Zombie Make Up

Our zombie costumes from last weekend were the most complete once we put the make up on to make ourselves look dead, bloody and bitten.  Here's how I did it.

I started off by smearing white grease make up all over my face.  I don't use a lot because I'm already fair and because too much looks too fake.  Be sure to blend everything really well at the edges of the make up and into your features.  Blend lightly onto your neck, ears and into the hairline so it looks even.  Then smear some red cream make up from mouth to chin working in light layers. 

In each layer go a little farther down.  I wanted to look like I had bitten people so I wanted the blood to run down my face.  Be sure to get above the top lip and out to the sides some.  Zombies don't eat delicately, they dive head first into their food and make a sloppy mess.

Each layer of red makes it look  little better, the time to do it little by little pays off because you get good depth in the make up.  My blood was going to run down my face and to a blood stain on my shirt where it pooled so I dragged the sponge all the way down my neck in long swipes.

A little black cream make up added on top of the last red layer makes it look old and dried.  This is what makes it start looking less like make up.

Because we were specifically zombie Longhorn fans we used a grease crayon to add words to my face.

I make sure to get make up on my lips so it looks like I was feeding but kept my mouth closed tightly.  I use only a tiny bit on my lips because its not really good to ingest.  Putting lip balm on top will keep you from licking it or using translucent powder to set it while it is still wet will also keep it in place.

I added some black and blue vein lines around the edges of my face and into my hairline and also smeared some red make up on my forehead for a little added gore.  The lines were easy with a paintbrush, you can buy the make up in crayon form and that is even easier.  The blood helped it look better and less like just white paint.  I smeared it down my nose and across my face too.  Make sure you rub it into hairlines, eyebrows and facial hair by pressing hard and moving your finger or sponge or applicator back and forth.  You can go over the hair lightly with a damp cloth or sponge if you don't want it on your hair, just on the skin.  Doing this is a great trick that makes it look more professional and gives it some realism.  If you don't care about that, cool don't worry about it then. ,)

Green make up completed my face by giving it that sickly look that zombies are known for.  I did it mostly around one eye and then used my fingers to trail it around the rest of my face lightly.  A touch up on the words was needed because you could no longer read them.

I pulled my hair into messy braids and the look was pretty much done.  All that was needed was some fake blood.  I flipped my hair upside down and sprayed it all lightly with hair spray then quickly braided it on either side into very messy braids.  I pulled some strands out, teased it up a little and ran my hands all over it so it stood up.  I sprayed it lightly again so it would stay.

For Thomas' face we went a little different direction.  He had not eaten anyone yet, we decided, so he had less blood and more dark make up.  We used the white grease make up to smear his face again and then used black cream make up around his eyes so it looked sunken and rotten.  A little blood on his forehead looked good and some green smeared around his face completed his easy look.

Now zombie bites!

Use a paintbrush or your finger to dab a round bite mark where you want to showcase your wound.  Using a dabbing motion instead of just making a circle gives the impression of teeth.

This step looks a little funny and seems fake until you put the other make up on top of it.

Add red to the center carefully so you don't smudge the black too much but make sure it is thick.  This is the source of your zombie state-make it look good!  Also rub red around the outside of the black make up and blend outward with your fingers or a sponge.

Use blue grease paint to add dabs of blue around the edges of the wound.  Mix with the red slightly and blend out so you make bruising.  Use your brush and light black paint to touch up the bite mark if it gets too smudged.

Subtlety is a key component with the wounds and bite marks because it will really make the difference.  Use yellow, the darker the better, to add around the edges to give it more bruising effect and to start the sickly look.

Add green paint around the edges and blend out to look like the infection is spreading.  Your bite looks great!

After you have created all of the wounds and bite marks that you want, use fake blood to drip off of wounds and anywhere else you think is appropriate.  I added mine directly to the center of the three bites I had and then let it drip down.  I also added it right below my lips where my blood stains were.  Rub green and red paint into the skin anywhere you think you want a little more gore and give yourself a disheveled look.  I coated my hands with red cream paint and ran them through my hair so I was coverd in blood.

Happy feeding fellow zombies!



liz

Bloody Longhorn Shirt

In order to be an undead Longhorn fan, we needed the right costumes and part of that was a cool idea we came up with, a bloody longhorn.  If you are unfamiliar, most Texas Longhorn shirts are white with a burnt orange longhorn symbol on the front.  We decided a red, dripping longhorn would be a fun twist.  You can do this with anything really.  You could use a company logo or a well known image to have a little fun.

Here is how we did it.

I bought a blank white t shirt at Target to start with.  Then, I traced a large longhorn from a different t shirt I already had on to a piece of paper. 

I then cut the picture out of the center.

Put a handful of newspaper or cardboard inside the shirt to keep it flat and to be sure the image does not bleed through onto the back of the shirt.  Place the template you just made over the area on the shirt where you want the image and apply the first layer of paint.  A sponge works best but a brush or paper towel would work as well.  Dip the sponge into the paint and then press it onto the plate or paper where you are keeping the paint so it is not overloaded.  I used 2 different colors for this project, Hot Rod Red from Plaid Paints that is indoor/outdoor gloss and Rust Red from Anita's All Purpose Acrylic.  You can use any colors that work for the situation, in this case a brown color would work for a more dried look or a small amount of light green or yellow would be a gross puss option.  Apply the second layer while the first layer is still wet so they can blend together.

Once you remove the template you will have a perfect outline of your image.  Be sure not to let the template move while you are painting so the layers line up.  If it is large or complicated, weights on the corners could help keep it still.  In this case, leave a little white space makes the image look good so it will be imperfect.  Be sure to dab near the edges so the image is clear.

Once you are happy with the image, mix the colors you are using a little so they are still streaked together and not completely combined and then dab large amounts of paint in several areas along the bottom of the image where you want the paint to drip.  Be sure that this is done while the paint is still wet.  Lift the shirt up and shake it a little back and forth to get the drips started.  If they are not falling the way you want to try adding a little more paint to the spot or use a small paint brush to start a small line and the drip will follow it.

After you are happy with the look of the image and the drips put the shirt back down flat to dry.  You can use the paintbrush to stipple around the drip spots on the image so the colors match.  Keep the paper in the shirt until it is completely dry.  I used acrylic paint so I can fix any spills, stains or areas that I did not like.  Once it is completely dry, you should be able to wash it without most of  the paint coming off.  I would hand wash it alone if needed.  If you want something that can definitely be washed try using fabric paint.

liz

Zombie Walk Photos

Yesterday was Zombie Walk Dallas 2011 and we went downtown to participate.  It was a blast!
We went as undead Longhorn fans.
Here are a few photos:

Go to www.zombiewalkdallas.com for more info about the cause and how to get ready for next year.  They give business to the local area, this year focused on how downtown has gotten safer.  They also take blood and monetary donations to Carter Blood Care.  Its something really fun and a good cause.  Thousand of zombies wondering around downtown Dallas?  SO MUCH FUN.

I will post how to for make up and costumes soon.