Awkward Creations

Shameless Self-Promotion

2012-01-31T21:00:00.000-08:00

Digging around some old files I found a make-up effects reel I created with Windows Movie Maker about a year ago. So much of my life has changed in such a very short period of time. I won't dive into specifics, but I feel that it's the hardships that an artist endures that truly shape their work, more so than any skills or tools at their disposal. It's important to take the time to acknowledge those instances in one's life. It's tough trying to think of new ways to promote yourself, especially when you have a penchant for wanting to do everything and then having to teach yourself like I do. I don't have an agent, I'm still working on a portfolio, and this is about the extent of what I could give someone if they asked for a "reel". I'm not quite the best at social media, networking, or even dealing with people in real life. I definitely embody "the only person that can hold you back is you".

In the film and television industry, people tend to hire the same people to do the same job over and over again. Producers don't like surprises and they enjoy working with people that get results, on time and on budget. That's why it's so damn hard to break into the industry. Sure, there may be union hurdles to job, relocating to a major metropolitan city, working 16+ hours a day, and competing against some producer's neighbor's nephew's dog walker for the job, but it's all worth it if you are following your dream.

I do realize I have to stand out with my work, and I have to try even harder than most. I didn't go to some prestigious make-up school. I didn't intern under someone with enough IMDB.com credits to crash your web browser. I don't own a workshop or studio. My parents and family are still trying to figure out why I like playing with make-up. I am largely self-taught, save one course under Carl Paolino at SVA in New York. Having relocated from Brooklyn, NY to Cleveland, Ohio is even a steeper incline to climb in the entertainment industry based on the number of opportunities within the field, though I will do my best anywhere I go.

I thrive on picking up tips & tricks from those kind enough to share with me like Brittney-Jade Colangelo and David Kalahiki, among so many more. I am fueled by my passion to learn more, do more, and create more. It's easy to sell yourself short, to give up and walk away when you feel no one appreciates your efforts. I put my heart and soul into all my art - not because of anything else outside of the simple fact that I must. There's no way around it, I must create. This compulsion is what keeps my head clear and my spirit high. I know I may not be the most talented or refined, but I am trying. It's a journey I walk largely alone, though I gladly welcome any companion.

If you ever have any tips, tricks, advice, anecdotes, secrets, websites, books, videos, tools, special formulas, tutorials, recipes, friends, family, loved ones, or anything else that you feel would help me be a better artist, please send the information my way. I'm not looking for fans, I'm looking to make people proud.

Anyway I uploaded my little artifact to YouTube for your enjoyment.

The video contains my work from:

The Short Film "George"

FunnyOrDie.com

and

The Short Film "Regift Demon".

Click the links to learn more about each project.

Beauty is Skin Deep, but it's what I put on Top that's Important.

2012-01-29T20:12:00.000-08:00

I was recently visited by the illustrious Brittney-Jade Colangelo, the beauty and brains behind DAY OF THE WOMAN and contributing writer to the Blood Sprayer. Somehow I was lucky enough to have this fetching starlet of stage and computer screen sit down in my make-up chair in the dank dungeon-style basement I should probably never call "my studio". The Una-Bomber would be claustrophobic where I try to work. Seriously, I feel like the plastic surgeon in Tim Burton's BATMAN.

I started brainstorming a look in my head of a certain juxtaposition. I wanted to balance the beauty of BJ's face with a twist of horror and carnage. I also knew I wanted it to be a balanced look, one that wasn't overpowered by one element than the other. They say beauty is skin deep so I decided to play with that and literally cut to the chase.

I wanted this look to be quick and simple but dynamic. I decided on using liquid latex and wanted to rely on my painting skills to impress Ms. Colangelo and my fellow readers by delivering a simple out-of-kit look. Being a theater super-star I wanted to show Brittney Jade and the rest of you what you can accomplish without the need of major prosthetics, facial appliances, or an airbrush kit.

I dabbed two areas of Brittney Jade's face with liquid latex which were allowed to dry. I took some rolled pieces of dried liquid latex and adhered them to the outsides of those areas. This would create the look of sliced skin I was after by creating a distinct line that would appear to be made of skin tissue. I then poked and prodded the layer of latex between these borders to create a ruptured blister look.

I began the arduous task of layering in color. At first I wasn't sure what this would entail. Was she a lizard like alien from V and would it be green? Was she like a T-X from TERMINATOR 3? I joked with BJ and we decided to keep it straight forward after experimenting with some colors and go with a more realistic approach.

I'm a big believer in the Rule of 3 - Use a minimum of 3 colors to blend in your look. One for a base, one for shadow, and one for contrast. I also believe that to sell your effect you have to pay the whole eye. That means if you apply something, it just doesn't go on and then you walk away; you blend it with the surrounding body parts to make the entire look flow. Go down the back, across the neck, around the leg, what ever it takes to make the look seem seamless.

Always remember that each model you work with is unique and different. No two people you work with will ever be the same. Sure you'll run into similar skin tones, body shapes, and what have you, but every one is different in how well they can stay still, how long they'll sit, the curvature of their bodies, the way they sweat, breath, talk, and a bazillion other factors that can eat up the time you need to achieve the look you want. If you want everything the same all the time, work on an assembly line.

After blending in my colors of red, purples, and grays, I added a bit of Fresh Scab. A little bit goes a long way so don't cake it on. I for one can't stand when someone spends so much time & effort on creating a look only to have it coated in too much blood. More blood is great to hear on set, but wait until you hear it called for first.

To give my look a bit of a wet/fresh look I used a very small amount of K-Y Jelly applied to the middle of my borders. It gives it a nice shine. I've tried other off-brands of lubricants, from Wal-Green's to Drug Mart, but K-Y just always seems to work the best for me. Now if I wanted a more NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET look I would not use the K-Y and stipple on black along the edges for a burned/charred appearance.

Having one side done I was able to breeze through the other side of my model's face and match it up from reference simply by looking at the other side. I could have painted up both sides at the same time, but as I was uncertain where I was taking this look I wanted it all to flow organically. Never be afraid to experiment. you won't know what works until you try it.

It's always a matter of taking the time to blend and work with your model. If they're at ease, so will you be and it will always so in your finished product.

It's amazing to witness when an actor/actress begins to accept the change in their appearance and allows it to slip into how they develop their character. Simple actions or emotions suddenly take a dramatic change when you have half your face carved off.

I definitely liked where the look was going. I've come to accept that the way I approach things creatively and the way they end up looking are not always fundamentally aligned, but in this instance what I saw in my head was what I was delivering in reality.

The look seemed balanced on both sides. I really enjoy BJC's everyday make-up for being so simple yet elegant. Eyes and lips like that are made for glamour, but it's always a treat when they encounter something more devious.

Now a while back, a little over 2 years ago, I visited my good friend John Squires of FreddyInSpace.com with the legendary Kristy Jett and met the infamous Jesse Bartel. Over the course of the 4 Loko fueled weekend (read about it here) I somehow managed to Sharpie some spiffy website adverts on the chests of my compadres. BJC being left out of said visit, joked that she wanted the same treatment for her site. Well, who could say no to that face?

I used a dark purple and a fine tip brush to free hand out a font that I though would be readable.

I wanted to incorporate the lettering into the look of the make-up and went with trying to make it look like veins or something else underneath BJ's skin. It sounds cheesy, but Day of the Woman is something inside here trying to get out, right? Don't roll your eyes at me. We had initially discussed maybe making it look like the lettering was carved into her, but decided that this was a more interesting variation to play with instead.

I knew my lettering couldn't be elaborate or overly complex, it had to be read and flow with the rest of the look without taking away from it. After feathering out the purple to the edges, I added some black to the center of the letters and then soft sponged the colors down. I made sure to pull away from the letters from the middle and not the other way, otherwise you'd ruin the make-up and your lettering.

With a couple hardware store clip-lights I used to illuminate my corner of the world, it was time to snap some photos. Remember, I never said I was a photographer either.

Overall I was extremely pleased with how everything looked and photographed. BJ was a terrific model and sits like a champ. I really like how her simple yet effectively dynamic make-up was the basis of this look that carried with it the whole creation. I enjoy how my addition was simple, quick, and able to play well with others. Perhaps I subconsciously channeled Lucky McKee's THE WOMAN for the font, but hindsight is always 20/20. I like to think his graphic designers live inside my head, and not the other way around.

Would all of this been easier with silicone appliances and stencils and blah blah blah? Yes. Would it have been as fun? No. I honestly believe that craftsmanship is an essential component of any artistry, and in an industry where many people are being replace by computers, I strive to be a better effects make-up artist than any friggin' machine. Doubt that and that's how Skynet wins...

And for as much fun as it is to make a mess, there's always the chore of cleaning up. Remember when removing liquid latex from the skin that hot water, soap, and patience are your new best friends.

Many thanks to Brittney-Jade Colangelo for the long trek to visit and letting me play with her face. Please be sure to check out her site DAY OF THE WOMAN and tune in again to Awkward Creations as I stop being so lazy and anti-social and hopefully start posting more.

I promised to show you my TAINT

2011-11-29T19:17:00.000-08:00

One of the most original, tongue-in-cheek, gore fest flicks I've seen this year has to be THE TAINT. You can read my review of it over at BloodSprayer.com. It's the type of film I love introducing to friends because of how over the top it is; it basically is the style of cinema that will determine if we'll be friends or not.

For those unfamiliar with this film, here's the NSFW trailer:

I showed the film to some friends and one of them, Kevin Polyak, instantly fell in love with it. He wondered if I was capable of producing a mask from this film for his Halloween costume. Basically a drunken gauntlet was thrown down in my mind and I was determined to make his challenge a reality. The mask he wanted was from a flashback sequence when a character is forced to duct tape their own ripped off face back onto their head.

Reference Still from THE TAINT

I decided to take the look of the mask a bit further. I brainstormed what this face would look like for the possible sequel to this film. I wanted to show the skin in a bloody, leathery state; contorted and disturbing. This would be my own version of Film Fan Art. What I envisioned was a cross between Freddy Kreuger, the Cropsey Maniac, Leslie Vernon and when actor Lou Perryman gets his face ripped of in TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE II. Basically all the terribly wonderful things that delightfully taunt my imagination and memories.

I knew that this was going to be my first attempt at making a mask so I wanted it to be special, I wanted it to be custom, I wanted it to be one of a kind. I decided that I wasn't going to go about the traditional means of sculpting and pouring a mold. I was going to do a layer by layer build up of liquid latex from a Ultra-Cal casting of my own face.

I gobbed on the latex knowing it would take longer to dry this way, but give me a rippled foundation that I would make look like fat. It would be later that I would augment it further.

Here you can see the first layer dry. Not a bad start, very Toxic Avenger, but that's not what I was going for...

I had previously poured strips of liquid latex on my arm and as it dried, I would peel off these layers and stretch them over the face. I would definitely do thinner strips if I made this same mask the same way again, but that ship already sailed. Still it had a very distinct look versus if I had made it appear droopy and saggy. I wanted HUMAN BEEF JERKEY!

I filled in cracks and crevices with sponges and brushes, making sure not to lose the basic elements of the face underneath my half-cocked scheme of a technique. You have to make sure you have your ability to see, speak, and breathe with a mask, and if you know Kevin that means drinking too.

The mask was really taking shape with over a dozen layers of liquid latex cured throughout. It was now time to peel away and start the process of painting.

Here is the pull of the mask from the front view.....

.....and here is the back/inside of the mask.

I trimmed the edges with scissors to scale down some of my excess, but the idea was that this mask was to cover a good sized chunk of the face so I made sure there was a little extra along the top of the forehead and beneath the chin. My version of old school Trick 'r Treating theater if you will.

I started painting with pinks and purples, knowing that this would be the basis of what I would build and blend from in regards to shadow and composition.

I soon started adding more reds and browns to the mix, darkening certain areas and bringing the colors more to my liking.

I blended and blended, but I knew I would need some highlight to make the piece really punch. My secret weapon? Nail polish. Yup. I used a clear pearl glaze to add a sheen of viscous and sliminess and I used fire engine red for blood, which looked fresh and tacky even when completely dried. I added a couple layers of blending on top of this to tone it down and push forward.

To hold the mask in place I created a band from stretch elastic ribbon you can buy at any craft store. But I also wanted to hide this as well as utilize this necessity. I used grey Gaff tape, instead of Duct tape and folded it over top of itself and slipped the elastic through all the way around the mask. I chose the Gaff tape because it is porous enough to accept paint and aging where Duct tape would wipe right off.

A closer look shows how the "tape" hides the band.

Here I am wearing my own creation, moments after completion. It's definitely a face only a mother could love either way.

And like any good artist you have to make sure you sign your work. I probably would've stamped into the mask for this, but a black Sharpie has never failed me before.

Here are a few pics I would update Face Book with via my phone and the camera application Little Photo.

It was quite fun to see the changes the process took as this project came to a close. I learned several new techniques and ways to go about creating the look I want and how to avoid the look I don't want. I now plan on tackling the craft of mask making on a larger scale with a sculpt and mold in the near future to produce a limited run of original creations.

Kevin completely forgot that I had promised to make him this mask. It arrived just in time for him to enjoy the Halloween weekend and not be completely lame without a costume. And that's what you should walk away with if anything from this article; not wearing a costume on Halloween means you are super-mega lame. That and always keep your promises.

Here's a couple of pics of Kevin in all his glory Halloween weekend.

And you thought the rats were the scariest part of the NY Subway...

Kevin and his special lady friend

Now here's hoping that they do make a sequel to THE TAINT!!

Batman and other Creatures of the Night

2011-11-27T17:12:00.000-08:00

So needless to say Halloween is one of my favorite holidays of the entire year. It's the one day in your life throughout the changing seasons that you can be what ever you want to be. Adults tap into their wallets while children tap into their imagination; there are few that can do both. I like to eat & drink on Thanksgiving and I spoil my nephews rotten come Christmas, but nothing holds a candle to All Hallows Eve.

Last year for Halloween I did nothing. I literally sat in a depressive funk like an over-filled emotional diaper. I didn't go out, I didn't talk to anyone, hell I didn't even watch a Horror film. This year I decided to get off my ass, exert some effort, meet up with some friends, and have a good time. Like Tony the Tiger taught me, "Show 'em you're a Tiger, Show 'em what you can do!".

The gene pool needs some chlorine.

This is what I look like normally, kinda like Jimmy Olson crossbred with Astro Boy. My general rule of thumb on Halloween's past has been: no face make-up, no masks, and no costumes that restrict and can't quickly be converted into a normal outfit. This year I decided to break some of my rules and flex my FX skills on myself. I recently stumbled back upon Yellow Barrel of Magic, a shop specializing in illusions, costumes, and my favorite; special effects supplies. Now as an adult I had the coin and knowledge to go in with gusto. The shopkeepers were more than friendly and surprised at my know-how in what I was looking for and purchasing considering all the other folks looking for Pop Culture costumes.

I wanted to show my Ohio based friends what I could do and what I learned while in New York. I pick up a Woochie foam latex appliance and some black blood, which I had never used before. I was quite excited and went on my way. So here's a little equation to explain my costume...

"Inferno" Contact Lenses by Extreme SFX

Plus

"Skinned" by Woochie

Black Zombie Blood

Multiplied by

Equals...

Something Wicked This Way Comes...

I had to hand paint the foam latex appliance and I decided to alter things a little bit. I wanted the ripped flesh look, but I didn't want all the deep reds and purples and blue veins. I opted for something more akin to my own flesh-tone a bit lighter, which I believed created a creepier look. I used my Ben Nye reds and some Revlon blush to help smooth it all out. I feathered my edges with a little grey just to imply the onset of bruising/decay and help the blending of the edges of the appliance to my skin.

I've never really put an appliance on my own face before so this was a little bit of a challenge. I used Pros-Aide and started at the nose, working to the eyes, cheeks, mouth, forehead and edges. I wanted full range of movement with my face and I was able to learn how half an inch of placement in one direction or another can alter that effect.

I had an old white under-shirt that absorbed all the black drippings as I applied a generous layering of the Black Zombie Blood to my bottom lip. I really enjoyed this stuff and it definitely anchored the look of it rather than just plain blood, though I did use Fresh Scab make-up along the edges of the appliance to give it a ripped away look. The contacts took it to a whole different level - definitely reminiscent of 28 DAYS LATER and the R.A.G.E. virus. Needless to say, I was very pleased with how the different combinations created a whole new look.

Now the costume I created from this Saturday I used on that "Official" Halloween. You can check the look of all that by clicking here.

