Charlotte
Hawkins
Make up Exploration
Tattooing
Techniques
Stencil Practise
I wanted to create the thieves in law 8 point star as this was the main and most important tattoo of them all. I thought a stencil was the most appropriate due to the straight lines. Had painting this onto the body would have been difficult to get the lines straight and symmetrical. Also as the stars are mirrored on the right and left side of the body, making sure they were both the same size was also important. I printed off a 8 pointed star from the internet and cut out parts of the star onto acetate. This would also be an easier way of applying a tatto for film or tv series as the continuity of the tattoo would be the same size and shape.
I used this photo as my reference when applying my tattoo stencil onto my models skin.
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The problem i had when making my stencil was making sure i did not cut out too many sections. This would ruin the stencil. I cut out the black parts of the star and left the other lines to hand draw in.
I used a silicone base airbrush paint. I used blue and black to discolour the tattoos as tattoos are never fully black. Depending on how long they have been on the body, what ink has been used and what colour determins how it shows on the skin. Tattoos which has only just been added to the body are always vibrant in colour. I wanted to make the tattoo look freshly done.
I used a mixture of black and blue greasepaint to draw in the other lines once i had airbrushed the stencil onto the body. I used a lip pencil to get small thin lines. This was tricky to get the lines really thin as a tattoo needle lines are thin and small. I used a shading effect as shown in my reference photo above to add dimenasion to the tattoo. I used a small flat brush to add a small bit of colour. I was happy with this tattoo however I felt like it did not look freshly done as the area of the skin would is always red and sore and the tattoo has redness in it too. On the other side of the chest i wanted to try using paints to make the skin look irritated and sore from where the tattoo had first been done.
I first did a base of red grease paint making the skin look sore and irritated from tattooing onto the body. This would happen when having a tattoo done as the blood raises to the surface and the skin is pierced with small needles causing the skin to be sore, bleed and become irritated.
I used a latex sponge and red grease paint to make the skin appear red, i used greasepaint as i felt it was easy to apply a small amount and to blend into the skin easier. This made the redness look realistic and the tattoo like realistic.
I used the same technique when applying this transfer. Making sure they were even and on the same part of the chest was hard as the tattoo had to be a mirror image tattoo.
I was happy with how the sillicone base paints created a fresh looking tattoo. When tattoos are first done they are always a few shades darker in colour, once healed they then fade slightly to black with a slight colour of green or blue.
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When shading areas of the skin with a tattoo gun this area of the skin becomes the most irritated and red as the blood raises to the surface. In my reference photo the tattoo shaded areas are sore, the colour is a dark red. Again i used red greasepaint and a small bit of black to add this part of the tattooing making it look freshly done.
If i was to do it differently next time i would more careful when adding the lines are they did not look sharp enough.
Up close the edges were smudged this was because i drew in the extra lines using greasepaint which smudged into the red. If i was to do this again i would change the product to try using special fx pallet was the alcohol base paint would not smudge.
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From this distance the smudged lines did not show. I was happy with how they looked as they were very bright and striking in colours as a freshly done tattoo would. My second attempt was more realistic as the redness made the skin look irritated and sore. My first attempt i was happy with the shape pointed lines and edges of my tattoos. This is due to me using a small lip brush pen and having a steady hand when drawing on the straight lines by hand.
Using stencils is a quicker, neater and more effective than using free hand. I felt like the stencil and airbrush technique when applying the tattoo would work better with this design getting straight lines,symmetry and even points on the 8 sided star would be difficult free hand.
The silicone based airbrush paints are hard wearing, this tattoo design could be on the body for a long period of time making it suitable for a film or tv program. Continuity would also be good when using stencils as the tattoo would be applied the same shape, size each time however getting it in the same position each time would be difficult. If i was to reapply these tattoos i would measure how far the tattoo would sit onto the chest.
