The Wolf make up process — by Denise Gaigo

The process for the Big Bad Wolf make up was a long one, made much easier with the wonderful patience and good spirit of actor Eric Ray Anderson.

Since we were shooting in black and white I had only to concern myself with light and shadow, this allowed me to use colors such as blue and yellow purely for their tonal values.

The entire process began at about five hours, I think we had it down to about three by the final days of shooting.

I started by researching wolves online. SJ and I decided we liked the look of the grey wolf and I found some images for inspiration. I started with outstanding features such as the elongated face, black around the eyes and the natural “smile” of the wolf.

We found a Don King wig at a costume shop and that was the base for Eric’s head piece. I cut down the wig to form the ears and crown shape then used the extra pieces for his chin and cheeks. The costume was pretty warm already and Eric had some active fighting, so good ol’ spirit gum was causing a bit of a problem…lash glue saved the day during the fight scenes.

I did the make up application working from light to dark; highlighting and then contouring to create the long wolf face.

All make up used was from M.A.C. cosmetics.

Finally, I cut Lee press-on nails into claws, blackened his hands and added “fur cuffs.”
The rest was all Eric’s wonderful performance as he truly brought the make up and costume to life.