Having trouble with Gelatin Prosthetics and sweating? Maybe this will help:

We all know that gelatin and heat = sweat! Not good. Your pieces start lifting off, drooping and eventually melting!

 Next time, try this simple method of applying your gelatin pieces:

1. Clean skin with a good astingent, then a good conditioner/moisturizer to protect the skin.
2. Seal with a a product like Sweat Stop or Top Guard.
3. Apply a light coat of pros-aid to the area. Allow to dry.
4. Powder using a translucent product. Remove any excess.
5. Pros-aid procedure again.
6. Powder procedure again.
7. Pros-aid once again - NO powder this time. Allow to dry.
8. Apply Pros-aid to gelatin piece. Allow to dry.
9. Apply the gelatin piece. DO NOT STRETCH IT.
10.Blend edge with warm witch hazel LIGHTLY. Use a "rolling" motion with a Q-Tip in the direction AWAY from the edge and onto the skin.
11. Apply a coat of Liquid Bandage over the entire piece.
12. Pros-aid the edge of liquid bandage more than the gelatin piece its self.
13. Powder lightly and remove excess.
*A slightly damp sponge removes the matt from the powder.
14. Apply makeup.

I know some will say, "Why Liquid Bandage?"
My answer: "Because it has worked for me many times."
If another sealor will work for you on a gelatin piece as well as LB does for me, then, by all means, use that. In the end, it's always up to the artist.

Good Luck!

How to make your alginate molds last longer

You can mix up to 2:1 Distilled Water and Glycerine together in a container and then mix this with your alginate. I know people who claim to be able to use a 1:1 water to glycerine ratio and they say it works just fine.  I haven't tried it - yet. Always remember to add the alginate to the water and not the other way around.

Since glycerine is hygroscopic (retains moisture), the alginate lasts longer and helps reduce shrinkage. This in turn allows your pour to be more accurate. If you are using clay to make your positive, be SURE you have zero standing water or drops of water in the alginate when you pour!  If it's a stone product, a little moisture won't hurt, but try your hardest to get it all out.

To dry the inside surface of the alginate, you can spray or rinse the surface with acetone. USE ADEQUATE VETILATION WITH THIS TECHNIQUE! As soon as the acetone flashes off, you can begin casting.

With this process, your alginate molds can last for hours uncovered without any shrinkage. Some may even last a day or two with minimal shrinkage.

I mix my alginate to the consistancy of sour cream. If you make it too runny and thin it can actually promote shrinkage because of the higher water content.  The best water to use is Distilled Water.  There are too many impurities in most municipal water systems to use for mixing alginate.

Most of you probably know this info already, but you never know when a little "nugget" of information might help someone down the road.

Here's a few I made as a test....they turned out awesome! Our CUSTOMERS will make these themselves. Everything they need and more will be in their Zombie Makeup Kit.

There's enough to make Zombie prosthetics for you and your friends and probably their friends.

Seriously awesome stuff. But I have a question - what should we call the kit (ok, other than Zombie Makeup Kit!)?

Any ideas?

We're cranking up the production belt again & getting ready for Halloween. Except this time, we're not making the prosthetics - our customers are! Don't wanna show much more yet, but Halloween is gonna absolutely ROCK this year if you plan on being a Zombie! You are seriously, SERIOUSLY going to love this kit!

I make my own Cap Plastic - the product you can make bald caps with or encapsulate silicone prosthetics so that they blend seamlessly into the skin. Other uses include a light spray with an airbrush over your clay sculpture prior to molding. It makes de-molding WAY easier! For FX related uses - if you want a GOOD looking burn (and I'm NOT responsible if you screw this up!), pour a little of the Cap Plastic into a pan of water and light it on fire. BE CAREFUL! This stuff is stuff is EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE - it contains Acetone! After is has burned and "melted" awhile, put an air tight lid on the pan to extinguish the flames. Gently remove the cap plastic and place it on your talent or save it on a piece of silicone paper. When ready to use, just apply to the skin blend the edges with a little acetone. Takes some practice, but works beautifully. But BE CAREFUL!

