I've been doing special make-up effects for about five years.

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I work, part-time, as a medic in the Canadian Forces Health Services, Primary Reserve. One of my duties is casualty simulation; using makeup to create realistic "casualties" for training medical personnel. My knowledge of anatomy and trauma helps me to plan realistic scenarios and believable injuries.

Below I've provided a technical description of some of the effects make-up in my portfolio to help give a better indication of what I do and my approach to make-up.

• Gunshot wound to the head (exit): Fatal wound through frontal lobe of the brain, fractured bone visible in the wound and ejected brain matter around wound. This wound was sculpted in plastiline and a cast made in prosthetic gelatin painted with PAX paints. Hair was protected with an application of Gafquat and the wound color blended with Skin Illustrator. "Brain matter" is a mix of prosthetic gelatin pieces and water-based lubricant. Ben Nye Stage Blood applied to wound.

• Avulsed human teeth: Used to simulate traumatic tooth avulsions in medical training scenarios. These teeth were cast from a mold made from actual human teeth (extracted teeth obtained from a dental clinic). The real teeth were cleaned and autoclaved, then sealed with Crystal Clear by Krylon. Mold was made of the teeth using Mold Max® 30 by Smooth-On. Cast with dental polymer/monomer by Monster Makers. Detailed with Liquitex Acrylic paint and Krylon spray products. Ben Nye Stage Blood and props (hand forged pliers from the 1940s, medical gauze and an old metal baking sheet) complete the scene.

• Bloody writing: The effect desired was to have the lettering look like it was cut into the skin with a knife like the effect in the 2009 film "The Haunting in Connecticut." A tattoo stencil was used to transfer the lettering design to the skin using a product called Stencil Stuff. After the design was transferred the letters were gradually painted over with Skin Illustrator paints in blood colors. The original blue/black color of the stencil adds to the depth and helps define the deepest part of the cut. A couple of layers of latex were then applied over the lettering then manipulated with a wood tongue depressor to simulate cut skin. Ben Nye thick blood was applied for texture and to build depth. At the shoot location, stage blood was applied to give a fresh, wet effect.

• Hand Abrasion: A realistic makeup of an injury caused when falling onto rough ground on an outstretched hand. The base of this makeup is Skin Illustrator in black and blue for shadow depth, and blood red for the raw wound. Applied with a black stipple sponge for a textured look. Latex around the edges of each raw area, pulled up to simulate skin around the edges of the wound. Fleet Street Bloodworks Blood Paste stippled on each wound for a 3D effect. Finally, brushed on a tiny amount of glycerin on each raw surface and dusted on some Ben Nye Plains Dirt.

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