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Tattoos, especially the Russian Thieves In Law prison gang tattoos can fade easily depending on the ink used, how well the tattoo artist can tattoo and sun exposure. Because of products the Russian prisoners have to use the tattoos are always fading to a patchy, green and also unreconisable images on the body. This means have the tattoo re tattooed or being left. I wanted to try out painting a similar colour, texture and affect onto the skin like the faded, old and patchy tattoos above.
The colour pigment is patchy, the colour is dark green with a hint of blue. The tattoo looks as if it is under the skin rather than on top and so bright and vibrant like the experiment i tried out with a freshly done tattoo. Using an airbrush would give the tattoo as sold colour.
When applying flat pieces in the past i have used illustrater spfx pallet to build up skin tones, veins and making a skin texture. I wanted to use these colours as the can be dilluted as much as possible with alcohol.
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I used white eyeliner to draw out the most important russian gang tattoo, the 8 pointed star. I found drawing this free hand was difficult as making sure each point was even was difficult, however because i wanted to create a patchy, faded tattoo this did not matter as parts of the tattoo would not be seen. However the main problem with free hand drawing onto the skin is making the exact same size, shape and positioning on the other side of the chest. Tattoo artist do not free hand draw onto the skin and will always position, draw out and place the stencil in the right position. This free hand technique would also not be good for continuity as creating the same tattoos for each scene would be difficult.
I used a lip liner brush and a dilluted mixture of green, blue and blue on my illustrator spfx pallet. I painted over the white eyeliner. The white eyeliner made it easier for me to use the paints in the right place when applying them as this was a almost a rough stencil as where to paint, and where not to paint making the 8 point star.
Using these colours made the paint translucent and the skin was still slightly showing through the paint.
I finished painting the white outline with my mix of black, green and blue illustrator pallet. This created a realistic tattoo colour, which i was happy with as it looked as though it was under the skin rather than sitting on top of the skin.
However because the tattoos are faded i thought building up skin tones over the top would create a more faded and patchy tattoo.
I used my stipple brush and applied thin watery layers of natural skin tones of my illustrator alcohol based paints by flicking and stippling them on. Stippling on made the layers more naturally layering the paint however i wanted to make some areas of the tattoo more faded and patchy, i stippled on paint using my brush. As you can see in my photo the area which I applied skin tone paint to looked more faded and patchy. I was happy with the colour, texture and how realistic my tattoo looked. The only thing i was not happy with was having to free hand draw the exact same tattoo on the other side of the body. This technique would be useful for a one off, big detailed old tattoo maybe for a one off scene in a film or photoshoot.
These 3 points of the 8 pointed star i did not used the skin tone illustrator colours over the top of the mixture of green,blue and black as i wanted to compare the difference in colour, texture and which i prefered. I prefer the section where I had used my skin tone colours of the top of the star as the tattoo faded naturally and appeared more old.
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Both the real faded tattoo image and my tattoo design are very similar in texture and colour. The real tattoo looks under the skin rather than sitting on top, i wanted to use my illustrator pallet skin tones to fade the dark blue underneath to create the same effect. I was happy with how this practise turned out.
The pigment of the real tattoo started to become patchy, making the tatto unclear and the lines appear faded in certain areas.
In previous work I learnt how to make realistic burns using latex, tissue and gelatine. I wanted to practise making burns over the tattoos as this is one torture technique used in gangs. Having their tattoo burnt off if they do not deserve them, betray the gang or did not get permission to have the tattoo from a higher leader or their boss.
I wanted to create a gruesome burn from a blow torch, Making the skin look bubbly, gory and sore.
I built uo the layer of latex and tissue creating a textured layer and base then i used gelatine to add depth and make the burn look more textured and gruesome.
I wanted to make the layer look uneven and certain areas appear deeper than others as the blow torch would not give a even burn over the skin.
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Using my yellow colour from my illustrator pallet made the burn look more gruesome and looks as if the yellow fat cells have been burnt through. This creates a realistic looking burn which could be used for a tv show such as Sons of Anarchy. In sons of Anarchy theres a scene where an EX member gets hit tattoo burnt off. I wanted to recreate my own burn over a tattoo and play around with making different textures and ways to burn through a tattoo.