Now let's shift gears a little into reverse...

My damn good friend Dan wasn't gonna dress up, not quite in the Halloween spirit, but I quickly twisted his arm and said I could turn him into a zombie in 10 to 15 minutes if he just sat there. He said as long as he could drink, no problem. I asked him to pick a color - he went with BLUE. This was gonna be a little more challenging than I anticipated. I didn't want to make him look like a resurrected Smurf.
I knew that a brown base would balance the blue and provide a a nice dirty look. I used purple around the eyes and outlined them in a black liquid liner to make them pop. I used old cut up pieces of latex gloves to cover the eyebrows and attempt to build a sunken look to the eye by curving it around to the underside of the eye. I applied liquid latex to adhere it all down and smoothed some out to peel away later as rotting flesh.

So quick and so cheap - And that's just the make-up!

I added some Fresh Scab to the peeled latex and gave the whole face a light coating of Vaseline. The Vaseline made everything look slimy and wet and made the reds stand out against the blue a bit better than I was planning, especially for only about less than 15 minutes!

Two Zombies that will respect you for your mind, ladies.

I was so creepy looking that women would not look at me. Men took two steps back thinking it was some strange and elaborate mask I was wearing. I think I pull it all off.

That's not all, the adventure continues....

My other good friend A.J. had a buddy that wanted to go as the Heath Ledger JOKER from Nolan's THE DARK KNIGHT. He came with his own store bought make-up kit and I kinda chuckled. The figure on the front of the packaging was wearing a mask, yet here in a plastic and cardboard coffin were two latex appliances, some spirit gum, a red cream crayon (completely dried out), a black cream crayon (dried out too, and a tube of white cream make-up (which we could actually use). The main reason he bought this kit was that it included the disheveled green wig to complete the look. I thought rather than fight the devil, use his pitchfork. I tossed the red and black, and went to work putting on the latex appliances. All in all they weren't that bad - a tad thick and not quite as feathered at the edges, but they did their job.

I adhered the prosthetics to his cheeks and made him move his mouth around to find the closest spot to place these pieces so they wouldn't bend and come off or restrict his movement. It's Halloween, you gotta be able to drink to no matter what! I helped feather the edges with torn pieces of tissue paper and a bit of liquid latex. To apply the prosthetics themselves I used Pros-Aide for a stronger grip to the skin.

The key to the Ledger make-up is not so much what you put on, but rather what you put on first and what you take away. Start with the black and build a solid, dark circle that fills the complete socket. I used a longer tipped make-up brush to get to the eyelids and lashes to ensure a complete look. Ladies, I have to had it to you; you don't flinch nearly as much as guys do when bring a brush to an eye.

Looks like Uncle Fester needs a vacation.

From this point I had the foundation of the look I was going to build from and this is the key principle that a lot of folks tend to miss or mess up. I painted in the lips with red, brown and a touch of black to add shadow and depth. I used make-up sponges to smear the eyes and clear away at the brow and temples.

I began smearing the black and distressing the white by pulling it away from the face. This is the largest part of the problem people have with replicating the make-up. It's not supposed to look perfect, in fact there are parts that are supposed to be rubbed off entirely to show the wear & tear of being the Prince of Mayhem in Gotham City. You can check out my previous Nolan style JOKER make-up design from another article by clicking here.

To fix the wig and give it that greasy look, I rubbed a generous helping of K-Y Jelly through the strands. I knew that it would look wet and great but eventually dry and hold the look. This is dedicated to all you old school punk rockers out there.

Paired with a full purple suit, he sure looked the part. It also helped that he had his wife in on the action, especially when it came time for the Costume Contest. Here is the Grand Prize Winner with his wife that went as Harley Quinn, a pretty rad couples costume. He won a $100 Bar Tab!!

So what was the catalyst for this make-up mayhem?

What initially started this whole make-up filled debacle was that my other friend AJ wanted to go as Two Face from Nolan's THE DARK KNIGHT as well. He was going to be bar tending that Saturday night and his boss/owner was going to be Batman while all the other bartenders and staff were going as Batman villains. AJ was determined to blow them all away with his costume and called me for a make-up test to see if I could pull it off. Drawing inspiration from the comics, films and other resources I was up for the challenge. I mean how hard could it be??

I went to work covering AJ's face in liquid latex and as it dried, peeled it back for pock marks and skin distortion. I used browns and reds for a burnt effect, but soon found myself using too much purple for some reason.

The bruising and burning were something I knew would sell the effect. Instead of all that ridiculous nose putty from the video I used strips of a cut up latex surgical glove to mask the rubber bands that were going from AJ's mouth to his ear (That idea was a winner).

Blend.

Blend some more.

Blend even more after blending.

I really enjoy the look of the ear sticking to the neck.

This look required so much blending to do by hand. Honestly I would've preferred an appliance and I can even see why they use green screen, but dammit this is art. If you challenge that, pick up my brushes and try it yourself anytime.

I added more red and purples and blended in a small portion of black creme make up. I dabbed a bit of Fresh Scab to heighten the look as well. He definitely looked bruised and battered, but not entirely burnt. At that time AJ had to get ready for work, but not without showing off the results to his wife and friends.

The reactions were encouraging.

The Three Amigos - Dan, AJ, and I

All in all, this wasn't a bad first attempt. Between breaks for water, bathroom, and trying different angles and supplies, this look took about a little less than 90 minutes before AJ had to rip it all off and go to work. But he knew that he was going to have the most kick-ass costume behind the bar. I felt that this look was a great jumping off point, but it was a bit more Freddy Krueger than Harvey Dent. I came up with some ideas and AJ chimed in with what would work with his comfort level and the timing. Remember to always check on who's in your chair, friend or not, they're a breathing canvas that deserves your respect.

So here's the real run through of the FINAL make-up with changes implemented and the clock ticking...

I came over earlier for AJ's make-up and I'm please to say we knocked it out, start to finish, in 60 minutes. To make the Q-tip & rubber band process work, I placed a clean make-up sponge on the end of the Q-tip to make it more comfortable, to puff out the cheek and to help with some of the natural drooling that occurs when you hold your lip back for over ten minutes. In the rubber band application, I made it so that it could be more easily removed from the ear and he face entirely.

AJ also visited Extreme SFX.com and purchased one BESERKER contact lens. This helped break his face into two distinct halves without being over-domineering and serve as a distraction to the rest of the make-up or costume. Again you can see my use of the the cut pieces of latex glove. This technique really helped with the transformation of his ear as well as connecting more of the scars to the face.

Evil VS Good

Here's a little before from the left side and......

.......here's the after on the right side of the face.

You can see where I stretched the skin more with the liquid latex and added more Fresh Scab to certain spots rather than all over. I also included more black and grey to simulate charred flesh. I had some white hairspray coloring that helped break up AJ's face into two distinct sections. He was going to burn half of his suit as well, but opted out instead for a I BELIEVE IN HARVEY DENT campaign button. It's those little touches that can really sell a costume. And of course he even ordered the distressed coin to flip. Why he didn't simply make one is beyond me.

AJ was definitely in his element as Two Face and received non-stop compliments on his make-up which meant I was able to drink with head held high and hopefully be commissioned again in the future.

Until next year, Happy Halloween!

Looking Underneath the Surface - Mask Collecting

2011-11-17T17:52:00.001-08:00

Right before Halloween I got into a bit of a mask buying kick, hoping to use each piece for photos, future projects and inspiration for my own endeavors. It's also quite an interesting hobby to begin, though quite pricey and in my opinion well worth it. I think I'll probably stick to making my own masks, but I wanted to share some my collection with you.

You can find many on the Internet, I recommend eBay & Amazon.com for some cheaper prices than the random ass Halloween stores that pop up in abandoned strip malls come October. And if you give the proper care, handling and storage to your masks, they will last longer than you think.

Here's FISH FOOD from Trick or Treat Studios. Basically it's a drowned/washed up Zombie. It's got quite a bit of detail with hair and ragged cloth/netting to add to the layers. It has a neck piece that extends to the clavicles.

Be sure to check out their other masks and goodies.

This is actually one of the first masks I've ever owned. It was only years later that I learned it was a Don Post Studios creation. It's a perfect 3/4's mask and still looks just as good as I first bought it over 15 years ago.

I started getting into various gas masks. The key thing for me was that they all had to be functional. Here is a Russian gas mask with hose and canister filter.

Zagone Studios produced "Schell Shocked". It's detail and paint job is amazing and multi-layered, though it is quite difficult to see through the eyes. A small price to pay for looking so bad ass.

Here this is part Troll/part Alien from Ghoulish Productions. Along with the warts on the mask is small strands of hair that really add to the detail of the piece. My favorite bit are the eyes that really add a severe sense of creepiness and the neck piece continues downward to continue the illusion.

Here's another Don Post creation. You can see the commitment to detail and how their designs have evolved. I particularly enjoy the clear plastic dome that holds in the brain. It's creepy without being too gory. I love the slight evolution to the look of this Frankenstein's Monster.

Here's a NATO Surplus gas mask with hosing. It's quite old school and even came with with the canvas bag too to hold the hosing and filter canisters.

Here's a Soviet Army gas mask.

And one of my favorites is this one. It comes with a hose and filter too and offers the best line of sight. I like to know now that I'm perfectly prepared for the Zombie Apocalypse.

If you're looking for more information on different studios and mask makers, check out these articles from The Blood Sprayer:

All Eyes On Your Disguise (Part 1)
All Eyes On Your Disguise (Part 2)
All Eyes On Your Disguise (Part 3)

And to give you something to look forward to, here's an announcement of the Hudson Horror Show in Poughkeepsie, NY.

The question now is; Who wants to take me? I'll bring my masks...

Saving Halloween One Child at a Time...

2011-11-07T22:05:00.000-08:00

My kid sister Abby has a 7 year old son named Christopher. Last year for Halloween she bought him the most terrible zombie costume from Wal-Mart I have ever seen. I felt so bad for the kid looking over his Trick r' Treating photos; I almost wanted to report it to protective services. His make-up was just smeared on, and you can tell everything was a rush job to get out and get as much candy as possible. But it takes a village to raise a child, so I rose to the challenge and decided to fix it for this year.

Here's the costume from Wal-Mart: Linen thin fabric with hard plastic sewn into pre-cut rips. Honestly, it's a good starting off point with exposed bones and guts, but a terrible zombie costume in its completion. The plastic sticks out like bad armor and its edges are not smoothed out or covered for anyone that wears it. I knew that besides making this costume look cool, I would have to make it a lot more comfortable too.

Here you can see the pants and shirt; why they were pseudo tie-dyed is beyond me, but I was more annoyed by the uniform cuts and rips throughout. I knew I would have to adjust this, but first things first; I had to make some "skin".

I began simply by pouring small puddles of liquid latex on my counter-tops and tile flooring (surfaces I knew they wouldn't stick and ruin). I allowed them to dry and peeled them back with a generous dusting of Baby Powder so the latex wouldn't stick to itself or other pieces. I had to make several large pieces to cover the neck and connect to the face as well as have pieces for the arms and legs.

This made pooping very interesting.

Peeling away the good stuff.

Here you can see how I glued the skin around the edges of the previous plastic pieces so the skin would hang, but also to hide how it was just stitched in and forgotten about. I still wanted bits of bone to be displayed and seen and all the grossness underneath.

Bone & muscle, ready to hustle.

Here you can see how I added a bit of red cream make-up and further see the glued skin on the edges of the plastic pieces. I tried stretching the skin across to each side and letting them hang. I used about 3 different shades of red by using black and brown to create distinctive layers to the skin tone.

You can see a significant difference between the costume in the beginning and how it turned out now. with a little liquid latex, the "skin" was fashioned to Christopher and he then had a bit of brown and black and fake blood added to his hands.

My nephew Jake really wanted to be a Ninja like his cousin Morgan but he also wanted to be a Zombie like Christopher and being the rad Uncle that I am, I found Jake a Ninja costume at the last minute and two giant knives that bleed when turned up and down. Little did I know that both of them would share the same costume! TWIN DRAGONS!

I simply added a little black to Jake's eye sockets to him a bit more menacing. Easy, quick and handy in telling these two Ninjas apart.

My other nephew Joe went as a Pirate. He had wanted to go as "dead", I believe his 2 year old interpretation of what a zombie is, like his cousin. Joe had recently did quite the face-plant playing in the driveway days earlier and his healing scabs were better make-up than anything he'd sit through for me. Thee would've been no way I could have safely done a good zombie effect on him, especially since 2 year olds have the attentions spans of meth addicts watching television. All in all, Joe's probably the cuteness lil' scally-wag you ever did see.

Pirates & Ninjas - in Harmony??

My nephew and my handiwork.

I was really happy with how Christopher's costume turned out. I had super-glued some small pieces of packing foam to behind the plastic sheeting of the costume, particularly the chest. This not only prevented unnecessary chaffing, but also added warmth to the costume and a bit of bulk to Christopher's smaller frame. I used temporary white hair spray to give him a more eerie look. This really highlighted the dark circles I put under his eyes and cheeks. The liquid latex "skin" I had made earlier and adhered to his chin and face was now doused in a healthy serving of blood that was edible and dripped all from his mouth. On his face I used some Fresh Scab and Christopher was ready to rock and roll.

They're coming to get you, Barbara....

He's got guts.

Christopher's costumes was great shape since I used brown and black cream make-up to dirty up the clothes and add red to the tears & rips to showcase further wounds. When being handed candy, Christopher could rip off a chunk of his "skin" and trade the treat giver, revealing the bones and guts from the original costume underneath. It was like he was a walking autopsy and received plenty of compliments for actually having a scary costume on Halloween and not something cartoonish or Pop Culture related.

I knew I wasn't allowed to be off the hook for Trick r' Treating so I quickly assembled a costume from my make-up kit. I used the same shirt I had from the previous night and applied a small amount of "Black Blood" to my lips and mouth and let it drip down.

I then glued on an appliance to my right eye that served almost like an eye patch as it completely covered my eye and fit over my nose. Effectively I could only see out of one eye and the other one would have a speciality contact lens floating around in it and then I had to walk around at night, leading the way. I love me some Halloween.

I knew that blending my make-up just right was the only way to sell the "crooked dead eye" look. It almost looked like Sloth from GOONIES or one of the Hill People from THE HILLS HAVE EYES. I used one White Out contact lens, tussled my hair and voila!

Better than THRILLER, and with twice as much candy.

Here you can see how I blended the appliance to my face and sold the illusion with the Black Blood and the contact lens. Nothing too gory, but I definitely freaked out the neighbors. As a matter of fact several of them told us how impressed they were with our costumes and that we were the only ones that dressed up scary at all. I was proud and kinda sad at the same time.

Give us all your Candy!!

I can't wait til next year so I can plan out my nephews' costumes a bit more in advance, possibly even a group ensemble...? Really all it takes is for your imagination to run wild and try different things until they work for you and your costume.

Always wear a costume, be sure to travel with a partner, and never eat your candy without checking it first. See you next Halloween!!

THE DEAD WALK!: 2011 Amherst Zombie Walk

2011-11-07T20:21:00.000-08:00

The 1st Lorain County Food Drive & Zombie Walk was held September 10th and I've been sitting on some fabulous photos of my volunteering with the event. This event was the first time this event was organized and there was some fear that the weather would keep people from turning out. I myself was a bit apprehensive about what to expect, but all of the organizers and fellow artists were top notch professionals, ready to flex their craft for the sake of a good cause. They had medical technicians on hand for blood donations and you could even sign up for organ donation.

I could never anticipate the amount of love and support that poured out from the community.All in all, there was 1,243 lbs of food donated and $1,336.25. The donations and funds total equalled over 8,000 lbs of food, making the 2011 Lorain County Food Drive and Zombie Walk the 3rd highest "One Day" food drive of 2011! It was great to volunteer my time for such a worthy cause.

Here's a letter thanking the volunteers for their efforts:

Many people showed up in their own costumes, flexing a variety of creativity when it comes to the Walking Dead. Door prizes and raffles were held and you could get your make-up done for only $5! This included airbrushing, latex appliances, straight make-up and all the fake blood you could drown yourself in.

Here's some photos of the event which represent a sliver of folks that turned out and the creativity that flowed like blood:

Here FX Artist Megan Milovich begins the process of deciding with her Zombie-to-be what style and colors she wants to accent her bloodied Prom Dress.

Here I did a quick Blistered-looking latex appliance to our ladies chest since she wanted her face to still remain somewhat recognizable. I used some light reds and soft purples to blend out what looked like a spreading virus. A little Romero-style black around the eyes and a bit of blood to top it all off.

