Technical Evaluation

This unit has given me a variety of choices to develop and create my characters through the use of silicone molding and I'm glad that I've learnt this skills and techniques which helps me to understand more about prosthetics make-up. During the snake bite wound project that I first did, it allows me to understand what the silicone piece will result and impact the sculpture in terms of shapes and the details. I found the most challenging part from the silicone piece making is after I have poured the mixture of silicone A, B, deadener and pigment onto the mold, I need to remove the excess silicone from the mold and make sure the silicone lie as flat as possible. The reason I said this is because the mixture dries quickly and I need to work really fast before the mixture has started to dry. For the application part, I found the most challenging is after I have applied pros-aide onto the back of the mold and onto the skin, the pros-aide make the silicone piece fold easily as I picking it up. This happens to me when I did a bigger size silicone piece for the hybrid project. I personally think after the practices, it allows me to understand more about what I need to pay attention with during the process of the silicone piece making and also allows me to work faster as I remember the making process. Health and safety is important and I have followed the instructions such as changing the gloves when using different products to avoid cross contamination, wearing a mask and also open the windows, labelling the equipments, etc. After this project unit, I feel more confident to use the silicone molding techniques and the techniques to apply the silicone piece and remove it from my model.

Bibliography

Books:

• Corson R., Norcross B., Glavan J.(2010). Stage Makeup. Tenth edition. Publisher: Allyn & Bacon.
• Conway J. (2004). Make-up artistry for professional qualifications. Published by Heinemann Educational Publishers.
• Tokyo SFX Makeup Workshop (2008). A Complete Guide To Special Effects Makeup - Conceptual Creations by Japanese Makeup Artists. Published by Graphic-sha Publishing Co., Ltd.
• Directive. Published by IDW Publishing/ Boom! Studios. 
• King, M., Bewes, P., Cairns, J., Thornton, J. [1990]. Primart Sugery: Volume 1: Non-TraumaL Non-Trauma Vol 1 (Primary Surgery Series). New ED edition. Publisher: OIP Oxford. 
• Kehoe,V.(1991). Special Make-up Effects. Focal Press.
• Tipton, S., Tipton, D. (2015). Star Trek/ Planet of the Apes: The Primate 
• Timpone, A. (1996). Men, Makeup, And Monsters-  Hollywood's Masters of Illusion and Fx. St Martin's Press.

TV Shows:

• Bitten by a Rattler. (no date). [TV Shows] United States: Discovery
• Flesh Eating Snakebite. (no date). [TV Shows] United States: Discovery
• 9/11 Snakebite. (no date). [TV Shows] United States: Discovery
• Rattlesnake Bite Symptoms. (no date). [TV Shows] United States: Discovery
• Rattlesnake Bite Recovery. (no date). [TV Shows] United States: Discovery
• Rattlesnakes Make Bad Pets. (no date). [TV Shows] United States: Discovery
• Rattlesnake Compartment Syndrome. (no date). [TV Shows] United States: Discovery
• Rattlesnake Venom. (no date). [TV Shows] United States: Discovery
• Venus Flytrap Catches Flies. (no date). [TV Shows] United States: Discovery

Websites:

• BBC.[no date]. Arteries and veins. [Online]. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/21c/keeping_healthy/heartdiseaserev2.shtml [Assessed 02/10/2015]
• Blue, L. [2013]. Experience: I was bitten by a rattlesnake. [Online]. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/nov/23/experience-bitten-by-rattlesnake [Assessed 03/10/2015]
• Botanical Society of America's Mysterious Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula).[no date]. The Mysterious Venus' flytrap. [Online]. Available at: http://botany.org/bsa/misc/carn.html [Assessed 05/11/2015]

• Clarke, C. [no date]. How Does the Venus Flytrap Trap Flies?. [Online]. Available at: http://homeguides.sfgate.com/venus-flytrap-trap-flies-74657.html [Assessed 05/11/2015]
• crystalinks.com. [no date]. Venus. [Online]. Available at: http://www.crystalinks.com/venusrome.html [Assessed 06/11/2015]