I've finally given in. This year we'll be offering some of coolest, most realistic and reasonably priced ZOMBIE appliances as Halloween gets closer. OH! The best part? You'll make them yourself! That's right ~ you shell out a few bucks for the molds, then purchase the Zombie "skin" in a bottle and then YOU make the bites, brows, lacerations and dead, peeling skin. And you can make Zombies out of you AND all your friends! And their friends! It's cool stuff, there's no doubt about it..... and you're gonna love it.

Tip For The Day: Wanna make some realistic looking silicone "fat" for that next gore project?
Thicken your already fat-colored platinum silicone with Thi Vex or something similar, apply it to your piece and wait till it just begins to kick.

When it does, take 99% alcohol and using a small, stiff brush, apply the alcohol to the "fat" and push it around, up and down, and side to side until you get it looking the way you want it. Keep it wet with alcohol until it's looking like the real thing. This method works!

By the way - the absolute BEST "fat" pigment for silicone is sold by FuseFX under the name "Fatty" (duh!).

Things are crazy nearly everyday at TraumaFX. These past 6 months or so we've been working 12 hours days (sometimes more!) just to keep up with orders we've received from all over the world. None of our success would be possible without the dedicated people that have graced the shop over the past years. Each piece must be undergo six different hand-painted layers to look absolutely realistic to the human eye. And because of the special silicone we use, they feel that way too!

All of our products go through a rigorous quality assurance process. Everything that is ready to go out the door to your studio, set or home gets the thumbs up before a stamp is ever licked and stuck on the package!

Ice! Ice! Baby!

It seems like everybody at one time or another runs across the issue of doing "ice effects" during different weather conditions and/or environments.

Giving the illusion of being frozen (or nearly frozen) in a body of water can be challenging. One of the easiest ways I've found found involves a few simple materials, a little heat and everyday type applicators.

Use a double boiler at your makeup ...station and melt about 60% Parafin wax and around 40% Vaseline. Mix the two thrououghly and apply it using paint brushes for the thicker hair areas like the head, and masscara spoolies for eyelashes (but be really careful!). You can also use the spoolies to apply the wax/vaseline mix to eyebrows, and mustaches.

If you want to, you can add some pieces of zize or polymer to get "chunks". It works "ok", but the wax/vaseline mix will really sell the look a little better in my opinion. Get creative with it, add things like a light "dusting" of sugar or epsom salts and you'll be amazed at the realism you can produce with this effect.

A little something to remember: The more vaseline you use, the softer the wax is and the easier it comes off the hair.

 

Just a few thoughts I thought I'd share.......

No vacuum chamber for silicone?

I'm sure most artist's already know this, but I still get questions from people new to using silicone regarding how to get the air bubbles out if a vacuum chamber isn't available.

For years, I didn't have a vacuum chamber either (read: I'm "frugal"). I still got great results by simply pouring my mixed silicone from very high up - sometimes standing on a chair - and letting it pour into my mold in a very, very small stream. As the silicone is falling the air bubbles break because the the stream is so fine. Now, you won't get rid of ALL the bubbles, but you usually don't with a vacuum chamber either. So, if you don't have the money for a chamber, grab a chair; I'm sure you have one handy.

If doing a very large pour, be sure to know when you're silicone will start to kick. You don't want to be 3/4 of the way into the pour and have it start to thicken. Not good. In that case, break your pour down into manageable sizes. Silicone sticks to silicone so there's not a problem with that method. Some have said you can see the dividing line where two pours have met. I've never had that problem. I think allot of it stems from the intrinsic coloring of the silicone itself. If you do your own color mixing and matching with oil paints, etc., you might run into this problem. I use (and sell)the FuseFX silicone paint system. The colors are consistent ALL THE TIME! I never have to worry about shade difference - ever. FuseFX might seem a little high in the price range, but take it from me (read: frugal), it is WELL WORTH THE MONEY!

Do you need a vacuum chamber for silicone? Well, they're nice but not absolutely necessary.

Gelatin Joker Scars now on Sale!

