Decomposition

Decompose meaning 1, decay, become rotten. 2, Break down into component elements (Oxford University press,2002: 264)

Decomposition  (verb) is the process by which organic substances are broken down into a more simple organic matter. The process is a part of the nutrient cycle and is essential for recycling the finite matter that occupies physical space in the biosphere. Bodies of living organisms begin to decompose shortly after death.

Environmental factors also change the process of decomposition, it is extremely important that a make-up artist is aware of these factor when recreating a decomposition look. figure one is a great medical referencing website where  medical professionals  from  all around the world update with pictures and factual information. Here is a link to Figure1 https://figure1.com/ .

Medical Prosthetic

A prosthetic  is a device designed to replace a missing part of the body or to make a part of the body work better. Diseased or missing eyes, arms, hands, legs, or joints are commonly replaced by prosthetic devices. False teeth are known as dental prostheses.

Medical prosthetics are changing peoples lives, there are a number of different reason why someone may want or needs a prosthetic, a common prosthetics is a nasal one, skin Cancer of the nose is the most common form of skin cancer and because the nose is linked directly to our facial bones, the cancer is attacked very dramatically, large parts of the nose will be removed so to help a patient feel more confident a prosthetic nose will be made.

A whole team of specialist will work on the prosthetic, a Doctor will meet with the patient and discuss with the client their wants and needs, then a mould will be taken, from there a specialist would sculpt the nose similar to how a MUA would make a prosthetic for a TV show or a Film, then the nose will be painted up and matched exactly to the clients skins texture, colour and overall appearance.

Personally I think its wonderful that we have the ability to create products that really can change a persons life, especially after suffering a traumatic illness or event. Jayne Hardman a lady who lost her nose to a rare disease said 'Having this prosthetic has no only gave me my life back, its also gave me so much confidence'.

If you would like to watch the full inter view with Jayne Hardman, here is the link

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-hereford-worcester-43729528/prosthetic-nose-has-changed-my-life 

Nothing lasts forever... except my Embalming.

so this weeks blog is all about the weird and wonderful world of Embalming.
Like a lot of other makeup related topics Embalming combines science and Art , if you have ever see any close relatives after they passed you will know not only how important the task of embalming is, but also how important it is that its done the right way.
The three goals of embalming are sanitation, presentation, and preservation.

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The embalming process

There are two main types of embalming: arterial and cavity. The arterial process works by replacing blood with embalming fluids, whereas cavity involves draining and filling the abdomen and chest.
Before embalming begins, the person who has died is washed with a disinfectant solution and the body is massaged to relieve any rigor mortis, when muscles and joints can become stiff after death. The eyes and mouth are closed.
In the case of arterial embalming, the blood is removed via the veins and replaced with embalming fluids via the arteries. Embalming solutions are commonly a mixture of formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, methanol, ethanol, phenol, and water.
In the case of cavity embalming, the natural fluids inside the chest and abdomen are removed via a small incision. These fluids are then replaced by embalming solution and the small incision is closed.
After the embalming process is complete, the body is often cosmetically prepared for viewing. This involves once again washing the person who has died, dressing them, grooming their hair and applying make-up. 

There are two main reasons why a Make up artist must know the Embalming process, Firstly, when working in a funeral home knowing what happens to the skin and what products to use, I will include a link at the end of this blog with some great tips on what you would need if working on someone who has passed away. Secondly in order to give a true reflection on what a dead body looks like, especially for TV shows and films we must learn how a dead body truly looks. 

Doing make up on a cadaver is an extremely important job, not only do you have to make a person look alive, combat all sights of distress and decay but you need to make that person look how they did to there friends and family, it can be especially upsetting is this is not done correctly, using photographs and asking family members can help give loved ones the time and final goodbye they so desperately need. I have an enormous amount of respect and admiration for anyone working in this field. 

