TOPIC: Help

No, still don't know where those rares are. Had to leave without them.<br /><br />I also got to experience the joy of using the barf bag for the first time.<br /><br />It's been a hell of a day.<br /><br />On the plus side, free wifi.

Oy, that sucks (the bag obviously, not the Wifi)<br /><br />If you need any rares to help outfit you, let me know when I get to the Con. I'll gladly help you cover any gaps.

It was more spew than suck.<br /><br />On the whole, it's not that bad not having the rares. The biggest problem is missing the 3 fire topazes for the 4C combo. I'm hoping I can find people willing to spot me them until I manage to track down where mine when. I turned my room upside down this morning. It looks like a tornado hit it.

Errr, also need 5 Obsidian. Anyone have them spare?

I think I do Henwy, I will check when I get home in the AM

I defer anything I say in the following to whatever Brian tells you. Here is what I remember from my wounds class/ learned from being on stage (all colors can be adjusted for zombie)<br /><br />A good way to create a scrape with latex/spirit gum: Apply a thin layer of kleenex to skin, and put the latex on top in a thin layer, thus adhering the kleenex to skin. Apply normal foundation over both, pre-Zombie makeup. Next, apply some green to the widest part of the wound, purple towards the center. Using a paper clip, gently scratch over the area, removing bits of the kleenex. In some of the now revealed "skin," dab red/fake blood (in your case, black or brown and I would recommend karo syrup). I love this wound because it can look really painful.<br /><br />Generally, because I wouldn't recommend a head to toe coloring, focus on the face and arms. Think of bruising - it's not just purple, but greens and yellows and browns. Zombies lose most of this coloring because they are already dead. Their wounds are in shades of gray and brown (I think brown is creepier as a color), and green to suggest gangrene. The strongest colors are at the center of the wound, but wounds patch out from that point of contact.<br /><br />Gaping wounds work well if you have putty or wax in addition to latex - build the wound on the skin ahead of time. Then you apply spirit gum or to your wound area (say, on the side of the neck), then attach the putty wound, and apply a sealer to hold it in place. Then you color it as you see fit, complete with fake blood. You have to be careful about the size of the wound, because if it's too heavy the wound won't stick to the skin. I remember this one girl in my class tried to make a giant blister, but it kept falling off her arm because it was too big for the spirit gum. <br /><br />According to a family textbook on the subject (costumes and design was one of my mom's careers):<br /><br />-Mortician's wax works well for those gaping wounds - you spread it thin, cut with a palette knife or end of a paintbrush. Apply sealer. When it dries, apply colour and blood<br /><br />-Blood can be made with things like vaseline, gelatine, or KY jelly - it provides a sort of base when heated and mixed with a little water that helps it set.<br /><br />-tooth enamel can be used to black out teeth (makes it look like they're missing) - yellow ages, black rots<br /><br />- greasepaint can also work as a good makeup base - depending on your zombie age, you could use red, purple, brown, or even gray as a base

DarkAngel has graciously offered to spot me 2 of the obsidian gems I need. If anyone else has 3 available for trade I'd be appreciative.<br /><br />As for the makeup issue...I just feel overwhelmed with all of this. I've been reading a lot of tidbits of info online and it's like reading a tech manual for a field you're not familiar with.  It was probably just unrealistic to expect that you can really be talked through this sort of thing without at least some prior experience. We'll just have to splash around and be satisfied with whatever we can manage.

Don't be alarmed! It looks confusing till you realize people are talking about blush and play-doh <br /><br />What supplies do you have? For the simplest makeup, you only need some "theater" makeup (think those goofy clown halloween makeup palettes) in shades of brown, white, and black, and some fake puss or blood. I bet you could do a lot with that - put some brown around the bone lines to shadow (makes you look gaunt), some black patches of skin, with a little fake ooze - you'd look lovely!

<br />You can have some of my real blood - I got lots.  Dunno if I could work up any donor pus, though.<br /><br />

Thanks a ton to Dave THornton who made KB a blast with his makeup skills.<br /><br />THa nks to all those who went out of their way to help me out with tokens I was missing. I'm more than happy to reimburse you if you just drop me a PM and let me know what I mooched off of you and your shipping address.<br /><br />On a sidenote, I'm also still looking to trade for survivor buttons for dragonward/evading hilt. If you have an extra button or aren't a button collector in general, please drop me a line and see if we can come to a trade.

Can you tell us what you did for KB?  Is there video on Youtube?

I have a couple of vids that someone else took for me and I'll pop them up onto youtube when I get home. Still in indy right now and won't fly out till later today.