• Cunha, J. [no date]. Cuts, Scrapes and Puncture Wounds (cont.). [Online]. Available at: http://www.medicinenet.com/cuts_scrapes_and_puncture_wounds/page3.htm [Assessed 02/10/2015]
• DaFlln. [no date]. Human-Plant Hybrid. [Online]. Available at: http://daflln.deviantart.com/art/Human-Plant-Hybrid-97498298 [Assessed 03/11/2015]
• DesertUSA. [no date]. Rattlesnakes. [Online]. Available at: http://www.desertusa.com/reptiles/rattlesnake-bites.html [Assessed 02/10/2015]
• Dhar, M. [2014]. I Am Groot.: Is a Walking, Talking, Plant-Person Possible?. [Online]. Available at: http://www.livescience.com/47547-guardians-of-the-galaxy-groot-possible.html [Assessed 04/11/2015]
• Durso, A. [2013]. Basics of Snake Fangs. [Online]. Available at: http://snakesarelong.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/basics-of-snake-fangs.html [Assessed 04/10/2015]
• Dunn, J. [2011].The Snakes of Egypt. [Online]. Available at: http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/snakesofegypt.htm [Assessed 03/11/2015]
• Dwyer,L. [2010]. Wound types and healing part 3: classification of injuries. [Online]. Available at: http://www.vettimes.co.uk/article/wound-types-and-healing-part-three-classification-of-injuries/ [Assessed 02/10/2015]
• Face Off, News. [2013]. Face Off Season 5 Episode 5 "Mother Earth Goddess". [Online]. Available at: http://www.tvequals.com/2013/09/10/face-off-season-5-episode-5-mother-earth-goddess/ [Assessed 04/11/2015]
• Falcon, S. [2014]. Jack Pierce Designs The Werewolf Of London. [Online]. Available at: https://falconmovies.wordpress.com/2014/09/09/jack-pierce-designs-the-werewolf-of-london/ [Assessed 02/11/2015]
• Gutierrez, J. [2013]. Japanese Artist Ishibashi Yui's Unsetting Figures.[Online]. Available at: http://beautifuldecay.com/2013/09/09/apanese-artist-ishibashi-yui/ [Assessed 03/11/2015]
• healthenpriest. [2010]. So what actually causes trap color?. [Online]. Available at: http://www.flytrapcare.com/phpBB3/so-what-actually-causes-trap-color-t4984.html [Assessed 05/11/2015]
• Hill, J. [2010]. Gods of Ancient Egypt: Anubis. [Online]. Available at: http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/anubis.html [Assessed 03/11/2015]
• Hollan, K. [2012]. Out Alive: Bitten by a Rattlesnake. [Online]. Available at: http://www.backpacker.com/survival/out-alive-bitten-by-a-rattlesnake/2/#bp=0/img1 [Assessed 02/10/2015]
• Jose, J. [2015]. Paintings by Nunzio Paci. [Online]. Available at: http://www.faithistorment.com/2015/06/paintings-by-nunzio-paci.html [Assessed 03/11/2015]
• Kreutz, D. [2015]. Rattlesnakes are out - and they're biting. [Online]. Available at: http://tucson.com/news/local/rattlesnakes-are-out-and-they-re-biting/article_023b5a36-9f33-591b-bce8-bead42c4fa23.html [Assessed 02/10/2015]
• Lamm, W. [1994]. "Rattlesnake!". [Online]. Available at: http://www.whmentors.org/saf/snakes.html [Assessed 02/10/2015]
• Leonard, R. [2010]. The Feathered Serpent- A Worldwide Religious Symbol. [Online]. Available at: http://www.atlantisquest.com/Quetzal.html [Assessed 03/11/2015]
• Little shops of Horrors. [no date]. Venus Fly Trap. [Online]. Available at: http://littleshopofhorrors.co.uk/venus-fly-trap.html [Assessed 05/11/2015]
• Look And Learn, [2011]. The special effects of makeup. [Online]. Available at: http://www.lookandlearn.com/blog/10620/the-special-effects-of-makeup/ [Assessed 01/10/2015]
• McGraw-Hill's Access Medicine. [no date]. Pit Viper Envenomation. [Online]. Available at: http://yxzl.baiduyy.com/chm11/jzyxtp/ch.16.htm[Assessed 04/10/2015]
• Mclellan, D. [2001]. John Chambers; 'Apes' Makeup Won an Oscar. [Online]. Available at: http://articles.latimes.com/2001/sep/01/local/me-41004 [Assessed 02/11/2015]
