Creating my reptile scales - Technical Folder

For my hybrid, I need to begin designing the makeup look to support the prosthetic pieces. My main concern was how to recreate reptile scales, as I was unsure of how I would go about this. I thought about the many materials, stamps, or stencils I could use, when I thought of Fuller's Earth. I knew from experience of using this product that, as it dries out on the skin, it cracks. I wondered whether the cracks formed during this process would be able to replicate the scales of a reptile, so I decided to test my theory out. I haven't seen this done before, so I was really intrigued as to what the outcome would be.

I began by mixing up a small quantity of Fuller's Earth and Water, to make a paste. I didn't know what consistency I would need, so made one that was not too dry, but not too wet.

I then used a makeup brush to smooth on the paste, on two sections of my arm, and some on my hand. I wanted to see how the mixture would dry on a flat surface, and on a moving surface. I also completed two swatches on my arm; one using a thicker amount of paste and one a very thin layer. I needed to know which amount would create better looking scales, if any. 

I let all of the tests dry. The thinnest swatch was very very thin, meaning that there was not a lot of product to cause the cracks. This did not work, so I will not be using a thin layer. 

On my hand, the clay took longer to dry, but I really liked the effect it was making as it was drying. There were darker patches where it had not dried out completely, which gave the clay more than one shade of brown, and as it was uneven, reminded me of a reptile print. 

The clay that was layered thickly on my arm began to dry, and with the thinner test, I went over it with more clay so that I was able to test out colour on the clay later on. 

This is the outcome of the cracking on the hand. I really like this technique, as it is so similar to the scales of a reptile. By letting the clay dry on it's own, meant that the shapes that were created were very organic and realistic. I will definitely be using this technique in my hybrid, even if just a little. 

This is the outcome of the thickest arm test. I really love this outcome, maybe even more than the hand test. I love the way the clay has cracked, and it really does remind me of the lizard scales. But it reminds me even more of the cracked sands found in the Atacama desert. This will be an interesting concept, as some people may see this as just the lizard scales, whilst some people will think of the effect as the desert sands, as they are being sucked of their moisture. 

This was the test where I layered the clay on. I feel the thinner the clay, the more delicate the scales turn out. I am really pleased with all of these tests, and think I will be able to use them all in my hybrid, as scales on a reptile's body are all different shapes and sizes. 

What I did next, was test out is I could make raised shapes in the clay, but still have the effect of the scales. I built up the clay into tiny horns, and waited for them to dry. 

I did not like this effect as much, as when the clay was drying, it was coming off in big clumps because of how thick the clay was in certain places. I think with Fuller's Earth, there is a fine line between too thin and too thick, otherwise the effect will not work. 

After testing this out, and really liking the tests that I had completed earlier, I went on to think about the colourings. The main colours in my Hybrid are going to be greens, yellows and reds, so I made up a couple of darker tones of these colours, and began to work into the scales. I knew that when it comes to the day when I have to create my hybrid, I will not have an abundance of time, so I needed something that would be quick, easy and effective. Using my aqua-colours, I worked roughly into the two test spots, leading to these:

I am really pleased with the way these two colour tests have gone. I now have to think about whether all of the scales will be coloured, what shape and what thickness they will be. I definitely want to use this technique in my hybrid, as it is relatively quick, and I can do this before anything else and let it dry as I work on the other parts of the look. I think that using the fuller's earth for the reptile scales makes my look much more believable, as it is a 3D effect, rather than 2D, for example, painting or stencilling the scales onto the body. I am really looking forward to creating my hybrid, as I have put a lot of thought into the processes I will use to create the whole look.