Saturday, May 14, 2011

Prosthetic Piece

I just realized how much work went into the movie Mrs. Doubtfire.

Over the past two weeks I have been working on an old age gelatin prosthetic piece. It all starts by Life Casting the person you are going to apply the piece to. This is Kelsey's face. We casted her face using alginate and plaster bandages. You lay still with your whole face covered, other than your nostrils so you can breathe. After it all sets (roughly 15-20 minutes on the face) you take it off and fill the casting with plaster, which gives you a solid impression of the face!

After pouring more plaster around the face mould (basically like a big plate around the face) you can begin sculpting your with clay which will look identical to how your piece turns out. Make sure to mark the hair line, because your piece can't go past it.


One you are happy with your clay sculpture, you create what is called "flashing" around it (so when you pour plaster on top, it will not stick to the face & plate, vaseline is used as the release), then plaster is poured over top, and once you crack open your two moulds, you now have a negative look at your sculpture.


Pour gelatin into this "bowl" of a face, lock your other face on top, and once that sets - you have your gelatin prosthetic piece.

Cut out the piece, apply it using pros-aid, witch hazel, bondo, latex, making sure to blend blend blend those edges!! Paint that piece up, add some eyebrows (I hand laid the eyebrows myself, using the same technique as when we laid beards) add a wig and check out my old lady Kelsey!




"Oh, sir. I saw it! Some angry member of the kitchen staff, Did you not tip them? Oh, the terrorists! They ran that way. It was a run-by fruiting. I'll get them sir. Don't worry." - Mrs Doubtfire
xox Celina

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