Basic Concepts of Prosthetic Makeup

You can dress up in the most extravagant costume, and paint the most intense makeup over your
entire body, but nothing screams different louder than physically altering your bodily structure.
You’re not a beast until you have an extended forehead. You’re not a demon until you have
horns. You’re not a mutant unless you have those little spikey things in a pattern down your
back. In the entertainment industry, these are accomplished with what is known as special effects
prosthetics.

Such radical changes should not be taken lightly. A good actor and director know how to make a
successful monster without altering appearance. Rather, prosthetics are best used for impact or to
represent deviation from the norm or a change that has taken place. Like any other prop, they
should accentuate the character and help explain its personality, not stand in for it.

A basic understanding of materials and concepts is all that’ s needed to get started in making
your own imagined creatures come to life.

Good prosthetics will still allow for emotion to show through and will remain solid and
consistent throughout the performance. The most basic of applications can be used to simply
hide effects mechanisms, like blood tubes and incoming bullet hits. The most complex will
render the actor completely unrecognizable as a human. Regardless of level, the best appliances
will help tell the story of the character in such a way that the viewer will understand the character
by simply looking at them. Such an effect doesn’t come easily though. Prosthetics are tough to
master. People work for years to perfect the art, and many never achieve a level they are truly
happy with. That said, getting started is actually easier than you think.

There are three types of appliances. Premade, which are preformed shapes that come ready-to-
apply right out of the package. Alternatively you can make your own, for more customization
and variety. However, for a perfect fit, you’ll want to construct your appliances via a lifecast, in
which an impression of your model is taken and a truly custom fit appliance is constructed. The
appliance you should use depends on the situation in which they will be used and the detail at
which they will be presented.

The basic materials

Montage of several different types of prosthetics makeup and related products.It might surprise
you to learn that most of the materials used, or their equivalents can be found in arts and crafts,
hardware and medical supply stores. Below are some of the more common items.
 Photo of
a prosthetic wound on a hand.Liquid Latex – Clear or tan colored liquid that can be applied in
layers, built up and formed into skin-like textures. This and its foam counterpart will most likely
be the hardest items to acquire. Typically, you can only find it locally in small amounts at party
supply stores during the Halloween season. Short of that, it’s best to find a theatrical makeup
supply store and have it shipped to you.

Foam Latex –This mixture expands as it dries to form a tight sponge-like substance that will
hold shapes when hardened, yet be flexible enough to allow movement. Foam tubing and Paper
Mache can be found locally and can sometimes be used just as effectively.

Silicone – Similar to liquid latex, only with more of a shiny texture and less tackiness when dry.
This substance can set quite fast and be tricky to manipulate accurately, even for experienced
users.
 Photo
of person having a “bald cap” applied.Bald Cap – Imagine a thin skin-like shower cap that is
glued to the head over the hair to conceal it or protect it. Another item that is harder to find
outside of Halloween, but you’re likely to spot it in your local party or novelty joke shop.

Spirit gum (Pros-Aide) — Specially formulated glue that is applied to the skin and holds down
appliances like nobody’s business. Medical supply stores may have an equivalent medical-use
adhesive. This substance is also used to coat prosthetics to remove stickiness or to provide a
proper surface on which makeup can be applied.

Modeling clay – An oil-based plasticine clay that can be sculpted into the shapes of your
prosthetics. From these negative molds are made, which can then be filled with Latex, silicone or
the like to make your final prosthetics. Find it in any local crafts store.

Alginate – A plant-based powder that when mixed with water can be used to safely take
impressions of body parts or objects. Thin layers can also be used as a separating agent when
making molds. This can sometimes be found in medical supply stores, but most likely you’ll
have to have it shipped. Casting gel is a product that is similar to alginate but with slightly
different properties found in craft stores.

Gypsum cement – Harder than Plaster of Paris when dry, this substance is too heavy to form an
appliance itself and is never used directly on the skin. Rather it is used to form a hard shell for
your mold inside which prosthetics can be shaped. The most popular type in the film industry is
Ultracal 30. Small batches of hydrocal can rarely be found in art stores and mixtures used for
other purposes (though still decent for molds) can be found in home improvement stores.
Plaster bandages – A burlap-like fabric soaked in plaster powder. When wet and applied in
conjunction with the gypsum cement, they will dry and harden to form an outer shell around the
cast. Likewise it can be applied to alginate without the hydrocal (using cotton or some other
stringy material as a joining element) to form a thinner, lighter mold of its own. It can be easily
found in medical supply stores, or you can create your own by using actual burlap fabric over the
regular plaster.

Separating agent – A slippery sealant (like oil or Vaseline) used to coat the inside of a mold
before the latex or silicone is added. If no separating agent is used, the prosthetic will likely fuse
to the mold as it hardens, making removal all but impossible.

Makeup removal compound – Makes removal and cleanup easier and less painful for the talent
and helps remove prosthetics while minimizing damage. Any makeup supply store should have
good removal and cleansing agents.

