The thickened Pros Aide glues are esentially glues which have most of the water evaporated. so they become thicker. Bondo can be made by mixing Cab-O-Sil (fumed silica) with Pros Aide/Aqua Fix to form a toothpaste consistency. You can tint the Pros Aide before mixing with acrylic paints so it dred flesh toned - although a little experimentation is required to get it spot on. -Stuart
Good edges will blend without anything, but alcohol is used first only to temporarily unstick the edges and allow you to roll out any edges which may have folded under themselves. Once that has been done you can use a Witch Hazel solution (an astringent from Pharmacies also known as Hamamelis Water) which will dissolve thin edges which are still visible.
What can be used instead of Witch Hazel solution or what is chemical compound in it that dissolves thin edges? I can not find Hamamelis Water in our pharmacies.
Mix what you need outside or near extraction so as to avoid inhaling the cabosil. I like that Cabosil mix, as it is a paste where as the thick prosaide is a cream. I would do a test on the same piece with each and see which you prefer.
Jackson, I can't seem to see a reply button to link this but the video explains the parts as ratios (skip to 2:37) - it doesn't matter what your measurements are, so long as they are proportioned. Use Ounces or Fl Oz, cups or shot glasses - so long as they are 1:2.5:3 its all the same.
We have been mixing cabosil and prosaide to patch foam latex for years - popping into moulds is easy enough and makes great little pieces. Bondo transfers are okay for thin appliances - but thick pieces are not that flexible (certainly not as soft as silicone) and take ages to dry. You can go the whole freezing/transfer paper route, but I could knock out a silicone piece in an hour from the same mould. Bondo is great for thin pieces though - mix your own, it's so easy.
@tokyorose1123 In the Coraline 'casting appliances' video is use Gelatine colours and also greasepaint which melts beautifully in the molten mix. Be sure to start with gelatine that is translucent and add the necessary pigments a tiny bit at a time. It is already quite opaque, then add only the colours necessary...maybe just a little bit of red and tiny bit of green or blue. The gelatine may be white or yellow enough without any pigment at all so tweak it. Slowly does it- no grand gestures.
@PierceFitzgerald Hi - ot sure what you mean. If you have sculpted a piece and presumable will make a mould, you'll need to get gelatine into the mould and it needs to be melted in order to do that. What is it about heating it up which needs avoiding? Also, beware that gelatine melts with sweat and theatre is not ideal for gelatine as the heat of lights etc can cause a lot of perspiration. -Stuart
Hi - sweat (salt water/saline, tears, snot, saliva, teras - pretty much whatever comes out of the body) will break down and melt gelatine so silicone gel appliances are the ideal material although there is a cost and skill required to use it. Skin reactions are usually minimal so long as professional materials approved for skin use are involved. It pays to do patch tests to check and if someone is allergic to everything under the sun then they may already be aware of this. Stuart
Gelatine is graded by strength using a 'bloom' scale. FX gelatine has a bloom of 250-300 and is tough enough to withstand the demands made on it when pulling it out of moulds etc. Food gelatine tends to be much softer and weaker as a result and may melt more readily once worn. No doubt brands and batches will vary, so as it is inexpensive, maybe give it a try and see if your local suppliers is any good.
They may work, although it could take a few coats as the porous surface my absorb the first few. Wax can melt with the heat of the wax - as can Vaseline, although if these are used first then they can soak into the mould, making your silicone sprays more effective.
Hi - to be honest if heat is an issue (say for example, if the character is sweaty or it's an action shot in a hot climate) then I would use silicone every time to be safe. Gelatine gets warm and moves better, but perspiration is the real killer.Water does make it quite soft, so I don't tend to add it. I never tried with less sorbitol and more glycerine - I would imagine so long as the liquid content remains the same then it would still work reasonable well.
I don't know enough about the chemistry but I think you could. If the strength wasn't up to par, then you could simply make a new batch with your updated amounts instead.
The larger the volume, the longer it takes to cool down - so that is why I use ice cube trays. Ideally overnight, or a few hours in a refrigerator will accelerate the cooling process.
thanks for this great tutorial!! i'm making my own moulds right now, a simple question? what a about pre-heat the glycerin? that will help to dissolve the gelatine better right? have you try that? again thanks, from Chile!!.
Not sure - you could try with just glycerine, and another with Karo syrup. Do small batches so you don't commit huge volumes of material to each test - it's the only way to be sure. -Stuart
Not really used foaming gelatine, but principles of colour and injecting are the same. Search for my video 'Coraline Button Eyes Makeup Part 4: Casting Appliances' where I mix, colour and inject gelatine and make a syringe to do it.
Help?! I am making foamed gelatin prosthetics for Halloween but the paint on the prosthetic and my skin are coming out different shades. I powdered and final sealed my face, but the prosthetic is a much brighter green than my skin. Any tips?
What was the core made from? I use pref a spray release such as an epoxy parfilm. Wax has a tendency to melt with the heat of gelatine and cease to function as a release accordingly. Also try silicone spray as this is pretty heat resistant.
Really nice video. In my country , italy, you can buy sorbitol and glicerol at the pharmacy store, glicerol is pure, gliceryne is glicerol plus distilled water 5-20% it's depend. For the 300 bloom gelatine i buy that from Uk at good prices, and in my mixture i add some zinc oxide it's make the make up galatine more tear resistent and also act as preservative for the ready one.