ATTENTION!! I have taken the Gel JOKER SCARS off of the web site and assigned them to eBay! I did this because of the high demand for these screen-accurate prosthetic pieces and found that over 80% of my customers were eBay users and usually looked there first for products such as these. I apologize for not making that clear earlier this year.

Click HERE for Joker Scars on eBay!

At TraumaFX I get allot of requests for economically priced Joker Scars. Our Silicone Joker Scars are extremely popular but not for everyone. So I took the same sculpts and made molds for Prosthetic Grade Gelatin. That was a good move for me - they are flying off the shelves! And it was a good move for my customers whom all I want to do is make them happy. Now they have an option when it comes to scars.

Joker enthusiasts want only the BEST when it comes to realistic, screen accurate, PROFESSIONAL scars. They don't want something made in somebody's dorm room or in dad's garage. They want an adhesive that will stick and stay put. They want edges that blend seamlessly into the skin. And they want nothing but the highest quality at a reasonable price.

Our Joker Scars are made from Professional Grade Prosthetic Gelatin - the SAME type used by SFX makeup artists in many, many major motion pictures. It takes a specific type of gelatin and a special formula to produce scars that are soft, flexible and as translucent as real skin.

The photos of the scars seen here are fresh out of the molds and still have the "flashing" attached (thick parts around the scars themselves). Flashing allows you to position the scar on your face, apply adhesive and then literally dissolve the micro-thin edges into your skin using our Gel Blender fluid. The flashing then comes cleanly away leaving you with perfect scars and perfect edges (see example photos).







Some scars may have slightly separated from the flashing during shipping - this is NORMAL and will NOT affect the application. Now all you have left to do is apply the makeup. Instructions come with every set of scars.

Here's what you get:

* All 3 Joker Scars - right and left cheek and lower lip
* Gel Blender fluid
* Professional Adhesive (this is NOT spirit gum!)
* Professional Adhesive Remover
* Brush for applying adhesive
* Cotton Tip Applicators for blending edges into your skin
* Instructions

These scars are from the SAME sculpts that our famous Silicone Scars are. There is no difference other than the material they are made from.

If you want Professional Joker Scars at a reasonable price, this is the item you MUST have! Get them NOW at TraumaFX!

TraumaFX

The entire year has been GREAT for TraumaFX!

Let's see....what's on the post-Halloween production agenda today:

* 22 pounds of Prosthetic Grade Gelatin for our TraumaGels
* Half gallon of whipped Pros Aide for Prosthetic Transfers
* 2 gallons of Simulated Blood (people are LOVING how realistic it is!)
* 36 platinum Silicone Prosthetics (GFA's)

More and more people are finding out about the quality products we offer and telling others. Thanks. They realize that professional special effects makeup doesn't have to be expensive. Some of the "big names" in the industry are charging outrageous prices because their logo is on the package and many have farmed out their products production to other countries to save costs and reap larger profits. That's too bad. I still believe in the good ol' USA and the quality and JOBS that we can produce here.

TraumaFX is a small, but growing business for special effects makeup and accessories. We don't sell everything yet, but we're getting there. Customer service is our #1 priority. When you call with an order or a question (or even a concern), you don't speak with a disinterested secretary or overzealous sales person. You speak with the owner. Every single person is valued as if they were the only customer we had. Now, how many of the "big name" companies can say that?

Give TraumaFX a try. You'll be glad you did. That's a promise.

Our SECRET is out!

TraumaFX had a secret that just got out the bag!

TraumaFX is now the distributor for the Mountain West/West Coast for the world's leading Silicone Paint System - FuseFX! (Actually, we'll sell to ANYBODY!)

You've seen FuseFX products at work in films and television like Zombieland, Saw 5 & 6, Nip/Tuck, Gray's Anatomy, Private Practice, Saturday Night Live, Nurse Jackie and Dr. Who (UK) just to name a few.

For those of you who want the BEST in intrinsic and extrinsic silicone coloring, FuseFX is the unsurpassed leader. FuseFX is used by professionals around the world and now YOU can purchase the products you need for your projects and get them FAST! We ship the SAME day you order. You can specify either USPS Priority Mail or UPS.