This Bartender had to be able to move with the hordes inside at Church Street Bar, which helped sponsor the event. She wanted to look more like a survivor, so just some quick browns for "dirt" and some strategically placed blood to ensure the tips kept on rolling.

This lovely lady actually had this $200 dress for the sole purpose of covering in blood and gore. She wanted plenty of attention in the chair and that's what she got.

Here a latex appliance was placed on the shoulder to simulate a bite mark. I blackened in the grooves and gave ample bruising around the shoulder. I topped it with a tad bit of fake blood which helped my "maggots" - just uncooked instant rice - to our Zombie. This is a great little bit of texture that adds to the gross-out factor, which is what we're all after.

With her hair color, I knew that any blood on her face would immediately stand out, so I went a bit lighter than I normally would and tried to utilize the contours of her face instead.

This young lady was a champ to sit in the chair, but you could instantly recognize that the event or the people or whatever was making her a bit shy. Being an effective make-up artist is knowing that these are real people, not just a canvas that eats. Talk to them, joke with them, find out something about them. This will put you both at ease and help speed along the process.

She didn't really know what she wanted, but I could tell she wanted to dive into the fun in her own way. She definitely wanted something that would clean up quickly. We decided on using the blistered appliance piece (the same as the first lady) and adding it to her cheek. She wanted a cool, cold blue, which I thought worked quite nicely when the blood was added.

Some torn flesh (peeled latex) and she was good to go. Look out fellas, she's a man eater.

This gal here was one of my faves. Initially she wanted a huge appliance across her face. It was 4 scratched claw marks, but they were far too big for the face, instead being meant for the torso or back. But far be it for me to deny anyone a good time, so we compromised on 2 scratch marks and off to work I went.

I used deep reds and purples around the eyes to draw out that EVIL DEAD Deadite look. This would serve as a nice counterbalance to the blood and latex of the applied wound which turned out a lot like AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON.

For this wound to work the two pieces had to line up just right, with one starting at her temple and going to the corner of her mouth and the other along her jawline, ending at her chin. Truth be told the weather was a serious factor as the humidity would change and the temperature would literally jump plus/minus 10 degrees, which is a big deal with trying to get latex to dry. Ideally I would've used a little Pros-Aide for the size and weight of the appliance, but the latex came together and it was all about painting in the wound, matching the skin tone and adding just the right amount of blood as to not distract from the effect.

Ultimately this was the longest effect I did the whole day, which took about 20-25 minutes total. I think the effect turned out great, she was happy with the compromise, especially since this still gave her enough movement to drink at the bar!

I seemed to get a lot of ladies in my chair this day and this one decided the 80s were the decade to be resurrected. She had bloodied her dress and left little flesh to really play with. As a matter of fact she just seemed kinda too cute to be a proper zombie. But I racked my brain and remembered that beauty can be scary and vice versa. Case in point: PROM NIGHT II: HELLO MARY LOU.

I went with a dark beige and brown to darken her temples and under her cheek bones. I went with a bright green cream base for eye shadow that really made the look pop, especially with just a trace amount of blood. She isn't oozing life, but she's definitely not alright. I particularly like the bit of blood behind her ear and down her neck, subtle yet effective.

Here's here look with a nice slash of blood. My idea was she could play it as as slack jaw or a survivor. Who am I to pigeon hole anyone and their celebration of the walking dead? I think the combo of red and green against her black outfit make it really stand out. I think I even saw her back in line later on getting an appliance piece. Go big or go home, I guess.

At this point of the day I was starting to drag ass. We were cranking people in and out of our chairs as quickly as we could do them up. This really was a testament to the folks that volunteered their services. And just when the going got tough, Church Street came out with about 12 dozen different wings and cheese fries for all us hardworking folks. But now back to this reanimated corpse.

I decided I wanted to do something different from everything I had been doing. I wanted to make a red zombie, and I thought, "Why the hell not?" I proposed my idea to my man in the chair and he said as long as it was gnarly, go balls out.

I affixed the same bubbled up latex appliance from my first lady onto his forehead. I made sure he wrinkled his brow so I wasn't adhering it to any parts that would pull or tug away the piece.

My color palette for this was red, black and yellow. I wanted him to look like he walked out of a nuclear reactor. I used black to accent the eyes, red around that, black for shadow and yellow for highlights. I made sure to blend these colors to his ears and neck as well, which is always important in tricking the eye into believing any make-up illusion. I gave him some black dots and stipple as well to bring the colors closer together.

I strategically placed a fair amount of blood along the blisters and allowed it to flow safely down his face - away from his eyes. I blended my colors and he was definitely a stand out among the sea of green, blue, and dark purple zombies.

This little lady just wanted plain make-up. She had come with family and friends, but wanted something she could wash off in the bathroom at a moment's notice.

Her features reminded me of the little girl suffering in the basement from NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. I went strictly old school with black around the eyes, the forehead, temples and cheeks, and took what was left of my dwindling green make-up to the rest of her face.

She did want to be a little gory, but nothing that would drip or be too scary. Here a slight bash to the forehead and a fresh feeding make her super creepy, especially with that bow in her hair.

Now not everyone was tickled pink to be at the Zombie Walk. This lady was forced into my chair by her parents who had paid to support their community and publicly embarrass her. She was nice enough to sit, but made it positively clear not to get anything on her new shirt (who wears a new shirt to a Zombie Walk?) and that she didn't want to look all crazy, just cool.

I decided an appliance was probably the best bet for the both of us - affix it on, paint it up, and off ya go. We decided on a pock-marked latex piece.

Here I stuck to most pinks and lighter pinks, allowing for the blood I dabbed on to stand out on its own. I blended the pink into the rest of her face and it looked as if this infection was spreading.

The final look was pretty seamless, with her and her parents happy and me one step closer to actually being able to join in the festivities.

Here's our work station with plenty of make-up supplied by the Zombie Walk organizers. These guys & gals were definitely on top of their game. This is a table that I shared with THREE other artists (myself included). They were some rad fellows and I hope to cross paths with them again soon.

This man had never done make-up before, but by the end of the day he was whipping 'em up like Tom Savini Jr.

Here's the aftermath of the blood spraying area.

Being one of the artists entitled me to judge the entries of the folks that did their own make-up and entered for Best Costume.

This Woman took the crown, and dragged it all the way back to her crypt from the looks of her.

This fellow was a personal favorite taking the zombie motif into this weird Backwoods-Bubbles kinda look. He even had a military ammo box he carried with him which he placed a real car horn inside. If you weren't scared by his costume, he definitely got your attention with a thunderous blaring!

The Nun is always a Halloween favorite but the angle of the screwdriver is what threw me off my vote. Great effort, but I guess I just took too many geometry classes as a kid.

This fellow got the works the whole day over; airbrushing, make-up, appliances, blood. And hot damn if he didn't creep some folks out.

One of my particular favorites was this little tyke who truly made the Zombie Walk a family affair in my opinion. The whole community came out in support of raising money and awareness for those that go without food and doing it in one of the most fun & creative ways I could possibly think of doing.

Many thanks go to Tracee Wesolowski for organizing the event and this especially couldn't have been accomplished without all the tremendous support from sponsors and vendors alike.

Click here for more info about Second Harvest Food Bank.

Be sure to check out more photos from the 2011 Zombie Walk FaceBook Page.

I hope I'm invited back next year and I hope to see you there too!

Lost Loves - Forgotten or Abandoned?

2011-09-19T15:31:00.000-07:00

My friend Alex Foster is probably gonna end up as the next big shot producer in Hollywood, but once upon a time I made him a piece of artwork for his apartment when he was stuck with me on the East Coast.

I had found a walnut dresser door from a dumpster diving trip in Soho that was in perfect condition since it was being disassembled for the garbage trucks making their rounds. I snatched it up, brushed it off, and got plenty of odd looks on the subway carrying it home.

I wanted to draw some inspiration from my surroundings. Another friend had given me an old James Bond poster so I decided to play with that. I was also handed a flyer on the way home regarding the persecution of Falun Gong, which it didn't know much about, but the flyer included some striking imagery of human suffering that was too much to ignore.

I used a combination of acrylic paint, decoupage, and Sharpie marker. I decided to utilize the classic look of James Bond, which is almost an icon onto itself. I really enjoyed reading Ian Flemming's pulp fiction as a child and the books always resonated with me; political intrigue, foreign locales, bloody violence, beautiful women, and danger the world over. It's only now that I realize the true politics behind certain events and how they affect its citizens.

I really decided to rethink my understanding of James Bondas a character and what he reflects as a society. These elements of espionageand intrigue, but you never truly see the human suffering of the politics behindthe curtain. Not much for movie entertainment, but it’s the basis of understandingthe reasons and actions that would place a person in such a situation.

For the flesh tone of the tortured souls, it’s just the woodleft exposed. I used a stencil for the star to help separate the piece intothree distinct pieces as the eye follows downward. The text I wanted to playwith and invoke the feel of a movie poster. The bottom half is a reflection ofhow all of this is treated like a game, where the players don’t even realizethey’re the ones being played. The women at the bottom are actually one bondageimage I found & printed from the computer of a cartoon fetish model instockings and a gas mask. Here I meant to address the misogyny of suffering andthe stories reported, whether through Hollywood or CNN, particularly in regardsto gender.

It’s a strong, striking piece which is quite odd to take inand process. Sadly, Alex decided to get rid of the piece when he was moving becausethe paint started peeling off of the piece which he thought was a defect. Itwas meant to do this, to fade away and fall apart, adding another element tothe painting. I meant to toy with the notion of how we can let suffering fadeaway as well as forget about the classics of Hollywood. This was definitely apiece of purging things from my brain, even if I didn’t completely understandit myself.

Here's another little side project I ended up giving to giving to a friend. I started this roughly 5 inchsculpture out of scrap copper wiring. The trick was sculpting it so that Iwould be able to fit it into its base container, but more of that later.

I molded into a rough shape of the figure and just used scrap pieces of plaster of Paris to make this little figure. After it was dry, I began blending out a flesh tone for the creature with acrylic paint. I wanted it to look somewhat humanoid yet alien.

After the acrylic was dry I coated the figure in about 3 coats of epoxy to give it a solid seal. After the seal was dry I placed the figure in a repurposed olive jar (just peeled the label & cleaned off the glue). I made a label for the figure using Microsoft word, printing it out and using spray adhesive on the backing. The project number refers to my birthday, the project name refers to ZERO which used to be my tag name. And if you can’t figure out Area 51, well that’s what Google is for folks.

I added the statue and added water to fill the jar. I knew that the weight of the piece would keep it from floating. I took one drop of white oil paint and added it to the water, giving it an odd swirl effect. After a little bit of time, some of the acrylic began to strip away and hang off like skin and would lightly sway if moved. Unfortunately I don’t know what happened to it in the end as I gave it to a friend who moved away and disappeared.

I definitely would like to try this project again, especially with materials such as latex, metal, and possibly on a much larger scale. But in the end I was quite pleased with it; not bad for something so creepy that still fits on the shelf of your refrigerator.

I definitely would like to try this project again, especially with materials such as latex, metal, and possibly on a much larger scale. But in the end I was quite pleased with it; not bad for something so creepy that still fits on the shelf of your refrigerator.

Can't we all get along?

2011-09-18T15:04:00.000-07:00

Bill Adcock is a many of many talents, some known, somewhat hidden, and those entirely secreted away.I'm convinced he's part Highlander. He's the brains behind Radiation-Scarred Reviews as well as a contributor to the Blood Sprayer, and B Through Z Web-Zine. He had reached out wanting to commission me for a piece of artwork, to which I replied I would do it for a trade. His request was simple enough, left to the discretion of my imagination and delivery. The only stipulations were that it was painted and contain his specifically chosen subject matter: El Santo VS Yeti.

I definitely had my work cut out for me.

Now for this piece I had to come up with a couple different ideas to figure out the best way to represent the two iconic characters. Would they be locked in battle? Who would be the victor? I tried a few sketches, but they turned out crap. That's all part of the process.

I decided to remix it like a DJ, especially being inspired by these Star Wars posters I stumbled upon one sleepless night on the Net.

Once I had an idea for the format I decided to work on how I would depict the characters. Here's some Quick Google images of El Santo and a Yeti that I went for, kinda of like a bartender just grabbing bottles.

I worked on a flat canvas board that I actually broke down and bought. It's a matte treated canvas, but it's board thin, making it easier to transport and frame due to less weight.

It was a step by step process in trying to create these figures.

I started to outline some of the main parts in Black Sharpie.

You can see how this makes it pop more, or at least for me. I'm a sucker for sharp black lines.

Working on the lettering was one part I simply dreaded.

To break up the piece and sell it as a "fight poster" I went with some curly-q razor wire, which is a lot harder to create than you'd realize.

I decided to lighten up the blue background to add more of a pop to the piece and began finishing off the lettering and other elements with black Sharpie.

Here's the final product. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out, especially El Santo and the balance of the piece as a whole. The eye follows from top to bottom, left to right and it succeeds in looking less like art and more like something else.

I definitely need to work on my lettering. The Sharpie makes it pop and look like a real advert. I wish it had more of a letter press look to it rather than the hand-written style, but I could probably do that more so with stencils or maybe with a computer. I guess I always take the long way home.

Now it's time to jam out El Santo style...

Don't talk to Strangers: GREETINGS FROM THE SHORE

2011-09-13T22:13:00.000-07:00

So I recently unearthed some old photographs from my days in the Art Department on the film GREETINGS FROM THE SHORE. It was a pretty sweet gig, where I basically got paid to hang out on the Jersey Shore (well before anyone knew what a Snooki was). It was a super sappy love story that I believe went straight to DVD. We were there just after Labor Day and kicked of an ambitious film with a small crew, a tight schedule, and a tighter budget.

I was credited as a Set Dresser in the film, though I helped and assisted with carpentry, scenic painting and a variety of other tasks. This was definitely a get-your-hands-dirty kinda job. It was great because the weather was still mostly spectacular, we (our 5 person Art Dept.) lived in a small guest house that was a minute and a half walk to the bay were you could try your luck fishing out crabs or you could turn around, walk seven minutes and you'd hit the ocean.

We filmed at a view different locations; on the beach, along the board walk, at the Lavalette Yacht Club, and a Paramedic Garage Bay that we converted into sets. To meet out deadlines, everything had to have a natural look, even if it was entirely fabricated. We set about building flats for sets, gathering set dressing & props and tackling the project full on.

One main set we needed to build was for "Catch", played by Paul Sorvino. His character lives on a dilapidated houseboat, which meant we couldn't film there so we built it. The main idea was to sell the idea of a man that was down & out on his luck and had been for some time. I think this environment definitely reflects that.

Newspapers, which were tinted with a brown paint wash, covered the windows serving as ghetto drapes, but also hid the rest of the location around us. Here it's filled with rain gear, old trunks, and other knick knacks.The walls are a wood paneling that we slightly sanded and then spot stained to add severe aging.

One thing we also did so that this room was "sold" as the boat interior was drill pinholes in the walls and tie fishing line to things like the hats and tools, and would lightly tug on them time from time to give the illusion that they were swaying in the water.

For such a small space, you can see how much was piled into the room. I honestly believe the boat would've sunk if we would put that much set dressing on it.

Here you can see our "Jenny" leaving, but what you also have to notice is the "natural" or "practical" light sources which are a big deal in helping light a scene that would normally be dank and dark.

Here you can see the attention to detail with crushed beer cans and old dry cleaning hangers. You have to go out and get/save that stuff!

This room I am particularly proud of as it was largely constructed by myself and left to my discretion, though supervised by my bosses. This was Jenny's rented room above a Bait Shop in the storyline. It's meant to look more than a bit disheveled and left to the elements of being located near the shore. The stairwell you see goes no where, but it was nice to add the sound effect of other renters stomping up the stairs.

One part of the wall is white B-board that is painted an almost robin egg blue and then sanded to reveal the white underneath. From that I added layers of dark green and brown was to give the appearance of water damage.

This was done to the particle board was as well. The electrical conduit you see is all fake as well, but it helps sell the effect.

We built a window bench and discolored that as well with sanding and by scratching and carving the names of my department into the wood.

Homely elements balanced with some of the dankness helps sell the illusion of the trouble with the character. Even just tossing some wardrobe about really helps the audience belive that the character bleongs in this space.

