i posted this a few months back but the threads gone now, but even though there halloween costume tips theyve never steered me wrong.
and dont say im never productive!
Zombie Costuming
By Bob Bankard
PhillyBurbs Special Sections
So, you're thinking about trying life as the death of the party, zombie style? Some of us can do that without a costume, but for those of you who are looking for something a bit more masquerade, here's a few zombie costume tips for the tyro corpus.
1) Zombie Wardrobe: This can be as expensive or inexpensive as you want: the only rule is, whatever you choose to wear will end up unwearable after you're through with it.
Did you have a nice burial? You'll need to ruin a nice dark suit. Did you get zombie bit playing Frisbee, and subsequently zombi-fy? How dead are you - a little or a lot? All of these have to be taken into consideration when choosing wardrobe. You need to determine your character; who are - or were - you?
a) In-ground Zombies: If you were in the ground, you had to get out, right? Sooo ... bury your clothing. Preferably in muddy ground. Leave them to soak for awhile; a few days is nice, a week even better. Pull the mess out, and allow them to dry somewhere naturally - we want to encourage a nice colony of mildew. Yes - it will be gross to wear. But you'll have that nice, loamy, acrid smell and an authentic start on your costume. I've done this - it looks great.
Too fastidious? Chicken. All right - we'll go with paints instead. You'll need dark brown and dark green, and just a smidge of florescent green if you're feeling brave.
We're using a house-painting brush, folks. The trick is to SUGGEST the dirt and mold, not to recreate it. Lightly dip the TIPS of the bristles in the paint, then brush away 90% of the paint before applying it to your clothing. We want faint trails, suggestions of wear, with every stroke - we're not giving the bedroom a second coat. You can always add an additional feather-stroke if you want more, but once it's on, you can't take it back; be critical. (Personally, I still prefer the mud and mildew.)
Now, you've made it to the surface. Follow the above-ground instructions.
b) Above-ground Zombies: As a zombie, you aren't the most agile creature on earth. You fall down, conk into things, get caught on obstructions that most earthworms would be smart enough to avoid. And sometimes, your lunch fights back. Consequently, your wardrobe can take a beating.
Rips and tears occur. Unless you're a real weenie, actually rip and tear - cuts tend to be too clean, and break the illusion. Knees, elbows, and/or seams; struggle points like shirt pockets or shoulder seams.
Grass stains can happen; either it's time for more painting magic, or go out into the yard in the trousers and do a few Bob Fosse slides.
Get a little creative with it - have fun. Wearing slip-ons? Maybe one slipped off - lose a shoe. Are you a bitten business boy? Carry around an open briefcase, and prepare to vacantly stare at your watch a lot. C'mon, kids - we're in showbiz now!
Have you eaten yet? If so, you'll probably want to leave some salsa stains; people are really, really juicy. Use some common sense in placement, and remember that, according to Savini, there is no such thing as too much blood. Most current theatrical blood is a mixture of Karo syrup and coloring, and this can be a problem if you're still warm-blooded - it tends to get sticky and runny when warm. Paint will dry better, but will be obviously paint - blood may be thicker than water, but nobody's pumping latex semi-gloss. Think about the nature of blood - go with just some creative dye placement. Remember - dried blood turns brownish-red. Start with a base that color, unless you're looking for that just-fed look.
OK, we have your clothing in bad order - now let's do something about that disgustingly healthy skin of yours.
Why disgusting? Because of all of that nasty blood teaming through your flesh giving it that healthy glow. Once you die, the blood stops pumping, and the skin takes on a lovely robin's-egg blue color. All of that nasty blood settles to wherever it is on your body that's closest to the ground, where it creates the biggest bruise you've ever seen.

c) Kitsch and make-up: Before we start on the paint job, allow me to introduce you to your best friend - liquid latex.
You can buy liquid latex at any decent costume shop. It usually comes in something that looks like an oversized fingernail polish bottle. I personally have only seen it in a creamy white color - maybe some places have a more racially diverse selection.
Lets start with some shrivel. Open your liquid latex bottle, and puff out your cheeks, like a trumpet player. With hamster-like swollen cheeks, brush on the liquid latex - give it a couple of coats. Hold it for just a bit - let it dry. Now, let the air out. Your cheeks are now back to normal.. but the latex, spread across a wider area initially, has no place to go. So, it wrinkles. Instant aging, at your service.
How about some peeling flesh? Apply the liquid latex, let it dry, and then artistically strip it off a leading side or two. Looking for something a bit more exciting? Some costume shops sell something they call "Zombie Rot". It is a soup of liquid latex and tiny black pebbles. Spread it on, and it makes the skin rough looking, and corrupted - like an advanced case of leprosy. It's a good effect.
Another possibility - many costume shops sell 'breastplates;' fat guy bellies, rib cages, etc. Buy a ribcage, and cut the black spaces out from between the ribs. They show up nicely through a shirt. Wanna get even more gross? Get a second breastplate made of latex guts, and go for the layered look. If you got it, flaunt it!
Now you're set for the make-up. Rule one: If it shows, Paint It. If your knee shows through a hole in your pants, it better not be nicely tanned, or it will spoil the look. If you reach for something, and your healthy wrist is exposed, you've lost first place.
We'll start with a base white water-based cream. Our first choice would not be greasepaint, for the reasons below. The nice thing about greasepaint is that it covers fast and completely - you're going to have to work a little harder on the waterbased stuff, because it tends to tint more than it re-colors. the nice thing is, once done, you're less likely to shine like a mime and leave white skid marks on accidentally touched areas.
OK, if you decided you just have to go with greasepaint. Slather. AVOID any latex appliances, because they don't get along well together, and the appliance will loosen: you'll need to pony up for some water based cream for those areas, and match as best you can. Keep in mind that greasepaint will rub off on things, so be mindful where you lean, touch, etc. while in costume. There is a translucent powder that will minimize rubbing and the shine of greasepaint, but it will not eliminate all the ills, Be forewarned.
Now let's go with the robins-egg blue. Apply artistically: Some areas - the chin, the bridge of the nose, any 'defined' areas will look more skeletal if it stays stark white. Apply to cheeks, temples, around the eyes, and meaty places like calve and thigh muscles.
Build up a few layers of ever-darkening areas (yes - you'll need a few more make-up shades) to define shadows - eye sockets, neck tendons, around the sides of the nose, and - if applicable - cheeks. But let's try to be rational. If you have big ol' punkin' cheeks, you won't hollow them out with anything short of a pair of black hole stars tucked inside 'em. Some dead folks have big cheeks, too. Relax.
Now, if you feel the desire, hit the costume store again, and grab yourself an accessory: an arm, a leg, some intestines... you'd be amazed at the horrible things molded in latex you can buy nowadays.
That sets you up with the basics, folks - the rest is up to you. Happy Halloween!
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Originally Posted by Anarchist86ed
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