How to Create a Hanged Corpse

This instructable is on how to create a hanged corpse, or at least some epic hangman bruises. The white face makeup can be bought at pretty much any store that sells Halloween makeup. It's really easy to find in the fall, when it's being sold everywhere. It, like most things Halloween, becomes harder to come by during other periods throughout the year.

The bruise makeup is just different pigments of eyeshadow that can be bought pretty much anywhere, although I wouldn't recommend spending a whole lot on it. You can find cheap eyeshadow at the Dollar Store, It's not like you're going to be wearing it for fun anyway.

Like with the zombie makeup, it's really easy to make, all you need is an artistic eye and some patience. The process is a matter of blending colours together, and adding more layers until nothing sticks out individually. The result you are looking for, is that every pigment, hue, and shade blends together. You want to be able to differentiate that there are different shades involved, but not notice that they are applied separately.

Have some fun and play around, but just remember, in this case,  you want your corpse to look as pale and gaunt as possible, it makes it easier for the bruises to stand out.  PALE IS KEY.

SQ

The materials for this instructable are super easy. All you need is white face makeup, makeup sponges, makeup brushes, a volunteer and eye shadow in the following colours: purple, blue, green, grey, brown, and beige.

You may also want to invest in some makeup removal wipes.

The first step in anything is finding people who are willing to help you out. That means someone who is willing to have their face painted. Please remember to be nice to whomever volunteers, you really can't do this without them.

Ask them to wash their face prior to sitting down for makeup, this makes the process that much easier.

As it is with any movie makeup, the first step is white. Especially in this case, you want whoever is getting their makeup done to look very pale, this makes it easier to add dimension and colour later on.

If they wear glasses, like my volunteer does, ask them to remove them prior to starting. Now this is key, you don't want any of the makeup to clump together. Blend it into their skin until it just looks like they're really pale. Obvious makeup on their face kind of ruins the overall effect you're going for here.

Once your volunteer is sufficiently pale, you want to add dimension and shading. This is done by adding shadows under the eyes and adding a light tint of blue to the lips. You may also want to add a hint of grey or brown to the cheek bones to make the face look sunken in or hollow.

This is the key step. This is where the purples and blues and greens come into play. You want to add as many shades on top of each other as you can. What you're going for here, is a bruise in the general shape of a noose or hangman's knot. You achieve this look by creating a dark circular ring just above your volunteer's collar bone.

Bruises aren't usually a straight line or definite shape, they are blobs of purple that blossom and spread underneath your skin, therefore, once you have the colours layered where you want them, smudge them together into more of a rope burn. I find it's easier to smudge with your fingers, as this creates more of a realistic looking bruise shape.

It's really easy to add more shading or white if you need to, just remember to smudge it again.

Blending is different than smudging, this is where you start to layer colours to add realistic looking depth to your  bruises. The more shades of purple and blues and greens you add, the better bruises turn out. There are honestly a  lot of colours that are involved in bruising.

This is essentially what you are going for. Notice how many colours are layered into the bruises.

It's really easy to get off the makeup too, if you have the right products.