One thing I really like was the water stain I painted on the ceiling. It's a brown paint water wash, painted inwards in a circular pattern. This was done with combination of brushwork and sponging.

These flowers? They were fresh that day, donated from a local florist. I however took some grey and off-green spray paint and made them look like they had been dead for weeks.

One joke was that Catch would have a pin-up girl on his boat, so I took up the challenge and a scrap piece of particle board. I used an old Vargas girl as inspiration and made sure to age it with a watered down brown paint wash.

Here's a look at the whole portrait. Most folks were pleased with it, but I wanted to work on it longer, I'm still not very good at the human figure. This was all done with acrylic paint and black Sharpie marker. This is a perfect example of why Vargas is an icon and I write a blog.

One running joke written into the script was how the Yacht club always, always, ALWAYS, had Scrod on the menu. I did up a couple of chalk sandwich boards throughout the film.

Here's a couple of close-ups. This was all done with standard sidewalk chalk.

Here's another closer peek.

Another set we had to build was one of the boarding rooms were the hunky, but misunderstood foreign love interest stays. Here we used cheap contact paper as wallpaper and sponged it with brown paint wash for a dirty, weathered look.

The same blue B-board is carried through to imply that this room is in the same building since it has similar decor.

One thing I particularly liked was the square stains that would be left behind from paintings or photographs on the wall. Of course, that's simply paint.

Here you can see the back side of the flat, making the room completely detachable. Camera and lighting are able to move in and freely get a wide range of motion in capturing the scene.

And of course here's the famous water stained ceiling. We ended up using this anytime we would see the ceiling in a shot of the boarding rooms, so if you'll look closely, you'll notice the same stain dance around to numerous rooms and corners!

This was a really fun and challenging project to work on and the crew was fantastic, turning out top-notch, quality work constantly, day in & day out. It was the last feature film that I would work on from start to finish in the Art Department. Regardless it's a fun little date flick that will probably help you get to 2nd base at the very least.

And I know you're dying to see the trailer, so here goes....

And if you actually watch the film, you see a cameo of yours truly, as I got sucked into a party scene.

Shake what ya' Mama gave ya'

2011-08-17T18:40:00.000-07:00

The world of the music video is an odd one and I have bumped into it in my artistic endeavors. It's really interesting to see how cheaply and quickly they throw these things together. Here are some old shots I recently found from a music video I did years ago for Waverly Films. I was the Art Director under the Production Designer Patrick McGowan, whom I had met working on the horror flick UNHOLY. Our challenge was to turn a shitty warehouse space into a shitty medical facility for white-coated lab rats and hot chicks to dance about. While you're more focused on the action, you forget I had to track down medical supplies from almost 3 different rental houses and deal with all the assholes that push numbers and papers about what constitutes a full day rental vs. a half day rental.

What follows is the hot mess I barely remember as:

Joey Negro's "Make A Move On Me"

The extras in this were spot on. This looks like something out of a B-movie from the '50s. I keep waiting for a man in a gorilla suit to jump in with a cosmic ray gun.

Here you can see the special call-in dials and instruments and all kind of do-dads that sell the scene. Some worked, some didn't, we weren't quite sure what some of them even did, but damn if it didn't look official.

There's a microscope, and a sink and a whatever the hell. I know that's the periodic table. This is all important in selling the mind's eye that this space is real and actually exists. This is all smoke and mirrors. It's a porno set without the sex. It's pretend for grown-ups.

You don't even wanna know what's in that jar. These are all props that seem to be absolutely necessary at the very last minute, not matter what, for whatever odd-ball reason. I've seen it a hundred times before. Now imagine driving around New Jersey, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx with all this crap bouncing around in your rented cargo van as you go to Home Depot for the 37th time to buy more paint brushes and God knows what else.

One of the running gags was to over-label everything with red printed labels. We literally had them everywhere, advertising the most obvious of the obvious. We manipulated he machinery for close-ups and you as the audience are never the wiser that it barely works at all.

Here's a little behind the scenes shot as the crew sets the action and everyone pretends to be really important. Here you can see and realize that all four walls of this "room are completely removable. We built it so that the whole set could literally move throughout the warehouse, depending on the need for lighting.

So this DJ, Joey Negro, couldn't make it for the video, so this gigantic paper mache mask is meant as his cameo. Of course that got a label too.

Here's the hero of our story; a lowly test subject a the whim of desire and circumstance. A nice guy, but damn if those electrodes didn't keep falling off all damn day. And every time I see this I can't help but think of that one scene at the start of GHOSTBUSTERS.

It was actually kind of cool to see all these different gals gyrate in freezing warehouse, while I pretended to adjust electrodes and whatever. Sadly their efforts were all for not when I heard through the grapevine that the record company thought the gals weren't sexy enough and digitally replaced them.

Waverly Films has gone on to do more music videos, play with puppets, sell Doritos, etc.

Any way, here's the video, you be the judge....

If you're still interested, I worked on these other music videos purely from a production standpoint and had no artistic input whatsoever.

"Give Me Every Little Thing" - The Juan Maclean

"If U Leave" - Musiq Soulchild featuring Mary J. Blige

"Cherry Chocolate Rain" - Tay Zonday

Selling you Pretty

2011-08-02T17:32:00.000-07:00

So once upon a time I worked with the impeccable David Kalahiki and helped turn Jon Benjamin into Bernie Madoff. Click here to catch up on that story.

I recently found some photographs that beg for another story. Well, I also had assisted David on a "high end/high concept" fashion shoot for Arnaldo Vargas. We had arrived at this photographer's apartment/studio prepared to do 3+ looks for one male model and one female model.

Wardrobe was being donated on the condition they'd be returned in the same condition they were lent from some boutique where a belt costs half your rent. That's something to worry about when you're rushing about with fabric staining creams & powders.

So the female model flaked out and didn't show the day of the shoot so we were left with only a male model that had to leave by 5pm for his waiter/catering gig. I forgot to mention we started all this at about 9am. The concept behind the look of the shoot was to create a post modern/MAD MAX meets New York Couture with a pseudo-punk rock flare, which was eventually titled "Apocalipchic". Personally I think it looked like Michael Alig on his way to some Varsity sports practice. The other outfits provided a wider range of the make-up styles attempted in harsher geometric shapes and tribal styles, and I don't think the photos that follow adequately represent David's true talents as a make-up artist, but the photographer was happy, the model was comfortable, and if the client is happy - that's all that really matters. And plus I had a unique opportunity to help and learn.

David & I were basically flying by the seat of our pants trying to create different looks from the limited wardrobe and the minimal number of locations afforded us from the studio and apartment. What you don't see listed is our adventures to a rat infested basement and a freight elevator that was made of rust holding hands. David was a true pro, through and through, working within the time constraints the certain looks desired, and even technical issues with the photography equipment as I frantically tried to help him in the best ways I could figure out.

I think the dichotomy of having a female model to play off of the male model would have made the shoot a bit more interesting and provided a flare of variety, especially in pairings for action and color contrasts. But in any endeavor, you do what you can with what you have.

Though I have yet to work again in the world of fashion, I think it was a valuable experience in helping to create and craft not just an image, but the allure of the what is contained in its subject matter. There's action and drama, and it's all from one still, a single frame. Coming from the world of film this puts the principles of advertising and promotion further into focus and also how easily all of much can be manipulated.

I had a blast working with David, always have. I highly recommend his services if you're in need in the New York area. You can check out Arnaldo Vargas' Photography by clicking here.

The Devil is in the Details

2011-08-02T15:08:00.000-07:00

You may remember a little while back when I worked a short film, "ReGift Demon" for Yellow Line Pictures where I needed to create a classic fire-engine red Devil. You can click here to catch up on the techniques if you missed out.

After making its rounds with a few festivals and screenings, the short is now available for your viewing pleasure on the Internet.

Enjoy the show.

I'm quite pleased with how the look came out; subtle but definitely dynamic without being over the top. You can click here for a listing of the full cast & crew.

This is what Sacrifice looks like.

2011-07-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

As a growing artist, your ability to generate a consistent body of work is the lifeblood behind the compelling urge to create it. Many would describe it as an addiction, one fueled by paint, clay, ink, and rock. You need to paint, draw, sketch, sculpt, whatever it takes to be ahead and get noticed. For me, my artwork has always been a way to express the thoughts in my mind that tend to overflow into my dreams and subconscious. I try the best I can; with the talent of my hands and the materials at my disposal. It's an expunging of thoughts, ideas, beliefs and other nonsense that I then force onto the world to contend with instead of me. It's truly a purging that is met with odd feelings of merit and appreciation when some seem to enjoy the things I craft. Rarely does this work in conjunction with the way I want my ideas to form my mind's eye, but it's the pursuit to create the vision that is almost as strong as any addiction. And with anything in life, practice is the only way to get better at anything. And the only way to be somebody is to do something well.

I know I need to build up the body of work represented in my F/X make-up portfolio and the only way to do that is to take on more jobs which always want to see a reel and portfolio of work. It's a Catch-22 my landlord used to love to hear, "I can pay you in Indie film cred...right?". I took it upon myself to try my hand at several different styles of make-up and photograph them to truly see how the work is reflected on camera. I wanted to attempt some iconic looks and experiment with some styles that had been circling around my mind. I wanted to mix the world of John Waters to Tom Savini, combining and remixing some of my pulp favorites with cult classics into a low brow beauty that you can't ignore. I also wanted to challenge myself by placing certain time limits to create each look, just like the professionals do it, that's how I train. I had set timers and when they went off, that was it. Brushes down, walk away and that was that.

Eva Cox was kind enough to serve as my model and what follows is one last fun collaboration. She has served with me before which you can check out by clicking here. She has been my girlfriend and best friend for almost 9 years. She's seen me at the height of my good intentions, and the bottom of my failures. Unfortunately, our partnership is no more and this is the sadly the last project that brought us together. What follows is several different looks of iconic and cinematic make-up we agreed on. Changed, altered, and augmented, these looks & styles are meant to reflect something that also stuck with me from one of Eva's art professors. He had described her work as "grotesquely beautiful". The phrasing struck a chord that resonated within me. I wanted to push that aesthetic even further into my own work, specifically my make-up and F/X work. I wanted to see how far I could forge ahead with my limited materials in my tiny New York apartment after Eva & I both had worked full days and wanted nothing more than a hot meal and a cold beer, but these are the sacrifices you make to follow your heart. I wanted to capture super-stylized looks and add my own flare; bits of nostalgia and pop culture.I wanted to create a series of looks that could stand alone, for their time and place. I'm not a seasoned photographer or make-up artist, I'm just a guy that likes to play with paint and probably watches too many movies. All it takes is the will to try and experiment; the worst anyone can ever do is tell you NO.

I knew I needed to start learning/teaching myself glamour make-up. As a heterosexual male, I've never had much opportunity, but I release that is simply a stigma that holds back creativity and stifles imagination. I wanted to experiment with what I was raised and conditioned from society and advertising to view as "beautiful" and "desirable". I always find it most intriguing to see how nostalgia factors in on the creation of certain styles that are held in regard as being specifically unique. I hope to get better at the "smokey eye" - the ladies have given me tips on how not to go overboard and make it look like a porno shoot, but most guys think I'm referring to a BBQ accident. I needed and wanted to see how far I could stretch the same make-up product in creating such radically different looks, though I tried not to hold back and deliver the goods with my interpretations. The natural look is almost Kung Fu level restraint with Jedi like prowess. Albert Einstein once said, "Imagination is far more important than knowledge." Here I hope to show how I pushed my talent and utilized my influences to create something unique, rather than just something weird to look at.

I wish Eva all the best of luck in her future endeavors and encourage you to check out some of her work via
her Tumblr blog, Making Things, and follow her on Twitter as FattySnacks. She has shared so much with me over the years, encouraged my artistic endeavors, is a walking encyclopedia of art history, always explored museums & exhibitions together, and has always been a fountain of inspiration that has sadly run dry to me. I thank you for her patience with me and letting a mad scientist experiment upon her face.

For costumes we ran about with the same abandon 8 old's reserve for slumber parties and games of dress-up. I attempted some minimal lighting (or lack there of, with my Nikon Quikshot) evidenced in photographing with normal overhead lighting and table lamps. The photography is quick snapshots, with hands dripping with paint and latex. Another condition was that Eva would be able to completely remove each application and have no residue, which I had to factor in with colors and materials. I wanted to capture the expressions of the moment as it happened and tried not to stage too many of the poses. But you work with what you got and go from there.

I found it a bit difficult to go through these old images and see a love that once was, one that sought to encourage my endeavors by volunteering their time, body, and spirit. For that I can be eternally grateful. At times these photos seem like I'm looking at a lost friend, somewhere lost in the ether that I wish I could reach out and touch one more time. That dream of future gallery shows and joint projects is to never be realized and only time can blur the memories I used to hold so dear. We've since parted ways, on what I hope was happier terms, all things considered. I truly do hope you enjoy the results of our one last adventure.

First Up: ELVIRA, Mistress of the Dark

I knew I had to take a stab at the lady that put the boob in "boob tube", and I hope I did it a bit of justice. I didn't have access to the classic bee hive style wig, but Eva pulled out one she purchased for her Bettie Page costume this past Halloween and it seemed to work, but gave it an odd crossover. And honestly, who doesn't love real stockings with red heels? I think the zebra print Snuggie over the couch really brings it home and adds that certain touch of class.

Above the eyes are streaked with a bright pink eye shadow sandwiched around a almost robin's blue. These are difficult to maintain and have to be done at the right angle to match on both sides. Screw this up and the whole look goes wonky. A heavy application in a straight line ensures that the color stays for those that love to blink.

I used a thick, THICK application of black liquid eye liner around the eyes (it's like Sharpie for the face!) and used it to literally draw past her tear ducts to form the panther look Elvira is know to flash which are achieved with false eyelashes. I have to say that working with false eye leashes is about as enjoyable as sanding Bond-O. Just be sure to take your time and be delicate. The points on each end can't reach past to the bridge of the nose, AND must also face in the same direction. I used a fine point brush and white cream to paint in the points, which is tricky to do because you don't want to mix and have grey. It's like a geometric plane. I used the liquid eye line for the mole under her eye and made sure that each eye on the the outside had the same degree of upturn without going past the eye brows.

The cheeks got a light dusting of burgundy rouge, but I do wish I would've started with a paler base of white and added more rouge to those deep cheek bones for that dramatic look from all those late night horror shows. The lips I painted with a fire engine red to pop, which makes me wish for that lighter base even more. But with the combination of the outfit and how outspoken the eyes turned out, I think that here stands a quality representation of one of my favorite females in Horror.

Next Up: A GHOUL

I wanted to go for an old school look with a ghoul, not a zombie, but someone you'd find lurking in a graveyard way too late or some late night public access show that shows PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE. I decided that this was all going to be a paint-on using Ben Nye creams, all out of kit. I wanted to see if I accomplish a significant look in 20 minutes, so I had to make some quick decisions. Given Eva's skin tone, I decided to go with browns and darker creams and use her natural pigmentation for highlighting. I had the great idea of using purple from my Bruise Wheel as a way of add some really funky shadow.

I started along the brow, over-pronouncing the for head and temples. This really helped add to the look of not necessarily sunken flesh, but more malnutrition and sleep deprivation.

I made sure to darken under the eyes and the bottom lids but not go too much into the sockets, otherwise it would appear to decaying. Eva has some amazing clavicles (learn your anatomy) and I made sure to shadow with a blend of color along the neck and shoulders applying away with my darker colors. This was all applied with two half-torn make-up sponges. The details are to balance the nooks and crannies of how the neck will move and take on light with a lessening degree of what was applied to the face.

I ruffled up Eva's hair as best I could and made her swing about a small cap of Ben Nye's Mint flavored fake blood. This stuff is really great, especially for actors/models who don't wanna put icky things in their mouths. I made her swish it around in her mouth and then just naturally dribble out of her chin. I particularly like how it sticks to the gum-line and drips to her chest.

I think the look came off well. I hit my 15 minute mark with stride and here was someone still very obviously human, but very, very off. Obviously, I would've gone for crazier wardrobe and maybe something more with the hair, but this was a hot, late night and I'm surprised Eva let me paint her face at all. Next time, raw meat props.

