Partially because Halloween is coming up but also because I have always thought it was kind of neat, I am looking for explanations of and supplies for movie type make-up.
I don’t know of a better way to describe it than that. I don’t mean the sort of heavy monsters and aliens type, but the subtle and natural looking kind that can make a person look completely different. Such as if you wanted to disguise yourself. Things like fake teeth, latex prosthetics to change your facial features, creams to alter skin color and tone, wigs to change your hair color and style, contact lenses that make your eyes look completely different, fake nail, fat suits, false scars and moles, the sorts of things that would prevent your own mother from recognizing you even if she was standing in front of you.
I tried to search on Google but I kept coming up with tons of unrelated results (and lots of links to that stupid Master Of Disguise movie).
I live in California, so I am sure I could find some professionals nearby to talk to.
Do any of you know where I should start looking? What I should search for? A person I should contact?
Well, I have some makeup bookmarks and one, The Makeup Gallery, has a lot of photos, though they aren’t instructive or anything. It has a page of links though. It’s at least a place to start.
Another suggestion is Kevyn Aucoin books. He isn’t that great for step-by-step but he did a lot of turning one celebrity into another celebrity and there are some tips in there. The photos are great and I learned some things from the books. If your library has Face Forward it’s the best one to look for first. It has the most dramatic transformations. I don’t know if he used prosthetics, but he would use a lot of contour and taping to make people look unrecognizable.
You’re looking for “stage makeup”. Try Googling it, or look for a magic/illusions shop (as distinguished from a magick shop). I’ve seen some of the stage makeup in beauty supply shops, too. I think your best bet, though, would be an illusionists’ shop.