Recipe 5 : Gelatin Prosthetic

Now it is more like a recipe! It is not edible, but I use gelatin for this prosthetic. Gelatin is very skin-friendly and cheap to make. It is easy to use as long as the weather is not too hot and humid. Definitely, gelatin is one of my favorite prosthetic materials. Thanks to my mentors: Matthew W. Mungle and Michael Mosher.

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Recipe 5 features how to mix gelatin ingredients and make prosthetics. We use the plaster mold from Recipe 4 for this step.

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Materials you need...

• Mold from Recipe 4

• Vaseline

• Hair Dryer

• Chip Brush

• Oven (Optional)

• Gelatin Powder 300-Bloom

• Glycerin

• Liquid Sorbitol 70%

• Microwave Safe Cup

• Makeup Foundation Powder

• Coffee Grinder (if you use Makeup Compressed Foundation)

• Flocking

• Microwave

• Tongue Depressor

• Weights

• RCMA No Color Powder

  

  

  
  
  

Material links are here.

https://shopmy.us/shop/collections/1372410

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Lesson Video

1. Mold Prep

   1. Preparing the mold is very important. If you skip this process, a gelatin prosthetic will not come off from the mold.

   2. We use Vaseline as mold release. Vaseline will fill micro bubbles and make the prosthetic easier to come off.

   3. First, blow warm air on Vaseline. This will make Vaseline smoother. Use a chip brush to paint Vaseline on both a positive and negative mold. As you brush, keep blowing warm air with a hair dryer.

      

      Heat makes Vaseline smoother.

   4. After the entire surface is covered with the release, check the thickness with your finger. If you feel the texture is filled with the release, wipe it off with your finger or a clean chip brush.

   5. Put a positive mold and a negative mold in an oven. Set it at 150 degrees Fahrenheit.

      

      It does not need to be too hot. "Warm" mold is enough.
   
   

2. Mixing Gelatin Materials

   1. If you have premade gelatin blocks, you can skip this part. However, it is always good to know how to mix your own gelatin. You can adjust color and strength as well as the softness. I will explain a generic recipe in this article. You can tweak and add more for your own needs. Some artists even add glue or Zinc Oxide to it to make it stronger.

   2. You will need...

      1. 50% of "Sorbitol-70%"

      2. 50% of "Glycerin"

      3. 10-15% of "Gelatin Powder 300-Bloom"

      4. Skin Color Powder Foundation

      5. Red Flocking

         

         Mixture with flocking

      6. If you are using compressed skin color foundation for tinting, use a coffee grinder or guacamole hand grinder to break it into powder. You do not want chunks in the mix.

      7. Mix these ingredients together and let them sit overnight.

3. Melting Gelatin Blocks

   1. On the next day, heat this up in a microwave for 2 minutes. Stir it every 15 seconds. It is a good idea to pour the mixture into an ice cube tray or Ziploc bag. This will make it easier to handle later. Then, you have a block of gelatin.

      

      Storing example

   2. You will reheat this in a microwave. However, it is hard to melt it evenly if it is a huge block, so you need to cut it into small pieces. The thinner, the better. Also, check the weight of the leftover clay from Recipe 4 and see how much gelatin you need. Weigh out a little more than you need, as you might lose some when you pour it into the molds.

      

   3. Put the gelatin slices in a microwave-safe cup. Heat it for 15 seconds. Check if it is melted. If not, heat it again. Stir it until the gelatin chunks are gone. Make sure it is evenly mixed and smooth. Continue this until it is perfectly smooth. Do not overheat it. If it boils, this gelatin mix is not good.

      

      These chunks need to be melted.

      
      

4. Pouring Gelatin

   1. At this moment, you need to work fast. Gelatin tends to harden quickly. Once it is gooey, you will not get a good cutting edge.

   2. It is a good idea to remove warm molds from the oven while heating up the gelatin. Set them on a clean table.

      

      Work Fast!

   3. Pour gelatin into the molds. Make sure it covers all the prosthetic areas. Close the mold. This process should take 10-30 seconds. Gelatin is very hot. Please do not burn your hands.

      

      Don't burn your fingers!

   4. Place some weights on the mold or step on it. Once you close the mold, do not move it too much.

5. Opening Mold

   1. Wait for 1 - 2 hours. Check if the prosthetic is hard enough.

      

      Keeping the leftover helps you to determine if it got hard.

   2. Use a flathead screwdriver to open the mold. Make sure not to damage the mold.

   3. As you open the mold, brush on RCMA No Color Powder. (Baby powder is OK, too.)

   4. Once the mold is completely open, add more powder to cover any sticky areas.

   5. Lift up the prosthetic from the other side of the mold and add more powder. If the flashing comes off from the prosthetic, it is fine. That means you have a good thin cutting edge. Some artists prefer to have the flashing stay on the prosthetic. You can keep it on if you like.

      

      Unpowdered gelatin is sticky.

   6. After it is off the mold, check the cutting edges. If it is curled, add powder with your finger and straighten it.

   7. Place it back on a positive mold. If you have a copy of the positive mold, use it instead. You can make more of the same prosthetics.

5. You see, this is more like cooking rather than lab work. After you apply the prosthetic, you will know if you want to tweak the recipe. You might want it softer or darker, etc. In the next article, I will explain how to apply this prosthetic.

The positive mold keeps thee prosthetic in good shape.

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