Hey Stuart, can you help me? I made some gelatine for my moulds. I have problems with the prosthetics when i separate it from the mold, (including silicone molds!), the thinner part breaks!! Maybe it can be because I used a bad mix of the components? or dont use zinc oxide? Than you!!
Thanks Stuart, that is what I was not sure about. Whether the cream and cabopatch were the same consistency. I am going to get a good mask and go out side today. Some times I forget that we have to run our own tests to find out the answer and that is half the fun.
@Flurry0fFun Apparently it helps with the 'tear strength' so it is tougher and can handle being...well...handled. Where abouts in the world are you? I will try and source a supplier. email me if you prefer. -Stuart
I had the same problem. My major problem was the texture differences between my skin and the prosthetic mask. It looked like a piece of covered up rubber blending into my face. A video I saw had the guy creating an old man look to blend in a prosthetic. My guess is you need to learn a way to pigment the gelatin to a similar skin color. This is why I am against using dehydrated syrup as a sorbitol source. It does help the strength a bit, but it makes it dark.
I was mainly looking at this to make small and thin pieces like you say ( small wounds over large appliances). I was Just thinking of what the cheapest and quickest method would be. Whether to mix cabopatch and freeze dry it or use thickened adhesive? I think I read somewhere that with the extra moisture in cabopatch, it would take longer to use. I have some cabosil but had no idea how big a package 500 g would be, it came in two bags like a pillow. I am a bit reticent to transfer it .
Keep heating it gently and allow it to stand so the bigger bubbles can rise out. If you stir it, you'll introduce more bubbles so just allow it to remain hot by popping into a microwave for 30 seconds or so every few minutes. The tiny bubbles are not usually a problem, and they are not on the surface of a piece. There were tiny bubbles in mine, and if there is sufficient amounts of pigment then it isn't so translucent that they are obvious. Foam latex is made from bubbles after all!
Question for you! I followed your exact recipe here but my mixture has thousands of tiny bubbles in it.... was I just stirring it to vigoriously? How can I make those bubbles pop?? Thank you!!
Where abouts in the world are you? Mouldlife sell it - it may not be on their website but give them a call. I wonder if just using more glycerine would do it.
I molded a werewolf and would like to make a gelatin prosthetic with it. The last time i did this, my armature got stuck to the gelatin and I couldn't pry it out. Do you recommend any specific mold release?
ajam...I tried with Lars Carlson's ratio, but i will try with your ratio. Stuart, thank you again. I wish I could go to London for a seminar yours, but.... I love your videos. It help me a lot. Thank you so much!!!
Hey Stuart, In Australia I cannot find 300 bloom gelatin anywhere or Sorbitol. Gylcerine is Gylcerol here. There is no Fx, theatre, or costume/halloween shops anywhere here that supply any of it and cannot get it. I had success with just Gelatin from the shop, Gylcerol and water. Its solid and looks the same colour as the ones you poured into the icecube tray. It stayed on and worked for halloween. (I can send pics) But where can I get stuff like this in Australia, is it called something else
Hi Stuart I saw a comment on you talking about silicone release sprays. Would they work on a CrystalcalR core? I used wax release and Vaseline. They release ok but I lose detail in the appliance. I made your injector you used in the button eyes tutorial and it worked well. Just had to put the right amount of gelatine in the syringe so cleaning out wasn't too hard.
If you make a particular batch of gelatin, can you alter the mix by remelting it and add a greater proportion of an ingredient without disrupting the integrity of the mix?
Hey I was wondering if u could help me? I've sculpted a prosthetic which is to be fitted on the side of the head which is the phantom of the opera head prosthetic from the show but I wanted to cast it in gelatine. Would this be possible so I can shape it to the actors head without melting it or heating it up in any way?
Hey, I read your instructable on how to create a realistic fake burn and I'm trying to find some premade gelatine-esque stuff that I can procure quickly. I came across Mehron's 3D FX gelatin. Do you know if it's any good? I also have some liquid latex I picked up but I think it'll be too uncomfortable to wear for an extended period of time and won't look as realistic. And what kind of paints did you use in that instructable by the way?
Great Video Stuart! I'm familiar with making my Gelatin, but it never seems to come out quite the way I want it to. I've had troubles with the gelatin granules and it always seems to come out too Opaque as well. I think this video has given me some ideas on what to do differently next time. Any suggestions on pre-colouring the Gelatin without losing too much of the translucency? Thanks in advance and GREAT video!
hi stuart, i am from hong kong and it is a bit difficult to get sorbitol here, do you think i can use karo serup or other materials to replace sobitol? I really want to try making prosthetic with gelatin Thanks =) ~Steph
Hello Stuart ! I search for liquid sorbitol all day and I couldn't find it anywhere ! They can only give me powder sorbitol. Can I do something with it ? Is the sorbitol very important to make gelatine ? Thank you
We are looking for a recipe for fake skin to be put in a mold and then over a prop for surgical practice at work. Would this work well for that application?
Mr. Bray. Thank you so very much for your instructional video's. It is greatly appreciated. I am less than a novice and, unfortunatly, allergic to latex. So.... latex is out and thanks to you I may have gelatine. You mentioned the sweat factor, could you elaborate? Also, are you aware of any other Contact Dermititus problem's as far as FX goes?
