Shez Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 In a show I'm currently involved with (sleeping beauty) the lad playing the faun has a big tattoo on one arm. The upper half of his costume is that kind of skin coloured semi transparent material (bit like some tights) which his tat shows right through. He asked me last night about the best way to cover it up; as I'm running sound I had an assortment of tapes so covered it with zinc oxide tape which was just about alright but still visible through the costume if you looked right at it. It started me wondering what people usually use for this task... If he wasn't in that costume, the tape wouldn't be an option. Is there some form of makeup concealer that is good for the job? And that wouldn't rub off inside a skin tight costume? Any suggestions appreciated. Shez Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlyfarly Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 I had to cover up a tattoo and used Dermablend. Not cheap, over £20 pounds each for the leg and body cover plus the setting powder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GridGirl Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 There are specialist makeup products available - I have no idea about names or brands, our wardrobe department deals with all that! I had a cast member who used it in my last show (Restoration gentlemen don't usually have the Superman symbol on their backs or a Japanese character on their upper arm....) and it worked pretty damn well. It does rub off a bit, but not enough that the tattoo is visible, just enough that we had to wash his shirt daily - it was a white shirt, if it had been any other colour we probably wouldn't have had to wash it every day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roderick Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 Slightly , but why did no one enquire about the skin colour of the actor / dancer / performer?I would assume that there would be different solutions for different skin colours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shez Posted July 4, 2007 Author Share Posted July 4, 2007 why did no one enquire about the skin colour of the actor / dancer / performer? My bad for not even thinking about that He's Caucasian, slightly tanned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody74 Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 I assumed he was white based onzinc oxide tape which was just about alright but still visible through the costume if you looked right at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 Hang on!Charleyfarley said she had to cover up a tattoo and used dermablend - she chose this product because it matched the persons skin colour. Shez, the OP said he'd used zinc oxide tape for the same purpose. This started the topic off thinking 'pink'. Had he mentioned a different skin colour at the start, we'd have all gone off looking for products for that instead. We have no reason to worry about this. We are an 'ism' free zone here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew C Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 Apart from me it seems! I am "Tat-ist". I'd take it off with sandpaper. <_< Never understood the need... [/Grumpy old git mode] Slightly on topic - Surely anyone who wants to do a variety of roles as an actor/dancer should think twice before doing something so permanent and obvious as a large tattoo? ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob_Beech Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 See, always have awfully long hair, and a full beard, that way you can play a long hair full beard role at short notice..... or a short hair full beard role with the aid of scissors..... I'm joking by the way..... Rob - who can only play fat people Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 There's a topic about tattoos on the stage website forum - opinion is split exactly down the middle! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shez Posted July 4, 2007 Author Share Posted July 4, 2007 Slightly on topic - Surely anyone who wants to do a variety of roles as an actor/dancer should think twice before doing something so permanent and obvious as a large tattoo? ;) This one is an am dram show so I don't think there's much of an issue of ruining career prospects. I think he got it when he was 18 and now, nine years later, doesn't think it was such a good idea... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbuckley Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 Apart from me it seems! I am "Tat-ist". I'd take it off with sandpaper. On "Men in Trees" the other night a dremel was used to attempt tat removal... ouch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WiLL Posted July 5, 2007 Share Posted July 5, 2007 If the tattoo is under a fleshie/tight top and showing through, wouldn't making-up the tattoo only result in the make-up being rubbed off by the material of the top? Besides I've always thought of Fauns being fairly tribal anyway. Who says Mr tumnus didn't have woad-like full body tats? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psychedelic Theatre Posted July 5, 2007 Share Posted July 5, 2007 I suppose it depends on what kind of tat it is, but as WiLL says perhaps you can make it work. If there are other similar characters you could give them fake tattoos, and maybe add to his. That way it wouldn't look out of place. Other than that I've nothing to add to what others have said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_s Posted July 5, 2007 Share Posted July 5, 2007 I suppose it depends on what kind of tat it is, but as WiLL says perhaps you can make it work. If there are other similar characters you could give them fake tattoos, and maybe add to his. That way it wouldn't look out of place. I'd imagine that that would be a decision for the director, not the sound guy :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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