I wanted to created depth and areas where the burn was deeper. I painted in a darker red to make the areas look deeper and more sore.
I use vaseline after finishing painting as this creates a more realistic shiny new wound.
As the layers of the skin get burnt and the ink of the tattoo heats up the ink colouring from the tattoo starts to bubble and run into the actually burn. Lots of layers of skin have to be burnt for the tattoo to no show.
Whilst adding red fleshy tones i wanted to add areas which the tattoo could still be seen. In this area i made the skin look burnt, however the tattoo could still be seen. This would be because of burn did not burn through the tattoo layers enough to completely burn the ink. The ink bubbles into the wound still showing through.
This part of the burn is deep to the tattoo ink, making the ink appear darker due to the skin layers being burnt away using fire from a blow torch. The blow torch would leave the skin uneven. This meant certain areas of the tattoo would be deeper, and some areas less.
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I chose the eight pointed star as it is the most important tattoo of The Russian Mafia. To get this tattoo you have to earn it. If you do not earn the tattoo and have it done it will get removed from either being burnt off or removed by cutting it off the tattooed skin.
This section around the wounded area i wish i had made it darker as soon in the picture below from the scene in Sons of Anarchy when a ex member gets a choice of having his brotherhood tattoo burnt off or cut off.
The burnt off tattoo scene from Sons of Anarchy shows dark black areas where the skin as turned charred from the heat of the blow torch. However these areas would not have the heat directly onto the skin, but is from the heat around the wounded area.
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This tutorial the girl uses the same technique as i used when creating a burn. However I also used gelatine as i felt latex and tissue was not enough to create a textured, gruesome and deep burn. The gelatine added depth and also texture. I also used my stipple sponge when pressing onto the gelatine the stipple sponge helped add texture to the gelatine.
Next time when making this burn, i would use the same techniques when layering latex and tissue and then adding gelatine. However i would colour my piece differently and add more charcoal colours around the edges of my burn as i felt in colour my burn could have been darker. As the burn in sons of anarchy as dark black edges where the burn had fried the skin.
This makeup would be appropriate for a horror/crime scene program or film retelling a story of Gang torture and the methods used. Using the materials and techniques means the continuity of this piece of prosthetics could not be made to look exactly the same each time.
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This image above is from a lady who cut off her ex boyfriends tattoo from her arm. The tattoo'd skin piece is shrivvled, curled under and the elastic of the skin has ruptured and has shrunk in size.
In my making of the flat pieces i sculpted a piece of skin adding texture, shrinkles and having the edges of the skin curled under. I wanted to use these silicone pieces to try and use different techniques of tattooing on them as some products can not be directly put onto the skin for health and safety reasons.
I wanted to tattoo the 8 pointed star as i had already used my illustrator pallet to paint directly onto the skin. The russian mafia use different materials to tattoo onto their bodies in prison. I wanted to try using my own materials and techniques to recreate these tattoos.
This is the silicone piece without any paint on. Like bare skin before being tattooed. I wanted to try using different products and materials which could be used on silicone. I also wanted to see how the different materials looked, acted and whether or not they turned out to look like tattooed skin.
For practise tattoo artists use piece of pig skin or silicone flat pieces to practise tattooing as these two things look,feel and are the same as human skin.
These acrylic based inks i have used before on canvases and paper to paint and blend. The can be watered down making them more translucent. I have used them on paper to make tattoo designs before. I wanted to see how these inks applied onto silicone. These inks are the same consistency as tattoo inks. As the russian mafia use burnt soot from tires and shoes and their own urine i wanted to try using different methods and products. Acrylic paint is mixed with pros aide to make PAX paint which is used on the skin and to colour foam latex and prosthetic pieces.