The thickened Pros Aide glues sound better. I just read a Todd Debrecini pdf on how he makes his transfers. I looked up the price of buying a food mixer and making it, compared to buying the thickened Aqua Fix and if you were to make enough home made, I suppose it would be cheaper. That Aqua Fix is amazing value compared to the Pros Aide. I looked at the Maekup brand Probondo and I guess it is essentially the same thing? Though very expensive. -Toby
I shall try that. Seal and release method sounds good. Loving your sculpt gel video BTW, it's broadened my horizons beyond simple cuts and the odd bullet entrance wound. Have you ever thought about doing a DVD or You Tube tutorial on bondo transfers? These seem really interesting to me. Is Mould Life Thickened Aqua Fix the same as a form of bondo? Cheers Toby
Gelatine doesn't dry - it solidifies when it cools. You make it fluid by raising the temperature and it returns to a soft 'solid' at room temperature. I wouldn't recommend it for a tongue you would put in the mouth as saliva will melt it! Silicone is a better choice.
Hi Stuart, just wanted to say you are amazingggg at what you do! Thank you so much for your videos, I recently signed up for your e-course and as a beginner in this, it has been a lot of help! I have been really curious in learning about the different applications used for spfx makeup and was wondering if you could help in explaining what projects each were mainly good for? Eg, foam latex, gelatin, wax for scratches.. etc ? And is there any way we could make foam latex from scratch? Thanks!!!!!!
Hi Stuart! Quick question-I've been on the crazy relentless hunt for sorbitol,and am having a really hard time finding it! I would order some online,but I need it rather soon. Is there a substitute for sorbitol that's easier to obtain?:/
@dosig Yeah - as tokyorose says...check with these suppliers. They should know who does stock it if they don't. Failing that get it shipped if you can - although being a food based product there may be all kinds of restrictions as I know how customs love to jump all over that kind of thing. -Stuart
Do you have any recommended suggestions on prepping the skin prior to gelatin application? Also what is your preferred method to applying Gelatin and dissolve edges ?
Clean skin as always, I use a mild astringent usually to remove any traces of oils to maximise adhesion of glues used. Thin edges can be melted with Witchazel (Hammemalis water astringent) or salt water if no Witchazel available.
Thanks for the great video... i made this last year and it turned out FABULOUS!! To those having difficulty finding Sorbitol in Canada.... I have a compounding pharmacy in my pretty small suburb... they ordered it for me and it was cheap... $12 for 600ml
Larkspur69 Hey, Larkspur69. I read your comment about finding things in Canada, I was wondering where you bought your 300 bloom gelatine from? I can't find it anywhere. Thank you :)
@dosig Yeah - as dosig says...check with these suppliers. They should know who does stock it if they don't. Failing that get it shipped if you can - although being a food based product there may be all kinds of restrictions as I know how customs love to jump all over that kind of thing. -Stuart
would you store the prepared gelatin cubes in the fridge, freezer or cupboard? as it is an animal byproduct, dos it go bad in room temperature? because you said it should last for a year.
so long as it is kept dry, the cupboard should be okay. Water is the enemy to stored gelatine, so keeping it in sealed plastic bags, and if possible pop in a silic gel sachet.
Hello, I have the same gelatine you used in this video but I only have the glycerin. is there a gram measurement that you can recommend me to use? And should I powder them after I take them out of the ice tray? Also, Im using a flat mould which is made out of stone (die keen) and the gelatine mix i have done keeps sticking to the old even though i use vaseline on it so it won't stick but yet it does. Any recommendations?
Depends what you are doing. This is a video about making gelatine for when you wish to use heating. Some things can be done in latex too, silicone or foam latex. Different things work best in different materials.
stuart bray Thank you for the reply, I did get hold of a cheap second hand one in the meantime though, which is quite nice. Another thing, what 'heat' level do you recommend using? I know it must vary according to the amount of material but I was thinking if the material wanted to heat us as slow as possible? Kind regards Michael
stuart bray Thank you so much. I really appreciate you take the time to share your knowledge. Some years ago this was such a hidden World, I don't miss those days heh. Thanks man :)
I must be doing something wrong. My gelatin crystals just aren't dissolving. I've tried around 10 batches. Sometimes soaking overnight, sometimes not. Sometimes substituting sorbitol with honey/water (as shown on instructibles). Generally heat (on medium) for 20-30 seconds, then stir for as long, this cycle from anywhere between 5 minutes to 20 minutes. It gets really hot, but aside from a couple times, never boils or foams over. The end result is something that looks nothing like in the video. Whitish and opaque, sticky, and with a granular texture from all the crystals that hadn't dissolved. Is 20 minutes of heating/stirring not enough? I get far better results with the cheaper knox/honey recipe, for some reason. Even if the end product won't be as good as the pro grade potential.
No idea what that is all about. Where is the gelatine from? Maybe just a bad batch? If you get better results with Knox then do that instead. I really don't know enough about the chemistry to pick that one apart honestly!
I have no idea....i don't know what that is to be honest. I'd do a test with a small quantity or substitute with more glycerine and see if it is acceptable.
Natalie Perez I'm not sure of the origin of the glycerine I've used. To be honest the only way to be sure is a test. I think to avoid all animal products I woukd use silicone instead nowadays anyhow.
stuart bray, I ask because I purchased vegetable glycerin by mistake. It isn't setting right. Ill keep testing. I appreciate the response. Love your videos!
