One of the most common makeup needs on set is for a look of exposure to the elements, one of which is the look that someone has from being out for a long time in severe heat. Many a Western has used this look, such as The Good The Bad And The Ugly, Deadwood, or while not a cowboy drama, The Flight of the Phoenix. To give the skin a severe sun exposure look, here is what I do.

Like a first-degree burn, I stipple the face and neck with a pale pink tone. For this demonstration, I applied Skin Illustrator DT Blush using a torn latex sponge. while having my model, Clayton Stang, wrinkle his face. After this I stippled two light coats of Duo Adhesive to a few spots on Clayton’s face. While that was drying, I glued three pre-made blisters made from 3rd Degree Silicone.

Next, as illustrated in the second photo, darker reds were stippled over some areas of the face. I also mixed the hand painted work with some airbrush spatter while Clayton wrinkled his face.

Burnt sienna and additional red tones were added around the eyes. Grayed purple was also worked around the eyes. The Duo Adhesive was pulled in the center and broken to a desired size. The center of each broken blister was then made up with a pale color, followed by a bit of red around the edge. A little K-Y Jelly was painted inside the blister to enhance the sore appearance.

With these simple steps, an artist can create a look that holds up even in High Definition.