Zach Shildwacher: As Seen on TV??

I recently decided to get off my ass and stop just hoping for a better future but to actually do something about it. I applied to be a contestant on the 3rd Season of Sy Fy Channel's FACE OFF. Cruising through YouTube there's some very talented folks offering up their skills for a shot at fortune and glory. Honestly, I really recommend you check out these audition videos. There are so many talented artists out there that deserve a spotlight on all their handiwork. These are the folks that toil away for hours on end, with little to no encouragement, making the extraordinary out of the ordinary. How some of them were overlooked for previous seasons of the show is beyond me.

I'm not entirely adept at handling myself in front of a camera, but I am gonna take life by the short and curlies and not watch it pass me by anymore. Here's a look at my Audition Video...

I was really nervous putting this together as I was unsure what to say and how to edit. I wanted to be entertaining and forthright. I knew I had to sell me. What you don't see from the video I can share with you now.

I had some leftover rubber latex from Pat Catan's. This is latex for crafts, masks, and other projects. This is not meant for use on the face as it's a bit more harsh than that of Ben Nye or something comparable. I had some packing foam left over from an eBay purchase. I like to be a formidable artist, one connected to my environment. Reduce, reuse, recycle; these are fundamentals to utilize throughout all endeavors.

I carved down the foam into two pieces using a pair of scissors until I was comfortable with the shape and size.

I coated the horns in liquid latex and then gave them a light brushing with white and black acrylic paint when dry. They were solid and durable,

Here's a closer look at some of the make-up. I wanted to create a demon look of contorted flesh, an emergence of mischief and evil if you will. I used small strips of nose putty to create a more sunken look around the eyes, building from the temples inwards. I secured this with a coating of liquid latex. I also used the nose putty around the horns to blend the look of my skin to the butt of the horns. I used liquid latex to create some peeled abrasions.

I used some leftover white hairspray from Halloween to color my hair and try to convey a cohesive look with the horns. I used the same contact lenses I had leftover from my Halloween costume. It's a small nuance   that really sells the look of it all. I also used some Black Blood mouth spray which is one of my favorite items to anchor a look. Think of it this way; when decorating a room, designers recommend one black item to draw the eye and cement the color scheme you applied. I follow this same rule for my make-up designs.

The colors I used are red, yellow, burgundy, and navy blue. I knew that these colors where completely hued against my skin type and would pop. I was a little unsure of how well they would blend, as I would have used more browns or purples, but I'm very happy with how things turned out. I wanted this look to showcase my painting skills and blending. It's something I know I still need to work on, but practice is what makes perfect. I could have made a huge obnoxious prosthetic piece, but I wanted to do something that would inspire anyone to look around and reexamine the items that they could use around them to create something new and exciting. I like to think that I could be an artist that fans the smoke away from the Hollywood secrets of special effects make-up as I learn more and create more using age tested techniques and new materials to expand the majesty of it all. I believe I would be a great fit for FACE OFF. I am an Average Joe, self-taught save one course, and pushing forward with grit, gumption, and the sweat of my hard work. I have to dream and dream big. It's these dreams that push us forward. I don't want this to remain a hobby, I want it to be a career.

I do hope that my efforts start to garner some attention. No artist wants their work ignored. I'm so thankful to all my friends and those that have shared my Audition Video submission. I am blown away by those that have shared the video, expressed their interest and offered opinions. It's amazing to know that there's such a connected network of support for one's dream. It gives me a much needed kick in the ass to keep trying and  strengthens my faith. I am also starting to save for a better digital camera, one that won't wash out my pics with its over-powered flash. I consider it an investment in proper documentation as I build a bigger and better portfolio. I desire to build a proper studio one day, to move beyond working in a basement, or cramped apartment. I seek to grow as an artist, to develop my craft and exercise my creativity rather than let it be swamped in the mediocrity of everyday life. I want to share what I know, what I've learned as I learn more myself, and hope that others share with me.

Wish me the best of luck as I'm anxious to hear something soon from Sy Fy Channel. I mean who could say no to this face?

Seriously, I want names...

Again a huge thank you to all those that have viewed and shared my Audition Video. Be sure to tune in to the Sy Fy Channel as Season 2 of FACE OFF narrows the contestants down to its ultimate winner. Hopefully you'll see me competing on Season 3.

Beauty is Skin Deep, but it's what I put on Top that's Important.

I was recently visited by the illustrious Brittney-Jade Colangelo, the beauty and brains behind DAY OF THE WOMAN and contributing writer to the Blood Sprayer. Somehow I was lucky enough to have this fetching starlet of stage and computer screen sit down in my make-up chair in the dank dungeon-style basement I should probably never call "my studio". The Una-Bomber would be claustrophobic where I try to work. Seriously, I feel like the plastic surgeon in Tim Burton's BATMAN.





I started brainstorming a look in my head of a certain juxtaposition. I wanted to balance the beauty of BJ's face with a twist of horror and carnage. I also knew I wanted it to be a balanced look, one that wasn't overpowered by one element than the other. They say beauty is skin deep so I decided to play with that and literally cut to the chase.