There are a couple of things to consider. One may be simply that the appliance is too thin and needs resculpting - after all if it doesn't add sufficient three dimensional effect, then would the effect be better with a good paint job instead? Secondly, it may be that the mould needs more release, and without sufficient release agent, the gelatine is gripping the mould surface enough to make removal of the delicate appliance impossible without damage. Thirdly, try freezing the mould so the gelatine is cooled sufficiently to harden, thus making more aggressive handling possible, certainly until it thaws and softens again. Also, wear gloves when handling so moisture from hands does not affect the delicate piece. I use vinyl or nitrile gloves.
Hello Stuart, I'm using the exact same recipe however my gelatin keeps separating on my mold. I'm not sure why this is happening but when I try to scrape it off my flat molds (very gently) it does not stay melted on top. Thank you!
I doubt it. You still need to make an appliance with super thin edges which feather to nothing. If that isn't happening then something is wrong with the sculpt, mould, or the mould closure during casting. Witch Hazel isn't going to make a bad edge great. It will melt a thin edge to literally nothing, but it can't substitute good appliances in the first place. Email me a picture of your pieces (applied and before application) and your moulds, I would be interested to see if there is anything from them that may give a clue to the problem and see if I can help.
Hi Stuart, I've been looking around for sorbitol and cam across a product called Sorbitol - Sosa. When I tried to research what "sosa" meant I got all manner of stupid crap come up in searches. Is all sorbitol the same? Thank you
stuart bray Thanks! Also, as a makeup artist on the rise, I have to tell you that you are a source of mentorship and inspiration. Your lessons are great.
Indeed you can. I have done a tutorial on just that very thing - not a video but step-by-step nonetheless. Google 'Create a REALISTIC BURN using makeup'. It is on a site called 'instructables'. Alas, I am prevented from placing URL's here. -Stuart
hey stuart, is it okay if i use food grade gelatine available back here in india used for gelly?...i tried your mix proportion but couldnt get it right...that my gelatine puck, after heating for even 10 secs, becomes really runny. I am trying to make a silicone finer skin glove using an algenite mold...the mixture simply does not form a texture layer when poured inside the mould and poured nack out again.help me!
You can of course try. ..that's the only way to know. I suspect food grade gelatine is too weak and not anything like as string as silicone. By string I mean still very soft but doesn't tear easily. I think gelatine is just too weak. Of it is soft enough to chew and eat then it won't withstand manhandling.
+stuart bray yeap!!....i can wriggle in and tear and make a hole inside the puck by just using my finger nail...guess i have to search for 300 bloom gelatine here in india...:(..btw is there any silicone based material which i can use as a replacement for the gelatin mix??
Sometimes, in thin areas like the cutting edge etc, gelatine will actually break, as it is too thin to have enough strength to hold itself. You may have a weaker gelatine, but if it was sculpted micro thin in the first place, it may simply be that there isn't enough to hold it together. Once applied, it should hold itself there in place but if it is ruined every time you cast one out, it may be the gelatine just isn't tough enough - either needs to be stronger powder or less liquids. -Stuart
@doshbox Hi - excellent questions! I invite you to email me directly as the reply box here does not allow me to use more that 491 character or insert links. mail and then at fllowed by learn prosthetic makeup (one word) dot and then a com. Even email addresses make his thing flip it's giblets. -Stuart
The thickened Pros Aide glues are esentially glues which have most of the water evaporated. so they become thicker. Bondo can be made by mixing Cab-O-Sil (fumed silica) with Pros Aide/Aqua Fix to form a toothpaste consistency.
You can tint the Pros Aide before mixing with acrylic paints so it dred flesh toned - although a little experimentation is required to get it spot on.
-Stuart
Good edges will blend without anything, but alcohol is used first only to temporarily unstick the edges and allow you to roll out any edges which may have folded under themselves.
Once that has been done you can use a Witch Hazel solution (an astringent from Pharmacies also known as Hamamelis Water) which will dissolve thin edges which are still visible.
What can be used instead of Witch Hazel solution or what is chemical compound in it that dissolves thin edges? I can not find Hamamelis Water in our pharmacies.
@wilkas Warm salt water
Mix what you need outside or near extraction so as to avoid inhaling the cabosil. I like that Cabosil mix, as it is a paste where as the thick prosaide is a cream. I would do a test on the same piece with each and see which you prefer.
Jackson, I can't seem to see a reply button to link this but the video explains the parts as ratios (skip to 2:37) - it doesn't matter what your measurements are, so long as they are proportioned. Use Ounces or Fl Oz, cups or shot glasses - so long as they are 1:2.5:3 its all the same.
We have been mixing cabosil and prosaide to patch foam latex for years - popping into moulds is easy enough and makes great little pieces. Bondo transfers are okay for thin appliances - but thick pieces are not that flexible (certainly not as soft as silicone) and take ages to dry.
You can go the whole freezing/transfer paper route, but I could knock out a silicone piece in an hour from the same mould. Bondo is great for thin pieces though - mix your own, it's so easy.
@tokyorose1123 In the Coraline 'casting appliances' video is use Gelatine colours and also greasepaint which melts beautifully in the molten mix.
Be sure to start with gelatine that is translucent and add the necessary pigments a tiny bit at a time. It is already quite opaque, then add only the colours necessary...maybe just a little bit of red and tiny bit of green or blue. The gelatine may be white or yellow enough without any pigment at all so tweak it. Slowly does it- no grand gestures.
