Georgie Kennett
Professional Make-Up Project
Hair Punching
Brick In The Yard Mold Supply (2013) Special Effects Tutorial: Hair Punching Tips. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hHcpEavXsA (Accessed: 9 April 2015)
The video above shows how you can punch single and multiple hairs into a silicone prosthetic. The video also explains the technique used to make a punching needle at home. This is useful as punching needles can be quite expensive especially with the consideration of different sized needles for different purposes. A needle can be made by sanding down a sewing needle into a hook shape, and putting it into a holder. Larger needles can be used when there needs to be multiple hairs punched at a time often used to create bulk hair on a piece.
Hair punching involves individual hairs being pushed into a prosthetic appliance whether it’s silicone, gelatin or foam latex. Hair punching is also used to punch hairs into many manufactured toys and other products. It differs from knotting hair quite considerably as you do not knot the individual piece of hair onto any lace it is simply punched into the surface of choice. The hair should be varied in different colours so that it looks as natural and realistic as possible just like you do when laying on hair. Hair punching needles can either be bought or made using a standard needle. When punching hair there are some materials that are easier to punch into. For example punching into foam latex can be tough, whereas punching silicone is much easier and doesn’t damage the needle. The needle is inserted at the angle at which you want the hair to lay to prevent the hair from standing up in an unrealistic manner.
In the Todd Debrecini book on Make-up for Stage and Screen hair punching is described as a process very similar to knotting/ ventilating hair. It explains that punching hair is only done onto pieces that are not on the face or body for obvious health and safety reasons. He also states making punching needles can be inexpensive if they are made rather than purchased through a retailer.
Reference: Debreceni, T. (2008) Special Makeup Effects for Stage and Screen: Making and Applying Prosthetics. Amsterdam: Focal Press.
Denise Leibee Baer is a professional make-up artist specialising in punching hair. After working and experiencing all facets of make up effects production, Denise discovered her passion for hair work and from that point forward she dedicated herself solely to specialty hair work, in particular hair punching. Some of her work is displayed below. From the images below you can see how realstic hair punching can look. The hairs look so natural and to the naked eye it appears they are really protruding from the skin.
Below are a couple of images of a model maker punching hair into his animal head. Some of the tools he uses are shown below. Hair punching is a long process just like knotting hair but the results can look incredible. The animal head he is punching into also has had flocking applied to it. The flocking process is shown after the images below, this shows they can both be used to achieve a particular look of fur etc.
Ascough, M. (no date) Miles Ascough Prop Maker. Available at: http://www.milesascough.com/#!Flocking-and-hair-punching-the-foam-head-cast/cmbz/6094F46F-7ED1-46F2-9915-A6F9B5499236 (Accessed: 21 April 2015).
Flocking
The video above shows a clip from a Stan Winston video. Deborah Galvez has worked on many projects that involve her creating such hair work on prosthetics. The flocking gun is shown in the video and you can see the whole process and how the hair falls onto the areas so effortlessly and quickly. The flocking process is a quick one however it does have its own problems, although it is able to cover vast areas and cover pieces in moments the way it spreads so far can cause problems of the hair falling onto areas where there is not glue which is not a problem. However removing tiny hairs from unwanted areas can be extremely tedious and frustrating.
Reference: Winston, S. (no date) Fur Transfer, Electrostatic Flocking and Hair Punching. Available at: https://www.stanwinstonschool.com/tutorials/fur-transfer-electrostatic-flocking-and-hair-punching (Accessed: 19 April 2015)
Todd Debrecini's book explains the actual process of the flocking gun and how flocking is applied to the prosthetics through static energy. The gun is charged with high voltage electricity the hair is charged at one end and with the static electricity it is attracted to the opposite side ( the prosthetic) and the hairs are pulled to the glue.
Debreceni, T. (2008) Special Makeup Effects for Stage and Screen: Making and Applying Prosthetics. Amsterdam: Focal Press
Above are two pictures, the first shows various packs of short flocking in bright colours that can be used to cover the prosthetics. The second image is of one of the monsters used in an insurance company advert that had flocking created on it by Deborah Galvez from the Stan Winston School.
Winston, S. (no date) Fur Transfer, Electrostatic Flocking and Hair Punching. Available at: https://www.stanwinstonschool.com/tutorials/fur-transfer-electrostatic-flocking-and-hair-punching (Accessed: 19 April 2015)
The video above shows how flocking can be used on big and small scale and shows the process of flocking. This is a helpful video to learn about the various machines and ways that flocking can be created.
Reference: Biz, F. (no date) Support. Available at: http://www.flocking.biz/Flocking_Video/Flocking_Video_1.html?v=COH6I0bO-gU (Accessed: 29 April 2015)
Silicone Painting Prosthetics
The video above is from Stan Winston School on silicone painting prosthetics. Silicone pigments are mixed with naptha and silicone sealer to create translucent paints that can be pre painted onto prosthetics. The paints are not used on the person once the prosthetics have been applied because of the strong chemicals however it is perfectly safe to pre paint the pieces before application with enough time to dry.
Reference: School, S. W. (2014) Painting Prosthetic Makeup Appliances - Foam Latex & Silicone - PREVIEW. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCD4kJ8KBP8 (Accessed: 5 April 2015)
To the left is another video that shows how pieces can be painted with silicone pigment through an airbrush. This is often a more popular way of painting pieces since the airbrush is much smoother and leaves no brush lines or any traces of unrealistic painting. The naked eye is more suited to believing effects that are created with an airbrush because they are much more subtle and faded.
In the picture to the right there are eight silicone pigments shown which are used to create these paints suitable for pre colouring prosthetics. A cheaper alternative to these paints as they are expensive is to use oil paints however they do flake off and remove themsleves from the piece after a while.
Reference; School, S. W. (2011) Silicone Painting - Realistic Flesh Tones - PREVIEW. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzKZzGjKCbI (Accessed: 29 April 2015)
Above are some examples of prosthetic heads/ models that have been painted with silicone pigment paints. You can see that the colours are subtle and flesh like, this is mainly because the paints are made relitively translucent and built up where necessary to create the translucent but believable skin tones and colours. The pieces are also an example of how hair punching is used on prosthetics to add realism along side the painting.