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Human Services

Makeup Artist, Theatrical and Performance

Real-Life Activities

Real-Life Math

Special effects make-up artists use math a lot. "We're constantly doing calculations to figure out how much of a product we need or how many days of shooting we have," says make-up artist Paul Thompson.

The prosthetics that make-up artists create (like Worf's head in Star Trek) are made from a mixture of chemical compounds. In essence, they use a recipe to combine the chemicals, then they bake it so the mixture solidifies.

There are generally 3 ingredients used to make a latex prosthetic: an emulsifier (which increases the volume of the mixture), a foaming agent and a gelling agent. Make-up artists have to use just the right amounts or their prosthetic could be too hard, too soft or it just may not look like skin.

The ratio of emulsifier to foaming agent to gelling agent is 5:3:4

If the emulsifier weighs 0.75 pounds, how much foaming agent and gelling agent do you need?