Technical File: Cuts and Black eyes

In our practical lesson with Sue today we learnt how to create an effective looking black eye and also how to create cuts using special effects equipment.

Black eye

1. For the black eye, start with a clean base.
2. Moisturise the area you applying the products to, as a shiny black eye looks more effective than a matted down version.
3. Follow the shape of the eye socket; using a dark mauve/red/purply colour line the socket and blend with your ring finger. Add bits at a time and blend as you go along. 
4. You can refer to a photograph of a black eye throughout the process, as it is good to refer back to the colours and particular shapes. Usually the darker areas are in the inner sockets by the nose, and get lighter around the outside of the eyes. 
5. If you want to add red eye drops and use a red eye pencil this can be effective too!

My first attempt at a black eye

Products used for this look:

• Supra colour palette (the dark burgundy)
• Ben Nye's bruise wheel in the dark purple and dark red

Brushes used:

• Artist's paint brush (small)

Cuts:

1. Prepare the skin by using Kryolan's barrier cream
2. Take the amount of moulding wax you need using your spatula and put it on the back of your hand. This will warm the product up and make it easier to mould onto the skin and blend it in.
3. Apply the wax in small sections and blend the outer edges carefully. Once you have applied your wax and you're happy with it, cut a slit (or whatever kind of wound you want) into the middle, thicker areas
4. Apply liquid latex with a cotton bud and dry using a cool hairdryer
5. Once the liquid latex turns from white to clear, you are ready to neaten up any edges using a cotton bud and acetone. Take away any obvious mistakes.
6. Apply a foundation colour that is suited to your model and blend it in. You can also mix supra colour colours (in reds,blacks etc) with alcohol and create a pinker, sore look to the cut.
7. Apply wound filler to the inside of the cut with a hair pin, or wherever you want it to go
8. Lastly, add some blood and make it as gory as possible!!

From left: the moulding wax before the other products went on, the final product

I really enjoyed this lesson because we got to get quite creative!! I want to improve soon and make the cuts look more realistic. 

HEALTH AND SAFETY:

For this lesson I washed my hands thoroughly and made sure my work space was clean. I covered my area over with couch roll and laid out my products ready to use! I covered my client over and then tested the products on her skin before proceeding.