ZOMBIES, a great group costume

I'm a big fan of the Zombie Walk, most cities have them. A non-profit gathering of folks who like costumes and make-up and fake blood. This year I saw everything from a guy dressed as the Joker to beautiful day of the dead make-ups as Zombie's.
Our group went down the gory, bloody, protruding bones and peeling skin route.
Because of this I thought I'd make up a few effects like stabbing a torso and an exposed bone break.
**warning there are some "realistic" or graphic photos near the end of this post. The torso stab was enough to make a few people shudder in real life.**
I've had some luck in the past, laying mask plaster on fabric and having it adhere. This was the main principle of my design for this year's costume effects.
You can always contact me to have your very own custom made broken bone if this seems like too much work.





Materials: plastic skeleton bones
               small roll of mask plaster
               saw (I used a hack-saw with an easy grip handle)
               drop sheet
               bowl of warm water
               10 cm wide strip of knit fabric to tie around "broken" limb
               paint, clear finish
               pencil

 
First, I drew jagged "break" lines, then I tried to saw as close as possible to what I drew. Then I cut a shallow angle for the edge that would be closest to my skin.

After tying the strip of fabric around my thigh I then place 2 20cm strips of wetted plaster and smoothed the excess moisture into the fabric. Now you place the bone and wrap a halfwidth strip around it to create support. Then a full width piece over top to hold it all together.


Now you sit still for 10-20 minutes while it sets. During this time I also wadded up some plaster into the hollow part of the bone, all the better for painting later.


I left mine to finish drying overnight and then painted on some zombie rot with sponges in greens, blacks and yellows.

Now I just soak the tie fabric in blood and make-up my leg and voila! One disgusting protruding bone for my Zombie costume.


For added fun, see the photos of the torso stab as well. The undershirt this was applied to, was cut completely down the opposite side seam and had velcro installed.

for the torso stab, the plaster was 2 parts 1st on the body
Then add the bones

ready to wander with brain snack "to go"
Next year there will be more broken bones

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