Application Tips and Pitfalls

Let’s say you have a prosthetic you’d like to apply. How’s it done? Assuming you’ve already
laid out your overall design, you’ll need to consider where to place everything, and if there is
overlap, which should go on top of the other. Your appliances should generally conform to
anatomy, either of a person, or the creature you’re trying to emulate. The less you conform, the
less people will be able to understand it. The audience needs recognizable elements in order to
define what you’re trying to convey. Unfortunately the human body doesn’t always lend itself to
your design. Hair for example, is often a major obstacle to be overcome.

We’ll start with premade appliances. These are the simplest to use, but they offer the least
amount of customization. Use these when you don’t have a lot of time to invest, but be aware the
“one size fits all” nature of these items can lead to design limitations and ill-fitting applications.
Don't be afraid to use premade appliances in ways they are not meant to be used. Let’s say you
have a pair of premade horns. Instead of using them on the head, use them as tusks or shoulder
spikes instead.

If you do place them on top of the head, you’re going to have to deal with your subject’s thick
head of hair. You could ask them to shave it all off, but don’t expect a positive response. In this
case we’re going to apply a bald cap over the hair that will also serve as a new foundation for
appliances. Flatten the hair as much as possible with a strong hair gel. Place the cap over your
subject. Long hair can be flat braided and fed down the back of the cap and tucked inside the
wearer’s costume. You may have to shape around the ears, but keep at least a quarter-inch border
to cover side burns and hairlines. Mark trim lines with a wax or grease pencil and trim smooth
edges. Leave the back as long as possible as you can tuck it inside the wardrobe.

Apply a small line of spirit gum to the inside edge of the mask along the forehead. In most
appliances you need only apply the glue to the prosthetic, but since this is the most important
seam, and will suffer a good deal of strain, you might want to apply some to both surfaces. This
could make removal more difficult though and provides an increased risk of lumps, so minimize
this practice as much as possible. When the glue is very tacky, smoothly lay the seam back down
onto the skin and hold lightly until it sets. Continue to glue down the sides and around the ears.
Stop at the top just as you start to go down the back of the ear.

Have your subject tilt their chin up slightly now and tape or glue down the back of the bald cap
to the base of the neck. When they return to a normal posture, the cap should be without tension,
yet taught and without wrinkles. At this point, finish gluing down the remaining edges from the
top of the ear down the neck. Learning how to avoid bunching, folds and loose edges will mean
the difference between a successful appliance and a sad one. Always glue from one location
outward. You never want to start at the sides and work to a central point. If you need to glue
down directly over thick hair, like eyebrows or sideburns, then be sure to coat them in Vaseline
so they don’t pull the hair out upon removal.

A light brushing of spirit gum or latex over the cap will provide a base suitable for makeup and
other attachments. You can now glue the horns anywhere on the head or cap. Whenever possible,
keep seam lines to shadows and undercuts, or at least away from the direct camera sight. Smooth
transition lines as necessary with latex or mortician’s wax using a makeup sponge. You can also
hide edges with hair or makeup. Finally, keep in mind the textures of your appliances. Horns
shouldn’t flop when the character moves. On the other hand, making them too heavy can make
them uncomfortable or fall off. Packing hollow appliances with light foam or even cotton is, in
most cases, all that is necessary.

If you’re going to conceal blood tubes, lights, or other effects under your appliances, run them
first. Follow the same seam lines and run them to hidden access points under clothing or hair. Be
sure not to pinch your tubes when you apply the makeup. Applying makeup effectively is an art
all its own and requires as much practice as prosthetics themselves. Stippling with sponges,
drawing with brushes and even airbrushing are all techniques to experiment with and develop
over time. As a beginner, try your best to follow this rule: blending is important to the overall
look and accentuating the transition from light to dark will help define your shapes.

Making your own

To reiterate, the key points of a good prosthetic are smooth and even applications, small and
hidden seam lines and well blended concealing makeup that defines the form of the anatomy.
Achieving this is a little trickier with premade effects, which are by necessity one size fits all and
may not be exactly what you’re looking for. Fabricating your own appliances out of latex, light
foam or even Paper Mache allows you to better fit your pieces into the exact places they’re
supposed to go and creates the exact structure you desire. Such fabrication is yet another art form
and will require a good deal of refinement. In the end though, things may not be perfect enough
to allow your talent to emote through the makeup. For this you need to conform even closer to
your talent’s anatomy.