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I mixed up the black, blue and green acrylic based inks with some water to dilute the colour. I used a thin paint brush to get thin lines like a tattoo. Drawing each point the same size was hard. As some were smaller, thicker and bigger. Making a stencil of this star is easier as all the point are even. However i wanted to practise making faded old prison tattoos which meant they would never be perfect as in prison they do not have equipment for stencils and they have to free hand draw the tattoos onto the skin.
The inks worked well on the silicone piece. However once it had dried the ink started to flake off the silicone piece leaving small gaps. However because i wanted to create a faded, patchy old tattoo this could add to the effect.
Sections where the ink flaked off.
I was happy with the colour as the blue and green made the tattoo look realistic. The tatto was still too dark in colour. My last practise i used illustrator pallet to flick on skin tones to fade the tattoo. I wanted to see how this same technique and method would work over these acrylic inks.
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I used translucent powder to help take away the shine and stick to the silicone piece. This also helped create a smooth skin texture which made the piece look more realistic.
This illustrator pallet skin tones helped fade the tattoo as well as making it look aged. Because i used alcohol over a adhesive this re activated the glue, making the piece sticky.
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Due to the russian prison tattoo techniques and products they use, tattoos tend to fade fast. In this piece i wanted to portray the tattoo as being old and faded which would have been likely in real life russian gang members.
Using this technique would not be appropriate for the actors skin as the continuity and health and safety of using these acrylic base inks would have an impact on the performance. However having this piece in one scene on a silicone piece could be used as it would not have to be thrown away or re-done each time. This piece could be used for a specific grusome scene where the tattoo is being cut off a gang member.
Second degree burn over tattoo.
This is my reference photo for exploring ways in which i could recreate a second degree scar tissue burn.
This photo interests me due to the slight colour and texture of the tattoo ink still coming through the burns scar. This i feel could be recreated using makeup techniques.
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I recreated the texture of the skin on the reference photo above by using latex and tissue, his added depth and texture to my tattoo. I drew on the tattoo using my illustrator pallet as in my research this product is used to paint onto the skin creating the most realistic tattoo.
The texture of this piece of my makeup looks very similar to the reference picture above. I used latex and rolled up pieces of tissue to create a similar skin texture.
I made sure i painted the tattoo underneath when applying the latex and tissue on top of as i wanted some parts of the ink to be seen through the burn. This shows that certain areas of the burn were not deep enough to burn through the tattoo ink.
I was happy with how only slight pieces of ink could be seen and scars affected the colour of the ink in comparison to the non effected area.
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I was most happy with the similar texture creating using latex and tissue, i also added small bits of gelatine to help give more of a skin texture. I applied a thing layer to sections of the scar.
The thing I was not happy with was my colouring of the piece. I felt it was too dark, not blending well into my models skin. I used illustrator skin tones and red from my greasepaint pallet. However i felt the red greasepaint gave the colouring an unrealistic look to my makeup piece. If i was to do this piece differently i would use just my illustrator pallet to build up a natural skin tone colour, blending well into my models skin as well.
Reflecting back on what i wanted to achieve with this piece of makeup, i was happy with the tattoo ink peering through the scar. I was also happy with colour of the tattoo as i felt it was the correct colour matching a realistic tattoo. However hand drawing this piece onto the centre of the chest was difficult to get it symmetrical. If i was to use a stencil i feel the tattoo could look more realistic. However due to the scar this distorts the tattoo, making the tattoo become unclear.
I only wanted to burn a section of the tattoo to compare it to the area which was not effected by the burn. However next time i would want to recreate this makeup using the burn all over the tattoo. I would improve the piece by making sure i colour the piece right, using the right colours suiting my models skin. However i was happy with how the texture of the scar looked, Using latex and tissue meant that this technique could not be repeated the same way, effecting the continuity of the piece if it was to be shown throughout a film or performance. This piece would be appropriate for a film or tv program only showing this piece of makeup for one scene and no more as this makeup could not be recreated due to the materials and free hand drawing of the tattoo.
