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I'm going to share a few products that would definitely benefit anyone starting off special effects for whatever reasons that may be. I've broken each product into categories based upon what you would be using them for, whether that be lacerations, gashes, acid burns, things like that. I definitely built up my kit over a very long period already, because honestly that was the only way I could do it. I would pick up little things here and there when I could afford to and I still do this. My kit is still expanding now.
LIQUID LATEX
The first product I ever bought was liquid latex, of which you can do a lot with. It is definitely one of the most versatile products when you want to get the feel of creating wounds and scars, so I would 100% recommend this product to be part of your special effects kit. Liquid latex is also fairly effective when creating wounds that you can easily build up with
tissue paper or cotton balls, depending on whiich ever way you wish to build your wound up. You can also use latex to blend out the seems of a bald cap. There are just so many things you can do with it which is why it is such a versatile product to have.
NOSE AND SCAR WAX
This is an absolutely amazing product to use when creating deep wounds and lacerations. It is definitely a lot more difficult to work with than liquid latex, but is overall more effective when creating the deeper wounds. How you use wax is you basically roll it out into a snake like shape, apply it to the skin and then you can blend and mould it exactly the way you like.
What
you find will definitely help whilst using this product is applying lotion to your hands while handling and blending it. Doing this decreases the chances of the wax becoming increasingly difficult to work with by becoming sticky.
FAKE BLOOD
This, very much like the latex, is an extremely versatile product for this area of work. Fake blood is almost like the very foundation that holds a house together, without the foundation, the house is clearly incomplete, just like a wound without blood. You're going to need tons of blood, both normal and edible blood for mouth use, obviously.
As well as all of the above, any form of colour is extremely necessary. Eyeshadows, cream paints, skin illustrator, alcohol activated paints, oil based paints, water colour, or if you don't have any, just lipsticks in many shades will do just fine. Use exactly what you feel works best for you!
And that's all!
As well as knowing it's such a versatile product, there are many many more things you need to know about latex than just that, all of which I'm going to go through.
First of all, wear something you don't mind wrecking for the rest of your life when using latex. As it;s a liquid to rubber substance, it will go onto your clothes liquid and dry as rubber. Sometimes, SOMETIMES, if you're lucky, you can peel the rubber off of your clothes with no damage, but that's merely a one in a million chance, so just to be on the safe side, wear something you really don't mind wrecking, and keep that piece of clothing for the next time of latex, you don't want to ruin thousands of pairs of clothes for the same job. Keep one pair of bottoms and a shirt for when you;re working with latex and put those on every time you do,, until they are completely wrecked and you can no longer use them, at which point, find other clothes and do the same. Trust me, you'll thank me later.
As well as clothes, latex is also lethal to hair. Apply it to your eyebrows without blocking them out, your eyebrows are gone in an instant when it comes to the long, painful removal process of latex. It is exactly the same with your hair line, other facial hair, eyelashes and arm hair (and maybe others but its up to you to discover that, not me). There are easy ways you can block these areas out, the easiest being vaseline. Apply as much vaseline as you feel you need to, I apply thick layers to ensure I am COMPLETELY covered. I will go over other ways in which you can block out your eyebrows in another post, to keep this one specifically to the basics of using latex.
LASTLY, if you get this stuff in your eyes, you are done for. It may not necessarily effect your overall eyesight in the long run, but there is no doubt that it will sting like absolute hell fire, I've gathered from experience, so definitely be cautious when it comes to using latex around your eye area.
You'll thank me for this later. I promise you.
As mentioned in a previous post, nose and scar wax is definitely an important product to keep in mind when creating cuts and wounds, but, there are just a couple little pointers to remember whilst using this product.
NEVER FORGET HAND LOTION. Hand lotion, cream, vaseline, whatever you got, use it on your fingertips prior to using the wax, it will help you more than you think. If you do not use any, you'll, no doubt, catch yourself in a very sticky mess and the wax will be practically impossible to mould. Using cream on your hands prior will ensure that it will not get completely stuck to your fingers, and you'll actually be able to get somewhere.
When trying to remove the wax afterwards, DO NOT just try and scrub it off. You should really try and scrape off as much of it off as possible before using warm water and soap to remove the excess from your skin. Following this step really does just make the removal process a much more manageable, smooth process.
And that's all I have for now!
Blocking out your eyebrows has a multitude of positives to it, whether it be in glam makeup to redraw your eyebrows or in sfx makeup to protect the eyebrows or keep them hidden for certain looks and face paints. Whatever the purpose be, I have several ways you can block out your eyebrows effectively!
The first method is the most inexpensive and the one I tend to use, vaseline. Applying a thick layer of vaseline to your eyebrows will block them out and will present them from being removed due to latex. This method will not keep your eyebrows hidden as such but will definitely keep them from latex and other adhesives.
The second way is by using prosaide adhesive. This will not rip out your eyebrows and when applied effectively with a finishing layer of concealer or foundation will completely block out your eyebrows and keep them protected by adhesives. Just apply the prosaide to your eyebrows, fully coating the back and front of the brow hairs then flatten them down on your face, further coating them with more product. This will keep them fully sealed to prevent accidents from occuring.
The final way I have is by using a NON TOXIC glue stick. To do this,apply the glue stick back and forth on your eyebrow, coating each individual hair, then begin to coat the top again, flattening your eyebrows to your face. Do this final coat another two times to ensure every hair has been stuck down well, waiting for each layer to dry prior to beginning the next. After all layers have dried, powder the eyebrows and apply a foundation or concealer that matches your skin tone to complete this. This can be used to hide your eyebrows as well as protect them.
