Master Yoda

Begona F. martin

I had been wanting to recreate Yoda as a prosthetics makeup project for over two years!
Finally, I had the perfect opportunity and model. I had been looking for a short-stature model to portray a real-life size Yoda, and I could finally make this project a reality during The Prosthetics Event in 2023. 
 

Makeup & prosthetics artist, costume & props: Begoña Fernández Martín @bbsfx

Application assistant: Jason Ludwig @sifuludwig

Teeth: BiteMakers @bitemakers

Model: Phillip Edwards @uniqueme.phil

I made a lifecast of my model (head and hands), created cores in polyester resin and epoxy resin, and sculpted the full head of Yoda on the head cast core. I sculpted the head and hands in Plastiline 55. 
I designed the head to be a full-head cowl, and a full-face prosthetic only. I separated the sculpture and made a two-part fibreglass mould of the cowl. I transferred the face to a snap resin cast and created a two-part mould in epoxy resin. 

I ran the face in deadened PlatsilGel 25 at 90%, encapsulated in alcohol-based cap plastic. I ran the could in PlatsilGel 25 also, deadened at 90% as well. Before I poured and closed the mould, I applied a layer of PlastilGel on both sides of the ears, and I baked them with a polyurethane foam structure that I had previously cast off the ears from the same mould. This way, the ears would be lightweight and this way I saved time in the application of prosthetic ears. I sealed and painted the cowl with sil-poxy and oil paints. I didn't pre-paint the face, instead, I matched the colours on the day of the demonstration. I had run the hands in PlatsilGel 00, in a two-part plaster mould, with a mesh around the cast of the hands for reinforcement of the prosthetic hand gloves.  

I had also sculpted, moulded and run skin texture blenders, for the application, just in case. 

For the hair, I punched some yak hair and styled that bit of hair on the day of the application. 

I also made the costume and props. The clear robe I made from scratch, while the dark brown underrobe was an average-size person's shirt which I modified: I created the neck and also closed up the front - it came open with buttons, cords, and all. 

The little pouch, I made with fake leather and wrapped/glued around some StarWars looking bullets that I have sculpted, moulded and run in Polyurethane resin (for a Cad Bane prosthetics project still in the making). 

For the feet, I sculpted one foot in WED clay and quickly moulded it in silicone. I made two cores out of polyurethane foam, and then I just the skin on the mould using PlatsilGell 00, and pressed the foam into the mould to make the two bond. I glued both feet to some trainer shoes with contact glue.
The whole makeup application took under 3 hours, I had an assistant who helped with basic glueing and further painting of the hands. 

For the painting, I used Skin Illustrator palettes, Endura palettes, as well as Neill's Material's palettes.