For a truly perfect fit, you will need a lifecast. This means you have a perfect “statue” in essence
of your subject and can work in fine detail to create pieces that exactly match the application site
of your talent on one side, and create the new textures and shapes on the other. This is an
advanced technique and should be eased into only after the basics have been learned.
To that end, we’d be remiss in our discussion if we didn’t talk about how this is done. There are
different methods to lifecasting, so for now we’ll touch on one of the easier ones to try first. In
your local craft store, you’ll find the sculpting and modelling section. There you can find
modeling gel. Detailed instructions are on the packaging, but essentially you’re going to create a
quick setting liquid that will form a firm gel when it’s ready. If you placed your hands inside a
bucket of this liquid as it hardened and remained very still, you would be able to remove your
hands to reveal a negative mold of the anatomy. The biggest issues to avoid at this stage are
moving around too much (which will destroy the impression) and creating undercuts (where the
hollow space bends back up upon itself creating inevitable air pockets in the cast and may even
prevent extraction from the mold without destroying it). Making fists is okay, as is keeping your
fingers mostly straight, but curling your fingers under will cause the cast to fail as the fill
material will not be able to reach and settle in all areas evenly.

Since this mold is disposable, we can proceed to pour a plaster mix into the cavity. Pour a little
bit at first and roll it around to make sure all sides are covered. Proceed to fill up the rest of the
impression being sure to tilt the mold to free tight areas of air pockets. Once the mold is full of
plaster set it aside to dry. Be aware that the temperature of the water you use plays a big role in
how many of these products react. A few degrees difference can mean the difference between a
mold taking too long and one that sets up too fast to be usable. When the plaster has at last
hardened and cooled, remove the gel and touch up any imperfections in the cast. You now have
an essentially accurate sculpt of your hands.

To create your prosthetic, apply plasticine (non-air drying) clay to the sculpture. You can now
sculpt shapes that will perfectly conform to your hands. Once your creation has been designed
make another impression of the outside of the clay using the same plaster casting method
described above. You’ll have to build in dividers using thin tin flashing playing cards, or
whatever works so you can separate your mold, otherwise you’ll have to break the plaster to get
your prosthetic out. When hardened, separate the molds and clean out the clay. Paint in your
separating agent with a brush being sure to get all the nooks edges and corners. Reassemble the
two molds together and pour latex, foam or silicone into the cavity where the clay used to be. If
you make the mold strong enough and separate carefully you should get more than a few uses
out of the same cast.

Creating, applying, and concealing prosthetics is an art form that will take quite a long time to
develop and refine, but don’t be afraid to try it. Getting started is easier than you think and most
materials are as close as your nearest hobby shop, craft store and home improvement outlet.
Overall success will depend on your knowledge of the materials, your creativity, and your ability
to remember the golden rule of special effects: they look best when they don’t call attention to
themselves, rather they fit seamlessly into your creation as a whole. You can develop the skills to
create the character you envision in every way. Don’t be afraid to take the necessary first step.
Experiment, create, amaze, enjoy!

Sidebar
Special considerations
Now that we’ve whet your appetite we’d hate to scare you off, but like those annoying
pharmaceutical commercials, we’d be remiss if we didn’t at least mention the potential
complications involved with prosthetics and special effects makeup. These rarely pop up, but
they do from time to time. You should always be conscious of safety considerations, and be
prepared to take precautions against any issues that may come to pass.

People can be allergic to the chemicals and compounds used in special effects makeup and
prosthetics. Test for reactions on small areas before doing any application. Take steps to avoid
large amounts of hair being pulled out and keep chemicals like spirit gum out of the eyes at all
costs. Some people find prosthetics itchy and uncomfortable or even claustrophobic. They may
make skin feel dry and sensitive for a few days after removal. Makeup and compounds can stain
and be hard to remove. Strong scrubbing will likely be needed. Read instructions carefully and
be aware of potential increased risk of flammability. Always be aware of your subject’s safety,
especially when cutting, applying and painting appliances. Don’t forget that some applications
may lead to impaired mobility or restricted line of sight, so your subject may have a hard time
getting around obstacles.

Lighter considerations such as wasting time and money on an unsuccessful mold, or the
incredible mess that casting can create are less severe, but more prevalent. There is a moderate
initial investment that is required as well, and you’ll probably have a good deal of waste at the
end. Reusability of anything is not guaranteed and some steps just cannot be rushed. Practice not
only makes perfect, but it will help you avoid or overcome all of these issues and result in safe,
efficient and awe inspiring makeups.

Sidebar
Considering usage

Prosthetics must work well with the situation at hand. If you’re just making a Halloween
costume, you can get away with a bit more than you can if you’re creating a creature for a movie.
There are many considerations when designing a makeup application. Will the makeup be seen
close up or from far away? Will the talent be required to “act” through the makeup and to what
extent? What will the lighting and costuming look like? Will the genre be silly or serious? If the
appliance is required over many days can you recreate it with speed and accuracy? What will the
lighting be like? Will your creation hold up to action or getting wet?

Perhaps you can get away with a rubber mask instead of a full prosthetic appliance, makeup
instead of a mask or a costume to suggest a creature instead of building one. Knowing how you
are going to present your creation to the world will help you make smart decisions in designing
and fabricating your prosthetics. Finally, remember to take photographs of your finished product
for consistency should you ever need to recreate it, or for inspiration on your next makeup.