@PierceFitzgerald Hi - ot sure what you mean. If you have sculpted a piece and presumable will make a mould, you'll need to get gelatine into the mould and it needs to be melted in order to do that. What is it about heating it up which needs avoiding?
Also, beware that gelatine melts with sweat and theatre is not ideal for gelatine as the heat of lights etc can cause a lot of perspiration.
-Stuart
Hey, my problem is that I can't get Sorbitol in liquid form. Only as powder. How would that change the gelatine?
Hi - sweat (salt water/saline, tears, snot, saliva, teras - pretty much whatever comes out of the body) will break down and melt gelatine so silicone gel appliances are the ideal material although there is a cost and skill required to use it.
Skin reactions are usually minimal so long as professional materials approved for skin use are involved. It pays to do patch tests to check and if someone is allergic to everything under the sun then they may already be aware of this.
Stuart
Gelatine is graded by strength using a 'bloom' scale. FX gelatine has a bloom of 250-300 and is tough enough to withstand the demands made on it when pulling it out of moulds etc. Food gelatine tends to be much softer and weaker as a result and may melt more readily once worn.
No doubt brands and batches will vary, so as it is inexpensive, maybe give it a try and see if your local suppliers is any good.
They may work, although it could take a few coats as the porous surface my absorb the first few. Wax can melt with the heat of the wax - as can Vaseline, although if these are used first then they can soak into the mould, making your silicone sprays more effective.
Hi - to be honest if heat is an issue (say for example, if the character is sweaty or it's an action shot in a hot climate) then I would use silicone every time to be safe. Gelatine gets warm and moves better, but perspiration is the real killer.Water does make it quite soft, so I don't tend to add it.
I never tried with less sorbitol and more glycerine - I would imagine so long as the liquid content remains the same then it would still work reasonable well.
I don't know enough about the chemistry but I think you could. If the strength wasn't up to par, then you could simply make a new batch with your updated amounts instead.
The larger the volume, the longer it takes to cool down - so that is why I use ice cube trays. Ideally overnight, or a few hours in a refrigerator will accelerate the cooling process.
thanks for this great tutorial!! i'm making my own moulds right now, a simple question? what a about pre-heat the glycerin? that will help to dissolve the gelatine better right? have you try that? again thanks, from Chile!!.
Not sure - you could try with just glycerine, and another with Karo syrup. Do small batches so you don't commit huge volumes of material to each test - it's the only way to be sure.
-Stuart
In the US, try BITY. In Europe, Minke props! I don't know of an alternative - maybe try more glycerine or buy ready made blocks.
Not really used foaming gelatine, but principles of colour and injecting are the same. Search for my video 'Coraline Button Eyes Makeup Part 4: Casting Appliances' where I mix, colour and inject gelatine and make a syringe to do it.
Help?! I am making foamed gelatin prosthetics for Halloween but the paint on the prosthetic and my skin are coming out different shades. I powdered and final sealed my face, but the prosthetic is a much brighter green than my skin. Any tips?
What was the core made from? I use pref a spray release such as an epoxy parfilm. Wax has a tendency to melt with the heat of gelatine and cease to function as a release accordingly. Also try silicone spray as this is pretty heat resistant.
Really nice video.
In my country , italy, you can buy sorbitol and glicerol at the pharmacy store, glicerol is pure, gliceryne is glicerol plus distilled water 5-20% it's depend. For the 300 bloom gelatine i buy that from Uk at good prices, and in my mixture i add some zinc oxide it's make the make up galatine more tear resistent and also act as preservative for the ready one.
Hey Stuart, can you help me?
I made some gelatine for my moulds. I have problems with the prosthetics when i separate it from the mold, (including silicone molds!), the thinner part breaks!!
Maybe it can be because I used a bad mix of the components? or dont use zinc oxide? Than you!!
Thanks Stuart, that is what I was not sure about. Whether the cream and cabopatch were the same consistency. I am going to get a good mask and go out side today. Some times I forget that we have to run our own tests to find out the answer and that is half the fun.
@Flurry0fFun Apparently it helps with the 'tear strength' so it is tougher and can handle being...well...handled.
Where abouts in the world are you? I will try and source a supplier. email me if you prefer.
-Stuart
I had the same problem. My major problem was the texture differences between my skin and the prosthetic mask. It looked like a piece of covered up rubber blending into my face. A video I saw had the guy creating an old man look to blend in a prosthetic.
My guess is you need to learn a way to pigment the gelatin to a similar skin color. This is why I am against using dehydrated syrup as a sorbitol source. It does help the strength a bit, but it makes it dark.
Would you be able to use this to model directly onto the skin? Of course if it isn't too hot?
I was mainly looking at this to make small and thin pieces like you say ( small wounds over large appliances). I was Just thinking of what the cheapest and quickest method would be. Whether to mix cabopatch and freeze dry it or use thickened adhesive?
I think I read somewhere that with the extra moisture in cabopatch, it would take longer to use. I have some cabosil but had no idea how big a package 500 g would be, it came in two bags like a pillow. I am a bit reticent to transfer it .
Keep heating it gently and allow it to stand so the bigger bubbles can rise out. If you stir it, you'll introduce more bubbles so just allow it to remain hot by popping into a microwave for 30 seconds or so every few minutes.
