by Jamaica Rose
First, wash your face and hands. Yes, you need to remove the real dirt before we add the “dirt.” Otherwise, the makeup won’t stick very well.
Use a makeup sponge (ask Mom if she has any of these, or get a pack of them in the makeup section of a general store or drug store).
Using the sponge, apply the face paints or makeup in the same way you would add polish to shoes (if you’ve never polished shoes, then just put a little on the edge of the sponge and apply it in small overlapping circles). Layer the colors to get a grimy, dirty, filthy look. Use a few different browns, one about the same color as your skin, and a couple of shades that are darker than your skin. Start with the lightest color first, around most of your face (but not around your eyes). Circle your eyes with a darker brown. Be careful not to get it in your eyes. Blend around the edges of the two colors.
Put the darker color in the hollows of your cheeks (to find the hollows of your cheeks, open your mouth like you are screaming, and the areas of your cheeks where there is no bone behind them are the hollows). You can also experiment with some purple, dark blue, and grays in the darker areas of your face.
Figure out where face creases would be. Wrinkle up your face like you are squinting in the bright sun and see where your face creases. Put a darker color in these creases. Blend the edges between the darker colors and the lighter colors.
After you have finished with the other colors, get some charcoal dust on your fingers and apply smudges here and there.
Also, don’t forget to “tan” and “dirtify” the skin on your neck and hands and other places where your skin will show.
For a better, longer-lasting look, you’ll have to spend more coins on professional quality makeup. Here’s how to create a pirate look with professional makeup. Pick either a cream or cake foundation for your basic layer. (Cream/grease: Ben Nye. Cake Foundation: Kryolan, Ben Nye, Mehron, or Joe Blasco.) On top of the foundation, use character powders from Ben Nye or Mehron to add dirt. Character powders cling to your skin yet wash off easily. The color “Plains Dust” looks like real dirt. “Ash Powder,” also known as “Fullers Earth,” offers a dust tone. “Charcoal Powder” can create grease stains or powder burns from firing a pistol.
Before you go to bed, be sure to wash off all of your makeup. Use cold cream or makeup remover (skin lotion might work in a pinch). Plain soap and water by itself does not work very well.
Dirty fingernails and toenails
Of course, a pirate has the grimiest hands of anyone. Not only does he never wash his hands, but he also gets black powder stains, tar stains, and grease on his hands. Yuck! Use liquid-based black makeup to stain under your fingernails and around the edge of the fingernail. Do the same with your toes if your feet are bare. Also stain the cracks and wrinkles of your hands. Warning: It will be a few days before your fingernails look clean after this. You can use a fingernail brush to get the worst of it off.
Bruises
Bruises can be created with the right mix of colors and thorough blending. Use professional foundation colors (listed above) applied with a makeup sponge. Violets and reds deepened with black make realistic fresh bruises. Older bruise areas should be surrounded with yellows. Keep the color and shape uneven since blood doesn’t spread evenly around a bruised area. Use the lighter color for the outer edges, with the deeper maroon color in the center. To get uneven color, pat with your sponge.
Scabs and clotted blood
You’ll need some supervision from your parents while using the following chemicals. Dampen dark sawdust (such as walnut or mahogany dust; check with your local woodworking shop, perhaps at the high school) with professional adhesive thinner. Mix in professional prosthetic adhesive or spirit gum adhesive (from the makeup sources above) until the mixture is the thickness of peanut butter. It will dry quickly, so apply it immediately to the skin. The “scab” will also hold firmly, even when wet, so remove it with professional adhesive remover (acetone or nail polish remover will work too, but it’s hard on your skin). If you can’t get the dark sawdust, you can substitute cornmeal, but you will need to color it dark brown with some drops of food color, using equal amounts of red, blue, and yellow.