I wanted this look to be quick and simple but dynamic. I decided on using liquid latex and wanted to rely on my painting skills to impress Ms. Colangelo and my fellow readers by delivering a simple out-of-kit look. Being a theater super-star I wanted to show Brittney Jade and the rest of you what you can accomplish without the need of major prosthetics, facial appliances, or an airbrush kit.

I dabbed two areas of Brittney Jade's face with liquid latex which were allowed to dry. I took some rolled pieces of dried liquid latex and adhered them to the outsides of those areas. This would create the look of sliced skin I was after by creating a distinct line that would appear to be made of skin tissue. I then poked and prodded the layer of latex between these borders to create a ruptured blister look.

I began the arduous task of layering in color. At first I wasn't sure what this would entail. Was she a lizard like alien from V and would it be green? Was she like a T-X from TERMINATOR 3? I joked with BJ and we decided to keep it straight forward after experimenting with some colors and go with a more realistic approach.

I'm a big believer in the Rule of 3 - Use a minimum of 3 colors to blend in your look. One for a base, one for shadow, and one for contrast. I also believe that to sell your effect you have to pay the whole eye. That means if you apply something, it just doesn't go on and then you walk away; you blend it with the surrounding body parts to make the entire look flow. Go down the back, across the neck, around the leg, what ever it takes to make the look seem seamless.

Always remember that each model you work with is unique and different. No two people you work with will ever be the same. Sure you'll run into similar skin tones, body shapes, and what have you, but every one is different in how well they can stay still, how long they'll sit, the curvature of their bodies, the way they sweat, breath, talk, and a bazillion other factors that can eat up the time you need to achieve the look you want. If you want everything the same all the time, work on an assembly line.

After blending in my colors of red, purples, and grays, I added a bit of Fresh Scab. A little bit goes a long way so don't cake it on. I for one can't stand when someone spends so much time & effort on creating a look only to have it coated in too much blood. More blood is great to hear on set, but wait until you hear it called for first.

To give my look a bit of a wet/fresh look I used a very small amount of K-Y Jelly applied to the middle of my borders. It gives it a nice shine. I've tried other off-brands of lubricants, from Wal-Green's to Drug Mart, but K-Y just always seems to work the best for me. Now if I wanted a more NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET look I would not use the K-Y and stipple on black along the edges for a burned/charred appearance.

Having one side done I was able to breeze through the other side of my model's face and match it up from reference simply by looking at the other side. I could have painted up both sides at the same time, but as I was uncertain where I was taking this look I wanted it all to flow organically. Never be afraid to experiment. you won't know what works until you try it.

It's always a matter of taking the time to blend and work with your model. If they're at ease, so will you be and it will always so in your finished product.

It's amazing to witness when an actor/actress begins to accept the change in their appearance and allows it to slip into how they develop their character. Simple actions or emotions suddenly take a dramatic change when you have half your face carved off.

I definitely liked where the look was going. I've come to accept that the way I approach things creatively and the way they end up looking are not always fundamentally aligned, but in this instance what I saw in my head was what I was delivering in reality.

The look seemed balanced on both sides. I really enjoy BJC's everyday make-up for being so simple yet elegant. Eyes and lips like that are made for glamour, but it's always a treat when they encounter something more devious.

Now a while back, a little over 2 years ago, I visited my good friend John Squires of FreddyInSpace.com with the legendary Kristy Jett and met the infamous Jesse Bartel. Over the course of the 4 Loko fueled weekend (read about it here) I somehow managed to Sharpie some spiffy website adverts on the chests of my compadres. BJC being left out of said visit, joked that she wanted the same treatment for her site. Well, who could say no to that face?

I used a dark purple and a fine tip brush to free hand out a font that I though would be readable.

I wanted to incorporate the lettering into the look of the make-up and went with trying to make it look like veins or something else underneath BJ's skin. It sounds cheesy, but Day of the Woman is something inside here trying to get out, right? Don't roll your eyes at me. We had initially discussed maybe making it look like the lettering was carved into her, but decided that this was a more interesting variation to play with instead.

I knew my lettering couldn't be elaborate or overly complex, it had to be read and flow with the rest of the look without taking away from it. After feathering out the purple to the edges, I added some black to the center of the letters and then soft sponged the colors down. I made sure to pull away from the letters from the middle and not the other way, otherwise you'd ruin the make-up and your lettering.

With a couple hardware store clip-lights I used to illuminate my corner of the world, it was time to snap some photos. Remember, I never said I was a photographer either.

Overall I was extremely pleased with how everything looked and photographed. BJ was a terrific model and sits like a champ. I really like how her simple yet effectively dynamic make-up was the basis of this look that carried with it the whole creation. I enjoy how my addition was simple, quick, and able to play well with others. Perhaps I subconsciously channeled Lucky McKee's THE WOMAN for the font, but hindsight is always 20/20. I like to think his graphic designers live inside my head, and not the other way around.

Would all of this been easier with silicone appliances and stencils and blah blah blah? Yes. Would it have been as fun? No. I honestly believe that craftsmanship is an essential component of any artistry, and in an industry where many people are being replace by computers, I strive to be a better effects make-up artist than any friggin' machine. Doubt that and that's how Skynet wins...