The tiny bubbles are not usually a problem, and they are not on the surface of a piece. There were tiny bubbles in mine, and if there is sufficient amounts of pigment then it isn't so translucent that they are obvious. Foam latex is made from bubbles after all!
Question for you! I followed your exact recipe here but my mixture has thousands of tiny bubbles in it.... was I just stirring it to vigoriously? How can I make those bubbles pop?? Thank you!!
Where abouts in the world are you? Mouldlife sell it - it may not be on their website but give them a call. I wonder if just using more glycerine would do it.
I molded a werewolf and would like to make a gelatin prosthetic with it. The last time i did this, my armature got stuck to the gelatin and I couldn't pry it out. Do you recommend any specific mold release?
ajam...I tried with Lars Carlson's ratio, but i will try with your ratio.
Stuart, thank you again. I wish I could go to London for a seminar yours, but....
I love your videos. It help me a lot. Thank you so much!!!
Is it possible to do this without the sorbitol? Just gelatin and glycerine?
Hey Stuart, In Australia I cannot find 300 bloom gelatin anywhere or Sorbitol. Gylcerine is Gylcerol here. There is no Fx, theatre, or costume/halloween shops anywhere here that supply any of it and cannot get it.
I had success with just Gelatin from the shop, Gylcerol and water. Its solid and looks the same colour as the ones you poured into the icecube tray. It stayed on and worked for halloween. (I can send pics)
But where can I get stuff like this in Australia, is it called something else
Hi Stuart
I saw a comment on you talking about silicone release sprays. Would they work on a CrystalcalR core? I used wax release and Vaseline. They release ok but I lose detail in the appliance. I made your injector you used in the button eyes tutorial and it worked well. Just had to put the right amount of gelatine in the syringe so cleaning out wasn't too hard.
If you make a particular batch of gelatin, can you alter the mix by remelting it and add a greater proportion of an ingredient without disrupting the integrity of the mix?
Do you have to let it sit over night?
Good job on this Mr. Bray.
Would love to see Foamed Gelatin and how you like to pigment your gelatin with flocking or foundation's.
Stuart is the best. Would love to see a cool compound fracture fx.
Hey I was wondering if u could help me?
I've sculpted a prosthetic which is to be fitted on the side of the head which is the phantom of the opera head prosthetic from the show but I wanted to cast it in gelatine. Would this be possible so I can shape it to the actors head without melting it or heating it up in any way?
Hey, I read your instructable on how to create a realistic fake burn and I'm trying to find some premade gelatine-esque stuff that I can procure quickly. I came across Mehron's 3D FX gelatin. Do you know if it's any good? I also have some liquid latex I picked up but I think it'll be too uncomfortable to wear for an extended period of time and won't look as realistic. And what kind of paints did you use in that instructable by the way?
Great Video Stuart!
I'm familiar with making my Gelatin, but it never seems to come out quite the way I want it to. I've had troubles with the gelatin granules and it always seems to come out too Opaque as well. I think this video has given me some ideas on what to do differently next time.
Any suggestions on pre-colouring the Gelatin without losing too much of the translucency?
Thanks in advance and GREAT video!
hi stuart,
i am from hong kong
and it is a bit difficult to get sorbitol here,
do you think i can use karo serup or other materials to replace sobitol?
I really want to try making prosthetic with gelatin
Thanks =)
~Steph
Hello Stuart ! I search for liquid sorbitol all day and I couldn't find it anywhere ! They can only give me powder sorbitol. Can I do something with it ? Is the sorbitol very important to make gelatine ?
Thank you
We are looking for a recipe for fake skin to be put in a mold and then over a prop for surgical practice at work. Would this work well for that application?
@@knaea i think so, but silicone is often used for such things and is moe reliable.
How does food grade gelatine compare to FX grade gelatine?
@Deroch was that the sam ratio so 1 part gelatine 2.5 water 3 parts glycerine.
Mr. Bray. Thank you so very much for your instructional video's. It is greatly appreciated. I am less than a novice and, unfortunatly, allergic to latex. So.... latex is out and thanks to you I may have gelatine. You mentioned the sweat factor, could you elaborate? Also, are you aware of any other Contact Dermititus problem's as far as FX goes?
The thickened Pros Aide glues sound better. I just read a Todd Debrecini pdf on how he makes his transfers.
I looked up the price of buying a food mixer and making it, compared to buying the thickened Aqua Fix and if you were to make enough home made, I suppose it would be cheaper. That Aqua Fix is amazing value compared to the Pros Aide.
I looked at the Maekup brand Probondo and I guess it is essentially the same thing? Though very expensive.
-Toby
acrylic paint, or foundation.
I shall try that. Seal and release method sounds good. Loving your sculpt gel video BTW, it's broadened my horizons beyond simple cuts and the odd bullet entrance wound.
Have you ever thought about doing a DVD or You Tube tutorial on bondo transfers? These seem really interesting to me. Is Mould Life Thickened Aqua Fix the same as a form of bondo?
Cheers
Toby
Inster of using sorbitol could u use water
Gelatine doesn't dry - it solidifies when it cools. You make it fluid by raising the temperature and it returns to a soft 'solid' at room temperature. I wouldn't recommend it for a tongue you would put in the mouth as saliva will melt it! Silicone is a better choice.
