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Halloween Fun @ Solly's House
Last edited Sat Oct 29, 2016, 11:51 PM - Edit history (1)
[center]If fake gore and fake blood bothers you, stop reading now.[/center]
Avid "The Walking Dead" fans, we dress up as zombies to scare people (or not). Tonight I was working on makeup for Halloween night. I was doing a makeup that is new for me, and thought I'd share my results.
I made some flesh/wound prosthetics from gelatin yesterday and used them this evening for practice.
I'm a bit frugal and make some of my makeup and decorations myself, and if I can do that from everyday things around the house - all the better. Sometimes I cheat and hit the nearest dollar store.
Flesh
I used hot water (and I mean hot - use the kettle), gelatin, and glycerin.
1 TSP gelatin to 1 TSP hot water to 1/4 tsp glycerin. You can double or triple the recipe, but be careful with the glycerin - it helps keep the mixture soft but you can get it too soft.
Mix gelatin and water, then add glycerin - then in the microwave for no more than 7 seconds. I use a wooden ice cream stick to stir. I then use the stick to paint my design onto parchment paper. I allow it to dry a few seconds and then powder the appliance with either baby powder or baby powder mixed with flesh colored loose powder. Choose the flesh color you need from any makeup counter. Peel your piece gently - very gently - from the parchment paper. Make sure you powder the backside as well. You can store your pieces in a ziplock for 48 hours without it becoming too hard to work with.
I make a little at a time because the mixture does set quickly and I build a little at a time on my project. I microwave my mix as needed. I rarely do flocking so did not include.
With added tint (to white powder)
The above piece will provide an anchor for the tendons. Trim away the bad. The good thing about gelatin is you can use alcohol or witch hazel to correct your borders one placed on skin. Use cotton swabs and dot a little at a time to perfect your edges.
Tendons. I cut to size I want using small nail scissors.
Without (only white powder)
The above piece will be used to create burns.
Various items from tonight.
Blood
I use corn syrup, red food coloring, and cocoa to make blood.
Pour a little syrup in a small bowl and add a few drops of the food coloring.
After stirring (using a wooden stick). Looks great for making candy apples but not for bloody ones.
After adding the cocoa a little at a time to make it more like real blood. Still tasty, though.
Adjust your mixture until it resembles blood.
Application
First - find a guinea pig. My husband will usually indulge me.
We are going to attempt an exposed tendon/bone-like flesh wound on the hand. Ideally, your guinea pig should let you shave their arm. Mine wouldn't. Guess there are lines you just can't cross with your guinea pig.
I cleaned the application area and covered it with gray grease paint. You can buy or make gray grease paint. I bought mine at the dollar store. Did I mention I was frugal? (and often times lazy)
Squirt out some gray paint on the hand you are working on. Using a damp sponge, spread the gray color all over the fingers, over the wrist, and up the arm a little. On your guinea pig - not on you - unless you are your own guinea pig. Clothing will cover some portion of the arm, so do not apply makeup beyond that point. The blood stains. Seriously - it stains.
I used grease crayons to trace the actual tendons on the hand in black and red. A stroke of black, then a stroke of red. I bought the grease crayons at the dollar store as well.
I applied my first prosthetic using eye lash adhesive. Some people use spirit gum but that doesn't always hold the way you need it to hold. I dab a little adhesive on the back of my piece and then flip it over and attach. Press gently. Allow it to set for a few minutes.
Add your tendons/bones following the grease paint lines you drew earlier. Again, apply adhesive, press gently, allow to dry.
That is Elmers glue surrounding the wound. I use plain old glue and 2 ply tissue to create a raised flesh effect.
Tear the tissue, gently place on glue and shape.
I used a small paint brush and water, along with the glue, to shape the raised skin into place. Dip the brush into the water, shake off excess, and use the brush to spread the glue and shape the torn "flesh'.
Allow to dry several minutes.
Keep using the glue and the tissue to build up the flesh away from the exposed wound. (if needed)
Do this a little at a time and !STOP! once you are satisfied.
I used 2 layers of tissue around the wound and then I cut a circle from the tissue and glued the circle over my entire wound. Using small scissors, I cut down the center of the tissue, then peeling a layer at a time (of the 2 ply tissue) back away from the center. I used the small paint brush and water, along with the glue, to shape the torn (tissue) skin into place.
Let dry. Will take several more minutes. You can use a blow dryer alternating between cool and hot air.
Once dry, either dust flesh colored powder around the wound to blend, adding more gray grease paint if it is a zombie wound, or take liquid foundation and do the same. Just enough to blend the wound in to the real arm. And ONLY around the edges.
After it dries, use your black grease crayon and darken the areas between the tendons/bones. Use a red grease crayon and outline the areas you covered in black.
Next, using a wooden ice cream stick, spread the blood. Have fun! Spread it however you want to spread it!
My results. Enjoy!
Be sure to allow your creation to set a few minutes and then apply whatever makeup you think it needs to finish out the effect.
Also, be sure to keep your guinea pig's fingers spread open during application. Allows for better movement once you've completed the makeup.
Happy Halloween Y'all!
Solly Mack
13 replies
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= new reply since forum marked as read
Well done........er, well, you know what I mean! 
Wow, what an effort!
Beeeeeyuuuuuutiful results!
Gore isn't for everyone. 
But I do love Halloween.
Where and how did you learn to do it?
He was in Chapel Hill this weekend; just took him to the airport to go back to Yale (3rd year masters grad student at the Y School of Drama).
He and his partner went to a Halloween party last night. They procured pumpkins yesterday: carved two to wear as heads and two small ones to carry as lanterns.
He showed me a photo on his phone of them when I picked him up to go to the airport. I told him, "send me that photo!". So far, no photo. They really startled
the party hosts when they showed up at the door as pumpkin heads. 
Hope you have lots of fun tomorrow night!
The appliance was drying out and cracking from all the movement, but this is how it turned out for the big night.
We had a slow start but by 6 PM the street was filled with trick-or-treaters. Mostly princesses and super heroes, but every now and then something creative stopped by for candy.
Thank you everyone who enjoyed my gore!