Evening and thanks for stopping by again. Halloween has passed, which always makes me sad. Partially because we lost Huz's wonderful mom really unexpectedly six years ago today and partially because I love Halloween and it makes me sad when it's over. Especially since it's two weeks left to the Con!!
I tried the Mark on Huz, who humored me by being Dean for a Halloween [arty hosted by a friend one week before Halloween and then again on Halloween itself so I could try twice on him. His arm s obviously different than mine in a few ways.
First, he's got much more arm hair than I do. Second, he has a gorgeous tattoo in the spot where the Mark goes, and being in a wheelchair I can't reliably cover it with makeup that won't be everywhere. Third, his elbow was screwed up when it broke at one point and he can no longer straighten his arm, so even the simple act of applying it is not easy because he basically has to cuddle with me. (Not that I'm arguing!!)
The first method I tried to apply the mark to him, I didn't use much in the way of the toilet paper. I started him out with the red lip liner, and a base level of liquid latex, and added color in between. I only used the toilet paper to help build up the layers where the Mark is the thickest, the top and bottom of the check mark, the teeth on the edge. That was it. And you really couldn't see it well. I added some layers on latex but it just wasn't enough. You really couldn't see it. I didn't even take pictures, that's what a failure I thought it was.
A few days before Halloween, I stayed up and made another Mark to use, this time making it on a piece of glass. I made sure it had enough depth and body to be peeled off and applied like a prosthetic. I also deiced the make up I had purchased form the Costume shop (a bruise wheel) was greta for bruises, but not for the Mark. I feel the colors were too red for what really looks like a thick, pinkish-beige scar. i'll tell you shortly what I ended up using. I used the stuff off on the side of the picture, including the sheet of toilet paper which I tor e into tiny pieces and sort of decoupaged the Mark as I went, to give it fas depth.
So I took the display box I bough from my friend with the Mark on it and used that as a stencil (slightly big, but since I'm competing with his tattoo, I'm actually totally okay with that.) You can' really see it well here, but there's a piece of glass from a picture frame on top of the box, so I can trace the Mark. (Thanks, Jonna!!) I'm not great at drawing in general, and frequently need stencils and the like to help. I traced it with the red lip liner (forgot to take pictures, though.) And fill it in the a good deep base color.
Once I had the base color, I painted the first layer of latex on it, and went back immediately to add some toilet paper pieces to it to puff it up. I waited until it dried, then did another coat of latex and toilet paper. When that dried, I did one more layer of latex and filled the higher spots in again with TP. Pictured was the second layer, when I was getting good depth.
At this point, I started to add some color to give it a more pinkish scar hue than red of blood. I had some blush hanging around that is electric pink on one side and beige on the other so it evens out to a good non-nightmare tone pink, and this was surprising step number one I added. I liked the color it added, but I knew it wasn't nearly enough. I also textured the top with dry brush strokes to give it the fine lines actual gaping scars get. I left it on the glass leaning against the wall until it was actually Halloween night.
I gathered my tools and applied the Mark to his arm while we entertained our toddler and fend off the too-early trick-or-treaters. I had him clean his arm with isopropyl alcohol, then applied a generous amount of pros aide with a q-tip, which stuck to everything in sight.
Then I peeled off the Mark pieces one at a time and fitted them together (since it's in three pieces) and waited for a moment or two while it dried. When it was done, I knew I still needed more color for it, so I grabbed one of those 24-hour lipsticks that I wear for work in a beige-pink color and also dries without needed to be reapplied.
You can't see the lipstick color well in the picture (I didn't take it) but this was taken at the end of the night. He said it stayed down well, except for a few little spots right at the edge I didn't get the little flappy edges down well. I will probably try to do this a little better when we're in Cali. The lipstick was a great idea, though. I really like the way it came out, overall. I need to make another, and maybe an extra one, smaller, for me to wear on Sunday. We'll see. My niece may want one,w which is cool, but applying it to myself will not be easy.
It was funny applying the Mark to his arm because he has several scars already from the trauma he's suffered, and comparing the fine lines that appear in a scar to the Mark as they show it in pictures it had the same texture, but the color was like it had been done recently and was still healing, puffy and pink. I actually need to add a little more next time. All my lipstick was along the side of the bottle, I'll remember to tip it upright before we go to bed Friday night. Really thrilled, this is going well.
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