Next Up: FALLING AWAY

I've had these dreams before where my skin falls off, usually my tattoos first in a very slow, methodical fashion, like cold molasses dripping off of a spoon. I decided to push the extremes of beauty and gore by combining the key elements of each aesthetic from this dream. I knew I wanted the over-blown robin-egg blue lips from the eyes and bright red lips and heavily blackened eye make-up, just like the mothers I would see as a child leaving Tupper-Ware parties and Sunday shopping. But these were also the same women that Vargas found everyday beauty in for his pin-ups. I also wanted to combine a bit of prosthetic, but didn't have time to build anything, so I went with my old trusty friend Liquid Latex to build up several layers on Eva's face and go from there. What began to take shape was something similar to Freddy Krueger so I knew I had to pull back to keep the femininity of it all. I was looking more for PINK FLAMINGOS meets THEY LIVE.

Eva suggested the white corset which significantly added to the appeal. The latex was peeled back and reapplied, allowed to dry and done again. This was a bit painful for her with the peeling and gluing and proved to be the longest of my make-up jobs, clocking in at a little over 2 hours. Always try to to be gentle and constantly check in with your model and their comfort level. I think that the blistering skin and the purplish abrasions generate a wonder of what exactly is this, and to be honest I'm not entirely sure myself. I do particularly enjoy the single strand of latex that seems to ooze from chin to chest.

I made sure to place coverage on the arms and color as well, to extend the look simply beyond the face and give a subconscious idea that whatever this is, it's spreading. I believe allowing the latex the time to dry and not forcing it with a blow dryer gave it the drip the foundation needed to add the believability that the skin is starting to slide off.

Despite all of this, the idea was to keep an appeal of sexual allure to the grotesqueness. This is your Stepford Wives left too close to the microwave.

One key element for the placement was the creating a pseudo triangle from the face to the shoulder to the wrist & hand. No matter which way Eva turns, you are confronted by this alien ailment in a tri-fold effect.

Here is my favorite shot of the series that perfectly illustrates how a moment of repulsion can be one of desire. It lends itself to the story; what happens next? Is there something under the skin? Does it fall off? What next? Well, that I like to call job security.

The peel and removal was a bit difficult, and next time I hope to have some prosthetics in place to work with before hand. But for an out of kit design and execution, I'm very pleased with how it turned out.

Next Up: Betty Crocker

I really do appreciate that 1950-60s look of Middle America. I had Eva model an apron (just the apron) from the 60s thanks to a recent antique shop find. Here I went for the classic blue eyes, but softened them significantly with purple from darker inside to lighter outside to create a whole lid for optimum expression. The same classic red went to the lips and a small bit of black eye liner around the eyes as well as heavy duty mascara to truly make them stand out. Of course I had to add a brushing of burgundy rouge to accent the cheek bones.

Eva grabbed a few curlers and this created an instant look, one seen from DONNA REED to MAD MEN. It's a classic look that conjures up home and stability and yet feelings of being rushed and overwhelmed as a woman. But the curlers where also part of another challenge that I will go into after this.

Here a bit of environment can really sell the moment. I like how almost monochromatic everything turns out.

A close up of action can show how dramatic a simple look can be and utilized very quickly.

Well how quickly? I accomplished this in 15 minutes as part of a self-imposed challenge to create 2 completely separate looks within only 30 minutes. Ambitious yes, but if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.

Immediately Next Up: GEISHA

From the Betty Crocker look I had Eva pull her curlers, put her hair back and immediately begin to cover her face in white paint as the clock was ticking. Fortunately Eva had a kimono as a gift and this was the perfect costume for this look.

I covered her face in white, but the mistake I made was using Ben Nye's white base paint and another white cream paint and they didn't quite jive together. I probably should have given her more time to clean her face off, but here's another lesson learned. Normally I would start over with one product, but I didn't have the time. Now I know to use one singular product for proper coverage and even distribution. I trudged forward with a heavy black eye liner, over-exaggerating the eyes.

I did the same classic red for the lips, but almost in that Betty Boop heart-shaped way. I would have loved to added rouge and blue highlights to the eyebrows, but the buzzer beat me and this was the final look.

Eva's choice in wardrobe really set it off and brought a sub-par look into something quite passable. It's amazing what wardrobe can add to make-up and vice-versa. I believe I achieved my goal from going to housewife to China Doll in 30 minutes. It just means I need to work a bit faster and get more comfortable with my eye work, but I feel comfortable that I am progressing rather than just getting by.

And Finally: WHY SO SERIOUS?

For one of the looks I wanted to take something that had reached an iconic status throughout America within a very short time. Heath Ledger's portrayal as the Joker was one that immediately captivated audiences, not just by his performance alone, but also largely in part to the make-up. His make-up was two-fold; him with his scars and him with his "war paint". I decided to attempt both looks myself and see if I could capture their essence while translating it to my subject; basically from male to female without losing its culpability. I also decided to turn this into the most Burlesque style shoot of the portfolio building, mean a bit more titillation, but a bit more focus on the subject at hand.

I wanted to started with the skin tone look, like the one you see at the assassination. I accomplished this by using Liquid Latex a couple times to literally roll Eva's cheeks together so that they would stick. This began to form a scar like bond that I paint lightly with browns and skin tones, wanting to go as natural as possible with the Glasgow smile. This technique is great for creating other scars without the use of appliances. This made the entire look a one shot deal, that could be replicated, but never perfectly duplicated. Now you know how she got these scars.

Here you can see the transformation the make-up takes. I used all cream based paint and sponges for the smeared look. The one thing to thoroughly consider is that some parts are worn away clean, so I used a Q-tip to take away the parts of the eyes, forehead and other areas where there would be wear and tear. This prevents it all from turning into one grey and pink hued mess.

Playing with angles, lighting, and your mood really brings this character to life. It's interesting to see how quickly some one's personality can change when in this role. I wanted this to be a balanced look. Sure, it's meant to look haphazardly applied, but it's also meant to seem as if the individual themselves is the one that applied it. Happy, sad, angry; these emotions emit quite a different than the other looks.

As comical as it is, I love how sinister the simplicity of how all the make-up and costuming comes together to give such a definitive look. I would've liked some green for Eva's hair, but she was quite particular about that and this was all done quite late at night.A tease and ruffle here and there gets the point across.

I did the white cream make-up first, applying a rough quick coat everywhere. I made Eva wrinkle her Forehead and other parts of her face to bring out the natural lines that would occur in over-wearing this type of costume.

I painted in the Latex smile with some browns for shadow, and then the fire engine red I've been so fond of throughout this project. The trick was to not rub it too much into the white and end up with a pink face, which means back to square one.

The black cream I used more on one side and then the other, covering the sockets and smearing about. I definitely went with the more chaotic look of the Joker from the film, but as pretty as my model is, I needed something to off-set that certain jean a say qua emitting from my model.

Eva and I had quite a fun time coming up with the costuming that we thought would be appropriate for a female Joker. I think for what was laying about in hand, I couldn't ask for much more.

The wardrobe also added a combination of colors to the make-up that made it pop in a way that wouldn't be the same in a black or grey suit.

Even when animal magnetism exists, it's a rare breed that can exercise the talents needed to not only survive, but turn it into a weapon. This look is almost like something out of a twisted Vaudeville act.

I particularly enjoy this shot as it is up to the viewer's interpretation of whether this is a classic Pin-Up pose or an arrest about to go bad. Is this a crime scene or a sex scene?

At moments, there seemed to be bits of tenderness in these series of photos, but as a fan of the comics and films, I know that the Joker simply plots and schemes. Here something that appears so genuine, yet his character counts on those to fall prey to this charm and take all those around it to a darker place. It's the black eyes that warn you there's something more there lurking; something evil, just don't dare call it crazy. Again I used a sponge to smear upward, but and here's critical, I never used the same sponge twice as to not spread or blend the colors outside of my intended area.

In the darkness, the mysteries are all just truths waiting to be manipulated into what we want them to be, what we need them to be. I love how the shadows play on this this and makes your eye truly focus on the subject and what the hell is going on, especially with that over the shoulder look.

Eva really gave quite a lot to this shoot. I demanded as much as I could get from this series, snapping photos and barking directions. At times the final look is playful, at others a bit dangerous, but there seems to be some underlying sense of arousal that seems worthy of exploration. Is it simply a little bare flesh or is it a predilection for violence and living within a fantasy world? My goal wasn't to generate my own version of Suicide Girls or anything like that, but to experiment with the female form in a way that media, advertising, and entertainment have been programmed into my brain to view the gender roles and social moires that exist around us. I wanted to see if I was able to recreate as well as reinterpret; titillate as well as educate. Some might consider this series a bit risque or perhaps almost inappropriate, but I think that focusing on those elements draw you away from the deeper issues I'm trying to address.

The Joker was one particular favorite characters to pull off because of how simple it is with materials, but how so many can easily screw it up and ruin it all with over-blending and not taking their time. It might seem a bit cliche to attempt this make-up, a been there/where's the challenge sorta thing, but it's always the simplest looks and projects that turn out to be the most difficult. I learned several valuable lessons from this series of characters, particularly how to stretch my make-up kit and how to get a better handle on my time & estimates. I think I definitely achieved what I set out to do; generate and exhibit some new work, experiment with some new techniques and start a series of iconic make-ups to reexamines and reinterpret.

Again a one last big thank you goes to Eva, for her time and patience through the years. Over roughly the course of 3 days, she had given birth to these 5 new looks as I learned what to do and most importantly what NOT to do. We should all be so lucky to stumble across such a muse, even if for such short a period of time

Here is a very, very, very brief pseudo commercial I made using Windows Movie Maker and uploading it to You Tube. Hopefully this write up will explain a bit more than what you'll see way too quickly. I have plans for more make-up F/X, more designs & prosthetics, and hopefully more video to share with you for next time.

The music is "borrowed" with much appreciation from the feature film THE TAINT.

P.S. - Check out my review of this absurd and ground-breaking movie by clicking here. You won't regret it.

Thank you again, as this will probably be the last bit of work I will create in New York for the foreseeable future. I am now in the Cleveland, Ohio region and if you need a lotta help, all you gotta do is reach out a little.

By "George" - It's Zombies, but not Zombies

2011-03-21T22:46:00.000-07:00

My most recent film experience took me to the zombie short film "George", directed by Gabriel Rosenstein for The Spitting Image. He had a very specific idea in mind for his zombie story. His tale was one of a man's survival in the midst of the ruins of society. Gabe wanted zombies, but not zombies; to impart the feel and atmosphere of a world over run with despair, but without tipping the hat to the walking dead we've all come to instantly recognize. Gabe didn't want any facial appliances, or any effects that would detract from the humanistic look of his actors. He was insistent on the visual interpretation that any one other than his title character could or could not be a zombie. This would prove to be quite a challenge. What was asked was to not go overboard with gore either, that the story was to drive the visuals and I could certain respect that. I knew that this would be an out-of-kit build for effects and one of open interpretation. I regarded it as "paint me a picture, but only use these colors" kind of project, which I could definitely dig, especially in only 2 days of shooting. A couple of things to factor in were a bite mark on the main character's leg as well as a bullet hole in another's head. I was definitely up for the challenge.

Upon arriving to our holding, I met Mary Czech who would be doing hair and make-up as well. She's a very funny woman, and a lot of fun to work with as we shared similar tastes in films, comic books, and make up style. This is more important than you can imagine when working with someone in such an enclosed space for hours on end. Mary is quite the professional and a treat to work with, especially when referencing Midnight Movies. You can check her out on Twitter @ rockindaspandex and see her talent at Glam Dammit.

In preparation for the bite mark I took some oil based clay and bit into it, making an impression of my top teeth and my bottom teeth. I then mixed up some Ultracal to pour into these small molds to pull out my solid positive. Once I had those two pieces I gave it a couple coats of liquid latex and had my very own custom appliances for the zombie bite. I even made an extra set of bite marks just in case. I was a Boy Scout once upon a time, and their motto is one of the best in terms of zombies; Be Prepared.

DAY ONE: Here's one of the pseudo-zombies. My idea was to make him dirty looking, with brown and darker cream colors. I imagined that these characters would be left to the natural elements, baking in the sun, and left to rot. A key element to remember is that in terms of the script it was meant to remain unclear how our zombies came to be the way they were; from radiation, a virus, space aliens, whatever. Any effects would have to be perceived as either being from their existence AND from their condition.

I thought a two tone color would visually suggest that there was something initially "off" about this individual, and yet they still look feasibly normal. I like to think that something is wrong on the inside first, before it appears on the outside. This idea was accomplished by usually augmenting one feature of each actor we would encounter.

Mary took on this actress utilizing "Scarlett Red" for the eyes and blending out the skin to a deathly pale. It helped that the actress had been locked away for most of the Winter and hadn't seen any sun. I used a blue eyeliner to pull out some of her veins in her arms as we applied white cream to take the color down (though it's probably too faint to see in this photograph alone). The idea that I enjoyed was that whatever had created these zombies, that they might have a different affecting look between the sexes.

A closer look shows how the make up extends even to her chest, drawing the eyes into the arms and continuing the illusion.

Mary worked on the make-up of one of George's encounters, another human trying to survive as well.

His look is straight forward and gritty; meant to be as natural as his environment. Notice the similar make-up application between his face and his hands.

Our friend has an encounter that ends poorly, with him gun shot to the head. In approaching this my idea was that all of the trauma should be on one side of the face so that when the actor looks from left to right (or vice versa) that it would be a reveal of his injury encompassed in the look giving much more options in terms of camera angles. The bullet wound is sculpted from scar wax and coated in liquid latex. Once that was dry it was layered with some color, a dab of bloody scab and some blood though not too much. The other abrasions are meant to look like scrapes from his fall. It's a combination of liquid latex, some color, and bloody scab.

Here's a closer look. He's slightly dirtier, which was something that we played with in terms of colors to invoke a visual understanding of death in the film.

DAY TWO: For an insert shot, Gabriel wanted a set of zombie hands to reach in front of camera. He said he just needed one so Mary and I each took a hand of an actor and decided to do two versions to give the director a choice. An effective make-up artist gives the director as many options as they can deliver within time and budget, something we had limited amounts of with this. The one thing that we had to consider between each of our artistry was to have a somewhat similar look between both hands in case Gabe wanted to use both in the scene. You don't want one person with two radically different hands and kill the flow on set by sending the actor back to fix a mistake.

Here's my version of the hand. This actor had some crazy veins in his hands so I decided to play with those by incorporating them into the paint up. I used some liquid latex, and cream paint and some bloody scab. I think it looks disturbing without being too out and out gross; a nice happy medium.

Mary did a great job with her hand adding a bit more color and giving a real sense of shadow.

So my actor from the previous day returned and I had to match his make-up from before. Gabriel said that the actors for the day would be for his "zombie horde", though they would be seen largely from a distance. To compensate for distance I amped up the browns and creams in his make-up to deliver a look I wish would have pushed forward earlier. It's a bit more powerful and distinctive without being too radical from what had already been captured on camera if any matching were to be done in post-production.

This look I needed to do super quick and dirty. I gave my actor the Freddy Krueger treatment in some picked over liquid latex skin abrasions on the cheeks and forehead. I went with a more purple-ish/brown hue that I also used to accent his eyes rather than blood and other reds.

Since he was so fair skinned I extended some of the brown to his jaw and neck to connect the dirty sunburn kinda look we were working with. The purple-ish hue would also compliment the colors used with our female zombies.

Here's his complete look DONE in under 10 minutes. He still looks kinda normal, but there's something certainly off going on here.

We had another actress for our second day and I wanted Mary to recreate the Scarlet Red eyes of our female zombie the day before. Again Mary worked on the skin tone as I added a latex abrasion/giant popped blister to our actress's cheek. She had crazy long cheeks that really made this effect stand out. The goal was to not make anything too involved or particularly recognizable, but definitely distinct.

Mary did a great job shadowing along the clavicles giving a nice sunken look with the same skin tone as our other actress. This was important in creating a continuous color palette throughout. I particularly enjoy the runny mascara as well to balance the abrasion on the other side of her face.

Some of the other actors arrived all at once and a bit later than expected. We dug in and pushed through. Here's Mary's take on of the zombies. Bruised and discolored, he looks to be a zombie, but also just to have had one bad night out.

Here's another actor I took on giving him the same treatment as my first actor to match. I kinda like the dirty Jersey Shore look he's got going on, but you have to admit; while you might not imagine zombie right away, you're definitely creeped out.

Here's the bite mark applied and colored. Gabriel wanted it kind of green, but still somewhat bloody. This was the latex piece I made, some cream and some bloody scab. The secret is all in knowing how to blend, but still make it stand out. His specifics were that he wanted it to look as if it could have occurred that day or 2 weeks ago. This was the two separate pieces applied with Pros Aide. I wanted to make sure that it would stick in place and not shift or fall off as it rubbed against the actor's pants, ESPECIALLY since he would be falling and crawling around leading up to the scene that reveals this wound.

