Thread: Gelatin FX

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My history with makeup has a bit of a progression - in high school I discovered how wonderful Elmer's Glue is for FX work, then several years ago I discovered the joys of latex, and now this year I'm experimenting with gelatin for the first time.

Do any of you guys use it? I do like the general "burned" look, but I'd like to get into more of an appliance application then the "smear it all over" approach.

Anyone have any experience making appliances with latex? They don't need to be a custom fit (this year) with the whole mold-making process, I'm just looking for the basics.

Thanks!

what do you need to know?

I'm good up through the part I call "Making the gelatin". After that, less so.

Really what I'm looking for are tutorials and help in shaping appliances. For instance, if I'm doing a skull (not saying I am, I don't know what I want to do yet), can you just lump some gelatin on your cheek and somehow shape the glob into a cheekbone, or something similar?

Obviously it would be easier to go the traditional route and make a lifecast of my face, then build up on the cast, but I'm trying to go a little more crude, since I don't have much time left.

Just the basics, really....like I said, having played with the stuff and done the "melting face" look, I'm impressed. I'm just looking for something (anything) more refined.

I'd sculpt your appliance on any model and mold it then pour the gelatin in the mold. Same process as a latex piece, just gelatin.

Close to the same process! just a few important steps to add.

Quickest...
Sculpt a flat back appliance, mold it. Very important!!! Spray the mold with a cooking spray as a release! if you don't you will have a gelatin impregnated worthless mold! Unlike latex, which dries and uses the mold to absorb moisture, gelatin cools to a useful viscosity and will stick to a dry mold.
Heat and pour your gelatin, let cool, gently remove from mold, lightly powder with talc, store them with out touching each other in the fridge.

Yeah that's the part I didn't feel like doing. I'll just freehand it for this year. Thanks all!