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After researching into tattoo transfers and finding this is the most professional and used way of recreating a realistic tattoo in the industry i wanted to experiment using tattoo transfers to see how i applied the tattoos and how i felt this technique compared to the others by creating a realistic tattoo.
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I found some images online of a japanese dragon and tiger as these are symbolic tattoo's used for the yakuza tattoos. I printed them onto the shiny side of the Laser jet transfer paper, of course using a laser printer as i researched into using the right paper for the right printer.
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I followed the instructions given by the transfer paper company. These transfer paper provide an adhesive sheet which is pressed onto the image. Pros aide is used by makeup artists to print the image onto the skin, however i wanted to use this adhesive sheet to follow the instructions to how I should apply using these specific tranfer papers.
I made sure the skin was clean of any oils, dirt or products which could interfer with the tranfering process.
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I used cloth and water to press down the image onto my models body. I made sure i had place the tattoo in the correct part of the skin.
A small section of the adhesive sheet was not secured onto my models skin. I removed this by using 99.9% alcohol, which removed this.
An airbubble was created. In the instructions it explain that the adhesive paper has to be pressed down tightly onto my image otherwise small airbubbles would be created. Next time i will make sure all airbubbles are removed.
A few wrinkles shown,this is due to my models body not being relaxed enough when applying the transfer.
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i repeated the same process when applying my second transfer, however i took into consideration the few mistakes and things which went wrong in my first transfer. With this piece i made sure all airbubbles were removed. I made sure my models body was relaxed as much as possible to aviod wrinkles in the piece.
I was really happy with my second transfer, having taken on board the mistakes made on my first application. This transfer looked like a real tattoo. This was a simply and easy way to create a tattoo.
This was a more professional application rather than free hand. The transfer tattoo lines were small and thin like a tattoo needle would create. Hand drawing a tattoo onto the skin with a small paint brush did not leave the lines a similar size throughout. However i felt the tatttoo transfer was appropriate way of recreating a yakuza tattoo as the bright, details and decorating would be easily created rather than free hand drawing.
The downside with using transfers is placement on the body. Using brushes directly onto the body means placement of the tattoo is more controlled. However the continuity of using transfer tattoo's would be easy and can be reapplied exactly the same each time.
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After 3-4 hours the tattoos become slghtly cracked in some areas and worn away. This might be because my model had been to the gym and wore a top rubbing against the tattoos. I was happy with how the tattoos kept after exercising and the body sweating and moving around. This shows that the tattoos could stay on for a long period of time without them being damaged or ruined.
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I tried out using a small tattoo transfer onto my silicone piece to see how the tattoo looked and whether it was similar to applying the transfer onto the body.
The transfer worked well on silicone, the edges did not blend as well onto the silicone as they did on the skin however using a bit of alochol to blend the edges, also used to blend edges on a flat piece made the edges invisable.
I felt my other two techniques practised on silicone were more successful as the illustrator colours and inks helped create a more skin like texture. The transfer gave the silicone a plastic looked film over it which made the silicone look like a fake piece of skin, rather than real.
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Making my Own Tattoo Transfer Designs.
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I wanted to design my own tattoos to transfer them onto my Yakuza tattoo design. I started drawing out small outlines of flowers used in the japanese style tattoos.
Koi Carp are own of the main symbolic aninals which are tattoo'd onto the skin. They are a sign of wealth and power. I wanted to incorporate these symbolic tattoos in my final design.
I drew out a koi carp design, only drawing in the outlines. I incorporated the japanese flowers in this design and waves of water.
After designing my tattoo transfers i then scanned them into my computer.
Tattoo artists design tattoos and scan them, resizing them and making changes to please the customer.
I wanted to scan my designs in to edit them and change the colours ready to be printed onto transfer tattoo paper.
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These steps show the process of editting my tattoo designs. I darkened the outlines to make them stand out once transfered onto the skin.