I was really really happy with the placement of this piece. It was like a perfectly positioned tattoo. It bent with the curvature of his body and was easily seen if he was sitting feet up or when he slouches into a butterflied position. I also like the slightly upward turned angle that makes one envision that some may have grabbed his leg from the ground and bitten out a chunk. When they were ready to begin filming I added a small bit of liquid blood to the center of the wound, which was just enough to accentuate the effect as it dripped out from a seated position. Also on set I was asked to place 4 bright green dots surrounding the wound so that in post-production they could digitally alter the effect as well.

Here's my spin on Mary's make-up of the lead character, George. She had made his hair greasy and given him a splashing of blood with dried really, really nicely. For my part I went in and gave him a bit of the darker brown and cremes around the edges as well as a subtle blend of purples around the eyes. Basically I wanted to combine the two looks of the male and female zombies we had done earlier into one cohesive look. The challenge was to not overpower Mary's previous work, especially by not upsetting the blood work. It's subtle, but you can see that something is definitely amiss.

All in all the actors all sat like champs and the collected group of filmmakers were really fun to work with and very professional. They stayed on time and definitely rolled with the punches of a tightly scheduled production. I think the looks are dynamic without being overpowering, giving a colorful look that's unique and distinctive. I really liked how the gore wasn't overboard, but more reserved for the more dramatic moments of the story. I hope for my next round of zombies I can deliver something a bit more visceral in terms of gore and carnage, but it was really nice to realize that sometimes it's not how fast or hard you swing your sword, but rather just how you swing it. It was a very enjoyable exercise in restraint and I feel I was able to help deliver the look Gabriel had in his mind to film.

I'll be sure to share more details of "George" as it comes out of edit and available to the world.

The Devil is an Awkward Creation

2011-03-21T19:20:00.000-07:00

A little while back I was contacted to do the effects make-up on a short film titled REGIFT DEMON by director Adam Brown for Yellowline Pictures. The basic storyline is that a recently separated couple must decide who will take the responsibility of their pet Demon. The director wanted a classic fire engine red demon, the iconic representation of Hell. Adam wanted some exaggerations to the human form, but still have the characteristics of the actor (played by Adam's father) to shine through. It was to be a unique challenge, but one that proved to be quite fun.

Here's my setup - I got a nice bottle of bright red bodypaint that was really easy to work with, applied with a paint brush. I knew that cream based make-up would be the way to blend this project and forge ahead. The appliance pieces I had were to be used as a means to enhance the look, not stand as the look itself. The bane of it all was that damn hair. It's stage hair that I colored with black hair spray you find just about everywhere come Halloween. I would use the K-Y Jelly as snot for added effect.

I started with a foam latex facial appliance. It was initially a full face piece I picked up for a Witch, but the look of it was great enough with plenty of room for interpretation. The director wanted it to be more about the actor so I cut off everything south of the nose bridge and somewhat improvised from there.

I ended up using another spare Witch's nose I had in my kit from before. This one was a lot more subtle, but still with a distinct look. The ears I chose to use are actually Werewolf ears as I wanted something more exaggerated than just Elf or Vampire ears. I bridged the gaps from the appliance and the nose with a bit of liquid latex. I had two sets of horns for the director to choose from, his choice being shorter more fawn like of my offerings. His idea was definitely for a more comical version of the Underworld. It helped a lot that my actor was bald as I placed the horns further up his head than if I would have just attached them on at the forehead. This was all about combining several elements into one cohesive delivery.

Here you can see a side view of the foundations I'm applying. You can see how these slight alterations to his profile are what I will build on.

All the appliances were adhered with Pros Aide which sticks a bit stronger than just liquid latex. I wanted to make sure with the physical performance my work would stay in place.

For the face I used red cream based make-up as I wanted more control over it rather than just the body paint. I applied my base coat and would go back in later for shadow, blending, and finishing touches.

Here you can see the make-up in the first steps of coming alive and the features of the actor as they begin to transform.

The body paint was easy enough to apply, just simply brushed on. It glided on and dried within about five minutes per section.

Here's the Demon's make-up about mid-way through. I started the blending with more brown cream paint rather than just simply black to offset the color. The shadows would come from the minimal lighting on set (they used a lot of natural daylight), I just wanted to push it in the direction I wanted. I would do this on the actor's neck, chest, arms, and hands.

The make-up even included my actor's feet which I would further blend after this. They were done with the red body paint and brown cream paint. I then glued down some of that hair with some liquid latex, but then finally Pros Aide. It was like nailing Jell-O to a tree, but I managed and got it on.

Here you can see the actor really getting into his character thanks to the make-up. The director wanted the Demon hairy as well. This meant gluing hair to the shoulders, the armpits, chest and even crafting a uni-brow to be glued on to the forehead appliance.

Here's a closer look. I particularly like how the uni-brow is like a mirror to my actor's mustache that I colored in black. Distinctly you're not quite sure how old this guy is and he totally let himself get lost in the make-up.

Here's some screen shots from the short film itself.

All in all, it was a fun flick to work on and the actor really brought the make-up to life as an extension of his character. Ideally this was an odd version of the Devil to pull off, but it was an interesting take on a classic look.

Here's my favorite photo of the session.

The film is currently on its way around the festival circuit so be sure to keep an eye out. I'll post any details of upcoming screenings.

Joe Cool - Dawn of the Picture Show

2011-03-14T16:10:00.000-07:00

A little while back I held a contest on my other blog ZforZombies.com where the winner would receive a piece of original artwork. I've held this contest before and it's always a fun challenge to interpret what the winners want into an original piece of artwork. Joe O'Connor, the man behind Oduction Production's Midnight Time Warp, won the last prize I offered and wanted something that combined his two cinematic loves - DAWN OF THE DEAD and THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. I thought long and hard about how to approach the piece, of possibly combining characters in a scene and the appropriate ways to initiate a cross-over. Ultimately I decided to channel the iconic imagery used to market these films into one cohesive product.

I sketched out the head over the horizon piece from DAWN OF THE DEAD and its stencil like font and decided to implement the lips and drippy font from THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. This was all done on Bristol board. The idea was to meld both pieces into an almost movie poster look. You can see little "R"s and "BL"s on the face to help me discern which areas would be painted red & black. I found this to be a big help, almost like my own paint-by-numbers kit.

I decided to use watercolors for a nice blended effect to capture a photo-realism with the lips and to give a warbled hue for the top of the piece as well. I used shade of brown for the inside of the mouth as black would make it look lost in the background later on.

I chose purple for the background to off-set the red that I would use to tie the piece together. I knew that working with a limited color scheme was the only way to truly make the piece "pop".

I went in with India ink and a brush to drop a layer of true black across the piece. This was a little tricky with the lettering, but I managed to pull it off. I doubt the piece would be as eye catching if I had just used black watercolor.

All inked up, you can see my horizon line is a bit wonky. Such is the peril of drawing straight lines without a ruler. To fix this I laid a strip of blue painter's taper across the piece and pressed firmly so that no ink would bleed out. I then took my brush and leveled out all my uneven areas.

After I finished with the ink, I went back over and erased my pencil lines, and the segments where I had marked for color. The thing I didn't account for was that the water color over top of the pencil made it a little more difficult to remove. Once I rubbed out the pencil marks, I had to go back over some areas for color, but this added a nice element of shading to it all. Notice the gradient of purple from top to bottom.

Here it is, all done up. I particularly enjoy how the lips seem to be a part of the zombie head. The horizon line plays a trick on your eyes as it attempts to separate the two images that I have juxtaposed. The flash from my camera picks up the brush strokes from the ink, but they're unnoticable to the naked eye. I think the combination of text and fonts plays a really nice role in the overall aesthetic. I sincerely hope that Joe enjoys the piece as it gave me more exercise with watercolors and inking. Be sure to check out ZforZombies.com for future contests!

A little bit of love for Hannah goes a long way - Daddy's Girl

2011-02-21T10:41:00.000-08:00

Hannah Neurotica is a talent to be reckoned with, and for good reason. She's the brains and beauty behind Ax Wound Zine - a self-published zine that showcases and investigates the issues of gender, sex, and horror, as well as taking to the air waves with Zine Core Radio and Ax Wound Radio. She's also one of the strongest voices for feminism in the horror genre, establishing February as Women in Horror Recognition Month. I even made her a bit of "fan art" a while back which you can check out by clicking here. She's an extraordinary women and one I consider a friend.

A cultured writer and social philanthropist Hannah is always eager to lend a helping hand to a worthwhile cause, using her voice to champion the efforts of those most often overlooked. I wanted to show my appreciation to Hannah with a piece of artwork, one with a personal touch. Her father passed away not long ago and their relationship was quite strong as you can imagine. I wanted to pass along my interpretation of a fond memory, and I started with this old photograph from her childhood.

As you can tell it's an older photograph, and I'm sure a bit blurry from scanning it, but this is the happy moment I hoped to capture. The first thing I would have to do is go in and divide the piece into sharp lines for reconstruction. I started out on Bristol board with pencil.

Sketched out like this, you can tell I need a bit more practice with my figure drawing, but it's hard to find fault in a labor of love. Here I roughed out a bit more of a close-up to factor out the background that I couldn't discern, plus this puts more focus on the individuals. Once I was happy with my pencil marks I went in and outlined it all in black pen and erased my lines.

I decided to try something new with this piece - water color pencils. I recently received a set for Christmas and put them to use. They color just like a normal pencil, but you have the ability to add water and blend to an enhanced quality not entirely offered by regular watercolors. The difficulty here was creating a realistic skin tone. I had to build this layer by layer and factor in how it would all blend.

I used a combination of black and brown for the hair, curious how it would blend and hopeful that some of the line work would stay after adding water. I added a bit more red to perk up the color in the face and lips and filled in the eyes.

I free-handed the pattern on Hannah's dress, hoping to mirror what I could make out from the photo. It's probably not the best representation but it helps fill in the void of white from before.

Next was just adding more color, but I started to fear that it wouldn't quite look right when I began to blend.

At a happy stopping point, I began to blend with just a brush and water. The hues I had shaped before blended nicely in the face. Not too bad for only having red, orange, and yellow to work with for a flesh tone.

I had to be careful to follow within the lines and to not go over the designated areas that were to be lighter than others. I still wanted to factor in light and shadows in with the blending. In retrospect I would also use a pen that wasn't water soluble. There were a few instances were the ink would run, but I was pretty careful throughout.

I also blended some of the flowers on Hannah's shirt which dulled down the sharpness and faded out how terrible I am at drawing flowers. I was quite pleased with the hair, as I blended it did keep the harsh lines I drew in before.

Here I began to retouch some of the ink and blend in some other areas, particularly along the hairlines, eyes, and lips.

To make the piece "pop" a bit more I decided to use a touch of black Sharpie to outline the figures. This couple with the pen lines offers a nice duality and small touches like eye lashes. To pop it even further I decided to add a blue, halo like background to draw in the eye and match Hannah's dress. This was done by simply taking a blue water color pencil and drawing along the edge of the hair and blending outward with water.

All in all I'm happy with this piece, especially for working with a new medium. I definitely need to work on figure drawing, but it's not bad from a 20+ year old photograph. I wanted this piece to look like a caricticure you'd buy off a sidewalk artist filled with hand drawn whimsy after a day out on adventure. It's not a world class portrait, nor was that what I was aiming for, but instead I found a happy middle ground of almost cartoony yet still purely recognizable. I wanted to capture a moment of glee and wonder when all was right with the world. I hope it will serve as a remembrance of good times had, not to be forgotten. I like to think that Hannah's father instilled in her the wonderful spirit that exudes from her to this day. I hope that this token of friendship serves that spirit well.

Spending Christmas with The Creature from the Black Lagoon

2011-02-09T18:20:00.000-08:00

Over the Christmas holidays, I had a chance to go rummaging with my father. I'm convinced he's part Gypsy as he can sniff out a bargain like a bloodhound. We went to visit a good buddy of his named Mokie, who is in the business of true wheeling & dealing. Mokie largely purchases lots from estate sales and storage units that have expired contracts and then auctions off the contents, sometimes for pennies on the dollar. The trick is you always have to check in and stop by. Half the fun is digging around for the diamond in the rough. I'm always a sucker for anything movie related, especially horror movies. One such visit I was able to snag this little gem of an art project.

The Creature from the Black Lagoon

Researching this online I found out that it's a re-release from March 1999 by Polar Lights of the original Revel model kit. This all plastic assembly kit is a replica of the originals sold long ago. It features all the same advertising as previously issued.

This was the same classic set-up as years past. I had to twist the pieces apart and begin assembly with some epoxy I had left over. Here is the start of some of the pieces already assembled.

Working with the epoxy meant having to glue and hold the limbs of the Gill Man just right while it dried. In the future I will definitely use a tube based glue instead of something you have to mix in equal parts.

The only snag for the project was it didn't include a small snake that is supposed to wrap around the tree branch on the base. The whole thing is a forest green, which is meant to serve as a base for painting it in color, but I had a different idea in mind.

I spray painted the entire thing in black. I then over-shot it (spraying from the top) with a dark gray spray paint. I then over-shot it with just a touch of white spray paint. Some of this white came out as spittle, dotting the piece like an old 35mm print.

Over-shot painting from the top allowed for the base coat of black to shine through like true shadows. I then took a black Sharpie marker and began to outline the ridges and raised edges of the Gill Man.

I dotted some of the scales as well and outlined the face with Sharpie. This seems too harsh with all the black lines, but I wasn't quite done.

I went back over the piece in a thin coat of acrylic white wash (white paint & water) about 2-3 times to blend down the tonality of the black Sharpie.

These black lines help blend the seam lines left from the glue and such from the naked eye.

I wanted the Creature to stand alone like the black & white classic film that I remember.

I wanted the piece to look grainy, almost dirty - like a found print of the film itself.

The whole kit almost weighs nothing at all, a few ounces at most, yet very durable. The epoxy I used is a great adhesive, my only issues were in applying it. I wouldn't recommend anything else with less strength.

Here's a closer pic. The white, grey and black almost give it a slight bluish hue when photographed, but in person its just like out of the film.

The base is supposed to be some sort of a lagoon cavern with a large iguana and a skeleton hand sticking out of the crevice. I went back with black Sharpie and outlined the title that was sculpted into this piece.

All in all, it's been far too long since I've played with a model kit, they're quite a bit of fun. I'm eager to find a model shop soon and grab some more goodies. This would make for a great gift, pre-assembled or already put together. Click here to get your own. Click here for a whole gallery of Creature kits offered through time.

We know what to do with them parts - Bringing Leatherface to life

2011-02-09T15:03:00.000-08:00

The illustrious Wes Allen, the bearded front man of The High Gears and the perverted mind behind The Blood Sprayer, commissioned me a while back about fabricating a sculpture for him of his Horror movie hero Leatherface. He left the specifics of the design to my discretion and I eagerly accepted the challenge. Honestly I love this entire film franchise, even the remakes. It's one of my all time favorite slasher films, and presents such an iconic depiction of American horror and the nuclear family. I wanted to include a bit of all of the films within this piece, which was quite the challenge. It was also a fabulous excuse to rewatch the entire series as research. Here's some of what came out of the project.

I started off with oven-bake modeling clay, which is easy to work with as long as you keep it moist. The clay bakes up in the oven and turns into a terra cotta solidity like a flower pot. I crafted a head shape from left over wire mesh and stuffed with paper towels.

Here's what I would build the head shape around. I didn't want the piece to be so heavy as a solid piece, but I needed to keep a solid form with its structure. Otherwise it would take far too long to bake and I would risk residual cracks if not careful.

I started with a basic shape to the head, sculpting the head, nose, eye sockets and the beginnings of the mouth.

I sculpted two sets of ears - one set for the head itself, and one for the design of the mask, which I'll discuss later.

I began working in the eyes and a bit more to the mouth, adding teeth and a gum line. It's important to have a bowl of water nearby for smoothing out creases and fingerprints as you go along.

As I became more comfortable with the shape of the head I decided to focus on the support structure for the piece.

I built up a neck and added a slight cock to the neck, which adds a bit of personality to the stillness of it all.

Angular and distorted, the piece was starting to come to life.

At different angles you can see the shape of the piece.

Here's everything just ready to bake!

Letting the piece dry for a couple days, I finally baked it. After pulling it, there were some residual cracks, but I knew that the wire mesh I had sculpted around would hold the piece intact. But I had a plan in place to fix this. I also pulled out the paper towels within from beforehand.