Never used FuseFX? No problem - we offer trial kits too! Once you use FuseFX products, you'll never go back to coloring your silicone the old way. That's a PROMISE!

Check out our FuseFX products today at www.traumafx.com!

Starting Your Own Business? Worried About Failure?

When I started TraumaFX, I think allot of people laughed inside.

There were times when I wondered if this was just a stupid dream and I was the only one believing in it.

For the first year or so I told a number of people what I planned on doing and 95% of their reactions weren't making me feel any better about my plan. I suppose it was my fear of people thinking I would fail (my products are very specialized, not mainstream, but much needed).

There were many who said, "you want to sell what?". And the half-smile on their face I interpreted as feeling sorry me and my misguided venture that they believed was doomed to failure, but they were too polite to say it.

That's when I quit talking about it.

So I concentrated on success. I read everything I could on motivation, inspiration, marketing, attitude and faith. I sought out and talked to successful business owners. I listened and learned. I read books, I signed up for newsletters from motivation, inspirational and financial leaders.

All the while I kept planning and building - I did not give up because of other people's opinions.

Finally, a year ago, I launched my website - www.traumafx.com. I have received nothing but positive comments and incredible encouragement. Website visitors are up an average of nearly 1200% each day. Sales are beginning to follow this trend. It has been a very successful year at TraumaFX.

For those of you who have ever had the dream of starting your own business - whether it be a brick and mortar store or online, here's a quick bit of inspiration that kept me going through it all. I have it hanging (along with many others) in my office where I can look at it during those times of doubt. It was from a speech by President Theodore Roosevelt, at the Sorbonne in 1910.

Here it is:

"It is not the critic that counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better.
No, the credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and blood and sweat, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause. Who at best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat because they have never even tried."

Here's the question you need to ask yourself:

"If you knew you couldn't fail, and you could do whatever you wanted to do, what would that look like?"

If you can answer that question, then THAT'S what you need to do in your life. Take the leap of faith.

All the Best,

Bob

Is there life after Halloween?

Wow! What a BUSY year at TraumaFX!

Our sales surpassed last year even as we lowered our prices to meet the competition! International sales were through the roof this year too.

I think the reason so many people are finding out about TraumaFX (www.traumafx.com) is simply word-of-mouth. No kidding. Our advertising campaign was very minimal using only Google Adwords and Facebook. Even with those two forms of marketing, you could probably make more money mowing a couple of lawns or babysitting on a weekend than was spent on advertising.

Here's what I think happened: A number of customers took the chance after finding TraumaFX and ordered a few products. They liked the prices and the products so much they came back (we had many, many repeat customers), then they told their friends. Their friends inhabit Facebook, MySpace, Film, Makeup and Superhero forums. Some just sent friends a regular old email. Whatever happened, it was phenomenal.

I can't thank our customers enough. Now it's time to add many more products to the TraumaFX line. The next three months are Research and Development time and we've got some products being tested now that have never been on the market before!

Prosthetics - It's new, it's exciting and it will make life SO MUCH EASIER for those who have little to no experience with prosthetics. Everybody wants their prosthetics to look real, to blend seamlessly into their skin and to stay on! We're in the process of making that happen. Imagine a silicone or latex prosthetic that blends seamlessly into your skin and only takes two to three minutes to apply.

Imitation Grease - You've seen the grease on your local mechanic, right? It sits in the creases of his skin and smears across his arms and face. It takes a strong soap to try and get that off! We've developed an imitation grease that is identical to the stuff you see on your local car repairman, but it comes completely off with just a little soap and water! Oh, and it's GOOD for your skin too!

Injury Molds - MANY MORE on the way!

These are just a small, small part of the line up you will see on www.traumafx.com in the weeks to come. Keep checking - you're gonna LOVE IT!!

TraumaFX Fan Club? That's Right!

First, a BIG thank you to all of my customers! You are making this year a banner one for TraumaFX. Sales have already exceeded last year and we're welcoming new customers every day!