And for as much fun as it is to make a mess, there's always the chore of cleaning up. Remember when removing liquid latex from the skin that hot water, soap, and patience are your new best friends.

Many thanks to Brittney-Jade Colangelo for the long trek to visit and letting me play with her face. Please be sure to check out her site DAY OF THE WOMAN and tune in again to Awkward Creations as I stop being so lazy and anti-social and hopefully start posting more.

I promised to show you my TAINT

One of the most original, tongue-in-cheek, gore fest flicks I've seen this year has to be THE TAINT. You can read my review of it over at BloodSprayer.com. It's the type of film I love introducing to friends because of how over the top it is; it basically is the style of cinema that will determine if we'll be friends or not.

For those unfamiliar with this film, here's the NSFW trailer:

I showed the film to some friends and one of them, Kevin Polyak, instantly fell in love with it. He wondered if I was capable of producing a mask from this film for his Halloween costume. Basically a drunken gauntlet was thrown down in my mind and I was determined to make his challenge a reality. The mask he wanted was from a flashback sequence when a character is forced to duct tape their own ripped off face back onto their head.

Reference Still from THE TAINT

I decided to take the look of the mask a bit further. I brainstormed what this face would look like for the possible sequel to this film. I wanted to show the skin in a bloody, leathery state; contorted and disturbing. This would be my own version of Film Fan Art. What I envisioned was a cross between Freddy Kreuger, the Cropsey Maniac, Leslie Vernon and when actor Lou Perryman gets his face ripped of in TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE II. Basically all the terribly wonderful things that delightfully taunt my imagination and memories.

I knew that this was going to be my first attempt at making a mask so I wanted it to be special, I wanted it to be custom, I wanted it to be one of a kind. I decided that I wasn't going to go about the traditional means of sculpting and pouring a mold. I was going to do a layer by layer build up of liquid latex from a Ultra-Cal casting of my own face.

I gobbed on the latex knowing it would take longer to dry this way, but give me a rippled foundation that I would make look like fat. It would be later that I would augment it further.

Here you can see the first layer dry. Not a bad start, very Toxic Avenger, but that's not what I was going for...

I had previously poured strips of liquid latex on my arm and as it dried, I would peel off these layers and stretch them over the face. I would definitely do thinner strips if I made this same mask the same way again, but that ship already sailed. Still it had a very distinct look versus if I had made it appear droopy and saggy. I wanted HUMAN BEEF JERKEY!

I filled in cracks and crevices with sponges and brushes, making sure not to lose the basic elements of the face underneath my half-cocked scheme of a technique. You have to make sure you have your ability to see, speak, and breathe with a mask, and if you know Kevin that means drinking too.

The mask was really taking shape with over a dozen layers of liquid latex cured throughout. It was now time to peel away and start the process of painting.

Here is the pull of the mask from the front view.....

.....and here is the back/inside of the mask.

I trimmed the edges with scissors to scale down some of my excess, but the idea was that this mask was to cover a good sized chunk of the face so I made sure there was a little extra along the top of the forehead and beneath the chin. My version of old school Trick 'r Treating theater if you will.

I started painting with pinks and purples, knowing that this would be the basis of what I would build and blend from in regards to shadow and composition.

I soon started adding more reds and browns to the mix, darkening certain areas and bringing the colors more to my liking.

I blended and blended, but I knew I would need some highlight to make the piece really punch. My secret weapon? Nail polish. Yup. I used a clear pearl glaze to add a sheen of viscous and sliminess and I used fire engine red for blood, which looked fresh and tacky even when completely dried. I added a couple layers of blending on top of this to tone it down and push forward.

To hold the mask in place I created a band from stretch elastic ribbon you can buy at any craft store. But I also wanted to hide this as well as utilize this necessity. I used grey Gaff tape, instead of Duct tape and folded it over top of itself and slipped the elastic through all the way around the mask. I chose the Gaff tape because it is porous enough to accept paint and aging where Duct tape would wipe right off.

A closer look shows how the "tape" hides the band.

Here I am wearing my own creation, moments after completion. It's definitely a face only a mother could love either way.

And like any good artist you have to make sure you sign your work. I probably would've stamped into the mask for this, but a black Sharpie has never failed me before.


Here are a few pics I would update Face Book with via my phone and the camera application Little Photo.

It was quite fun to see the changes the process took as this project came to a close. I learned several new techniques and ways to go about creating the look I want and how to avoid the look I don't want. I now plan on tackling the craft of mask making on a larger scale with a sculpt and mold in the near future to produce a limited run of original creations.

Kevin completely forgot that I had promised to make him this mask. It arrived just in time for him to enjoy the Halloween weekend and not be completely lame without a costume. And that's what you should walk away with if anything from this article; not wearing a costume on Halloween means you are super-mega lame. That and always keep your promises.



Here's a couple of pics of Kevin in all his glory Halloween weekend.

And you thought the rats were the scariest part of the NY Subway...

Kevin and his special lady friend

Now here's hoping that they do make a sequel to THE TAINT!!