Practicing with Props

      After making all of my props such as the wolf's claws and the witches nails, I decided to practice with each and to test the look of both of the hands - the wolf's claw and the witches hand to see how the fake nails sat on the real nails and how they looked with the other make-up components that I'd be adding to the hand. As I am using close up's of both I needed to practice each so that the props and make-up of each matched and blended well and looked realistic to the characters overall look.  

The Witches Hand

For the Witches Hand I started by using old age stipple on the knuckles and joints of my hand to create an old and wrinkled effect, adding to the idea of her being both evil and 'as old as the hills'. Once this was dried with a hairdryer I then added a mixture of grey and white supracolor paint to give the impression of skin that looks ill and malnourished.   

To accentuate the wrinkles further I then used both black and dark green eye shadow and a thin brush to draw into the lines and wrinkles on my hands to over exaggerate my natural wrinkles and bones. I then added my hand made nail props with white tac and used black supracolor paint to blend then into the cuticle and skin. I am really happy with how these have come out, I also feel that in studio lighting the colours and textures of the hands will be more prominent and effective. 

The Wolf's Claw

For the wolf's claws I started by applying a layer of liquid latex onto the back of my hand once dry I added another layer in the same way, with tweezers I then pulled holes in the latex to give the hand a more textured look. I then built up colour onto the hand using a mixture of brown and black eye shadow and a small amount of brown supracolor paint. To accentuate the holes and their texture further I used black supracolor paint and a small brush to push under neath the latex and on the skin of the holes, to create more depth to the skin. 

Once I was happy with both the colour and texture of the wolf hand I then needed to add fur to the hand. I used the same coloured wool that I had used on the props of the wolf's ears to also use on the hand. I placed spirit gum on my knuckles and add small amounts of the wool using tweezers, once dry I cut away some of the length of the wool with scissors until I was happy with the overall appearance. In the same way that I added the witches nails, I then added the wolf's claws using white tac and used a dark brown supracolor paint to blend the nails into the cuticle and skin to create a more realistic look.