If you are interested in learning more about the embalming process I have included a link below, where you can see what a typical day looks like for an embalmer.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=video+of+embalming&view=detail&mid=0E6FFF817F425473A0D40E6FFF817F425473A0D4&FORM=VIRE 

Here is a link on what produces you would need.

https://www.usurnsonline.com/planning-ahead/tips-on-doing-the-deceaseds-makeup-for-a-home-funeral/

Extreme Weight Gain

weight gain a plague that affects 58% of woman and 68% of men in the UK, according to NHS England.

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Why are these statistics so high? More importantly why is the study of Weight gain make up skills  so important for TV and Film? 
Well in this blog i will be searching for the answers. 

I see in society there is a stigma about why people are over Weight, its commonly put They eat to much and don't exercise enough, But is it really this simple for everyone? Recently scientist have proved that there are many more reasons why people are obese such as genetics, medical conditions and hormone imbalance. Another factor to why people can gain weight is psychologically, Clinical psychologist Dr Jeremy Gauntlee-Gilbert wrote a book about how CBT can assist people with loosing weight and how many people eat their emotions.

  From reading peoples opinions on social media, to dealing with my own struggle to loose weight, I know first hand how unsupported and lacking compassionate people can be regarding obesity.   

'Torturing overweight people is one of the last acceptable forms of bigotry.'(Deborah Schurman-Kauflin PhD,2012)

I this this quote sums it up for some primitive  reason humans love to pick apart others, it makes them feel better about there own issues, but what is surprising is that unlike other prejudices it still seems to be socially acceptable to make fun of people who are overweight. 

so for this reason we have a lot of shows that will fatten up a person in comedy sketch shows, or TV series but the make up department also plays key roles in films where the character will have lost weight or gained weight for a number of reasons such as a medical issue, getting older etc. But how do they do it? It can be one of the most convincing
effects.
 

one method a make up artist will give the illusion that an actor has packed the pounds on  is by using expendable Foam prosthetic's they will them be added to the actor and painted with PAX paint ( 50/50 mixture of Pros-Aide brand prosthetic adhesive and Liquidate acrylic paint .) to give the true illusion of skin this can be a very long process applying the prosthetic but in films such as The Nutty professor or shallow hall the final look is truly astonishing. 

Emaciation

Emaciation

1. Abnormal   thinness   caused by lack of nutrition or by disease.

2. The process of emaciating.

Emaciation can happen for a number of reasons, some of these include having eating disorders, being unable to afford or have access to a sufficient food source, or having an  illness or disease that can affect how many calories are consumed and burned off.

 In TV and Film Emaciation can be a very heart wrenching, shocking effect. In the film Dallas Buyers Club uses severe weight loss to show the effect of HIV. While in the Hit TV show Band of Brothers life-threating weight loss is used to show how neglected and famished the victims of concentration camps where.

The effect is also used a lot to show how much time has passed. When watching someone suffering from the process of emaciation on the big screen can be really effective, but how do they do it? Firstly casting for the role is very important, measurements will be included in the advert and taller people are preferred as this can give a better illusion. Contouring the face and body and the actor will be dressed in cloths that are to big giving the impression that the character has lost a significant amount of weight. Another important tool is the way the scene is shoot clever camera angles and colours really brings the effect to life.

      

Unfortunately the issues discussed in this topic are very real, but there is also a lot of help out there, I have included some links that can help below.

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/eating-problems/#.W_1XsvZ2uUk

https://www.nat.org.uk/

https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/transforming-lives-every-community

Keep your WIG on.

So this week if you didn't guess by the title is all about wigs!

Hair plays a massive part in TV , Films and Theatre. Not only does iconic hair link us to characters  Such as Dracula, Marge Simpson and spoke. Hair can also signal how much time has passed in the TV show or Film.

Hair patterns are very important for creating these effects, the most common are

1. Cowlick

A cowlick is generally found on the hairline at the front of the head. Some cuts will be unsuitable if the cowlick makes a strong pattern because the hair will naturally want to part in that area. You shouldn’t cut your hair to short in the area were a cowlick is present as it will bounce up a considerable sticking straight up from your head.