Hi Stuart, just wanted to say you are amazingggg at what you do! Thank you so much for your videos, I recently signed up for your e-course and as a beginner in this, it has been a lot of help! I have been really curious in learning about the different applications used for spfx makeup and was wondering if you could help in explaining what projects each were mainly good for? Eg, foam latex, gelatin, wax for scratches.. etc ? And is there any way we could make foam latex from scratch? Thanks!!!!!!
Hi Stuart! Quick question-I've been on the crazy relentless hunt for sorbitol,and am having a really hard time finding it! I would order some online,but I need it rather soon. Is there a substitute for sorbitol that's easier to obtain?:/
@dosig Yeah - as tokyorose says...check with these suppliers. They should know who does stock it if they don't. Failing that get it shipped if you can - although being a food based product there may be all kinds of restrictions as I know how customs love to jump all over that kind of thing.
-Stuart
Check my Coraline Video #5 which covers an application using gelatine.
Never thought of leaving it to soak :),
off to try that :) Thank you.
I’m using an oven to melt down my gelatin in the glycerin/sorbitol mix. Anyone know a good temp to keeping it from over heating?
95°C
Do you have any recommended suggestions on prepping the skin prior to gelatin application? Also what is your preferred method to applying Gelatin and dissolve edges ?
Clean skin as always, I use a mild astringent usually to remove any traces of oils to maximise adhesion of glues used. Thin edges can be melted with Witchazel (Hammemalis water astringent) or salt water if no Witchazel available.
may i know why use glycerin, what's the effect?
Thanks for the great video... i made this last year and it turned out FABULOUS!!
To those having difficulty finding Sorbitol in Canada.... I have a compounding pharmacy in my pretty small suburb... they ordered it for me and it was cheap... $12 for 600ml
Larkspur69 Hey, Larkspur69. I read your comment about finding things in Canada, I was wondering where you bought your 300 bloom gelatine from? I can't find it anywhere. Thank you :)
Jessica Wong you can find in frends beauty
I guess you could use more glycerine instead...may not be as good but try a small amount to see.
-Stuart
It aint easy to do it to yourself...the best baldcaps you've ever seen are usually applied by one onto another!
Stuart
can not find gelatine on ebay D:
STUART! great tutorial! thanks for these amazing videos:)
@dosig Yeah - as dosig says...check with these suppliers. They should know who does stock it if they don't. Failing that get it shipped if you can - although being a food based product there may be all kinds of restrictions as I know how customs love to jump all over that kind of thing.
-Stuart
would you store the prepared gelatin cubes in the fridge, freezer or cupboard? as it is an animal byproduct, dos it go bad in room temperature? because you said it should last for a year.
so long as it is kept dry, the cupboard should be okay. Water is the enemy to stored gelatine, so keeping it in sealed plastic bags, and if possible pop in a silic gel sachet.
stuart bray thank you!
Hello, I have the same gelatine you used in this video but I only have the glycerin. is there a gram measurement that you can recommend me to use? And should I powder them after I take them out of the ice tray? Also, Im using a flat mould which is made out of stone (die keen) and the gelatine mix i have done keeps sticking to the old even though i use vaseline on it so it won't stick but yet it does. Any recommendations?
do you think i could use latex instead of gelatine? thanks
Depends what you are doing. This is a video about making gelatine for when you wish to use heating. Some things can be done in latex too, silicone or foam latex. Different things work best in different materials.
Is there a better way to measure instead of grams because I don't have that kind of scale. :P
Can I use my everyday microwave oven I normally use for food?
Yes you can. There is nothing especially bad about the gelatine which heating will create.
stuart bray
Thank you for the reply, I did get hold of a cheap second hand one in the meantime though, which is quite nice. Another thing, what 'heat' level do you recommend using? I know it must vary according to the amount of material but I was thinking if the material wanted to heat us as slow as possible? Kind regards Michael
High but check every ten seconds at first. A whole bowl will take a few mins but an ice cube sized amount is likely only a few seconds.
stuart bray
Thank you so much. I really appreciate you take the time to share your knowledge. Some years ago this was such a hidden World, I don't miss those days heh. Thanks man :)
I must be doing something wrong. My gelatin crystals just aren't dissolving.
I've tried around 10 batches. Sometimes soaking overnight, sometimes not. Sometimes substituting sorbitol with honey/water (as shown on instructibles). Generally heat (on medium) for 20-30 seconds, then stir for as long, this cycle from anywhere between 5 minutes to 20 minutes. It gets really hot, but aside from a couple times, never boils or foams over. The end result is something that looks nothing like in the video. Whitish and opaque, sticky, and with a granular texture from all the crystals that hadn't dissolved. Is 20 minutes of heating/stirring not enough?
I get far better results with the cheaper knox/honey recipe, for some reason. Even if the end product won't be as good as the pro grade potential.
No idea what that is all about. Where is the gelatine from? Maybe just a bad batch? If you get better results with Knox then do that instead. I really don't know enough about the chemistry to pick that one apart honestly!
Can I use Erythritol instead of Sorbitol?
I have no idea....i don't know what that is to be honest. I'd do a test with a small quantity or substitute with more glycerine and see if it is acceptable.
Will vegetable glycerin work?
Natalie Perez I'm not sure of the origin of the glycerine I've used. To be honest the only way to be sure is a test. I think to avoid all animal products I woukd use silicone instead nowadays anyhow.
stuart bray, I ask because I purchased vegetable glycerin by mistake. It isn't setting right. Ill keep testing. I appreciate the response. Love your videos!