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Yakuza tattoos are very bright and colourful, using a lot of reds, yellows and warm colours to compliment the dark lines and black sections of the tattoo.
I used orange on photoshop to colour my tattoo design
I coloured all koi carp orange as this represents wealth. I coloured the flowers pink and yellow to make the tattoo delicate. Flowers are used in the yakuza tattoo designs which make the tattoos delicate, adding colour to them.
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The difference photoshop made on my design shows darker lines which will show up more on my models skin. The colour also made my design more appropriate for a traditional yakuza tattoo. The colours make my design stand out more. I made another design, repeating these steps. I used different warm colours. I used both my orginal drawing and edit in my design to show a mixture of colour and detail.
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I made sure my models skin was free off oils, dirt or other products which could effect my application of transfers.
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i drew in a strip in the middle of my models chest. Leaving this part blank, as this part of the body is tatto less, being able to wear the traditional kimono without having the tattoos on show. This also helped me know where to able the tattoos.
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One each side of the body the yakuza use mirror images to balance out the design over the body.
I used the two images of the tiger and dragon, which i applied previously on my previous model to practise using transfer tattoos. I felt more confident when applying these transfers as i knew the exact steps neeed to apply onto the skin. The designs add balance to both sides of the body. Although i used two different images the placement of these tattoos add a mirror effect.
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I used my other design on the arm. I made sure the size of the tattoo was going to fit and flow well on the arm.The red flowers stand out from the black koi carp.
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I then used my other design on the exact same place on the arm to create the mirror image used by the yakuza tattoo artists.
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Using tattoo transfers is a quicker and effect way of creating a realistic tattoo. The application is easy and quick.
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I started adding the small colourful flowers over the body. Adding these small flowers was easy as they were not a big transfer. Applying bigger transfers i had to take into consideration the placement and how the design was going to flow well in the body. Complimenting my models body physique
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Both these transfers were my original tattoo designs. I prefered the edited designs because the were more colourful and detailed. However these tattoos still looked realistic and were appropriate to my design.
The tattoos started to contrast well with my models skin. Using the scooped edges was something I wanted to incorporate in my design as this stood out as a main part of a yakuza tattoo. I made sure both sides were symmetrical.
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Whilst adding my designs and tattoo transfers the tattoo started to come together creating a realistic yakuza tattoo.
I wanted to use different methods of application to compare the different techniques. I used a mixture of greasepaints and water based body painting colours using a mixture of brushes, flat and small helped add details.
i used the same black patterns and lines to flow around my transfer tattoos. These grey and black shaded areas contrasted with the detailed images which compliments well with eachother as the bold dark blocks of colour helped tie the tatto together.
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To add the blocks of black and grey around my designs i hand painted them. i used a mixture of greasepaints and water based colours. I shaded and blended black, white and grey together as these area of tattoos in yakuza designs are not just one solid block colour of black. I was not happy with the edges of these patterns as they were not crisp enough. Using stencils would have made this edges crisp and straight. The greasepaints smudged and some parts were emerging into eachother. Using water based colours did not do this however blending the black,white and greys together was difficult because they dried quickly.
these designs blended in the background and did not stand out because of the lack of colour to help make them 'pop'
i decided to try painting aqua colours over the transfer to add colour. i added yellow and orange then highlighted areas using white. This made the design stand at amongst the dark black patterns surrounding the transfer.
The aqua colours applied well over the transfer. It was similar to painting a outlined picture with acrylics.
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This side of the tattoo was more colourful, it stood out more than the right side which made the design look unbalanced.
The yakuza tattoo designs are always equal with colour, detail and are mirrored using the same designs and patterns. My patterns were similar on both sides but the colours did not match.
I was happy with my design concept and felt my design reflected well with a traditional yakuza tattoo however using greasepaints and aqua colours made my design look more like body painting rather than a realistic tattoo. I felt this was because the colours were to vibrant. Tattoo ink sits under layers of skin, i felt my paints looked as if they were on top rather than underneath. The tattoo transfers worked the best to create a realistic tatttoo and they were quicker to apply. However applying the dark patterns as tattoo transfers would be difficult as i would have less control over applying them onto the skin, making the transfers over lapping onto eacher.