2. Double Crown

Found at the crown of your head they generally sit side by side in the shape of two very distinctive circles or whorls. This area shouldn’t be cut to short as it will stick up from your head and become uncontrollable.

3. Nape Whorl

Nape whorls are found at the nape of the neck and can be identified by observing which direction your hair grows in this area. If a nape whorl is present your hair will grow upwards or towards the center, either on both sides or just one side of the head. When cutting a nape whorl you should either leave the area long enough to ensure it is heavy enough to lay flat, or tapered very short so the hair growth pattern is shaped into the neckline – becoming unnoticeable.

4. Widows Peak

Widows peaks are generally found on the hairline. They form a point with your hair that grows upwards and out towards from the center and the sides of your head. Certain styles shouldn’t be attempted if a widows peak is present therefore my advice would be to either, leave your hair long to way down the widows peak, or to cut it very short so the pattern sits in the way you want it to (straight up).

Hair Type

The straightness or curliness of your hair is a clear indication of the hair type you have. The following list consists of the three main generic hair typing groups:

• African Caribbean – generally very curly.
• Asian – generally very straight.
• Caucasian/European – curly, wavy or straight.

The type of hair you have is a very important factor when your considering a change of style. To ensure you are able to style your new look with ease you must first assess whether or not the new style is suitable for your particular hair.

For example, lets say that your hair is naturally very curly, yet the style you have chosen is a one length straight cut bob that rests nicely just under your chin. If this is the case you must take into account that any amount of tension used when cutting your curly hair will inevitably result in your hair bouncing back up once dry.

An interesting face about wigs we see on the big screen is they are all hand made using a punching tool! In films such a Benjamin button you can imagine what man power that took.

To create a hair piece use a wig punching tool, punch the hair in to the fake skin, as shown below,

The tool itself can be hand made by using a needle clipping off the very top of the eye and gluing it in to a handle!

continuity is extremely important when it comes to Hair and makeup in TV and Film, so the process of getting all wigs or hair pieces exactly the same requires a great amount of skill and teamwork.

Burn Baby Burn

Burns! The pain that can be cause by even first degree burns can be excruciating, Most adults can relate to having burnt their epidermis (outer layer of skin) whether the injury has occur by being clumsy while cooking, touching hot electrical appliance or even going out on a summers day with nothing on to protect our poor skin.

But how do we recreate this look using make up?

There are many products that are used to recreate a burn whether 1st 2nd or 3rd degree, I have included some below and the effects they give.

one of the cheapest most effective products to use is gelatin! the jelly texture looks similar to a fresh burn and by using cream to give the burn depth and colour the look can show a great recreation.

Wax can be really good to create small burns when sculpted in to the correct shape.

£6.25 inc. VAT per 1 OZ

Liquid latex is often used again a very cheap product that gives a great effect by using a thin layer the tiring the center this can be an extremely realistic effect

Cost £12.25 inc. VAT per 4.5 OZ 

you can get so many different types of latex now, from a variety of different colours , to different textures and you can even buy latex for sensitive skin!  

Sculpt Gel, this product is a bit more high end in terms of cost but will be used In lots of productions to create special effects. Sculp Gel cost £24.99 inc. VAT  per 150G

Tuplast Now today I am only looking into first degree burns (witch will not blister) but when looking in to second and third degree burns Tuplast is great for creating that blister effect.
cost £20.50 inc. VAT

 

Glycerin is a product we use in baking but is also used in lots of beauty products, its very cheap and when placed over other products can give the burn that shiny texture it gives to the skin. Cost £5.49 inc. VAT per 100ML  

All the products listed above can be purchased at the link below  
https://www.redcarpetfx.com/products/


Visit https://www.healthline.com/health/first-degree-burn to read more about 1st degree burns