Blood

Many people ask us for blood recipes. Well here they are. These are from The wonderful Ring of Steel web site. Check out the link on the link page.

"For wool/sweaters/delicates:
Liquid Woolite & Red food coloring with a couple drops of blue to deepen the color (green can be used instead of blue, but blue really works best) The consistency of the woolite is excellent, but you can add cornstarch if you want it to set up a little thicker.
For cottons/synthetics/dyed fabrics:
Ivory snow laundry detergent&water w/red and blue food coloring
Another Detergent base
· 2 parts Corn syrup (Kayro)
· 1 part Chocolate syrup (Hershey's)
· 1 part Clear dish soap (Joy or store brand)
· Red and Blue food coloring to "taste"
The chocolate adds great texture and deepens the color nicely. Be careful about wringing bloody hands too much they can suds up!

Just in case you want to go crazy with effects and have the resources:

A + B Blood Formula
25 grams potassium thiocyanate
5 grams ferric chloride
?? grams table salt

Add a few ml of water to two beakers. Add the potassium thiocyanate to one beaker (A) and the ferric chloride to the other (B). Add a pinch of salt to each beaker to make a saturated solution. Keep these chemicals away from eyes and mouth. Fluids are clear till mixed with each other. Coat the area to be cut with one fluid and coat the simulated edged weapon in the other fluid. Chemicals turn blood red on contact.

Summary of a procedure found in:
Secrets of Hollywood Special Effects By: Robert E. McCarthy ISBN 0-240-80108-3
Another food-based recipe This is a mix we have found is easy and cheap to make, and works rather well. We find it particularly useful for bloodbags. It's even washable!
Equipment
A mixing bowl
A kettle
A spatula, spoon or paint brush.
Boiling/pretty hot water.
Golden Syrup.
Red and Green/Blue food colouring.
A squirt of washing up liquid.
Method
· The base is Golden Syrup, use the cheap own brand stuff. For a pint or so you will probably want 1/2 jars.
· Pour all syrup into a bowl and add enough hot water (boiling from kettle) to thin to the desired consistency. Add a bit at a time and mix until smooth before adding more water.

BEN NYE
Best all around blood. Flows very well. Color is deep and shows up well on video or film. A little too dark for black actors. Moderately washable. Bonus: Edible, and mint flavored. Also available in Thick blood (excellent) and dried scab (browner and older looking) Ben Nye also has a full line of product in his Moulage line...(for EMT and Disaster training) Geleffects can creat great wounds without messing up clothing (product is made ahead of time and is dry once used, you can spray glycerine to "freshen" or moisten it). He also provides a great product. Dried blood powder. It is a very economical way to go...you can splash it all around or stain clothes with it...designed to simulate horrific crash scenes in emergency training exercises.

MEHRON
The worst on the market....too light....too runny...looks like watery strawberry pancake syrup. Don't waste your time

KRYOLAN
Excellent products...they have blood that dries to the touch (great for clothes) Eyeblood (cry tears of blood)...their film blud is great for TV and video...it has a yellow pigment in it that reflects nicely under lights.it also smears very realistically. Film blud is available in arterial (light color) and venous (darker). Frankly they have many more products...they are the most comprehensive carrier of blood...I just don't need the others...but I can get them if someone needs them.

REEL
Fred has the BEST bloods on the market. He is a little known secret. He has been a make-up artist for the last 30 years. He works on major first run movies. His blood is available in "original" (great bright color, washable, runs well, great all around blood for most scenes and skin types) "Lung" (brighter for either gruesome spurting scenes, or use with darker skinned actors. Bubbles very well for gushing wounds), and aged (darker for that "I cut myself 15 minutes ago and it hasn't stopped flowing yet" look. He also provides thick blood. Fresh (great brush burns and scrapes...stays in place), aged (older scabby look) and old dried (dark brown look) ...mixing the 3 together in appropriate streaks and blobs makes the MOST realistic looking wounds for TV and Film (BTW Reel is the best source for custom tattoo painting systems. It is a cross between real tattoos, stencils, and an alcohol based painting system. There are over 5000 styles avail. ranging from gang to prison to biker to tribal. They can't be discerned from real ones up close...even when you rub on them)
THE MOST WASHABLE OF ALL BLOODS IS REEL

OTHERS
most of the others are junk...most either make it in offshore labs and repackage it. Most contain fillers and don't look real at all...drug store kiddie Halloween quality.

DIY
I know there are a lot of recipes out there! I prefer something that will wash out (remember, I'm a costume designer as well as a make-up artist :) )I find that food products used as blood can go rancid, stale, or rot. Most will smell after a while, and all have a very limited shelf life.
These are obviously my opinions...Most of us make-up artists have them. My wife and I, (who is also a make-up artist) frequently disagree on what to use.
The best advice...try them all...you will learn what works...there is no substitute for experience "

I personally make my own blood from the Dick Smith Recipe
But I believe that the "Ring of Steel " Kids have gathered quite an impressive database.

I worked with them on the "Omegan"