Scars
The experienced sailor or pirate would likely have a few facial scars. Use Rigid Collodion (found at the professional makeup supplies sources). With your parents supervising, simply paint a line or small area on your skin. It wrinkles the skin as it dries. Repeated applications will deepen the effect. The shrinking action causes the surrounding skin to pull inward for a very realistic scar look. A thick buildup of Rigid Collodion will create raised scars. Color these scars with dark beige foundations, or red and white professional foundations, depending on your skin tone. If you want the scar to look newer, use more reds and violets.
Teeth
Pirates probably didn’t brush their teeth very much, if at all. They also tended to get scurvy, so many might be missing a tooth or two. Professional tooth black applied to one or two teeth looks startlingly real. To make your teeth look rotten and decayed, use teeth paint (from the professional makeup supply places).
Pastimes for Scurvy Dogs
Believable Blood
Flowing blood
A stab wound from a dagger, a sword fight, or a punch to the jaw—you can create bloody wounds right before the eyes of your audience with real-looking fake blood! The following recipe makes simple, cheap, believable blood:
Recipe 1: Corn Syrup “Blood”
You will need:
16 ounces light corn syrup
1 ounce red food coloring
1 ounce dishwashing soap
1 ounce water
Mix ingredients. Store in the fridge until needed. This “blood” is extremely sticky and can stain skin and clothes, so make sure it’s washed off quickly. Use a stain remover on clothes or wear clothes that you (or your parents) don’t mind looking stained.
Adjustments: Add a drop of blue food coloring to create a more realistic color. Leave out the dishwashing soap if you want to make “blood” you can squirt out of your mouth. Adding condensed milk makes the “blood” less transparent and more like real blood.
Recipe 2: Cardiff Red Blood
This “blood” washes out of clothes better than the Corn Syrup “Blood” and can be used in the mouth reasonably safely (though don’t swallow it if you can help it).
You will need:
1 to 2 teaspoons arrowroot (white powder used in baking, found in health food shops)
1 cup water
Red children’s nontoxic powder paint (get at an art or teacher supply store)
Brown children’s nontoxic powder paint, or coffee concentrate (make coffee concentrate by adding a small amount of water to coffee granules)
Add arrowroot to water heated on the stove. Stir continuously until the mixture gets thick and gloopy. Add a spoonful of red children’s nontoxic powder paint and stir. (DON’T USE regular paint!) The mixture should be a bright red. Add a tiny amount of brown powder paint or coffee concentrate to darken the “blood” as required. Store in a container in the fridge. When needed, thin by adding more water to make the “blood” the right thickness. For bullet hits, you need to thin the “blood” quite a bit to allow it to spray out.
“Blood” packs
Corn Syrup “Blood” can be used to create instant stab and bullet wound effects. Pour “blood” into ziplock sandwich bags. As you fill, leave an air bubble in the top where the “blood” pack will be hit. This air bubble provides enough pressure to allow the pack to explode easily when it’s supposed to. Zip the bags closed and then fold the openings over and seal them down with strong tape. Tape the “blood” pack under your clothing, and when your “injury” will occur, clutch the wound to explode it. For blood coming out of your mouth, use the smaller snack-sized ziplock bags (again, taped closed). Bite down on them to make them explode. You should practice these techniques ahead of time to get the right feel for exploding the bags.
Tips: K
eep your eyes open during the Halloween season. At that time, you can often find inexpensive versions of special effects makeup at your local drug store. At dollar and 99 cent discount stores, you can sometimes find cosmetic makeup really cheap. And sometimes you can get free makeup samples at makeup counters.
Sources for Professional Makeup:
Theater/costume stores
http://stageandtheatermakeup.com/
http://www.stagemakeuponline.com/
Sharp Pointy Things and Things That Go Ka-Boom!
A pirate’s weapons were among his most prized possessions. Picking the right kind of weapon and knowing how to use it could mean the difference between life and death. We will tell you about the different weapons the pirates used and give you the pros and cons on each one. So look them over and make your choice!
