Its been a while since I've written out a blog for you guys but like always I have been a busy bee. For the first time this Halloween little moi designed all the characters and created all the prosthetics for a zombie run event held at Blackburn Youth Zone. I will admit this was a dream come true for me, its something I always wanted to do and its a new challenge for me.
Am going to do a series of blogs to cover this event as it was so massive and I want you lovely people to not be overloaded with words! So its split up into 3 different blogs...Zombies, Creatures and Creeps and the live event with final results.
The event which was held at Blackburn Youth Zone was a zombie run, in which groups of 12-18 year old started at the top of the building on the roof top and had to escape by completing various challenges to get out at the bottom and into a Halloween disco.
So my brief was to create 5 different zombies, 2 chasers (with the aim to be absolutely terrifying!), 2 grave diggers (which changed to mad scientists), a morgue victim with ribcage, clown, exorcist girl, 2 "butcher smilers" aaaaaaaaaand back up pieces for extra characters and staff members.
Designing has always been a lot of fun for me, I just zone out the rest of the world and design my characters looking at multiple ways of creating them. Its important to do this so you have your back up plan, just in case!
My zombies needed to be completely different from each other but look like they belong in the same environment.
Sculpting the pieces, as everyone knows is another of my favourite things to do, and I feel like my skills are progressing well, which is always a bonus! I've been trying to push myself with the textures of the pieces more which is what helps the piece come alive.
As usual am using wet clay as well as plastiline modelling clay, I would like to just use the plastiline for all projects but I don't have enough. Its one of those things that makes sculpting a whooole lot easier! Am also using Ken Banks tools for sculpting, these tools are amazing to use. Very easy to create smooth areas as well as textures quickly.
I decided to totally challenging myself with some of these characters being multiple prosthetics applications on one face. Which in the back of my head I worried whether it would work or not but what's life without a few challenges.
This prosthetic was my favourite to make!
I really wanted to try and create those muscle textures in the clay as well as bone. Took a lot of references pieces to get it to a point that I loved.
Jaw breaker, this one took ages to get right in my head. I wanted to make the zombie look like their jaw was unhinged and dislocated.
What's a zombie horde without a zombie whose all infected and lumpy. Lots of popped blisters and boils...yummy!
Of course we need to zombie brow...or two
My big daddy zombie, no face all rotten with bones and muscles on show and a funky boney nose!!
I will admit, whilst sculpting and designing these zombies many many maaaaaany B horror movies were playing, Walking Dead and a lot of things with dead in the title. Its good reference...and makes for a fun day...night....week for all!
Sculpting took foooooorever with these zombies but once they were done, moulding began....
I decided for this prosthetic to use my fake dentist teeth to give the effect a realist look, they also clicked together when the mouth moved...added creepy element!
My beautiful infected, yucky zombie looking all green and full of oozy infection.
So happy with how this prosthetic turned out, really wanted to give that transition from bone to muscle as smoothly and realistically as possible and I think I achieved it. The false eye really set the piece off.
The trickiest prosthetic piece I did in this project, it was really difficult to sort the positioning out to make it look like a dislocated jaw with the torn skin around.
I was worried with this one, up until the actually application.
My absolute favourite zombie design, I really enjoyed painting this one up and the use of Bdellium SFX brushes really helped me add texture and blend the colours well. Unlike the other prosthetics I decided to sculpt the teeth rather then add the fake one's because I was worried about the movement of the actor being effected.
All the prosthetics were casted in gelatine that was purchased from PS Composites Ltd, this company are fantastic, they go above and beyond to make sure you get what you need. I find their products extremely good quality as well as great for the price.
Painted using Mel Products USA PAX paints and skin illustrator palettes predominately the FX palette. Love using these products as they work so well on the prosthetics, blend beautifully and cleanly with a natural look. Again its another product that is priced right for the job and well worth buying a kit or two from them.
Each piece was definitely made with love ... blood, sweat and tears but I think I have got better then my last work which is all I aim to do...get better and better and better.
Next weeks blog will focus on the other characters...the "Creeps and Creatures" and how they were sculpted and casted, followed by a blog focusing on the event and my Halloween creations that I did on myself!
I am planning to get more regular with my blogging, once a week...maybe more if your good!
This weeks teaching is the introduction of Airbrushing techniques with my lovely level 3 and continuing Body Art assessments with my Level 2.
Get a sneak peak of the photos head over to my Instagram or Facebook page...like me, follow me, stalk me what ever to stay up to date and current with my work.
xRx