I went over the cracks with epoxy from Home Depot. It was a two part mix and stunk something fierce (probably because of how flammable it was), but that's half the fun of playing with art. Always work in well ventilated areas, kids.

I dusted the piece in baby powder because of the tackiness from the epoxy. This was an important precaution for the next step.

I began to coat the piece in 12-14 coats of liquid latex, dabbing each layer on, waiting to dry, and then applying again. It was a process, but well worth it.

I gently peeled the latex back, dusting with baby powder so as not to tear it. This is the pull of it, the underside.

Flipping it inside out, here's what I was chasing after.

I took a pair of cuticle scissors and snipped away the excess to create the representation I was looking for.

I only wanted one set of ears, the closest pair to the nose, so I trimmed those away and trimmed along the neck and chin line. I began painting this mask in a blend of acrylic paints. I was going for an aged leather look, just like dead skin left to dry.

It was tricky to blend the right degree of shadow and skin tone on something that was so curved. But I like where it was going.

Here's a front view.

I wanted to represent the side of Leatherface you don't often see, the cross-dressing aspect of the franchise that larger gets glazed over, but solely utilized for its creepiness. I added smeared blue paint for eye shadow, rosy pink paint for blush and a blood red jagged lining of paint for lipstick.

I went along the brow line with black thread and stitched into the mask. This was a bit of a challenge, especially with the rubber giving way and pulling. I didn't want to put too many holes in this or tear it. I had to do this after painting because there's no way I could paint around the thread. It was a challenge but it really adds to the look of the mask.

This stitching goes from the hairline down along the front side of the ears. I wanted a jagged, hand done touch to it all.

Now for the Pièce de résistance - I stole the hair from my girlfriend's brush. I picked it out over the course of a few weeks and amassed enough to cover the head. I adhered it to the mask using liquid latex.

Here's a side view where you can see more of the hair and the side stitching. The hair had to be layered and let me tell you what a pain in the ass it is to work with glue and hair. But I really think that it adds a super eerie factor to the piece and reflects the subject matter properly.

For the sculpt I chipped off the nose and the additional set of ears towards the back of the head. I then painted it up in a more rosy flesh like appearance with appropriate shading.

This look would be a base coat that I would then coat in Shellac.

With this coating of Shellac it gave the piece a urine hued coloring. The stink was another fun element to contend with, but this protective coating would ensure that the color wouldn't smudge with handling the piece. It gave it a bit of shine that I'm sure will dull with age while tuning down the painted flesh tones.

Here's the piece before the Shellac coating.

Here it is after.

The idea is that this mask would be a perfect fit over the sculpture itself. Now let's flash forward a little bit.

I found a small boy's Oxford button up shirt at K-Mart and cut off the collar. I stained the ring around the neck with coffee. His next tie I made by sewing together scraps from the shirt itself. I used painter's tape to piece out a design for the tie and spray painted it on. Tying the tie to the neck of this piece was another challenge since it was so small.

Here you can see where I chipped away the nose.

I used a yellow rubber kitchen glove from the Dollar Store to create Leatherface's apron. I used the left one, which has a nice little "L" on it if you look close enough.

I speckeled everything with red acrylic paint for a blood effect using a toothbrush.

Here's a look at the tie and apron. It only extends about 4 inches from the sculpt. The only real draw back is that I hot glued the shirt in place around the base which made it a little wobbly.

Here's the mask on the sculpt all done up. Notice the two sets of ears from before where now only one remains on the sculpture.

Here he is in all his glory - LEATHERFACE!!

Here's a peek a how the sculpture was made to be interactive with the mask being pulled on & off. This is before the additions of the hair, shirt, etc. This was quite a challenge and I'm very excited for Wes to have this in his new home. There's some things I would change in regards to fabrication, but all in all, I think the steps I took in the pre-production of this piece helped craft a very strong sculpture. I still have a long way to go in terms of achieving a realistic figure sculpt, but I think it's not too bad for someone that's only taught themselves. It's totally a unique one of a kind piece, done all without a mold. Every project is a stepping stone to the next one. Maybe your commission will be my next piece?

I'll let this gem play me out...

Idle Hands and the Devil's Workshop: Part 2

2010-11-29T17:28:00.000-08:00

Consider this the sequel to my cadre of artistic endeavors.

So I held a Art Contest Giveaway on my Twitter Zach for Zombies a while back and Geof of The Man Cave won. His prize was an original piece of artwork of anything he wanted. After spending a day drinking heavily watching sports he came up with my task; to create a wrestling match between the HARD ROCK ZOMBIES and the band KISS with JAWS (yes, the shark) as the referee. This death match would also have Pinhead of HELLRAISER, Freddy Krueger of NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, Jason Vorhees of FRIDAY THE 13TH, Ash of EVIL DEAD fame, and Mike Myers of HALLOWEEN as the lumberjacks outside the ring, poised to annihilate anyone that gets tossed over the ropes. Not a small task to accomplish by any means.

I started a few sketches in pencil on Bristol board, trying to figure out the best perspective to include all of these figures in one unified space. I knew the angle and the size of it all would determine how to proceed. I ultimately decided to tackle it straight on and use that very same angle. I went in after some sizing and started to add the details that would make each figure instantly recognizable.

Now I could understand the state of mind Geof was in when he thought this up, or I at least tried. I decided to use watercolors to give it a hazy, pseudo-comic book vibe. The trickiest part was depicting each character in it's limited scale and achieving each look that makes them so iconic. Watercolors are fairly unforgiving, but I enjoy working with the controlled chaos of how each color will ebb & flow. I then outlined different parts in Sharpie and fine point pen.

The piece is gritty and pretty ridiculous. Despite the challenge of creating it and the time it took, it was a lot of fun to experiment with such a mash-up of Geof's favorite films and influences and deliver a worthy prize. To do it again, I may would have tried acrylic or maybe even crayon.... You can check out Geof's unveiling post with video at The Man-Cave by clicking here.

John Squires the beard and brains behind Freddy in Space commissioned me a while back on our field trip to Coney Island to see the Bruce Campbell Burlesque Tribute Show. He wanted a piece of horror themed artwork to decorate his new homestead that he had just moved into with his lovely girlfriend Jen. Johnny wanted a piece that celebrated the Clint Howard schlock fest known as ICE CREAM MAN. I said yes, of course and the wheels started to turn.

In researching how I wanted to craft this piece I remember I had the seat from an old wooden chair from college. The chair broke, but in such a way that the seat came out free and clear and I kept it knowing I was going to have to create something. It wasn't until John's request that I knew the genesis of this project. I would now embark on carving my first wood cut ever.

I used my girlfriend's carving tools to etch out a picture of Clint from the cover art of the film. I knew that I would have to think backwards in two ways with my work. 1) Whatever I carved away would be the negative space left behind, almost like drawing in reverse. 2) Anything I would use for this would be a reverse image when I pulled any prints off of it. Both of these things are something that's a lot harder to grasp in actual execution.

I got the carving to just about where I wanted it. The tricky thing with the seat was that I was trying to keep the image centered in the circular recess of the chair seat, you know the part you put your ass in. Then covered a small piece of cardboard I tore from a shipping box in smoothed aluminum foil and taped the edges underneath. I then squeezed out a quarter size of Speedball printing ink and used a small hand roller to start an even flowing layer of ink. You can find the ink and roller at just about any art store, and the ink has the same consistency as acrylic tube paint. Then I took the roller with an even coat of ink on it and rolled onto the wood. I had to be mindful of the divot, and I would suggest next time of only using a a FLAT board, but I digress. I have never pulled prints before, so there's a few valuable lessons I learned. The heavier stock paper you use is a bit more forgiving for beginners. I had a thinner piece tear on me as I was pulling it off. The thinner stock is a lot nicer for framing so there's the draw, it just requires a bit more patience and a steadier hand. You can find all kinds of specialty paper for printing at the art store as well. You don't want to go overboard with the ink as it will come out gloppy and too dark. Too light with the ink and it doesn't come out all the way. Some artists chase after a "Ghost Print", which is when you pull one print and have enough residual ink left over to simply apply another piece of paper.

I ended up pulling 9 prints in total, my favorite number. I decided that I was going to leave 3 as they were pulled and I decided to alter the remain 6 with spray paint and Sharpie to add a bit of variety.

The 3 I left unaltered are labeled #1-3 and signed. The others are all unique one of a kind variants. the last one actually has a hole in it that I plugged by gluing my business card on the back side as a way to double sign my work. Each of the altered prints are titled "Eye Scream #1-6" respectively.

Once I let the ink dry on the wood cut, I wanted to create a truly one and only piece. I was effectively going to destroy my plate, ensuring that no other prints could ever be pulled from it. I was going to paint over the seat in acrylic paint, which dries to a almost hard plastic. I set about building the flesh tones and then adding the other elements from the movie cover art that wasn't incorporated into the carving.

Here you can see the paint filling in the crevices from the recesses of the carving process.

I had added the lightning and a graded blue background to make the image pop. The initial idea was to title the piece in red, with the drips from the bloody ice cream cone feeding into the letters, but I scratch that as I felt it would get lost in translation. I instead opted for a lime/mutant green that I wrote in with a paint marker, a graffiti artists best friend. The green, I feel, really adds a touch of late 80s sensibility to it. The other issue I was having was the eyes, which I went back over with white acrylic.

Here's the finished piece, outlined in sharpie which proved like driving over road bumps when drawing the borders and carved areas. The title is smeared and drippy on purpose with a festering look about it. The whole project was a lot of fun to create, and I feel like I pushed myself into a new medium to deliver what was expected of me. This was my first commission piece so I felt obligated to go above and beyond. This is meant to be hung on the wall and Johnny also received all 9 prints with this piece.

You can check out Johnny's post with photos at Freddy in Space by clicking here. Rumor has it that he be holding a giveaway of his own....

Come back soon as I'll have even more projects to share.

Idle Hands and the Devil's Workshop

2010-11-28T21:13:00.000-08:00

I've been unemployed for a little bit, but the time has afforded me the opportunity to craft and generate a lot of artwork that has been swishing around inside my head as of recently.

A while back Carl Manes of I LIKE HORROR MOVIES won a contest I held. His prize an original piece of artwork done by me. His request; Dario Argento's OPERA with a comic book vibe.

For the piece I used fountain nibs and ink to draw on Bristol board. I used the black ink with water & brush to achieve the various shades of grey. I used paper masking tape for the mouth restraint and to hold the nails under the eyes. I used actual picture frame nails and painted my "blood" on with red acrylic paint. The rope is standard twine I found at the Dollar Store and simply glued into place with Elmer's. This is the most iconic image of the associated with the film so I wanted to toy with it slightly without losing what die-hard fans would instantly recognize. The fine points of the Nibs really allowed to capture the eyelashes and the eyebrows. It gives it a sense of fluidity in my opinion, though it was quite the challenge to work solely in inks. I framed the piece in a simple certificate frame I found at the Dollar Store as well. All in all I'm quite pleased with it and so is Carl. Proof positive you should read Z for Zombies and follow me on Twitter.

The lovely Hannah Neurotica who is the brains & beauty behind Ax Wound Zine and a crusader for Women in Horror Month is looking for support in spreading the word about her efforts. I was happy enough to oblige by making up a flyer to show my support.

I clipped out old postcards, comic books, horror magazines, and sex ads to cut & paste a punk rock style band flyer glued on a sheet of typing paper. I outlined it in paint markers and Sharpie to add a bit of pop to this collage. You can find out more about details of making your own flyer by clicking here.

If you haven't heard of the Soska Sisters or their cult classic in waiting DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK then you're seriously missing out. I am pretty much a big fan of everything that they do and I only wish I could give them more of the exposure that they deserve. That being said I decided to make my first attempt at fan art. CJ Wallis is like the Oz behind the curtain and I decided to show some love to one of my favorite characters from the film, Goody Two Shoes.

I drew this up on Bristol board in pencil and then went in watercolors. I tried to grade variant with colors and push myself in controlling the flow of the materials I was using. I kinda feel it has a distinct 80s album cover vibe to it all. I outlined it in Sharpie and went in with a fine point pen for the outline details. Then I went in and erased the pencil outlines to give it a softer, more blended look. The ribbon is actually a separate piece of paper I cut out, water colored, and glue on with a signature piece of his dialogue. The hardest part of the piece was recreating the signature style font of the DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK title. It's a broken, disjointed style that's pretty difficult to replicate though I tried to recreate with Sharpie and a fine point pen. It was a lot of fun to create and I hope others follow suit with their creations of fan art. I'm sure it will come pouring in with the release of their new feature AMERICAN MARY.

Stay tuned as I have more goodies to upload and share with you. I hope you enjoy what you see and be sure to return for an exciting announcement.

I Keep It Underground - Miners & Minors

2010-10-30T10:03:00.000-07:00

So I recently had the opportunity to flex my Special Effects muscles with a video shoot for FunnyOrDie.com. The spot was directed by Noah Emmerich, who you'll probably recall as Jim Carrey's best friend in THE TRUMAN SHOW.

The premise was to shoot a low-resolution video that would match the rescue footage of the Chilean Miners that was broadcast the world over. I don't want to spoil it, so here's the video.

New: Unedited Chilean Miner Footage from Noah Emmerich

Additional Credits Include:
Director & Writer: Noah Emmerich

Executive Producer: Dane C Reiley

Producer: Arthur R. Greene

Makeup/SFX: R. Zach Shildwachter

Production Designer: Mac Pohanka

Featuring Rich Giraldo, Javier Marquez, Albert Pero III, Ralphy Guillen, Victor Ramirez & Luis A. Lopez Jr.

Here's some photos of the shoot that include supplies and a better look at my handiwork.

Most of the effects was just mixing up a copious amount of blood which I did with my old school Karo Syrup formula, because of our limited budget. I do wish I would've went with stage blood that wouldn't have been so sticky and a bit easier on the clean-up. The director wanted more of a crazed hunger look, with taunt skin and a dirty look, different than full on Zombie, so interpret the horror of the video as you will.

Another fun thing I was able to do was helping my buddy's wife at her school. She teaches a group of children that are deaf and hearing impaired. I was asked to come into the class and demonstrate some make-up effects just in time for Halloween. I had some left over latex appliances that I bought from the dollar store and brought in my small make-up kit. I wanted to show the kids how they could apply the stuff from the dollar store themselves and not be afraid of doing it themselves. I explained about latex allergies and behind mindful of their subject if they ever put make-up on someone else. I explained that scary movies are really just smoke and mirrors, but they still were apprehensive about fact colliding with fiction.

One kid was picked by the teacher to receive a ninja star that was made to look like it is sticking in the skin. These were all cheap effects you can really find anywhere, but people often gravitate towards masks, often because they're unsure of how to create the effect. It was a simple application, a coating of liquid latex to act as glue, adhering the ninja star, a bit of my foundation to blend the edges and a squirt of fake blood and VOILA!

The other things I did were some paint on cuts, and latex peels which consists of applying a layer of latex to the skin, letting it dry, and picking at it until it resembles sunburn/blisters. The big hit was plain ol' nose putty. The kids had a blast making moles and warts all over their faces. They even gave me one on the forehead. It was a great time and I think they all began to imagine the limitless possibilities for this Halloween. The whole point was to show them fun and realistic things they could do on their own and afford.

I received a message the following day that NONE of the kids washed off their make-up when they came to class the following day. They all wanted to keep it on for as long as they imagined they could make it last. I can only imagine how dinner that previous night went with their families.The other thing the teacher told me was they had to confiscate all the markers from the kids because of me. I was perplexed and asked why. They had taken to drawing tattoos on themselves like me rather than doing their class work. These kids have a bright future.

Living on a Dream

2010-10-30T08:48:00.000-07:00

So the project I wrote a pilot for has officially launched its website. You can check it out at OnTheVergeTV.com. There you'll see photos of our cast and find out all kinds of other goodies.

We also launched a KickStarter campaign to help with the budget. As of today it's already 68% funded! Check it out by clicking here and donate. You'll receive some awesome prizes for your contributions.

Even if you can't give, check out the videos and let me know what you think.

Thanks for your support!

What's New to Keep from Feeling Blue

2010-10-10T08:09:00.000-07:00

So I haven't had as much time as I wish I had to finish some current art projects or even start some new ones that are swimming in my head. This is especially upsetting with the Season of Halloween upon us. I have to at least promise myself a kick ass costume.

