth the area with either a ruler or a metal mixing palette.

After that your wound will be ready to use!

Anatomy of the back

Like I have mentioned earlier on, in one of my posts I decided to create my wound on a back as I feel like I could be more creative when it comes to the incident itself. I want to come up with a story that is going to be realistic, which leads me onto the fact that I really want my wound to look realistic too!  

I decided to have a look at muscle structure etc. in order to really understand that part of the human body and be able to successfully re-create a believable Glass Shard wound. 

I have also gone on YouTube to listen and watch different videos on muscle structure. 

Now that I know what kind of a wound I would like to create and the location of it- it is time to think of the story behind it.

It cannot be a car crash because it simply wouldn't be logical! I always wanted to work in the TV and film industry and so I thought if I think of it like I was watching a film and then saw the wound- what would I think that had happened? The first thing that comes to my mind is a violent relationships. The woman said she'll leave him- he was drunk. She just got out the shower so the only thing she had on was the towel. He threw a glass at her and it hit her back (around the shoulder area).

The thought of making this project makes me so excited as it will give me a taste of what it is really like in the real world, doing 'real' jobs. I cannot wait to start sculpting and moulding my wound!

Type of wound- Glass Shard

Our first lesson involved pulling out of the hat a name of the wound that we will have to create on someone from the group. My one was 'Glass shard'. I am very happy with it as I feel like there is so much I can do with this type of a wound. I would like to create it in a place that is quite unusual, however I have researched different areas to gain more knowledge about the kind of impact that an injury like that can have on different body parts. The one that intrigued me the most was the back one which is demonstrated in the photo right at the bottom of this post, however a wound like this will take a lot of time to prepare so I do have to make sure I allow myself enough time to get it done, as I want the quality to be there as well. If it doesn't look realistic then it will look comical and that is definitely not what I am going for! I will soon start learning how to make a wound, which I am very excited about and can't wait to start creating my own work. 

INTRODUCTION

I have always been a fan of horror films... and that's where my passion for special effects began. I was always fascinated by the effect of a prosthetic and the way it changes the whole mood of a production i.e. a film. The power of it is amazing and I am looking forward to expanding my skills in this field even further. I want to be able to re-create the most famous prosthetic pieces and from that gain inspiration for my own work. 

There is many artists who's work has inspired me to create my own and try doing SPFX in general. 

Below I have attached a photo of my first prosthetic-look that I did for Halloween. I very much enjoyed creating this as it allowed me to make a normal looking face look,well... terrifying. It is the process that makes it so enjoyable for me, the outcome is just the cherry on top! I added the nose which was made out of a material that was very similar to silicone. 

I look forward to this unit as it will allow me to create more pieces like the one above (or maybe even better ones!).