ouch

I'm a klutz. If there is a wall, I run into it. If there is a chance for me to trip, I probably will. And not only is it embarrassing, it leaves marks on my body. Since I follow a mostly vegetarian diet, I bruise very easily. And no, I do not think eating more red meat will help so please don't offer it to me. I eat spinach. Happily.

After this past weekend, I woke up with a thumb-sized brusie on my arm. And of course, no clue where it came from or why my right shoulder feels so sore. It's not like there is even a good story behind it. Oh well. So I thought I would take this lemon that's been handed to me and make a little lemonade. Here is a mini lesson on covering bruises...

Step #1: You get a bruise because you are a klutz...




Step #2: Lightly cover the area with a very dry, red pigmented creme...




Step #3: Alternate thin layers of a dry concealor and powder until the bruise is covered...

AND... just for fun, can you tell which bruise is real and which is the one I recreated with my kit?! Making a bruise is simple and shouldn't take too much time or it will end up looking fake. I used the Ben Nye F/X Wheel: EW4 Master Bruise and set it with a very light amount of powder. I think a key part of creating bruises is just starting with a light application (i.e. a wash of color) and then building layer upon layer with different tints of color to give it demension. It's also necessary to keep in mind the duration of the bruise and the impact. A fresh bruise will look different than one that is a few days old. Just as a bruise from a baseball bal will look different than one from running into a wall...
P.S. The bruise on the bottom is the real one and the bruise on top is the one I recreated.

dead and gone

I've said this before and I'll say it again. My friends are phenomenal! For practicing any look, my friend Callie is always game! I know zombie makeup is pretty simple but I wanted it to look really messy and disgusting. I didn't have red food coloring or chocolate syrup so I tried using canola oil, corn starch, and cocca powder. It didn't quite achieve the look I was hoping for as it seems to resemble mud moreso than blood. Oh well... Practice makes perfect, am I right?! Regardless, it was a lot of fun!! Big Ups to Callie for being a good sport even when the "blood" mixture got in her eye. Ooops...

I've done a few different makeup effects for the Film Dept. at Trident Technical College. This kid is currently enrolled in the program and is interested in Special Effects makeup just I am so I attempted to teach him a few tips and tricks...

"Liberating Jesse"

I just finished working on a short film being produced through Trident Technical College Film Department here in Charleston. The project was funded through the SC Film Commission and produced as part of the college's Production III Class. Trust me. Spend 5 minutes on a movie set and you will never look at movies again. SO much fun though!!

Here are a couple pics of the shoot and you can click here to see a few others from the set!