Teen behind spine-chilling SFX creations shares Halloween costume advice

14-year-old Jeremy Hubscher from Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que. has been practicing SFX makeup nonstop for the past two years. (Courtesy image)

When CTV News last met with Jeremy Hubscher, he was a seventh-grader from the Montreal suburbs with a unique hobby: garish, gory special effects (SFX) makeup.

Two years later, he's still at it, and his skills have only gotten better. 

With Halloween right around the corner, the now-ninth-grader shared his advice for those interested in (and perhaps intimidated by) the world of SFX artistry.

START SMALL 

Take one look at Jeremy Hubscher's social media and it becomes clear: he likes to go all out.

Whether it's a creepy clown, terrifying tooth monster or ghostly skull, he often creates hair-raising characters that are larger than life.  

14-year-old Jeremy Hubscher says his characters are often inspired by horror movies and the creations of other SFX artists. (Courtesy image)

But it doesn't have to be all-or-nothing when it comes to elevating your Halloween look.

"I really enjoy doing full-face character makeup, but it's also really fun to just do simple wounds and try to focus on realism," Jeremy said.

For example, a classic vampire costume can be enhanced with bite wounds on the neck. Or, try adding a knife gash or two to your pirate get-up, or bloody the bolts in your Frankenstein's monster costume as though they're actually protruding from within.

Jeremy uses materials like scar wax, silicone and lots of fake blood to create the illusion of punctures, gashes and holes. (Courtesy image)

These small details are relatively straightforward and can quickly bring a costume from somewhat spooky to seriously scary, Jeremy explained.

RAID YOUR CABINETS

Jeremy uses a wide variety of products for his creations, many of which are purchased through specialty SFX retailers.

"There's many different materials that I use to create wounds. You can use stuff like liquid latex, scar wax, silicone, even gelatin," he said.

To create mouth prosthetics, Jeremy uses a paste made of latex and flour and forms the teeth with moldable polymorph plastic. (Courtesy image)

But when he first got started, the young artist embraced household items to create his looks.

For example, 'scar wax' -- used to create wounds or alter the shape of your features -- can be made from a mixture of petroleum jelly and flour.

"It creates kind of like a dough-type consistency which you can blend onto your skin," said Jeremy.

Although he now uses the more professional-grade stuff, he still reaches for household items to create unique effects.

"You can use stuff like oatmeal and coffee and stick it to latex to create gross skin textures," he said, or make boils and blisters out of hot glue that you stick on to your face once it cools. 

Jeremy used oatmeal to create the texture covering one half of his face. (Courtesy image)

DO YOUR RESEARCH

The most important tool in a SFX artist's kit?

The internet.

"You definitely should start by just looking up YouTube videos. I'm self-taught by watching videos online and stuff," said Jeremy. "Going online, looking for tutorials, is definitely a good way to start gaining knowledge on how to do [this type] of makeup."

Jeremy is entirely self-taught, picking up his skills from online tutorials and his experimentation. (Courtesy image)

Not only is the internet a great educational tool, he says, it's also a good place to get inspired.

"A lot of the time I look online for inspiration, and if I see something I like, I'll try to recreate it or I'll try to just do it differently."  

To see more of Jeremy Hubscher's work, check him out on Facebook.