SFX Makeup: materials for professional special effects

Special effects makeup combines very different disciplines in a single workflow: first you capture the actor's negative using alginate or silicone, then you build the prosthetic in gelatin or latex foam, encapsulate it so it can be painted, and finally bond it to the skin with medical-grade adhesives and paint it with alcohol-activated makeup. At Feroca you'll find all the materials you need for each of those stages, whether you're learning the technique or producing for film and television.

Prosthetic gelatin

Prosthetic gelatin is the most accessible entry-level material for making character prosthetics. It melts in a water bath, is poured into the mold, and once cooled it produces a soft, translucent piece with a very convincing subcutaneous appearance. Because it is reusable and food-grade, it's ideal both for training workshops and for productions on a tight budget. It can be painted directly with alcohol-activated palettes and accepts intrinsic pigmentation through flocking.

Colorless Prosthetic Gelatin 300 Bloom, food-grade, reusable. Light Flesh Prosthetic Gelatin Base flesh tone, ready to mold.

Liquid latex for masks and prosthetics

Latex remains one of the most versatile materials in the SFX workshop. You can use it to make poured masks in plaster molds, create lightweight prosthetics with a velvety appearance, or build skin layers for animatronic creatures. Prosthetic latex foam requires an oven but delivers the level of detail and flexibility demanded by film productions. Poured latex, on the other hand, is worked at room temperature and accepts direct pigmentation.

Prosthetic Latex Foam Prosthetic grade, ultra-fine cells, oven-cured. RD-407 Masking Latex Standard Natural poured latex for plaster molds. Latex Paint Base Fluid base for latex paints and bald caps. Flex Gloss Flexible gloss coating, non-yellowing.

Alginates for face and body molds

Alginate is the first step when you need to capture an actor's negative in real time. It is harmless to the skin, generates no heat when setting, and reproduces the detail of pores and wrinkles with great fidelity. Once you have the negative, you fill it with plaster or resin to obtain the positive on which to build the prosthetic. Two setting speeds are available so you can adapt the process to the area being molded and the team's experience level.

Alga-Cast Slow Slow set, more working time for full faces. Alga-Cast Fast Fast set, ideal for hands and small areas.

Cap plastics and encapsulants for prosthetics

The encapsulant is the layer that coats the silicone or gelatin prosthetic and allows alcohol-activated makeup to adhere without beading off. Without it, palettes slide on the silicone and the final result loses consistency. Depending on the solvent you use in your workflow — acetone or isopropyl alcohol — you'll choose one encapsulant or another. All of them form an elastic, transparent film that moves in sync with the prosthetic.

Key-Cap Plastic Acetone base, for silicone prosthetics and bald caps. Key-Cap Beads Acetone-base beads, dilute to your ideal consistency. Super-Cap IPA base, elastic and transparent for FX silicone.

Adhesives and activators for prosthetics

Adhesion is the critical point of any prosthetic application: a poorly bonded prosthetic lifts with the actor's first expression and ruins the take. The Telesis adhesive family, formulated to medical grade, offers different drying speeds and formulations — silicone, acrylic, roll-on or pen applicator — so you can choose the one that best suits each area of the face and the time available. Complete the system with skin protectors, thinners, and sealers to extend the life of the application throughout long shooting days.

Telesis 8 Silicone Adhesive Medical grade, strong and long-lasting for silicone. Telesis 9 Silicone Adhesive The strongest in the range, pressure-sensitive. Pros-Aide Water-based, non-toxic, a classic of the FX industry. Skin Illustrator Activator Ethanol+IPA, activates and sets alcohol palettes.

SFX makeup paints and alcohol palettes

Alcohol palettes are the industry standard for painting silicone, latex, and gelatin prosthetics because they adhere to any encapsulated surface, withstand sweat, and don't mix with skin oils. The Skin Illustrator range covers all needs: flesh tones, dark tones, aging effects, zombies, wounds, tattoos, hair, and teeth. If you work on location and need a compact format, go for the On Set series; if you want more pigment volume, the Single Pots are your best option.

Flesh Tone Palette 10 flesh tones, professional coverage for skin. Necromania Palette 10 colors for death and decomposition effects. Single Pots 60% more pigment than a standard palette cell. Starter Palette 10 essential colors, perfect for getting started in SFX.

Artificial blood for special effects

Each type of blood has its function on set: shiny liquid blood mimics freshly shed arterial blood, pastes add dimension and texture to already built wounds, and scab blood simulates the healing process. For mouth scenes, gelatin capsules or food-grade blood are used. Choose the tone — bright arterial, medium venous, or dark aged — depending on the dramatic moment of the action.

Drying Blood Fresh Fresh tone, wet appearance when drying on skin. Fleet Street Blood Paste Volume and texture paste for SFX wounds. Supreme Internal Blood Food-grade, safe for mouth and mucous membranes. TF Blood Capsules Bite them on camera for an immediate, safe effect.

SFX prosthetics and transfers

Platinum silicone prosthetics are the most realistic solution for character transformations: their ultra-thin edges blend seamlessly with the actor's skin and allow an integrated makeup finish with no visible lines. If you need to replicate the same effect on multiple actors or across different takes, PTM transfers offer a quick-to-apply alternative that requires no mold-making. The professional temporary tattoos from the Tatú FX line — designed specifically for SFX — cover bruises, veins, burns, and zombie skin with a realism that holds up under camera scrutiny.

Suture Set 1 Prosthetic Platinum silicone, realistic sutures, ultra-thin edges. PTM Clear Transparent transfer, reduces edge opacity. Tatú FX — 3rd Yellow Burns 7 temporary tattoos of 3rd-degree burns. Tatú FX — Zombie Skin 8 zombie skin tattoos, professional SFX design.

Makeup for teeth and mouth

Tooth effects are one of the details that most immediately break a character's credibility when poorly executed. Temporary dental lacquers are applied in seconds with a fine brush, withstand saliva throughout the entire shooting day, and are removed without damaging the enamel. Mouth FX kits add extreme colors — black, violet, blood red — for horror or fantasy characters.

Mouth FX Kit 1 5 temporary oral colors, saliva-resistant. Mouth FX Kit 2 5 dark colors for horror tooth effects. Tooth Lacquer Palette Series 1 Professional dental lacquers, brush-activated.

Professional brushes for SFX

A conventional makeup brush can't withstand alcohol or prosthetic adhesives. SFX-specific brushes are made with vegan synthetic bristles that are solvent-resistant, with long handles that give precise control in hard-to-reach areas. You'll find fine liners for working edge transitions, stipples for texturing, and flat brushes for applying adhesives over large areas.

Brush 101 — Fine Liner Fine tip for edges and prosthetic detail work. Brush 106 — Flat Stipple Dual fiber for skin textures and veining. Titanic FX 11-Brush Set Complete kit for the entire SFX workflow.

3D skin effects: waxes, scars, and wounds

When you don't have time to make a prosthetic, direct 3D-effect materials applied straight to the skin are the quickest solution. Professional wax sculpts open wounds, lumps, and deformities in seconds. Collodion creates depressions and scars by pulling the skin inward from the outside. Gelafix thermoplastic gelatin lets you build burns and wounds with great detail that holds up under subsequent makeup application.

Cine-Wax Organic wax for 3D wounds and deformities. Collodion Creates sunken scars on skin instantly. Gelafix Skin Thermoplastic for detailed burns and wounds. Old Age Stipple Liquid latex for direct wrinkles and aging effects.