One of my favorite aspects of theatre is makeup. I have taken classes in theatre makeup and had a lot of fun. This is a “re-enactment” of an assignment I had in a makeup class. The assignment was to create some type of injury. As you can see by the photos, this is a many years ago when I was about 20 or 21. Incidentally, sorry for the image quality, too. These were taken with a cheap 35mm camera, and then scanned 5 or 6 years later with one of those early hand-held scanners… if I run across the original photos again I will rescan them.
h3. Before you start
Get dressed. I know it sounds silly, but really—whatever you are going to wear, put it on now. It is really, really hard to change clothes once you have this big thing sticking out of your head.
Step 1
- prepare a regular paper airplane (only use a half a sheet of paper, otherwise the plane is a bit large and heavy and prone to coming unstuck)
- cut off the tip (how much you cut off depends on how deep you want the plane to be “embedded” in your head)
- glue tabs to the airplane (inside the folds, out of view) and glue airplane “closed”
- use spirit gum on clean forehead and apply tabs
- hold the plane in place until spirit gum sets.
Step 2
- using “nose and scar wax” or similar putty, cover the area immediately around the airplane
- use a finger moistened with an oil based makeup remover to smooth the finish
- blend into surrounding skin (raised portion is okay, since there would be swelling from the impact).
Step 3
- cover with base makeup (I reccomend Ben Nye) and use this time to apply makeup to the rest of the face as well (so the made-up area blends in well)
- powder WELL, using a blotting motion, never brushing or rubbing.
Step 4
- using a Ben Nye “bruise wheel” (or eyeshadow if it is all you can get), create a bruised effect. I used yellow, peach, blue, and grey. The area right next to the airplane is not as bruised, because in the impact it would be that very light area too swollen for the blood to get too the surface.
- powder over the top.
Step 5
- create a groove by pressing straight into the wax all around the airplane, and fill this with Ben Nye “fresh scab” or fake blood; let a little dribble down the corner of the eye.
Step 6
- make the blood “splash” a little onto the plane, make some drips below.
Tada!
The finished product!
Others have followed my project on their own foreheads:
Mason |
 |
| Mason | Alan |
(Did you try it too? Let me know and I’ll add your picture/link!)
— 03:28:42 PM
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