In this tutorial I’m going to show you how to create  an inexpensive zombie look for Halloween. The majority of the products I  used can be found around the house or swapped  for less expensive items that you can purchase at your local Halloween or party shop.

Standard theatrical latex

The first thing you want to do is to decide what type of  zombie you want to create. There are several variations of zombies in the media, such as the basic infected to the nearly decomposed corpse. Start off the process by researching various zombie films, comics and horror photography for more inspiration. I’m a big Walking Dead fan, so I decided to draw most of my inspiration from the makeup in the show, while still adding a few unique details to make it my own.

Walking Dead zombie

A large portion of  zombie makeup for TV and film usually requires some kind of  functional prosthetic that is made before to the actual application. This technique can take a fair amount of time to perfect, so I opted for a less advanced version that will be more accessible to anyone on a budget. The beauty of  the this look is that the more imperfect it is, the more authentic and gruesome your zombie will be.

Finished look

The key to this look is to be resourceful. I decided to use toilet paper, latex and steel cut oats to create the basic texture for the face. This will give you a great canvas to work with ans act as an instant guide as to where the shadows and highlights should fall.  For the last step, pop in some contacts,  apply a theatrical tooth stain and some tattered and bloodied  clothes and your look will be complete.

First rule of zombie killing: Adopt the double tap method.

Products Used:

Graftobian Liquid Latex

Inexpensive flat edge brush (for application of latex)

Toilet paper

Blow dryer to speed up the drying process

Steel oats

Cover Fx Setting FX – light

Tweezers

Ben Nye Death Wheel

Stippling sponge

MAC Blending brush -  #217

Sigma eyeliner brush – # 210

Makeup Designory Blending  brush – #800S

Makeup Designory pencil brush – #810

Makeup Designory angled brush – #210

Coastal Scents – Matte red e/s

Graftobian Stage Blood

Songs Used:

Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts I – 5

Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts IV – 33