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: