# Corpse Finger



## ravenworks69 (Sep 27, 2009)

Time to paint. This is where artistic licence takes over. For a more dry corpse look you should go with earth tones, nutmeg, tans, browns, raw sienna, etc. For a fresher "juicer" looking corpse try cooler colors like blues, and greens mixed with white or off whites. I'm using acrylic paint Nutmeg, Antique White, and just a drop of red. Primary colors (red, blue, and yellow) go a long way so use them sparingly. After painting (stopping before the "bone" on end) allow to dry at least 1 hour.











Mixed











While the paint is drying you need to make a SLUDGE WASH. A sludge wash is just a very thin wash made of acrylic paint, water and a little dish liquid. The amounts needed are on the picture. Mix all ingredients thoroughly until a moderate amount of bubbles are created. After mixing, store in a squeeze bottle or other container.




















After the finger has dried, its time for the sludge wash. To paint this on simply make small circles about the size of quarters really fast. If you do it right the sludge wash will make an inky foam. DO NOT brush it off. Foam up the entire finger making sure to get it in all the nooks and wrinkles then allow to dry. What happens is two fold, the wash will darken up the base coat color, and as the small bubbles of the foam disperse the inky wash will pull away from the higher wrinkles and settle and dry in the nooks.










After the sludge wash has dried, dry brush a top coat. I used nutmeg and antique white. Lightly drybrushing over the tops of the wrinkles gives it depth and dimension. Allow to dry 1 hour.


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## ravenworks69 (Sep 27, 2009)

Time to seal it. I use Mod Podge water base sealer. It comes in gloss but I use the matte finish. I start at the finger tip and work my way around down to the knuckle. Then I do the next section around and down to the next knuckle etc. It dries fast so work quickly. Make sure to get in all the nooks for a complete seal but try not to let it pool. It could remain tacky where its thicker, and take longer to dry. DO NOT Mod Podge the bone.


















After Mod Podge has dried, remove the toothpick from the bone end. Take the knife tip and pluck out chunks of pink foam making pits in it. Snap the toothpick in half, and place it back in blunt side out. This will blend in with the final product as well as fill the hole, and give the end a little bit of structural support. 


















Using the antique white completely paint the bone stump and allow to dry about 45 minutes.









When dry apply the sludge wash and allow to dry again for another 20 minutes.









After the sludge wash has dried dry brush with the antique white. This process will give the bone a worn, weathered sunbleached look.












Finally apply Dullcote to the bone stump. This will help two ways. First it will seal the paint, secondly it won't give it a shine like the Mod Podge would and insure its look of dry weathered bone.











Final product. I'm sure this method isn't perfect for every body but its just been the most consistant and successful for me. I think I went a little to light on the drybrushing of the skin but over all it works. This is the same technique I used on the "Corpse Hand " I posted in the Props section of this forum. I hope this helps some of you but by all means if you can improve on the technique list any suggestions here.



















Thanks for looking, Marc V.


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## LadyAlthea (Sep 11, 2008)

oh yes....i LIKE this big time!!!!!!


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## Joiseygal (Jun 10, 2009)

This turned out really good! I would love to make a whole hand like this! Nice job!


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## Terror Tom (Nov 3, 2008)

That is very cool. Very detailed and thorough instructions. Thanks for sharing with us.


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## Uruk-Hai (Aug 31, 2008)

Cool! Thanks for the How-to. I can see doing a bunch of these as a necklace for my witch.


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## whichypoo (Jul 29, 2009)

I am learning so much today.. I hope my brain dosn't explode.. I know you all want to video it LOL


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## BadTableManor (Sep 8, 2007)

ADORE this tut, and I love how concise you are with everything. It's the first time I've heard of "sludge wash". Can't wait to try it out.


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

Holly Moses!! You don't mess around! Great TUT!


