JustJimAZ

Skele-copy

Rate this Entry
If your internet searches look anything like mine, you've probably seen this floating around:
Name:  775f6db372b066f7783aad40486e8f64.jpg
Views: 113
Size:  44.3 KB

Originally posted on the website of Finale: The Independent Horror Movie, they took a 4th quality skeleton, wrapped it in tin foil - keeping in all the details they could - and covered it in papier mache. The original website is long gone, but the story is this is how they created a bunch of corpses for the climax of the movie. It looks pretty good.

I believe the story was they covered both sides of the skelly, then cut is off. I don't think that's such a hot idea. If you need front and back, it's going to be much easier to make them separately and then paste them together.

I decided to give this one a try myself. I have a skelly or two, so I detached the arms and legs to make a copy of the head and torso.

Name:  20200526_074545[1].jpg
Views: 25
Size:  533.1 KB
Name:  20200526_074513[1].jpg
Views: 7
Size:  521.8 KB

As it was, I found it necessary to cut the head off and make cuts in the mouth and crown to remove the head. If I'd also done the whole back side, I would end up doing many more cuts.

Name:  20200526_075131[1].jpg
Views: 18
Size:  597.2 KB

Re-attaching the head with glue and papier mâché will be no trouble. I'm going to add lips, teeth, eyes and eyelids. Maybe some hair. I think it will make a great scarecrow. I have no need of the back for this particular scarecrow.

Also, if I wanted to do a bunch of corpses, I could make my life easier by NOT trying to capture the spine. I'd just stretch sheets of newspaper from the ribs to the pelvis. That would make it look less like a skeleton and more like a body, while also avoiding the undercuts between the rib cage and the spine. I could make some more like a skeleton and some less. It would give me a lot of variety if I needed it!

I think I am going to fill up the back with Sika Polyurethane Fence Post Mix. It's pretty cheap, sets up hard, and will help the papier mâché to keep its shape. I can even mount this to a pole first, and the foam will make it permanent.

It looks like for the movie they copied the arm and hand too. I would definitely do one side at a time if that was my plan. cutting out individual fingers would be a pain and probably cause a ton of damage I'd just have to fix later.

Anyway, now yo know that this process can be used. Maybe I'll post pics of further progress.

Happy Haunting!
Categories
Uncategorized

Comments