Tackling the beast that is Wolverine’s hair and Make-up Design for ‘Logan’ became the almighty task of Make-up Master, Joel Harlow.
Make-up brushes sharpened and ready to claw..I mean go..Harlow was set the task of breaking down, aging, scarring and distressing Jackman’s skin. Creating layers of beatings, wounds old and new and a simply stunning broken, alcohol ridden skin. In the story, Logan’s body is rejecting its metal-infused skeleton, and the self-healing power he once possessed that kept him ageless is failing.
Harlow played up the character’s suffering through physical trauma on the body. This included scarification highlighting gunshot wounds, stabbing, and fight wounds, as well as emphasizing the character’s troubled mental state and alcohol addiction through a weathered, jaundiced appearance.“Our marching order was that everything had to look real,” Harlow says.
To research the makeup designs for Logan and other mutant characters in the film, Harlow turned to his personal library of biology books, and searched the web. He zeroed in on trauma studies to aid in creating the charred, burned skin of Caliban (played by Stephen Merchant), the scaly skin of Parker Lovein’s Lizard Boy, and the seeping sores on Logan’s knuckles where his retractable metal blades continually tear through his skin.“To do this kind of visceral makeup without being respectful of what lies beneath the skin can be hokey,” Harlow explains.To ensure that his team would be able to perform the labor-intensive, realistic makeup effects, he began by breaking down the script, noting where scenes took place in each character’s timeline.He took mug shots and body shots of the actors, and photographed every stage of makeup application. He carefully monitored such details as the look of Logan’s beard.
While Hugh Jackman’s natural facial hair formed its base, its length and coloring were constantly adjusted. Special bloodshot, yellowed contact lenses were created for Jackman to further enhance the authenticity of his physical decay.
A simply stunning Make-up for Wolverines final attack.