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Comparing my tattoo to the yakuza tattoo:
Difference's
My painted areas looked more like body paint whereas the yakuza tattoo is all even with colour, texture and detail.
My tattoo did not look as if it is under the skin. This is due to the techniques i used.
The black areas of the yakuza tattoo were smaller and more detailed. Mine were larger and different in colour. In previous experimentation with products the illustrator pallet colours worked better than greasepaints to create a realistic tattoo.
The yakuza tattoo has a wider range of designs and colours such as green, brown and yellow. More flowers are also used.
Next time i would use more tattoo transfers such as more flowers, more images of animals such as snakes and birds.
I would use my illustrator colours to add the black patterns surrounding the images. As my tattoo transfers look seperate to my body painting. They do not flow within eachother.
Similarities
The concept is the same. The colours used are within the same colour spectrum.
They both have mirror images and designs. My design shows the same shape as the yakuza tattoo, leaving the middle of the chest and stomach free of tattoos.
The shapes are the same flowing around the images.
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I wanted to create a piece of work which would be appropriate for continuity within a film or performance. I wanted to use the techniques which i feel were the best out of each practise makeups. I wanted to create a tattoo which has been cut off using a knife, a torture method all gangs use.
I applied my flat piece to the chest of model using pros aide.
flat pieces can be used more than once as the can be re made or if carefully removed can be reused again.
The edges of my piece were hidden and well blended into the skin. I was happy with the application of my flat piece.
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I used latex and tissue technique to add more texture in the middle of the wound. Although this woud not be used for continuity, i feel this method works well with creating a gruesome, gory wound.
I used a tattoo transfer instead of hand painting this image as this is a quicker, easier way of applying a realistic tattoo. The lines and edges are also straighter and neater. Tattoo transfers are appropriate for continuity, and they are used for films and tv shows all the time.
The transfer applied well onto the silicone piece. I felt like this tattoo could look more realistic using illustrator stippled over it as the end. This technique is also used my prison breaks tattoo transfer makeup artist to make the tattoo's appear more aged.
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I also transfered the tattoo onto my silicone piece of skin. I wanted this piece to look as if it is falling off the wound.
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I added colour using illustrator pallet. I added a vibrant red as i wanted this wound to look fresh and as if it was just done. I also used darker shades of red to add depth and i also used a yellow to add yellow fat cells as these would be shown if the skin was to be cut off.
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Yellow fat cells
Darker red to add depth and texture
I added texture to the inside of my flesh piece to add texture as this piece would of been cut away from the body showing fat cells, blood, flesh and texture.
Again, i used latex and tissue to create a similar texture as the wound.
i used pros aide to attach the piece of skin to look as if it is hanging off a small piece of skin.
underneath the wound is the tattooed silicone piece. I used ky jelly to make the wound more realistic. The shine makes the wound look fresh and gory. I like using this product a lot, especially on tissue and latex as it soaks into the tissue creating a gunky looking texture.
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I was happy with my piece as i felt it would be appropriate for a torture gang film.
The techniques used are appropriate for film as they were quick application taking only 45mins to apply this piece. If i was to take longer i would add in more details into the wound and take time to make my edges more smooth.
However i was happy with this piece of makeup. Using tattoo transfer was a quicker and effective way of creating a realistic looking tattoo.
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Although the tattoo looks fresh in colour, i wanted it to look new as the story behind this piece of makeup is:
A member of the Russian mafia had the most important tattoo added to his body without permission from the higher leaders of the gang. A few hours after the character was tattooed the leaders had it removed as the character did not deserve or earn his stars on his chest.
If i was to make this tattoo look old i would use illustrator pallet skin tones to flick and stipple thin layers to age the tattoo.