Making a Head

To buy a prop head visit our resource chapter and review vendor web sites and catalogs. To build a prop head takes a little time, and can become expensive when building just one due to the expense of the materials in small quantities. The advantages of building vs. buying include developing the skills to build and design unique props unavailable at stores. This will significantly add to the effect and realism of your haunt once you improve your talents to produce authentic looking props. Our discussion will center on the use of latex, since it is pliable, lightweight, and looks the most realistic. Realize that once you develop these skills you will almost be qualified to perform plastic surgery.

Here’s what to do:

1. You need to find a base to use to mold the latex around. Your best choices are either a Styrofoam wig stand, or build a life-sized plastic model of a human head or skull. You could even make a good papier mache life-sized model of a head, though this does require more artistic skills, and prior experience.
2. If you plan to add eyeballs or teeth, glue these in before applying latex, so you can model around them to cover gaps, and make it look more realistic. Eyes and teeth can be purchased at any Halloween prop, Novelty, or Magic & Joke store. Glass eyeballs cost about $20-$30 each, but look great. Teeth can be bought from vendors listed in the resource chapter and through web site browsing. Bucky Teeth© look realistic and come in a variety of styles. Also, check in that glass on the nightstand next to grandma's bed. You could even make eyeballs and teeth for those who are creatively artistic. Eyeballs can be painted on Ping-Pong ball halves.
3. If you are using a wig stand or a model without the seven standard head orifices, you may want to either carve them or drill them out (nose, ears, eye sockets and mouth). Nothing more humiliating than to have some kid notice that your corpse is without orifices.
4. The next step is to purchase about a quart can of liquid latex from an art supply store, then start painting on the first layer of latex over the head. If you want to build up areas that aren't already part of your foundation model, use nose putty, body putty, etc. before applying the latex. This might include noses, ears, lips, or areas around and under the chin when using a skull model. You can also buy these facial accessories, and glue them on with rubber cement, shoe glue, or other rubber adhesive.
5. Once the first coat of latex has dried, begin painting on a second coat. Add little pieces of cotton, clay, or shredded papier mache in with the second third and fourth layers of latex to add a decaying texture. To mix paper mache; add 1 cup of flour to 1 - 1.5 cups of water (depending on desired texture), 1-2 teaspoons of salt, and optional 1-4 tablespoons of carpenter's wood glue for additional durability.
6. Continue to add coats by painting on liquid latex mixture until the desired look is achieved. Avoid applying applications too thickly, resulting in the loss of definition and detail, and for heaven sakes, don't over paint and block your orifices. A nice effect is to build up veins with nose putty that will later be painted a dark blue. Also, build several large ugly moles too.
7. Once the final coat of latex has dried (allow about three days), begin to apply latex paint (available at an art supply store, but be sure to tell the store clerk for what you plan to use the paint). Begin painting with the lightest tone base color. Depending on the desired degree of decay, the lighter the color, the fresher the corpse. Colors might start with a white or pale yellow/green and work through the spectrum to a dark brown. Be sure to mix a little extra of the base color so you don't run out when you paint the hands, or to paint over the glue line if you apply any hair. If you don't find latex paint, mix acrylic paint with the liquid latex, and paint that on. The ratio is four parts latex to one part paint.
8. After painting the base color, darken it, and paint shadows around eyes and where there are deep facial lines. When painting a more decayed state skin in a darker color, no darker shades are needed.
9. Next, paint the lips and any veins a dark blue, then paint eyes and any teeth an off white or pale yellow. Finally paint totally shadowed areas like inside mouth, nose holes, ear holes, etc. black, also finish painting any other areas not yet mentioned. Allow each color to dry first before painting the next.
10. If you decide to add some hair, buy crepe hair at a theatrical supply store, cut it to desired length, and glue one row at a time, in layers, starting at the base of the head, working upward in rows across the head.

Once the glue is dried, paint the glue line with the base paint used on the face, move up about a half inch and start the next row of hair. Continue until you have laid the desired amount of hair. This takes patience since each row must dry before moving to the next.