Alien Acid Blood

[mrcarkeys42]

I’m recreating the alien acid blood effect as seen in the alien movies for a project, I know the effect was done by pouring acetone onto a styrofoam board but what I don’t know is how they gave it that caustic yellow color. I’ve tried using food coloring but the acetone stays translucent, does anybody know how to make it an opaque yellow without diminishing its acidity? Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[RhinoActual]

You can try adding a small amount of epoxy to it. I use it a lot for epoxy cleanup and sometimes it does yellow.

 

[Sundowner]

I was thinking the same thing, Maybe add a bit of food coloring to the epoxy then mix it wth the acetone.

 

[EDChainsaws]

An ingredient in Dick Smith's fake blood recipe might help; Zinc Oxide, used to also make that mix more opaque. It comes as a water soluble bright white powder, a small amount mixed with water will give you a solid white liquid like milk, and I assume it would mix with acetone just as well. Then yellow & brown gel food colouring should give you the right tint. Zinc Oxide is not the nicest stuff, but I guess you're never going to be drinking the acetone so it doesn't matter too much.

 

[cavx]

What about the pigment used to colour epoxy and polyurethane? I am almost certain that the acetone will take the colour (it does during clean up of tinted epoxy) which should remain after the acetone has evaporated.

I vacuum formed my alien tile with a few types of plastic and am thinking of "alien blooding" one. I know the acetone will eat the ABS.

 

[cavx]

Actually, hold that.

Don't most rattle cans of paint eat poly foam because they contain acetone?

Buy yellow, spray and let it do it's thing.

 

[Potroclo]

There's also acetone dyes for staining concrete, either already mixed or pigment powders to add yourself to acetone, might be worth a try. I guess any powder pigment that's based off rocks (or anything inorganic) might work, as they won't be as easily broken down as food coloring or other organic materials. In fact the "acid" in the movie looks quite milky, as if some kind of powder was added? Also I would say the scene is sped up cause acetone doesn't disolve styrofoam so quickly in my experience!
Edit: also pigments for resin, depends on the brand but they are quite stable

 

[00fil00]

You won't diminish its acidity because it's not acid. It's neutral pH so it's more the chemical reaction that does it, so you should be ok to experiment with different compounds without ruining its effects.

 

[division 6]

You could also look at aircraft paint remover.
When I used it working at a sign shop years ago it had a yellow color.
Looked like custard.

Wear gloves or it will burn you.

 

[septic]

re colour, I think it was likely they added in [to the acetone] sodium fluorescein - it's used by plumbers to trace water leaks and it fluoresces under UV light. Google "Drain Dye tracer". Beware though it'll stain any/everything you love if you're not careful with it (esp the powdered form).

 

[obiwan kowalski]

If it is for a close up shot you could maybe use a yellow filter on the camera.