Want to learn how to style wigs and hair? Make a wig or attach hair or fur to a mask? Or create an artificial beard for Halloween or cosplay? Or maybe you want to attach hair to an animatronic character, prop or mask? Here you will find various books and DVDs that can help you on your way.
Hairy Creatures Series
Introduction to Hair Knotting (DVD)
By Michael Ornelaz
This instructional DVD is designed for any character creator who wishes to create hairy creatures, monsters, and characters. Led by Stan Winston Studio & Legacy Effects hair department supervisor Michael Ornelaz, it provides an essential foundation in the fine art of hair knotting and special effects character creation.
This instructional DVD features master Hollywood hair artist Connie Grayson Criswell (Inception, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Sin City) teaching wig and hair basics. From taking a custom head measurement and finding the right wig, all the way to final application and proper maintenance, Criswell shows you how to finish your makeup and cosplay characters in style,
Explains how to use one’s own hair or wigs and false hair to create a character, and shows examples from various historical periods, from Elizabethan times to the 1970s
This book aims to provide solutions to a number of challenges that actors, make-up designers and wardrobe departments face when dealing with hair and wigs for stage productions and theater. The text is divided into three sections: using your own hair; wigs and false hair; and period styles. Each section includes information on the basic tools required, details of step-by-step techniques and ideas on how to overcome common problems.
A Practical Reference for Actors, Models, Hair Stylists, Photographers, Stage Managers & Directors
By Kit Spencer
Every period in history has its classic hairstyles: the bob cut for Twenties elegance, the flip hairstyle for the Fifties and the long, centre-parted mane of the Seventies. If you need to create a period hairstyle for a film, stage play, theater production or fashion shoot, this book is a most trusted companion. Its coverage is broad: from ancient priestesses and Egyption queens, via Elizabethan courtiers, to the classic styles of all decades in the twentieth century. With clear instructions and close-up photography showing how to create more than a hundred vintage styles this is a welcome resource for the dressing room.
A Practical Guide to Wig Making for the 1500s 1600s
By Brenda Leedham and Lizzee Leedham
The poetry and plays of William Shakespeare continue to provide inspiration for designers in all aspect of media. Shakespearean Wig Styling offers detailed historical guidance on the styles and fashions of the day, and guides yo through twelve different wig designs covering a wide range of archetypal Shakespearian characters. Each example offers different techniques to meet the needs of the design, from material, knotting and curling to the final styling choices. Covering both the Tudor and Stuart periods, there are clear instructions within each example for making wigs from start to finish and adapting from the universal full-lace foundation to create alternative foundations, including added support for complicated styles such as the fontange. In addition, the book covers what to expect when working in the theatre or as a freelance wig-maker; fitting your client, measuring and taking a shell; methods for preparing the hair under a wig; knotting facial hair, hairpieces, hairlines, napes and partings; methods for breaking or dirtying down and finally, creating bald caps and receding hairline effects. This comprehensive book is an ideal companion for the newly qualified wig-maker and all professionals looking for a detailed reference guide to hairstyles from the Shakespearean era.
Historical Wig Styling: Victorian to the Present is a guide to creating beautiful, historically accurate hairstyles for theatrical productions and events.
Historical Wig Styling: Ancient Egypt to the 1830s is a guide to creating beautiful, historically accurate hairstyles for theatrical productions and events.
The definitive text on hair fashions through the ages is back. This revised edition has 16 new pages by fashion historian Caroline Cox to bring hair fashions up to the present day. The first to attempt a comprehensive historical survey of men’s and women’s hair styles through the ages, from Ancient Egypt through Greece, Egypt, Rome, and Anglo-Saxon times to recent trends in fashion, this book is now an essential work of reference. Drawing on many years of research by the author, this is an essential handbook for theatrical designers, hair artists, illustrators, and beauty consultants as well as all those interested in the changing fashions in hair.
In this how-to workshop series, by special effects artist and creature designer Russ Adams, you will learn how to cover a creature in fur, or hair using the same methods performed by professional Hollywood creature designers. This book includes in depth step-by-step tutorials which breakdown three procedures, furring, hair punching, and flocking. In addition to these processes, you will learn how to save money by make your own tools. The author includes a multitude of professional tips from his many years of experience including how to take patterns from a three-dimensional surface. Also included in this book are nearly 60 diagrams, two quick-reference checklists, and more.
“My goal for this book is to give you the tools to succeed by guiding you through a step-by-step process that will increase your odds of success. In this book, you are going to learn more than just how to fur a creature. I am going to rescue you from the idea that you need to buy specialized tools and equipment to succeed.”
With style inspiration ranging from the 17th to the 20th century, this book is a comprehensive introduction to the techniques required to produce beautiful, durable, and historical hairstyles able to withstand the demands of performance. It offers detailed instructions on how to make a wig, how to dress it according to time period, and how to fit and remove it, as well as advice on tools, products, and suppliers. The work of current industry practitioners is showcased throughout the book, offering key insights into career pathways and professional styling.
Wig Making and Styling: A Complete Guide for Theatre and Film is the one-stop shop for the knowledge and skills you need to create and style wigs. Covering the basics, from styling tools to creating beards, it ramps up to advanced techniques for making, measuring, coloring, and cutting wigs from any time period. Whether you’re a student or a professional, you‘ll find yourself prepared for a career as a skilled wig designer with tips on altering existing wigs, multiple approaches to solving wig-making problems, and industry best practices.
Do you know of any books that should be on this list? We'd love to hear from you - get in touch! We're always looking to expand our collection with books covering makeup artists, monster makers, special effects, prop making, stagecraft, and more.
Disclaimer: All information on this website is provided for informational purposes only. SFXzone is not responsible for any injuries, damages, or losses resulting from the use or misuse of the information provided.