My Other Sword is a Cutlass: Types of Swords Pirates Used
A sword was the pirate’s main weapon. He did have black powder pistols and maybe a few rifles or a blunderbuss. In the heat of battle, though, these were only good for one shot, and then he was reduced to using it as a club or as a secondary weapon to help fend off a sword blow. A pirate’s sword was what he depended on, and pirates were very proud of their weapons. He may have been dressed in ragged clothes, but you can bet his weapons were clean, sharp, and ready for action. Weapons were also one of the symbols of his freedom. On merchant ships and military vessels, sailors were not allowed to own their own weapons. All they were allowed was their sailor’s knife, with the tip broken off. All the rest of the weapons were locked up until the time of battle. But a pirate had his own weapons, which he kept with him.
The types of weapons he carried depended on the era he lived in and his station in life before he became a pirate. Most pirates would have carried a short sword, called a hanger. There were many different kinds of hangers, but the one the pirates liked best was the cutlass.
Parts of the sword
Cutlass
The cutlass was a single-edged shortsword with a short sturdy blade. The blade was usually slightly curved with either a standard or a clipped point. A cutlass is actually a type of hanger. The main difference is that a cutlass had some kind of knuckle guard (usually called a knuckle bow). The short curved blade of the cutlass made it ideal for use in the close quarters on board a ship. It was much less likely to get tangled in the lines and rigging, and the heavier blade could deliver a powerful blow. A pirate could stab with it, slash with it, and use it to knock a lighter one out of the way. In extremely close-quarters fighting, he could use the heavy guard like a set of brass knuckles and smash it into his opponent’s face or body. It was a very versatile weapon, and a pirate didn’t need as much training as he would with a rapier or small sword.
Note: In the Caribbean, even today, they call a machete a cutlass. A machete is just a big flat blade with a handle on it, used for hacking through the jungle.
Hanger
The hanger is a common (generic) name used for a variety of a single-edged military shortswords with a straight or slightly curved blade. They could have a knuckle bow like a cutlass or a simpler straight guard. A popular type had a curved guard on each side of the blade (called quillons), with a brass scallop shell attached to it, (as shown in the illustration). This was called a shell guard. If a man was in the military before he became a pirate, he might carry this type of weapon.
Hunting Sword
The hunting sword is the civilian version of the hanger and is mainly used for hunting. It was usually fancier than the hanger, with engravings such as hunting scenes on the blade and handle.
Rapier
Former military officers, ex-noblemen, or men from the upper classes would carry a rapier. This was the formal or court sword of the period. The hilts were sometimes extremely fancy and offered a lot of protection to the hand. These were popular until approximately 1700. After 1700, they would have used the small sword (except in Spain and Italy, where rapiers stayed popular for a long time). A rapier had a long, straight, slim blade. The blades were a lot longer than those on a cutlass; they started at 30 inches, with some up to 4 feet long! They were great for stabbing somebody from a long distance away but not very good at blocking a blow from a heavier blade like a cutlass. The rapier’s longer blade would also get caught in the lines and rigging easier. It was not a very practical weapon on a ship unless the owner was a really good swordsman.
Small Sword
After 1700, the small sword replaced the rapier as the gentleman’s or formal sword. The blade was shorter and thinner than those on the rapier, usually between 29 and 33 inches long. The hilts were a lot smaller than those on the rapier and didn’t offer much protection to the hand. Because the blade was so thin and light, it could move much faster than a rapier or cutlass. This kind of weapon required a lot of skill to use properly. If somebody with a heavier blade, like a cutlass, got too close, the pirate using the small sword was in BIG trouble.
Pastimes for Scurvy Dogs
Make Yer Own Foam Cutlass
Would you like to make your own pirate cutlass so you and your shipmates can stage pirate battles? We’ll show you how to do it with just a few inexpensive materials.
