FX of the Day, or, Edward Scissorhands' Face

Ever wondered how to make fake scars for TV and film? Ever wanted to look like this for Holloween?

Well today's tutorial on scars is here to help!

FX Makeup: Scars

What you'll need:

1. Ben Nye's Nose and Scar Wax
2. Spirit Gum
3. Liquid Latex
4. Creme Bases (or any other full-coverage foundation)
5. Cosmetics Spatula (or a butter knife)

Step 1: Apply spirit gum to your chosen area. Allow liquid latex to dry slightly and become tacky. To help aid in this process, lightly tap the area with your clean spatula or butter knife.

Step 2: Using your spatula, scrape out a pea-sized ball of Nose and Scar Wax.

Step 3: Using your fingers, roll the ball into a log. Work quickly and lightly, because the scar wax will absorb heat from your fingers and become very sticky. If this is a problem, simply put a little petroleum jelly or castor oil on your finger tips. 

Step 4: Apply the wax to the desired area. By now the spirit gum should be quite tacky. Apply the roll of scar wax with gentle, yet firm pressure and make sure that it is evenly adhered.

Step 5: Blend out the edges. Using your cosmetics spatula or butter knife, gently press the edges of the roll into the skin. Using the spatula, sculpt the wax into the desired shape. 

Step 6: Add detail. Keloid scars like this typically have little ridges running across them the short way. To mimic this, I used an old eyebrow brus and gently brushed little grooves into the wax. 

Step 7: Apply Liquid Latex. Using a latex cosmetic sponge, lightly dab a thin layer of liquid latex over the whole appliance to seal it in. Make sure that the layer isn't too thick, or you'll loose all the detail you just put into the appliance. 

Step 8: Paint the Appliance. Using a flesh tone that's slightly redder than your own natural skin tone, paint the appliance. Scars are typically redder or more purple than the natural skin tone. 

Step 9: Blend in the appliance. Using a foundation that matches your natural skin tone, blend out the edges of the newly-applied scar.

Voila! Gruesome Scars! This technique is also great for branding scars. Be creative!

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