Processing Silicone Prosthetics (using fiberglass) Part 2

Once the fibreglassing had set overnight it needed to be separated. Once this was done holes then needed to be drilled in so the mold and core could lock together to processes prosthetics. We used 6mm screws.

Next we used a vibrasaw to take off the overhanging edges of the fiberglass so the edge was where the bleeding edges were and it was more manageable and near. We then filed this down further with sandpaper to make sure it was smooth.

I was happy with how all these processes went however it was at this moment I realised that my original fibreglassing was too thin. This meant be mold wasn't really strong enough and a lot m ore delicate than it should be. It still worked as a mold but next time I need to do another layer of fibreglass to make sure my mold is stronger and more durable.

Next I put three layers of cap plastic into the mold as the base of the silicone prosthetic. I then made a 25% softened mixture of silicone (60g A + 60g B + 30g C) as a forehead is relatively hard but still has the normal softness of skin and poured this into my mold. I then screwed the two halves of the mold together and bolted it shut tightly to wait whilst it cured. Once opened I painted two more layers of cap plastic over the back.

Next time I will use a little more silicone as one area of the flashing didn't get filled properly and barely any silicone got squeezed out whilst the molds were shutting but apart from this I was very happy with how the piece had turned out.

One mistake I had made during this process has not using a mold release (vaseline) on the mold before adding the cap plastic. Although fibreglass isn't porous like plaster this still meant the silicone clung to it, causing a lot of my cap plastic to be left in the piece, this also meant I had a rip at the base of the piece.. Apart from this though I was very happy with how this piece turned out. The edges are neat and usable, the texture has transferred well to silicone and the piece felt the right level of softness. Next time I need to remember to vaseline the piece and I think it will work a lot better. Overall I was very happy with how the fibreglass mold worked.

Body Painting Experimentation

As I had never done bodypainting before our lesson on it, I wanted to try some of my own at home to quickly get the feel of it. I tried an ivy branch which I found more difficult then expected. 

The middle leaf was the first one I did and is the one I'm least happy with. The blending round the edge isn't smooth and I found it very difficult to do the small detail in the leaf as the colors blended very easily. I was using aqua colour for this which may be why the white couldn't really be painted on top of the green. However as I went on I think my painting got a lot better and I was much more pleased with my leaves lower down, the detailing and shading transition being a lot better. Overall the branch doesn't look real but I like the effect of the look and I improved a lot whilst doing it so it was a useful experiment. Next time I would paint all the lighter colours first and use much smaller brushes for the detail.

I also very quickly tried a body paint in biro pen as this was something I'd seen in a few books and read could be used quite a lot.

This was a very quick experiment so wasn't very detailed or neat but it allowed me to see the effect of biro on the skin. It means I could do a lot finer detail than with paints which I think would be useful for a lot of pieces and it would be interesting to see how paint and pen mix in one piece. I liked being able to create a feathered, thinner line by adjusting the pressure of the pen and I think this could make interesting textures. Overall although my experiments weren't the greatest standard of makeup they helped me understand bodypainting a lot more.

Drag Queen Makeup

1) Coat mascara wand in pros-aide

2) Comb pros-aide through the brows and use finger to push the product in.

3) Dry glue with a hairdryer

4) Pros-aide remains sticky so use a translucent powder to set the eyebrows in place.

5) Use a neutral base (such a a paint pot) over the eyelid and eyebrow to cancel out colour - warm tones for dark brows.

6) Leave all the products creamy until the very end so you layer lots on and correct any mistakes.

7) Sketch in a new crease line using a gel liner - use the bottom of the eyebrow as a reference for a very high crease.

8) Stipple a powder product onto the socket line to blend - stipple don't wipe so don't smudge colours.

9) Re-layer the products to build definition and intensity

10) Use a white eyeliner underneath the eye to widen

11) Underline eye further down with a black eyeliner and carry this on into the flick.

12) Add false lashes on the top and bottom lash line

13) Place a very light pigment in the inner corner, lighter colour to contrast darker crease.

14) Add any other colours to center and glitters or shimmers on top with glue or latex.

15) Exaggerate the liner in the inner corner.

16) Put a thick (greasepaint) base all over the face, on ears and down onto neck.

17) Use a very dark colour to contour the cheekbones, temples, forehead, jawline and nose. Keep the lines very straight and angular

18) Use the base, middle colour to blend lines out using a stippling motion.

19) Use a very light colour under the eyes in triangles and down the center of the nose. Again blend out with mid tone.

20) Keep layering products until happy with intensity.

21) Powder with different coloured powders - light medium and dark and blend all together.

22) Add bronzer to warm face up any where and add any more contouring.

23) Add a blush on the cheeks - can have a shimmer in.

24) Draw on eyebrows, using the top of the original brow for guidance. Best to use a brow gel and keep them quite thin and very arched.

Due to an uneven class number I worked on the other half of the model used for the examples face, meaning I was using the original makeup as a guide. Overall I was very happy with how my makeup turned out and it was very useful being able to do the process on a boy. I was not completely satisfied with my brow covering as unfortunately a grey colour transferred from my brush into the pros-aide making the brows look a lot darker, next time I will use a cotton bud or disposable mascara wand. I was very happy with the eye makeup as I think the blending was good and the contrast of colours was very striking. Overall I liked the skin makeup, though the cheek contour could have been even heavier, next time I would use a darker product. I also didn't have powders of different colours so I couldn't get the powder blend of the other side. I liked my eyebrow but because I only had a pencil not a gel it did not match the other side. However on it's own I liked the brow shape a lot and thought it suited the makeup and was a good even shape. I was also happy with the lips but would try a slightly darker or bolder colour next time to intensify them more as the eyes are quite neutral.