What you will need to make two cutlasses:
6 feet of 3/4-inch PVC pipe, cut into 2 1/2–3 foot lengths, depending on how long a cutlass you want (found at hardware or home improvement stores).
3/4-inch closed cell pipe insulation, aka “closed cell foam,” at least 3/4-inch thick (usually comes in 6 foot lengths; one 6-foot length is plenty).
duct tape, comes in many different colors (DO NOT buy aluminum tape; it has sharp edges).
open-cell foam (e.g., couch cushion, sponge, sleeping bag padding).
grip tape, bicycle handlebar tape, or soft rope (optional).
thick cardboard, leather, or closed cell foam camping mat (better) for hand guard (optional).
hacksaw or PVC pipe cutter (hacksaw blades are sharp; ask Mom or Dad to help you with this part).
utility or razor knife (razor knives are VERY sharp; ask Mom or Dad to help you with this part).
sandpaper
Step 1: Cut the PVC with a hacksaw or pipe cutter to the desired length (Have Mom or Dad help you with this part.). Sand both ends of the pipe to remove any rough or sharp edges. Measure in 8 inches from one end of the pipe and mark with a permanent marker. Make a second mark 1-1/2 inches from the end of the pipe (see Figure 1). This area will be the handle of your cutlass. (You can make the handle longer than 8 inches if you wish, but don’t make it any shorter.)
Figure 1: Cut pipe and mark as shown.
Step 2: Starting at the end opposite the handle, slide the pipe insulation onto the PVC until you reach the mark made in Step 1. Cut the insulation off flush with the end of the pipe so that no PVC shows past the end of the insulation (see Figure 2). This will be the tip of the cutlass. Leave at least 8 inches of PVC uncovered on the other end of the pipe (this is where the handle will be).
Figure 2: Slide insulation to 8-inch mark.
Step 3: Completely cover the foam with tape. To do this, anchor the loose end of the roll of tape on the handle of the sword (where there isn’t any foam). Then run the strip of tape lengthwise along the length of the “blade.” When you reach the tip, place a chunk of open-cell foam (about 4 x 4 inches) onto the tip of the cutlass. Run that first piece of tape up and over it without squishing it down too much. Then continue placing that first piece of tape down the other side back to the handle (see Figure 3).
Figure 3. Cover foam with duct tape as shown.
Step 4: You just laid down a 5–6 foot strip of tape. Repeat taping on one side, up and over the tip, and back down the other side as many times as it takes to cover all of the foam. Be sure not to squish the cell foam at the tip any more than necessary to tape it. It should be at least as big around as the insulation and feel soft and squishy at the end (see Figure 4).
Take a pin and poke holes in the tape over the open-cell foam so that air can
escape, making the tip softer and safer.
Figure 4. Keep taping until all foam is covered.
Step 5: Make a copy of the hand-guard pattern from Figure 5 using a copy machine. You will need to enlarge the drawing until the pattern is 14 inches wide. Many office supply stores have copy departments that can do this for you. Have them print it on 11” x 17” paper so the drawing will fit.
Or you can use the drawing in Figure 5 as a guide and create your own hand-guard pattern. Just make sure the holes are 10 inches apart and are a little over 1 inch in diameter (you can use the end of the PVC pipe as a guide). Use carbon paper to transfer this pattern to your hand-guard material. Carefully cut out the pattern using a utility knife. Cut the mounting holes slightly larger than the outside of the PVC pipe. (Have Mom or Dad help you with this part.) Check to make sure pipe will slip through the holes in the hand guard.
Figure 5. Hand-guard Pattern. Enlarge this to 14 inches in width (400%).
Step 6: Slide the handle end of your cutlass through the wide end of the hand guard. Slide it down until it touches the foam insulation. Tape that end in place. Bend the hand guard so it forms a U, and slide the narrow end of the hand guard over the handle. Leave approximately 1-1/2 inches of PVC pipe showing past the narrow end of the hand guard; tape that end in place (see Figure 6).
