Cuts and bruises

In our next lesson we looked at creating fake cuts on the face or hand and bruised eyes. Sue explained to us how all the products worked and then gave us a demonstration of a fake cut on the hand. I found it so interesting how all these products could create something so realistic on the face. With even more practice I hope to perfect both of these techniques. 

Products - fake cut

Sculpting tool

Sponges 

Brushes - larger and small

Cotton bud

Hair pin 

Hair dryer 

Wax 

Latex

Acetone

Supra colour - red/pink/orange/blue

Wound filler

Fake blood

Bruise

Kryolan bruise palette - red/green/purple/yellow

Use your finger to blend

Health and Safety
When using latex it is important to be in a well ventilated room, with the windows near you open. Latex is very strong smelling and can sometimes be very overpowering. If you are using latex near the eyes then it is important to ask your client to close them. The strength and smell of it can irritate the eyes. It is also important to test if your client is allergic to latex before you begin creating any wounds. If they are allergic the skin will turn red and become itchy. When drying the latex you will need to use a hairdryer to make the process quicker. It is important to test the heat of this on yourself first before your client. 

Fake Cut Process

• Apply barrier cream before application of any other products
• Apply the wax to the back of your hand and move around. This should warm the product up to make it more maneuverable when on the skin. 
• Place the wax on the skin where you want to create the cut. Apply it in a thin layer and blend into the skin ensuring there are no harsh edges.
• Keep layering the wax. Where you want the cut to form make sure there is more product. 
• Using the spatula create the cut by cutting through the wax
• Next you apply latex over the wax to ensure that it does not move on the skin. Dry this using a hairdryer until it is clear.
• To smooth out the edges you can apply acetone using a cotton bud.
• Next you apply the colour to the cut. Mix the supra colour with the alcohol to make the product easier to apply. Focus on using pink/red/orange/blue
• Apply this around the cut to make it as realistic as possible. Adding a variety of colours helps to do this especially if you build it up. 
• Using a hair pin add wound filler to the cut by pressing it in
• Finish by adding fake blood to the cut. You can drip this around the cut or flick it using a brush. 

Fake Bruise Process

• Take a mixture of colours from the bruising palette and apply to the back of your hand to allow you to mix. 
• Mixing the colours together apply a purple/blue colour to the skin. It helps to look at an image of a real bruise so you can see where the difference colourings are.
• I applied a blue/purple colour under the eye and in the corner. The best method to blend the product into the skin is to use your finger. 
• You can add reds to the skin and also yellows and green. Ensure the colours are blended well. 

Reflection

This was the first time that I had created a fake cut using these products before. I was really pleased with my first attempt and really enjoyed creating something so realistic. I found working with the wax quite hard it was not particularly easy to move. Pressing down harder helped to move it however I did not want to her my client. I found that the hardest thing was making the cut look realistic. If I had more time I would have built up the colour on the hand and made some sections darker. Overall, I am really happy with the cut that I created . I found the bruise was simple to complete when using your finger and blending slowly. Looking at a photograph helped a lot as I was able to copy a real bruise. Next time I want to apply more colours to the eye to make it as realistic as possible.