Zuko’s Scar W.I.P. (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

[CadetTK2386]

Hey everybody. This is my first time sculpting anything with clay. I’ve made other costume components and accessories before using various methods, pepakura, fiberglass, bondo, vacuum forming, et cetera. However, I had never sculpted and cast anything before. I had wanted to do the costume of Prince Zuko from Avatar The Last Airbender, specifically his season 2 costume when he was working in a Tea Shop. Zuko has an extensive burn scar across the left side of his face.

For Dragon*Con this year, I had made a simple prosthetic using liquid latex and tissue. (Photo by Bryan Humpfrey.)

While I was able to remove the piece intact, and it can be used again in the future, I still wanted to try sculpting it. I figure it’s a sort of basic piece that would be good to learn sculpting and casting on. My friend has recently started pulling his own sculpted Joker prosthetics in Silicone, so I figured that would be good for this piece. So, I got myself from sulfur free clay, got everything set up, and started sculpting.

I’m aiming for a piece that will end up being somewhere between realistic and cartoon stylized for the burn. I want something almost like Freddy Kruger, melted, scarred skin, stretched over more raw skin/almost muscular tissue.

 

[jedi_master_adam]

Good Job. Great Character from a fantastic series.

 

[CadetTK2386]

Did my first pull this weekend. UltraCal 30 for the molds and Dragon Skin FX Pro Silicone with Sil Pig dyes.

The first pull:

Initial painting:

 

[BATS]

Actually right out of the mold you almost have the perfect skin ton to match your own based on that shot.....

I'd suggest some very very thin alcohol washes of red around the eye area and leave the rest almost raw pull.

I didn't see your sculpt until just now, the only room for improvement would have been thinner edges is all, that one of the big things in all pieces like this so it blends and flexes into your existing skin without hard lines

very very cool project!!

Zu Zu was a really great character.

 

[TessLaeh]

I agree with everything bats said. The painted version looks a little overdone, it lost the translucentsy that it had in the raw pull. I'd try another cast and paint it with thinner washed like bats said. Also, since this is a burn they tend to be shiny, when you go to apply it on your face you can add some ky jelly on top of the piece and it will give it that nice shine.

 

[CadetTK2386]

Thanks for the tips, guys. The makeup job isn't permanent, just a quick test with some cheap make up I had around. Nothing's sealed or anything, so I can easily tone it down some. I was trying to strike a balance between the cartoon and reality in terms of color and detail. In the show, there is that obviously color difference around the eye and the two lines on the cheek and the one line above the eyebrow (which I interpreted as deeper burns with an almost muscular striation pattern) and I was hoping to capture that and accentuate the texture differences in the sculpt.

Good call on making it look shiny as well, I was just thinking about that last night. I'll be wearing the full piece for the first time this weekend and will try to get some good pictures.

 

[JonKross]

I'm starting to see a lot of avatar coming back, such a great show.
Can't wait to see the outcome, awesome job!

 

[Ruddigger]

I wonder if it would be easier to blend in if you had left the flash on it. Looks good to me though, especially for being from a cartoon.

 

[fleefromme]

looking good dude! ever think about getting colored contacts?

 

[CadetTK2386]

looking good dude! ever think about getting colored contacts?

Actually, more yellow/gold contacts are next on my list of upgrades for this costume.

 

[TessLaeh]

I would recommend only painting silicone with silicone paints or alcohol activated pallets. Otherwise it will look opaque and caked on (in my experience) and then there was no reason for buying that expensive silicone =)

Love the rest of the piece though, can't wait to see when you have it all together