bleeding bullet wound in the forehead. A swollen, busted lip. An ugly gash across the neck.
These are some of the things Orbit Salon stylist Erin Volkman loves to give people — using costume makeup, that is.
Volkman has worked as a hair and makeup stylist for most of her life, but it was only three years ago when she first delved into the realm of horror makeup and “the undead look.”
Volkman learned much of the art by experimenting and self-teaching, but she also gained experience while working on the set of slasher film remake “Boggy Creek” in September 2009.
Volkman will also be working with a special effects team on a zombie movie that begins filming in November.
“I want to master it all,” Volkman said. “I really want to do something like in ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ and build up a spinal cord injury. It’s disgusting and awesome all at the same time.”
Orbit Salon hosted its first Halloween makeup tutorial Wednesday night where Volkman showed people how to upgrade from eyeliner scars and ketchup blood to realistic-looking flesh wounds, creating a gruesome appearance fit for a zombie or someone who got beat up in a bar fight.
“We were looking for different ways to involve clients besides just getting a haircut,” said Christian Kyle, head of Orbit Salon. “Halloween seemed like the perfect time to try this out.”
Seeing hair and makeup as a creative outlet, Volkman said the face is not much different from a painter’s canvas.
For authentic fake blood, Volkman recommends a blend of Karo syrup and red and black food coloring. Deeper cuts require darker blood to look real, so start with a 5-to-1 red to black color ratio in the mixture and then play around with it to find the perfect shade, she said.
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The essentials for creating skin injuries and a zombie face include:
• A bruise wheel – a specific makeup palette that includes all the colors of bruising
• Spirit gum – a skin adhesive to attach objects to the face
• Modeling wax – to create edges of scars and wounds
• Skin concealer – the kind a girl has at home is typically fine
• Fake blood – storebought or homemade