• Medline Plus.[no date]. Laceration versus puncture wound. [Online]. Available at: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/19616.htm [Assessed 02/10/2015]
• Mikey. [2011]. No such thing as a Poisonous Snake...(Part 2). [Online]. Available at: http://lifeandscience.org/keepers/2011/02/13/no-such-thing-as-a-poisonous-snake-part-2/ [Assessed 02/10/2015]
• NHS Choices. [no date]. Snake bites - Treatment. [Online]. Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Bites-snake/Pages/Treatment.aspx [Assessed 02/10/2015]
• O'Connell, A. [no date]. How Venus Flytrap Work. [Online]. Available at: http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/botany/venus-flytrap3.htm [Assessed 05/11/2015]
• Parker, L. [2015]. Country music stars posts horrific rattlesnake bite pictures on Facebook as he defends killing reptile. [Online]. Available at: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/country-music-star-posts-horrific-6714692 [Assessed 02/10/2015]
• Parry, W. [2011]. How the Venus Flytrap Kills and Digests Its Prey. [Online]. Available at: http://www.livescience.com/15910-venus-flytrap-carnivorous.html [Assessed 05/11/2015]
• Roe, A. [1997]. The Romance of the Rose. [Online]. Available at: http://www.whitedragon.org.uk/articles/rose.htm [Assessed 06/11/2015]
• Rodriguez, A. [no date]. What Kind of Structure Does a Venus Flytrap Have?. [Online]. Available at: http://homeguides.sfgate.com/kind-structure-venus-flytrap-have-77337.html [Assessed 05/11/2015]
• Sanders,D. [no date]. Sphinx Meanings. [Online]. Available at: http://classroom.synonym.com/sphinx-meanings-8420.html [Assessed 03/11/2015]
• Spring, J. [2013]. Surviving a Viper Bite. [Online]. Available at: http://www.outsideonline.com/1916651/surviving-viper-bite [Assessed 03/10/2015]
• Szalay, J. [2014]. Rattlesnake Facts. [Online]. Available at: http://www.livescience.com/43683-rattlesnake.html [Assessed 02/10/2015]
• Technische Universitaet Muenchen, [2011]. Biophysis of snakebites: How do venomous snakes inject venom into victim's wound?. [Online]. Available at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110516121728.htm [Assessed 04/10/2015]
• University of Minnesota Medical Center. [no date]. Snakebite: Envenomation (Treated with Antivenin). [Online]. Available at: http://www.uofmmedicalcenter.org/healthlibrary/Article/116550EN [Assessed 02/10/2015]
• Union, J. [2011]. Learn the VFT Parts & get familiarize with the names!;). [Online]. Available at: http://www.flytrapcare.com/phpBB3/learn-the-vft-parts-get-familiarize-with-the-names-t11826.html [Assessed 05/11/2015]
• Vermaak, S. [no date]. SA Orthopaedic Journal. [Online]. Available at: http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?pid=S1681-150X2010000400011&script=sci_arttext [Assessed 03/10/2015]
• venomoussnakes.net. [no date]. Snake Bites: Wounds, Blisters, Scars & Infections. [Online]. Available at: http://www.venomoussnakes.net/snakebites.htm [Assessed 04/10/2015]
• VenusFlytrap.info. [no date]. How Does a Venus Flytrap Grow?. [Online]. Available at: http://venusflytrap.info/grow-venus-fly-trap/ [Assessed 05/11/2015]
• VenusFlytrap.info. [no date]. Venus Flytrap FAQ. [Online]. Available at: http://venusflytrap.info/faq-questions-about-venus-fly-trap/ [Assessed 05/11/2015]
• Warrell, D. [2010]. Snake bite. [Online]. Available at: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(09)61754-2/fulltext?version=printerFriendly [Assessed 02/10/2015]
• Wong, P. [2015]. Snake Bites. [Online]. Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/kywong5005/snakebites-edit [Assessed 02/10/2015]

