Nov 29

Nov 29 Wax and why you shouldn't completely hate it! #MoulageMonday

If you know me as an artist, or have ever been a part of one of my workshops you will know that I am a BIG fan of sculpt gel. When it comes to Moulage, personally I believe there is no better product. The versatility of sculpt gel can’t be rivalled by the likes of wax or gelatin, or many other products for that matter. This means that this has definitely become my most used and most practiced product in my kit.

All that being said I definitely think that there is still a place for other products; for example, I nearly always reach for some sort of gelatin whenever I am required to do a large scale burn. Because of this I try to make sure to practice using every product in my kit regularly, including wax; despite the fact I nearly never use it for simulation.

There is no denying wax as a product definitely has its cons, however it is a great product if you want to practice specific techniques or if you are simply doing a makeup just for photography purposes. For this reason I tend to use wax a lot at home and in my spare time either to fabricate something that I am later going to turn into a prosthetic or just to get a few great shots before I quickly remove it again.

I can't completely hate wax. As much as I dislike the fact that it does not stay put and will crack if you so much as breathe on it, wax was one of he first products that stemmed my love for special effects makeup. I remember being completely in awe at a YouTube video of Stuart Bray making a really basic cut, somewhat similar to the one I have created for today’s #moulagemonday. I have vivid memories of watching this same video over and over trying to work out what that magic product was that seemed to blend so seamlessly. I realise now that the product in this video was most likely Ben Nye Nose and Scar Wax and it probably wasn't as seamless, or as magical as I once perceived but to my young and very over active imagination this was the best thing since sliced bread! This video is still up on YouTube if you are interested.

The point I am trying to make here is that although wax is widely disliked by a lot of artists it definitely has its place, and some artists have learned to use it to it’s fullest potential. One of the best examples of this is Marc Clancy, also known as Powdah online. His work is truly awe inspiring and is a testament as to what you can achieve with wax if you set your mind to it.

Wax can be a pain but if you get it right it can create some incredible results, making for stunning photos. The price point means that it is great for this purpose and although not practical for a lot of things it is definitely a great starting point for new artists.