Creating Deep Cuts with Molding Wax

By Lisa Johnson

This effect is for creating slit wrists or deep gashes in the face.  This effect is a bit more in depth than the rest, but if done correctly it can be the most effective special effect technique without the use of prosthetics.

You will need more products than in the last few blogs and it will take some patience, but the results are far better than just using latex or gelatin.

Using molding wax allows you to change the shape of the face or body part.  It also allows for creating a loss of depth in the skin, like a cut or a gash.  You can also put items in the skin when using wax, like staples, thread, or even glass.

You will need the following items to complete a cut:

Molding wax
Spatula
Spirit Gum
A sealing product such as Ben Nye’s Final Seal
Oil
Bruise or Trauma Wheel
Stage Blood or thick blood

Step one – Remove a small amount of wax from the container with a spatula.

Step two – Take the wax and roll it into a snake shape in the length you’d like the cut to be and lay it onto the skin.

Step three – Flatten out the wax and begin to blend the edges out onto the skin.

Step four – Make sure that all the edges are blended as thin as possible so that they look like part of the skin around it and are as smooth as possible.

Step five – You will now use your spatula or molding tool to slice down the middle of the cut.

Step six – Make sure that you pull the edges to the sides to open up the cut so the skin below shows through.

Step seven – Apply oil on the wax to smooth out any rough edges. Blot it dry and apply a sealing product to ensure that the wax will take color and stay together. You may also apply spirit gum around the edges to keep the wax on the skin (You don’t have to use the spirit gum if you don’t want to. It is there to add a extra hold to make the cut longer lasting.).

Step eight – After the seal is dry begin using your Bruise or Trauma Wheel to apply color starting with yellow around the edges.

Step nine – Follow the wheel clockwise from color to color. Make sure you put some red down in the opening of the cut to simulate raw skin or blood.

Step ten – Apply a thicker blood down in the incision. The thick blood will look like the blood is starting to coagulate.

Step 11 – Once the thick blood is in the incision, you can tap a liquid or gel blood around to make it appear like the blood has run all over the cut.