How to Make Realistic 3-D Wounds

Last night I assisted my grandson with a school project that involved decorating a skeleton. Of course, he wanted a scary look and with a little help from latex rubber, we did just that. Since the concept behind the project was to learn the bones of the human skeletal frame, we thought a few vital organs would be appropriate: heart, brain and tendon.

My zombie face post from last week prompted a number of how-to requests. There are a couple of different ways to make ugly scars or wounds. The method in my pictorial video uses PVA water soluble glue rather than liquid latex. I purchased both online.

The PVA glue is ideal if you want to build up the wounds directly onto to the skin. It's the method I used in the zombie face pictorial.

The second method is building up the wounds/scars with liquid latex and then using the PVA glue to adhere them to your skin.

The method below shows the liquid latex method.

Step One:
Using a disposable paint brush apply liquid latex to form the outline of the wound. A dabbing effect seems to work best. In this picture, I applied the latex to wax paper so that it would easily peel off once dried. Apply a second layer of latex to build up the base.

Step Two:
Roll up single ply strips of toilet paper to create the edges of the wound. Place the strips just inside the perimeter of the wound you created with latex.

Step Three:
Rip small sections of toilet paper and place inside the wound. Apply a thin layer of latex onto the wound an place the toilet paper into the wound. I used the end of a paint brush to saturate the toilet paper and squish it into place. Continue building up the wound with sections of toilet paper until you are satisfied with the look.

It doesn't look too realistic at this point, but trust me, in the end you will have a nice piece of fleshy skin.

Step Four:
After you have obtained the right look for your wound, apply one last layer of liquid latex. Allow to dry for at least two hours. It really needs to be thoroughly dry before you start apply the make-up.

Now... time to make it look realistic by applying make-up. It's likely you have most of this make-up in your cosmetic bag. If not, the Dollar Store is a great place to pick up colors or items needed.

Step Five:
Applying the color is the best part (at least in my opinion). I know this doesn't look like a heart, but it did to my 9 year old grandson. Of course, he had to add a few staples for effect.

We used 3 different shades red of lipstick. Using a make-up brush, we started with a darker shade of red along the perimeter and continued working the lighter red colors inward. A little brush here and there of black eye shadow also adds realism.

Liquid blood was brushed inside the wound and painted along the outside. I purchased my blood tube at a Spirit Halloween store. I'm sure you can also find it online. It's not necessary, but does lend itself to a more realistic look.




After Painting



Before Painting



We left a little more of the latex showing when making the tendon. The same red colors were used but with less intensity.

The picture to the left shows what the finished latex looked like prior to applying the make-up.

The design options are only limited by your imagination. Create bullet holes, peeling or aging skin, wounds, scars or cuts.

I'll be taking this to the next level with soaps. Can't wait to share. Stay in touch.