|
First of all LATEX AND ANY BRUSHES are death to brushes. Quite honestly if you're going to use brushes they should be totally disposable. LATEX CAN be cleaned from brushes but WHY BOTHER? TOO much work for spotty results. If you're looking for disposable brushes perhaps you can go to Harbor Freight and buy a box of those metal handled disposable utility brushes. They're about 6" long with an aluminum handle. The brushes aren't the greatest - and usually have stiffer bristles, but they're cheap. Often they're used as FLUX brushes for soldering or welding. Seems they have synthetic or boar hair bristles - something like that. But you can buy a box of 144 for pretty cheap.
Latex is NOT designed to be BRUSHED on with anything you want to preserve. Ideally, you can use Tincture of Green Soap BEFORE applying to anything (on the brush) and it helps clean them afterwards. Ammonia is MUCH MUCH too harsh and the smell is atrocious (as I'm sure anyone knows). FURTHER, how in God's name is she doing latex on the actors? I DO hope she's not applying it DIRECTLY TO THEIR SKIN!!! THAT is HARSH AS HECK if she is. Now you CAN use a WATER BASED LATEX that is FAR less harsh but unless she purchased that specifically then it's likely going to be ammonia based. And if it is, then pity the poor actors. Further, SOME people - many more than even know it - may have latex allergies (fairly common even when you didn't think so) and that can reek havoc on poor unsuspecting actors who think it's cool to put latex directly on their skin. The ammonia is VERY VERY VERY harsh to most people and even if it IS water based latex, you run risks of irritation, rashes and much more - without knowing it until it's simply far too late.
I suggest that she play safe and not do things if she is NOT a qualified makeup effects artist (as most are not). I see this ALL THE TIME and I cringe. I get dozens of E-Mails a week seeking the advice and I always try to promote safety, an understanding COMPLETELY of the materials that are going to be used (most people don't take the time and think it's cool just to play with this stuff without knowing the dangers and repercussions of the use of these materials) and complete education where there is such a lack of it by those who are supposed to know, who sell these items and where there are few if any controls over the product usage or knowledge base required.
HOWEVER just please tell her to PLAY SAFE and know what she's doing before someone gets hurt, scarred or worse - over something as inane as Halloween makeup FX issues. As for the brushes - again I iterate - the cheap FLUX brushes or ANY cheap-o artists brushes you can find to throw away after use. OR sufficient SOAP on the brushes and IMMEDIATE cleaning afterwards which again as far as I'm concerned is FAR too much work for limited successful results.
Any more questions - just ask. I am ADAMANT that people who do this stuff - know what they're doing before they do it. If they don't then SERIOUS issues can arise - NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH can be LAWSUITS over misuse of products without enough product knowledge and haphazard uses which cause harm to any individual INCLUDING the artist whose use of the materials can ALSO cause harm to them if they don't know what the harmful effects CAN be without proper training in usage or safety measures in place while using certain things. ACETONE or NAPTHA come to mind right away. Solvents both - but highly dangerous both from a usage standpoint and a HEALTH standpoint too. If you don't know - don't EVER assume anything.
PLAY SAFE. BE SMART. LEARN what you need to know before diving in feet first only to make what should have been known ahead of time, something that causes the makeup artist or the person upon whom the products are being used, a BAD experience or worse.
SINCERELY,
TonyDi
-------------
"Almost famous"
|