So what's been eating up all my time? Well I wrote a television pilot a while back with a friend based on someone else's idea. It's called ON THE VERGE. It has a cast and most of a crew, but we're still locking down a budget and aim to shoot before the New Year.

Here's a Teaser Promo that I wrote and directed. This is really my first attempt at directing since college, and I'm in no way a film school kid. I hope it does its job enticing you to want to know/learn/watch for more.

Here's another Promo that shows a bit of the characters out in the Big Apple. I wasn't involved in directing this one, but I do make a cameo at the 0:10 mark...

Remembering the Past to Build a Future

2010-09-02T16:13:00.000-07:00

I know it's been far too long since I've posted any new work. I have several projects in various stages of completion. I actually had a slew of new images to post but a fried motherboard on my laptop ate all those images. Instead I present to you some recently unearthed images of past projects. Some personal, some gifts made for friends, and some for the films I've worked on.

I hope this can satisfy your craving for fun artwork while I sort things out and deliver more goodies on a more regular schedule.

Thanks for your understanding.

Thank you, come again!

A Graffiti Mural from my days running with Eykre and Kres - Mad Respect

Zombie Jesus - Reappropriated Wall Relief of Found Object

A Little Closer

Heart Breaker - Acrylic Paint Marker on Soup Lid

From the film QUARTER LIFE CRISIS - Get to the Choppa! - Arcylic Paint and Sharpie on Particle Board with Digital Image

From the film QUARTER LIFE CRISIS - This is Hip Hop - Oil Bars and Sharpie Markers on Cardboard

Come to the Darkside - Acrylic Paint Marker & Spray Paint on Plexi Glass

Welcome to the Matrix, the Dot Matrix

Zero Tolerance - Paper Maiche Model over Copper Wire painted in Acrylic with Digital Image in Glass Jar

With Time comes Creation

2010-03-31T12:30:00.000-07:00

So I'm currently researching materials and supplies to attempt my hand at BFX's Melting Face effect.

I'm hoping to recreate the iconic Belloq face melt from Raiders of the Lost Ark for a project with some friends. This will be my first major parlay back into special effects makeup in a while. I am eager for the challenge.

I'm confident it can work, it's just a matter of finding the time to pull it off. It's been done before...

The Sarah Silverman Program

Thursday, 12am / 11c

Odds 'N' Ends - Sarah's Baby's Birth

http://www.comedycentral.com/

Joke of the Day

Stand-Up Comedy

Free Online Games

I am also trying to find the time to catch the Tim Burton exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art before it closes soon. It's hard to believe spring is in the air. I could use the jolt of inspiration.

I have been organizing some of my source material for my projects. Old sketches, newspaper clippings, dilapidated comic books and a slew of other oddities. You can see some of that here. I am hoping some reorganization can produce a more conducive working environment as well as help me realize how much crap I have laying around.

I am also in the midst of crafting an art project for Carl of I Like Horror Movies. He won my 2nd contest give away on Z for Zombies. His requested piece centers on Dario Argento's horror classic OPERA. He also wanted a comic book look of pointillism though I'm not very adept at that style. I'm toying with the notion of fabricating a mini-bust, but the ideas are still coming to me.

And as talks of projects on the horizon come to a close, here's the closing of my storyboards as promised.

It's entitled "REVENGE" and was supposed to showcase the play of colors and lighting for the short film, particularly with the ending. It's probably my favorite of the series, especially the expression on the victim's face.

I hope you enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed sharing them.

Back to Business, Ink Stains & All

2010-03-04T17:08:00.000-08:00

I am back from my artist assistant's gig and it was a blast. The workshop was particularly intensive, especially for 2 & 1/2 days. We actually had homework! Not breeze through, get it done on the bus ride type stuff from junior high, but full on reading 6 chapters a day and drawing & editing our story lines as well as our classmates kinda stuff. I have to say it was a total submersion into an art form I've only ever appreciated as a consumer. Now I can say that comics is a full blown field of art with some of the most talented individuals of the 20th century.

The one point that I particularly enjoyed about the workshop is that it did not focus on the ability of the artist to draw. Instead the principle was that comics are meant to be mass produced. The importance is in the message, the narrative act of telling a story. It can be a joke, a satire, whatever, but it must convey a message to the audience. Essentially it's another form of storytelling, but down in the most primitive and cognitive form known to man, with pictures.

The class exercises focused on ways to convey a message through picture and words and how cartoonists can manipulate the principles of these conventions as tools to convey new meanings to the messages we hope to deliver. This is through a combination of editing our social experience with our collective subconscious, but also with plenty of word balloons.

Here's a few examples of the work I generated. The entire workshop culminated with each participant completing a full one page comic from the thumbnail (the first conceptualization for editing) to the final inked page ready for copy.

Here's a video from the Huntington Museum of Art chronicling the exhibit and the workshop.

At 4:02 you'll catch a nice cameo by yours truly doing God knows what.

The show was a stellar retrospective of Matt and Jessica's 20 years in the art of comics. Their work was an interesting juxtaposition of styles. Jessica's work is largely entrenched in the DIY alt-whatever spirit that defined the self-indulgent undercurrent of 90s. Matt's work embodied a more cerebral approach to the understanding and processing of the narrative of comics as one actively engages them. Basically, he toys with the notion of action and style to depict a singular meaning. This meaning changes and invokes a separate mood and tone with each new interpretation by the style and stanza he constructs through his story.

The following exhibit of LitGraphic: The World of the Graphic Novel included flat out jaw dropping pieces. Originals from Robert Crumb, Jack Kirby, Will Eisner, Frank Miller and countless others. These are the heavyweight champions of the word of pen and ink in one single place. The flow and movement of the curating took you through a brain swamping myriad of styles and time periods. From super heroes to wood cuts, there is something for any fan, of any age. Awe struck is not a strong enough description of the talent witnessed. If you have the means, please do yourself a favor and check out this show.

The concurrent exhibition of Beth Cavener Stichter's sculptures are exquisite. Her talent with sculpting stoneware is mind blowing. She crafts a subjected tenderness in her depiction of animals that conjures a sense of whimsy and compassion coupled with a a striking implication of one's own mortality through the realism of her subjects. I cannot speak in high enough praise of her artistry or the work presented.

Please investigate the body of her work by clicking here. I can only hope to gain the fraction of the talent she exudes in my own sculpting.

I will post pics of my finished one page comic as soon as I receive my papers & materials in the post. Until then I'm still processing the entire experience and trying to figure where these new lessons will guide me in my artwork. I'm definitely sure they'll somehow influence the contest that I am holding at Z for Zombies, so be sure to enter. The deadline is Friday, March 5th.

Until then here's another storyboard entitled: TRANSFORMATION.

I've always been a fan of crossing green with purple. Classic.

Jet Plane on the Brain

2010-02-24T19:02:00.001-08:00

So I'm pretty jazzed about traveling and starting my artist assistant gig this weekend. I'm a bit nervous as I've been perusing the artists' sites and taking in the scope of their work. You should definitely check them out.

Matt Madden

Jessica Abel

They are both severely talented and I'm eager to see them work together as a team. I'm interested to see how they work as artists and if being married and co-habitating their styles affects their work process. I hope I can help in the best way they expect.

So Chris Hallock of All Things Horror won my first blog contest from Z for Zombies. He did a fantastic post detailing his prize. You should check it out by clicking here.

Here's a couple of my own pics to showcase the work I put into it all. His piece was of the three film directors Tobe Hooper, George Romero, and John Carpenter on a life boat with a weapon in the middle of them. Their weapon of choice; a typewriter.

I constructed it out of almost all found and recycled materials. It was a blast to fabricate and I'm looking forward to doing it again. So much so, that I'm hosting another art giveaway in celebration of Z for Zombies's 200th post. Click here to learn more and enter for yourself.

I've had to accept that I won't be able to finish a submission for the Indy Mogul contest. It's a bit disheartening, but I just can't swing it. God only put 24 hours in a day, I'm just trying to do the best I can with the time I have and the energy I have to meet the challenges and obstacles that come my way.

Having said that, here's Blade: Food Runner and what could've been. If you have the means to pull this off by thier February 28th deadline, the script & storyline is yours. Just give me a little shout out.

FADE IN:

INT.RESTAURANT KITCHEN - DAY

The clatter of pots and pans is heard. The lunch rush is in full swing. With his back turned towards camera, a muscular black man, BLADE, the vampire slayer, steps into the chaos.

BLADE (V.O)
After the first film, war was declared on Vampires.

Blade turns towards camera. He pulls off his sunglasses and puts them in his jacket pocket.

BLADE (V.O)
With the second film, we were beginning to win the war against the Bloodsuckers.

Blade removes his leather trench coat, revealing his muscular build in a wife beater. He tosses the coat to the side.

BLADE (V.O)
The third time around I had a bit of help.

He grabs a short sleeved white oxford shirt and begins buttoning it up from the bottom.

BLADE (V.O)
The thing was there weren't that many vampires around anymore. I mean, we killed most of them in the first movie.

Blade grabs an apron and turns around. He ties the apron behind his back with the force accustomed for garrote wire.

BLADE (V.O)
That's not so good when you're vampire slayer. And now it's the economy that sucks. So I had to find a new job.

MANAGER (O.S.)
Blade, you're 20 minutes late. Bring those plates to table 12 and then grab the mop. Some kid crapped all over booth in the back. Move it!

Blade grabs two plates of food and steps out to the dining room.

INT. RESTAURANT DINING ROOM - DAY

Patrons enjoy their meals. BELLA and EDWARD of "TWILIGHT" fame sit discussing their relationship.

EDWARD
Bella, I will always love you, but I can't be with you anymore. It's just too dangerous.

BELLA
Edward, I've never been with anyone like you before. You're... You're.

Edward holds her hand in his, sparkling like glitter.

EDWARD
Say it.

Blade arrives with the two plates for the table, unnoticed by Edward and Bella.

BELLA
You're a vampire.

Blade hears this and reacts. He drops the plates and reaches for his pepper mill, lunging at Edward. Blade lifts Edward above his head and rams the pepper mill through his chest until it sticks out the other side of his shirt. Blade drops the lifeless corpse on the ground. He brushes a large amount of glitter off of his clothing. Bella stands horrified.

BLADE
Always bet on black.

He smiles through his fangs. He walks out of frame. Bella smiles seductively and follows.

MANAGER (O.S.)
Dammit Blade! Not again.

FADE OUT:

The effect I wanted to showcase was building a shirt rig that shows the pepper mill poking through the back of the shirt and finally both sides of Edward with the pepper mill rammed through. I was also going to share my own blood formula you can make at home. Maybe I'll drop that bit of science another time.

I'm eager to get drawing and writing again. I have some ideas for sculptures too. I've been looking to try my hand at busts and figurines. I'm hoping to segue this into my own action figures. I am hoping to set up a few play dates where I can start playing with make up again. I'm severely missing making things pretty/ugly. I'd love to get to the point where I could maybe exhibit some of the work I have sitting around, maybe at a coffee shop or tattoo parlor. Or maybe I should try to take on some comissions and see if there's any interest in what I do. This is where my thoughts have been taking me. I'll keep you all posted as to the fallout from these brainstorms.

And now for another storyboard....

Looking back at this I'm not super stoked with the silhouette, but I do love the watercolor sunset behind them. I feel the body structure is too loose and rounded. I do like the composition I was trying to capture of the kneeling man getting his brains blown out from behind. I think this would be an epic way to showcase an execution when delivered by the right D.P.

Wish me luck with my workshop and safety with my travels. I'll be sure to update again with plenty of photos and tales of new adventures.

Updates & Downbeats

2010-02-19T11:16:00.000-08:00

The Walter Gropius Comics Workshop is quickly approaching, I actually fly out Thursday and have made arrangements to stay a couple extra days. I'm hoping to really bond with the artists over their work and creative drive. I just received an itinerary update with what to expect.

I am a bit perplexed by drawing out a one page comic. I've only recently started toying with storyboards for my own scripts, but I've never delved into a comic book style narrative. My drawing style doesn't necessarily lend itself to unique and interesting action, but perhaps that's just premature anxiety setting in. I'm hoping to learn a ew perspective on storytelling and presenting a visual story to an audience in a new way. I've been toying with the notion of submitting a piece to Covered, the blog that features comic book cover page reinterpretations from emerging artists. You should check it out, some stellar work. It seems like a reasonable goal and I am all about accomplishing reasonable goals these days.

I've been trying to get the video equipment and such for my entry to Indy Mogul, but I'm losing hope fast. I have a short funny script (in my opinion) but I'm severely tapped on funds with these travel plans already in place. Excuses are easy to come by, I'm just frantically looking for solutions like a lost kid in a department store looks for Mom.

My submission for Indy Mogul is based on two scenes, here's the first look at Scene #1.

FADE IN:

INT.RESTAURANT KITCHEN - DAY

The clatter of pots and pans is heard. The lunch rush is in full swing. With his back turned towards camera, a muscular black man, BLADE, the vampire slayer, steps into the chaos.

BLADE (V.O)
After the first film, war was
declared on Vampires.

Blade turns towards camera. He pulls off his sunglasses and puts them in his jacket pocket.

BLADE (V.O)
With the second film, we were
beginning to win the war against
the Bloodsuckers.

Blade removes his leather trench coat, revealing his muscular build in a wife beater. He tosses the coat to the side.

BLADE (V.O)
The third time around I had a bit
of help.

He grabs a short sleeved white oxford shirt and begins buttoning it up from the bottom.

BLADE (V.O)
The thing was there weren't that
many vampires around anymore. I
mean, we killed most of them in the
first movie.

Blade grabs an apron and turns around. He ties the apron behind his back with the force accustomed for garrote wire.

BLADE (V.O)
That's not so good when you're
vampire slayer. And now it's the
economy that sucks. So I had to
find a new job.

Blade grabs a pepper mill and spins around, bringing it down like a knife. He twists the cap and puts it in his apron. He adjusts his bow tie.

TITLE CREDITS: BLADE - VAMPIRE SLAYER. This job title is crossed out and is scribbled in with FOOD RUNNER.

Then CUT to Scene #2 and the hilarious conclusion and the bloody special effect I have planned. I think it's good, cheap, and shootable, just not sure about the rest. I've been writing alot more, and scripting up the ideas I've had tinkering in the head for a while now. It feels good to get them out, but I need to more actively pursue putting them into the right hands.

On an upbeat, a short film that I served as 1st Assistant Director and Producer on has been selected by the NewFilmMakers Film Festival to screen in June. You can check out set photos and behind the scenes by clicking here. I'm just trying to take the good with the bad as best as I can handle it all.

Here's another storyboard from the series I've promised to post, titled GUN. I really miss water colors. I forgot how fun it is to blend the colors, that's something I always have the hardest time with though I'm more aware of it. My trouble is I like to ink everything out first and then water color and then go back and lay more ink, which is ok, slightly over redundant, but ok. The big trouble is when I forget which inks and pens are water soluble and those that aren't.

I am also hosting another contest on my blog Z For Zombies, where you can enter to win a piece of originally fabricated artwork from yours truly. You gotta be in it to win it.

Birthing a Mogul

2010-02-03T07:59:00.000-08:00

If you're an aspiring film-maker or just a fan of cheap, awesome effects I highly, highly recommend checking out the site Indy Mogul. They basically show special effects tutorials, builds, camera effect, and even create test films to show the effect in action. They're very big on buiding a sense of community with their projects. Comments and requests for specific effects and builds are always welcomed and encouraged.

Here are few of my personal favorites...

Build your own MACHINE GIRL arm!!

Wolverine Claws

Halo Armor

The reason I included these is that Eric Beck, the host, is taking a step back to restructure Indy Mogul. He's now put out an open call to the interwebs to find a replacement for his show Backyard FX. It basically entails a 5-7 minute video of a tutorial build and a test film. Consider it an open audition/job interview.

I've crafted a short script for my test film and now I'm drafting out the tutorial. I'm not entirely sure how I can shoot this all myself, but I guess there lies the challenge. I don't even necessarily have the equipment. This will be something totally on me, and at times, I wish I had someone to share this anxiety with, an Ethan to my Joel Coen. But if this change of pace was easy, everyone would be doing it. Submissions are due by February 28th and you can find out more information if you want to submit yourself by clicking here.

As previously promised, here's another storyboard from my buddy's defunct short film. Looking back, I do miss the flow of watercolors, and compared to my current sketchbooks, my pen work has improved with stronger, steadier lines. I do need to work on drawing basic machinery too.

Here is: The Arrival