My Human Flytrap Hybrid's Moodboard

On above is a mood board that I've created for my Human Flytrap Character. It has included the ideas of  my character. The background shows the setting of where my character lives (Boggy areas in North Carolina) and I've also involved the Venus Flytraps which is the concepts of my character. I will use crown braids for the hairstyle. For my character, she will have sharp pointy teeth which links to the shape of the trigger hairs and the cilia of the Venus Flytraps. I have also put an image of the flytrap roots to show how my character absorb water and minerals to stay alive. The boggy areas are wet and the water from the lake also links to the shinny, wet effects on my hybrid's eyelids  The red and white roses show a feminine side of my character and it links to her name Venus as the name 'Venus' refers to Roman Goddess 'Venus' and Greek goddess, 'Aphrodite' (Venus)  and red and white roses are the signs of Aphrodite. I have used a dull color background for the setting photograph as I want to present the eerie and mysterious feelings that my character gives to people. I have placed the words 'Human Flytrap Hybrid' in the middle of the mood board to show the theme of my character and by using the color pink and red color, it stands out from the background and it also links to the eye shadow color that I've used on my character. 

Story of my Human Flytrap Hybrid

My hybrid character is named 'Venus'. She is a Flytrap Human Hybrid who lives in North Carolina around the boggy areas. Around her neck and shoulder area and also right forearm, there are roots patterns on her skin and her body is functioned with the roots to absorb water and minerals to keep her stay alive. She also eats insects to get nutrients and in order to catch them, she uses her hands to catch the insects and eat them with her mouth with the sharp pointy teeth which she has got. Her teeth is yellowish and dirty due to her habits of eating insects. There are red and white roses around her head and body which is used to attract the insects and shows her 'Venus Goddess' like character. She has got beautiful appearance but also shows an eerie and scary looking as she has got sharp yellowish teeth and also hidden green color on her face and neck which emphasis her bone structure. She has got shiny eyelids which shows the elements of water which she needs to stay alive.The flytraps on her head are near to the roses and are positioned in different direction which also helps her to catch and eat the insects. She walks like a human and she can also see and feel as well. 

Final Assessment Photographs

Silicone pieces with no paint job:

With paint job:

Close-up photo:

Mid-length shots:

I think the silicone mold on the forearm of my hybrid works well, but I am a bit disappointed with the pieces on the neck and shoulder area as I think when I poured the mixture of the Silicone A, B, Deadener and pigments, it is not as flat as it can be and also I build the wall too close to the sculpture which later I found quite difficult to blend the edges of the baldiez layer and make the edges of the pieces look as natural as it can be. Compare to the pieces which I've done for my practice, I think the practice ones that I've made looks better than this mold, but overall, I'm pleased with the final look of my hybrid and I especially like the fangs on my model which I think helps me to create a eerie and mysterious character. The way the roses wrapped around my character's head and body and the makeup look definitely helps me to create the goddess and feminine look for my Venus flytrap hybrid. 

Practicing for my final design

I have done another silicone pieces for my practice and I have applied them onto my model's skin to see how it looks like and also I have practiced the whole look of my final design as well.

On below are the silicone pieces that I've done.

First, I have done the crown braid on my model. 

Then, I have taken out strands of hair from the front.

After that, I have applied barrier foam on the area that I am going to place the silicone pieces on my model's skin first. Then, I have applied pros-aide on the skin and also at the back of the silicone pieces.

When I was waiting for the pros-aide to go clear on the skin and also behind the silicone pieces, I have done some of the make-up first (the base, eye-makeup and contouring).

On below shows the positions that I've placed my silicone pieces on the skin. The edges are folded together when I tried to pick the silicone pieces up, but I will blend the edges with isopropyl alcohol later.

Then, I have blended away the edges with baby buds and isopropyl alcohol.

After that, I have applied the skin tone color which matches my model's skin first from the Fx palette and then apply the dark brown color from the same palette and also blend the color a bit on the skin as well.

Then, I have wrapped the flowers around the body and tuck in the flytraps as well and finished the make-up look.

With the Fx fangs on:

I'm pleased with the final result of the look but there are some improvements that I need to make. To improve, I can blend the edges of the silicone pieces more and also I can add more green color under the cheekbones. I like how the flowers and the flytraps is positioned on the head and around the body. I think the color of the roots (silicone pieces) works well as well and is the color that I want to go for my design.

For the hairstyle, I think the braid at the front, I want it to look further on the forehead and a bit more messy and so on below, I have tried to braid the braid differently and the way how I section the hair.

First, I have made the hair into a side parting, then I start braiding from the left side.

The practice head hasn't got enough hair for me to wrap around the head at the front, but my model has got really long hair, so I will have enough hair to wrap around my mode's head.

I have taken strands of hair from the front. I think the braid from the photo on above looks better as I like how part of the braid cover the forehead and strands of hair coming underneath it. So I have decided to use this hairstyle for my final design instead.