I have just been informed that there is now a TraumaFX Fan Club in the U.K.! Is THAT cool or what!?

Nearly 1/3 of all my sales are to the U.K., and I've made many, many wonderful friends through TraumaFX. I could not be this successful without you. I am humbled not only to have you as valued customers, but to know that you like my products enough to start a fan club. I am truly blessed.

There is another business located in the U.K. named TraumaFX, but not related in any way to our U.S. based business. They too have great products and services - check them out sometime.

UPDATE: Things are VERY busy at TraumaFX (www.traumafx.com) - working 17 hour days to produce, package and ship orders all over the world. My customers in Canada are multiplying every week. The U.S. customer base is also increasing at a steady rate and products are flying out the door as fast as I can ship them!

Thanks again to my wonderful friends in the U.K. for starting the TraumaFX Fan Club. Hopefully, I can make it "across the pond" in the very near future and meet everyone. I'll buy the first drink!

The Art of Living and TraumaFX

Here's one of my favorite quotes of all time. It says everything in one short paragraph about my life since starting TraumaFX:

“The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both.” ~ James Michener

Check it out: www.traumafx.com

NEW! Silicone Prosthetics from TraumaFX!

I am introducing my new line of ultra-realistic platinum silicone wound prosthetics!

These are professional grade - the kind required by Film makers and the Military. I have sold my silicone prosthetics all over the world, but this is the first time they have been offered to the general public.

You really have to SEE and FEEL these to appreciate how much they mimic real flesh and blood!


I have many, many more wounds to post, but for now here is the description from the web site:

When it MUST look absolutely real and be durable at the same time, this is the wound prosthetic you need!

TraumaFX Silicone Prosthetics are designed to last for years of use and are made from the exact same silicone formula you see in movies and television - Platinum Silicone.

This large laceration prosthetic is 3 X 2 inches in size

Made for the skin and ultra-realistic in appearance, our prosthetics are tinted intrisically with special silicone pigments and painted by hand using nothing but the finest products from FuseFX - the world leader in silicone coloring systems.

Not only do our Silicone Prosthetics LOOK like real skin, but they FEEL just like it too! With today's High Definition cameras and the Military's demand for realistic training, TraumaFX platinum silicone prosthetics are the #1 choice.

• The prosthetics are so detailed, you can see the skin pores!
• The edges are razor thin for easy blending into the skin.
• The blood in the wound stays wet, meaty and fresh looking everytime you use it.
  

Important - Spirit Gum and other adhesives won't work to attach these to your skin! You'll need our TraumaFX Professional Adhesive and Remover for your Silicone Prosthetics.

When you require and demand quality plus realism, you'll want the look and feel that our silicone prosthetics provide.

Don't settle for less.

New Products for Darker Skinned Customers!

I've just started producing TraumaGel, Latex and Silicone for prosthetics for people with darker skin!

I felt this wonderful population had very limited selections for Special Effects Makeup and decided that they needed their own line of products.

Check out the new products at www.traumafx.com this coming week! More is being added all the time at TraumaFX, so bookmark the site and come back often! Drop a dime or two if you'd like.

Remember - if you have ANY questions or suggestions, send me an email to bob@traumafx.com.
I'm the owner; you don't get a reply from a secretary or sales rep!

TraumaFX is growing every day!

TraumaFX is really meeting people's special effect makeup needs!

They're finding out about the HIGH quality and LOW prices we offer! Most of them can't believe they can buy the same variety of products from TraumaFX at prices lower than the "big name" companies. That's GREAT news!

I would like to give a very humble THANK YOU to our latest customer placing a HUGE order - Logan International Airport in Billings, Montana.

Keep looking for new products on www.traumafx.com - they're being added all the time! To be posted this coming week are pre-made latex wound prosthetics. There's everything from large lacerations, bullet entrance & exit wounds to depressed skull fractures. It's exciting! And it's at prices everyone can afford!

There's a NEW place to go for all your Special Makeup Effects and Casualty Simulation needs -

www.traumafx.com