Recipe 3 : Prosthetic Sculpting

Applying premade prosthetics is fun. Making your own custom-made prosthetics is much more fun and satisfying. Let's start learning prosthetic sculpting!

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This is a step-by-step guide on how to create werewolf special effects makeup. Recipe 3 features how to sculpt on your face mold.

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Materials you need...

• Chavant NSP Medium (Brown)

• Rotating Turn Table

• Sculpting Tools

• Crystal Clear

• Detail Torch

• Air Duster

• 3M Drywall Sanding Screen

• Chip Brush

• 99% Alcohol

• Cat Brush

• Baby Powder

  

  

  
  
  

Material links are here.

https://shopmy.us/shop/collections/1353788

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Lesson Video

1. Preparing Clay

   1. For prosthetic sculpting, you will need a sulfur-free oil clay. My favorite clay is Chavant NSP Medium Brown. It also comes in different softness levels and colors. You can try others and choose your favorite one.

   2. This is optional; however, I recommend having an oven for softening clay. Place foil on a rack, and put small slices of Chavant clay on it. Set the oven to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also use a spotlight on a foil-covered cup instead. Make sure not to burn the clay.

      

      Place foil to protect the oven.
   
   

2. Sculpting - Blocking

   1. Now you have soft clay slices. It might be hot, so be careful not to burn your fingers.

   2. You will not need sculpting tools at this moment. You will just need small balls of clay. Put these balls on your face mold from the last recipe. Think of the prosthetic you want. Do you want a thick creature look? Or thin, old-age wrinkled skin? This time I will show you how to make a werewolf nose.

   3. I have wolf pictures and my Photoshop design. I follow these designs and place these clay balls. If the clay does not stick on the mold well, try spraying Crystal Clear on the mold before placing the clay balls.

   4. Keep adding balls and sometimes clay noodles. Try creating a brief shape.

   5. Also, check if the sculpture is symmetrical. If it is not a crazy avant-garde creature, it is better to be symmetrical.

      

      Blocking example

3. Blending

   1. Once you get a rough shape of clay, smooth it with a finger or wooden sculpting tools.

   2. Try blending these balls and filling gaps. Also, blend the edges of the clay to the face mold.

   3. When you blend the clay, the motion of the sculpting tool is better to be moon-shaped (crescent). Since this is an organic shape, straight lines should be avoided.

      

      Moon shaped motion

   4. At this point, look at the sculpture from the top and see if you have any undercuts. If you see undercuts, fill the gap with clay.

      

      Undercut
   
   

4. Smoothing

   1. If you are using clay noodles for wrinkles, you can try a small torch. Clay will melt and get smoother. Do not burn the clay. Then, use a duster spray upside down. It will create an ice-cold air and harden the melted clay. Be aware that the spray is flammable! So do not use a torch soon after the spray.

      

      Do NOT burn! Only melting.

   2. Once the clay gets harder, use metal rake tools. Use a moon-shaped motion and smooth it out. (It does not get smooth like paper. It will still have rake tool scratching lines. Think of removing uneven bumps.)

      

      After rake tools

   3. The next step is a sanding screen. I use 3M's drywall sanding screen, 120 grit. This will remove rake tool lines. You can use this to blend the edges as well.

      

      Blending edge with drywall paper

   4. Cut a chip brush at an angle. Dip it in baby powder and go over the sculpture. This makes the sculpture smoother as it takes off tiny chunks of clay from the surface.

   5. Dip the same brush in 99% alcohol and brush it on the clay. The clay will melt a little bit and fill the micro bubbles.

   6. Dip a paper towel in 99% alcohol and wipe the sculpture. This will make the edge very smooth.

      

      Cleaning surface

5. Detail Sculpting

1. Now, you can take a look at this sculpture from a distance. If you like the shape, let's start detailing. If not, you can add more balls and noodles and repeat the same steps.

2. Use small rake tools without teeth in this step. Check the mirror and see your face. Check if the sculpture is organic or not. If you have life casting molds, you can take a look at them as well. You can add or take off some of the clay from the sculpture. In the blocking stage, we focused on symmetry. This time, you can try some asymmetry. Make it more organic.

3. After the rake tool, you can use a black rough sponge and go over this. It will smooth it out slightly.

   

   Softening sculpture

6. Texturing

1. A lot of people forget this stage. If the prosthetic is too smooth, people can tell where the edge is. An important part of special effects is making the makeup believable. So if you can see the edge, it is unrealistic. You will need to match a skin texture.

2. Take a look at the face mold where the clay meets and see if it is matching or not. Normally, younger skin has fewer textures. The older the skin, the heavier the skin textures.

3. I am using my face mold for this, so I have a slightly heavier texture. I use a metal cat brush for this. Use a moon-shaped motion again. Also, crisscross as it goes, and continue until the edge.

   

   Cat brush for skin texturing

4. If you have a different texture, you can also try using plastic wrap on the sculpture. Then, use a dull pencil over it to create crisscross lines. If you want deeper textures, you can sharpen the pencil. (Also, it is good to know that some materials, such as silicone, gelatin, and Bondo, will show less and softer textures when the prosthetic is finished.)

5. Once you finish the texture everywhere, use the chip brush from Step 4. Then, do the same with baby powder or 99% alcohol.

6. For pores, you can use plastic wrap and a pencil to make a bunch of dots. In my video, I made a tool for pores. You can put multiple wires with a dull tip in a metal pipe, then glue them together. This will make this step much faster.

Alcohol for smoothing the texture

7. Finished? Satisfied? If so, you can move on to the molding session. If not, go back to the steps where you are not happy. Sometimes, it is better to step away from the sculpture and take a look at it the next day. You might find something that you are not happy with. It is okay to feel that way. I spend 2 hours on small sculptures, but sometimes, I spend months on one sculpture.

Finished werewolf nose prosthetic sculpture

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