Bald cap
A bald cap is used to protect or mask a models hair to create the illusion that they are bald. Bald caps can be made from a number of different materials however the most common material to use is liquid latex. I will be using a latex bald cap in the final assessment was this can be coloured and also made thick enough to mask the very dark colour of the models hair. In this instance the cap will be used to protect the models hair from protruding through the areas which need adhesive to stick to prosthetic down. Bold caps can be bought mainly selling at a one size fits all basis, however they are incredibly simple to makeup yourself.
I wanted to use a bald cap as I felt this would give the polished finished I wanted to create, as the alien hasn't fully adapted the hair and also ears would not have developed. Using the bald cap to cover the hair and ears is a very simple however effective way to create this illusion.
The following links are research methods used identify step by step demonstrations and guides to creating and applying your own latex bald cap:
http://fx.wikia.com/wiki/Bald_cap
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6do2GgQZshk
http://www.bostoncostume.com/makeupbald-42.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrxCbpnhQyc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfAwms-senY
Step by step demonstration of making the latex bald cap:
To begin I got a red head, a bowl of liquid latex and a hair dryer to hand. Firstly outline where the hair line will be and where the bald cap will end.
Then using a soft sponge or large brush the latex can be applied over the red head up to the hair line which has been created. The latex can be applied in a stipple effect or painted on the red head in very light layers. The layers should be applied in a crossing motions, for example the first layers would be applied horizontally over the full head and then dried on a low heat using the hair dryer. The second layer would then be applied vertically over the full head and then dried on a low heat using the hair dryer. After dry, each layer can be powdered to avoid sticking and also create a whiter finish (I did not do this as I wanted a transparent appearance). This should be continued for 4-5 layers depending on the required thickness and appearance wanted. The crossing method created structure and strength to the bald cap, making it much easier and stretcher to apply.
As you can seen from the images I decided to take the bald cap lower down the hairline created, this was due to the cap needing to cover the ears and part of the forehead because of the character design. The bald cap was then easily removed from the red head by rolling the edges back and powdering, running the brush and powder between the cap and head allowed the latex to easily peel and also stopped the cap from sticking to itself.
On the day of the assessment the cap will have a light layer of white airbrush paint applied to match to the colour of the prosthetic, also veins will be airbrushed on using the same figure of 8 techniques used to colour the piece. The edges of the prosthetic will then be blended to the cap over the ears to create the appearance that they have not developed yet.
Painting the prosthetic
This image is of the first silicone mask which was created from the mould, due to the thick edges and numerous air bubbles this was then used a practise piece when creating the correct colouring techniques for the final assessment.
When colouring/ painting the prosthetic, in order for the colours to dry and stick, the silicone needed to be stained. When practising the colouring techniques I began by using the skin illustrator pallet with a very fine brush to create the finer detail.
Unfortunately after a minute or so of applying the product, it began to separate as it dried in place. This caused an uneven staining on the prosthetic, this then ruined the vein effect which was intended. Although the colours within the pallet would have worked perfectly. However the pallet will be used to flick a flesh colour over the final makeup to blend to the models own skin tone on the neck.
As well as this when reflecting on the first colour application, the front surface of the of the prosthetic was painted which the masked the illusion of the fleshy appearance. Because of this I have decided to paint darker and larger detail on the inner surface of the prosthetic which will then been seen through to the front after application. the very fine detail such a small veins and redness to eye will the be applied very faintly to the top surface.
After this the original silicone colour pigments were used in the air brush match, this was diluted using white spirit to make it able to spray through the gun. The silicone pigments work perfectly, the product did not separate and the colour was strong enough to be seen through to the front layer of the piece after application. The colours which were used for the pre colouring of the prosthetic were; black, blue and red.
As you can see from the images above, the prosthetic was transferred inside out and placed onto the plaster cast head. The veins which were then airbrushed were much darker and thicker to be seen through the silicone as the models skin. The red was also heavily applied around the eyes and also were the mouth detail was on the opposite side.
As you can see from the images above the dark and thicker veins on the back of the prosthetic can be seen through at the front. This is the exact effect I wanted the prosthetic to have, although the piece has been coloured it still has the translucent appearance of un pigmented skin. The finer detail such as the small, delicate veins around the mouth and eyes on the surface will be applied on the day of the assessment.
Contact lenses
Within the character design I began to briefly mention the use of contact lenses, to add the character being created I wanted each section of the model being photographs to fit the design. Due to this the use of white out contact lenses will be used to develop on the alien character which has been brought to earth and the colour pigments in the eyes and skin have not developed to the sun light.
Within the character design I began to briefly mention the use of contact lenses, to add the character being created I wanted each section of the model being photographs to fit the design. Due to this the use of white out contact lenses will be used to develop on the alien character which has been brought to earth and the colour pigments in the eyes and skin have not developed to the sun light.
Having used contact lenses prior to this the makeup design which they have been used for have created a greater response from fellow makeup artists and viewers of the design. The lenses seemed to create a professional finish to the makeup making the character design authentic.
Below is an image of a makeup created using the white contact lenses and the difference it can makeup to a design:
I feel the lenses draw the eye to the eyes and due to the mouth area of the prosthetic being a big focus I want to divert the viewers back to loom at the eyes and the surrounding prosthetic. A similar lense will be purchased for the final assessment.
The link below is from the website where I purchased the white out contact lenses for the final assessment:
http://www.colouryoureyes.com/collections/halloween-contacts/products/white-outCostume
When researching costumes for alien characters the websites and images which came up were extremely child like and commercial. Because of this I decided upon a very simple but effective costume design which would allow the makeup and prosthetic to be the main focus however stay within the character ideals being created.
This then led me to research black hooded robes, I wanted the costume to be realist to the character design and match the ideas developing through the characters back story. Through my research on the character design, because the skin of the alien has no pigment it would burn and damage extremely easily, because of this I feel the creature would need to be fully covered to protect itself from the sun light. A hooded black robe does this as well as creating a sinister appearance.
The link below takes you too an example of the type of robe I will be using:
http://www.popscreen.com/p/MTU1NDM0NDQw/Black-Velvet-Cape-Hooded-Cloak-Medieval-Wizard-Robes-The-Lord-of-the-
Theme of the shoot
This image has been taken from a section of Leon Boder's blog explain the different stages of Anakin Skywalker's life in Star Wars, however this is irrelevant to why I have chosen the image. I have pin pointed this images as I feel it sums up the theme an style of pose I will be created on the day of the final assessment. Although I want the face to be slightly covered to create a sinister pose, as the chest and neck will be airbrushed this will be also visible.
I would likethe images to be main head and neck or possibly mid way down as the main focus should always be the face.
Image taken from: Boder, L (2013) Anakin Skywalker image [internet] available from: http://www.presbymusings.com/2013_07_01_archive.html [accessed 22 May 2014]
Now all of the finer detail has been identified the next step was to practise the whole look on the model before the assessment date, this also allowed time for the necessary patch test for all products being used on the day. This can be found under the 'application' page of the blog.
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