Can you replace gelatin with food grade agar? If yes, would agar be as strong as 300 bloom gelatin?
You can try. I haven't used gelatine for years now but only way to be sure is make a small batch to test and see if it will do what you need.
The gelatin came out great but i encountered a problem, my prosthetics are so thin that i have trouble peeling them out of my mould. any sugestions?
There are a couple of things to consider. One may be simply that the appliance is too thin and needs resculpting - after all if it doesn't add sufficient three dimensional effect, then would the effect be better with a good paint job instead?
Secondly, it may be that the mould needs more release, and without sufficient release agent, the gelatine is gripping the mould surface enough to make removal of the delicate appliance impossible without damage.
Thirdly, try freezing the mould so the gelatine is cooled sufficiently to harden, thus making more aggressive handling possible, certainly until it thaws and softens again.
Also, wear gloves when handling so moisture from hands does not affect the delicate piece. I use vinyl or nitrile gloves.
Hello Stuart,
I'm using the exact same recipe however my gelatin keeps separating on my mold. I'm not sure why this is happening but when I try to scrape it off my flat molds (very gently) it does not stay melted on top. Thank you!
You need to pour it on and scrape it within 10 - 20 seconds
Try heating the mold a bit too.
My gelatin is not blending when I use witch hazel or alcohol, is the problem because I am not using Sorbitol?
I doubt it. You still need to make an appliance with super thin edges which feather to nothing. If that isn't happening then something is wrong with the sculpt, mould, or the mould closure during casting.
Witch Hazel isn't going to make a bad edge great. It will melt a thin edge to literally nothing, but it can't substitute good appliances in the first place.
Email me a picture of your pieces (applied and before application) and your moulds, I would be interested to see if there is anything from them that may give a clue to the problem and see if I can help.
could I use vegetarian gelatine from sainsburys?
You could try buy store bought gelatine is likely to be too soft to be useable for FX with any durability.
Hi Stuart, I've been looking around for sorbitol and cam across a product called Sorbitol - Sosa. When I tried to research what "sosa" meant I got all manner of stupid crap come up in searches. Is all sorbitol the same? Thank you
I'll be honest - I have no idea. Where abouts in the world are you?
UK, Manchester
TheStuboy86
I think it is a brand of sorbitol. It is used in food/catering so most likely the same thing.
thanks for clearing that up for me, Stuart
What can i use instead the Sorbitol?
NievesArtsWorkshop More glycerine I suppose. I've never tried without.
stuart bray ooooh ok thanx. I ask because here in Puerto Rico its so difficult to find
It isn't easy to find on the site, I would give them a call!
Hi Stuart, great tutorial.
I'm using Gelatine with a 275 bloom, do you think it'll work?
I'm sure that would do the trick.
stuart bray Thanks! Also, as a makeup artist on the rise, I have to tell you that you are a source of mentorship and inspiration. Your lessons are great.
Indeed you can. I have done a tutorial on just that very thing - not a video but step-by-step nonetheless. Google 'Create a REALISTIC BURN using makeup'. It is on a site called 'instructables'.
Alas, I am prevented from placing URL's here.
-Stuart
yes, it is possible.
hey stuart, is it okay if i use food grade gelatine available back here in india used for gelly?...i tried your mix proportion but couldnt get it right...that my gelatine puck, after heating for even 10 secs, becomes really runny. I am trying to make a silicone finer skin glove using an algenite mold...the mixture simply does not form a texture layer when poured inside the mould and poured nack out again.help me!
You can of course try. ..that's the only way to know. I suspect food grade gelatine is too weak and not anything like as string as silicone.
By string I mean still very soft but doesn't tear easily. I think gelatine is just too weak. Of it is soft enough to chew and eat then it won't withstand manhandling.
+stuart bray yeap!!....i can wriggle in and tear and make a hole inside the puck by just using my finger nail...guess i have to search for 300 bloom gelatine here in india...:(..btw is there any silicone based material which i can use as a replacement for the gelatin mix??
+Indrajeet Bakhale yeah. Just avoid gelatine and use silicone instead.
I got my sorbitol and glycerine from a home brew site :)
Sometimes, in thin areas like the cutting edge etc, gelatine will actually break, as it is too thin to have enough strength to hold itself. You may have a weaker gelatine, but if it was sculpted micro thin in the first place, it may simply be that there isn't enough to hold it together.
Once applied, it should hold itself there in place but if it is ruined every time you cast one out, it may be the gelatine just isn't tough enough - either needs to be stronger powder or less liquids.
-Stuart
That is easy to do! But in my country is hard to find all of ingredients :'c ... excuse me, I'll cry
Thank you for replying! I found the instructable and it is fantastic, thank you for sharing your knowledge with the world!
Bravo!
Its animal? How CAN we do with vegan matérials?
The good gelatines are animal based. Better alternative would be to use silicone instead.
+stuart bray there are gelatines made from seaweed if you can find it called agar agar if you cant use the animal based one
@doshbox Hi - excellent questions! I invite you to email me directly as the reply box here does not allow me to use more that 491 character or insert links.
mail and then at fllowed by learn prosthetic makeup (one word) dot and then a com.
Even email addresses make his thing flip it's giblets.
-Stuart
thanks ;)
Lovely!!! :D
me gusta
..........( continued)
to a safe container and have it going every where. ( don't want to keep it in a bag).