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## darkpenguincowboy (Sep 28, 2008)

Wow, that is just great, it looks just like the ones you could buy at the store, but this one will probably hold up vs some of the the cheap plastic crap they sell these days. Great finger though, the texture, the color, everything screams corpse!


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## savagehaunter (Aug 22, 2009)

That is better looking that any store bought fingers I have seen. The tut was very detaled and informative.


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## Terra (Sep 23, 2007)

Oh, such a cool tutorial! I learned a boatload of new techniques. Especially the _'sludge wash'_. Thanks so much for taking a large chunk out of your prop building time to make this how-to. Oh, never heard of _Dullcote_...wish I had that before for a few projects.


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## Gorey Vidal (Jul 7, 2010)

Where do you get this pink foamboard? I've looked for it here (southern california) but haven't found it.


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## ravenworks69 (Sep 27, 2009)

Gorey Vidal said:


> Where do you get this pink foamboard? I've looked for it here (southern california) but haven't found it.


I got it at Home Depot but you may be able to find it at Lowes. Its Owens Corning insulation. It comes in 8x4 foot sheets and carves like soft balsa wood provided you have a nice sharp razor knife. I love the stuff.

Good luck,

Marc V.


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## Bella LaGhostly (Aug 10, 2009)

Marc, I have been looking for a good way to make corpse hands for a yard reaper and yours look fantastic! Thank you so much for the excellent tutorial. 


Have you ever tried using heavy wire instead of the toothpicks to make a poseable joint?


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## ravenworks69 (Sep 27, 2009)

Bella LaGhostly said:


> Have you ever tried using heavy wire instead of the toothpicks to make a poseable joint?


Never done the heavy wire for 2 reasons. One if you try to "pose" it when its done the tp would probebly tear. Secondly, you CAN substitute the toothpicks for wire if you wish when building the main structure however it wouldent blend in as "bone" at the bone end like the wooden tooth pick. 

Good Q though. Any other sugestions on how to make this cheaper, or easier to construct, by all means sugest away.

Marc V.


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## alucard (Dec 1, 2008)

Very nice tut. So creepy and not too complicated. Thanks!


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## Guest (Jul 28, 2010)

love it! and Great tutorial!!


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## MsMeeple (Aug 21, 2004)

Great tutorial! What I"ve been missing all this time has been the sludge wash!


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## xrockonx911 (Jul 28, 2010)

Great tutorial! It looks like the fingers in Alice In Wonderland... a bit more withered, but hey, withered is good. great job.


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## BR1MSTON3 (Jul 31, 2010)

Thanks for a GREAT tutorial!

I have been trying to figure out how I was going to do some trees to make it a cross between real and alive with movement I am planning. One of the things that was bugging me was getting the look with a bark technique,but forget that. I can see the branches having a life of their own with this great technique, thanks again!


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## ravenworks69 (Sep 27, 2009)

Thanks alot for your questions and comments folks. I really do appreciate it. I come from a modeling background (tanks, planes, cars etc.) and have used sludge wash for years to enhace and detail panel lines, rivits and such. 

Thanks again, Marc V.


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## undeadrevenge (Aug 1, 2010)

*Wow*

woah this is amazing, thank you for sharing this with us, i'll have to try this when i get hold of the matirials (if only the u.k had walmart)


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## chop shop (Oct 31, 2010)

Great tut!, bump.


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## Misdomt (Oct 26, 2010)

Thanks for the tutorial or should we say procedure. I'm an Engineer by trade and love the detailed presentation. I made some small prop hands the other day and will now try the Sludge wash. Thanks again.


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## Aaaprn (Aug 18, 2011)

Now that's the kind of step-by-step tutorial I like! Great description of a process I was clueless about. I hope to be trying that soon!


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## gpawood (Sep 24, 2008)

This was a great tut, very detailed with great results, thanks so much for posting !


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## Aaaprn (Aug 18, 2011)

I know this is the basics of the basics...but is there a "preferred brand" of toilet paper?


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