CBMA Prosthetics Course Outline

Day One:

• Tutor shows the students his portfolio
• Discussion of how different looks are achieved, looking at photographs of each different stage involved
• Discussion of the different materials used (gelatine, foam, latex, silicone prosthetics) and  the pros and cons of each, “the best tools for the job”
• Demonstration of how to sculpt and texture a basic wound on a flat board in plastilene
• Understanding the importance of the blending edge and how to mould it in silicone (flood mould)
• Students sculpt their own wounds in plastilene, texture and then mould them in silicone

Day Two:

• How to heat gelatine properly in a microwave (without damaging it)
• Using the scrape method to fill silicone moulds
• Application, colouring and blending of a gelatine prosthetic onto an actor’s skin – students apply, colour and blend their own prosthetic wounds and sculpt a second prosthetic appliance
• Demonstration of full face life-casting with alginate

Day Three:

• Students refine their second prosthetic appliances, using the skills learned
• Application of colour and dressing a wound with blood
• Removing a gelatine prosthetic safely.
• Students practise full face casting on each other (importance of safety issues is considered)
• How to talk and deal with people who are nervous, the importance of touch and reassurance, examples of the tutor’s first hand experiences
• Mixing plaster and filling the head casts taken

Day Four:

• Demonstration of how to open life casts correctly and cleaning plaster head
• Application of colour to the students’ wound prosthetics and learning how to dress with blood realistically
• The importance of using proper reference material when creating and making–up prosthetics
• Students sculpt new wounds, improving using what they have learned to date
• Students sculpt noses or subtle prosthetics on their own life casts

Day Five:

• Application and colouring of wounds
• Sculpting noses and blocking out using plaster life- casts, blending the edges of prosthetics properly
• Explanation of the importance of texture in prosthetics: the cutting edge, how to edge up correctly
• Creating keys/touch down on plaster life casts

Day Six:

• Students complete edging off their sculpted noses
• “Walling up” moulds and pouring plasters
• Making a two piece plaster mould of the nose sculpts
• Application of students’ own second sculpted wounds to each other
• Demonstration of getting rid of edges, colouration, blending into the skin and colouring the actual wound and dressing with blood
• Different methods of painting/ making up prosthetics
• Viewing DVD clips of the various films the tutor worked on and how the various special effects were achieved with photographs of all stages involved

Day Seven:

• Sculpting eye bags on the flat
• Opening plaster nose moulds – cleaning out
• Filling the plaster nose moulds with gelatine correctly
• Applying the prosthetic noses
• Intrinsic colouring of gelatine

Day Eight:

• Demonstration of gelatine eye bag application round the actors eyes and related safety considerations
• Filling eye bag moulds with gelatine (scrape method)
• Students apply eye bags to each other
• Colouring, ageing and correct methods of removal
• Demonstration of how to make bald caps with cap plastic
• Students start to make bald caps

Day Nine:

• Demonstration of old age stipple: upper and lower eyelids, neck and forehead
• Students age their hands with colour, then old age stipple over the top in layers
• Continuation of making bald caps

Day Ten:

• Free day: students select which elements of prosthetics they wish to revisit
• Application practise