Tom Savini school makeup artist adds decades to student's face

Shaleen Morales Villanueva didn’t always plan on studying special effects.

She was studying psychology at a school in her native Puerto Rico but also pursued her passion for makeup by producing video tutorials.

She’s been able to pursue that passion at Tom Savini’s Special Make-up Effects Program at the Douglas Education Center in Monessen.

“You have to follow rules and guidelines,” she said about her studies in psychology. “I’m not being creative. So, when I finally got the courage to do this (study special effects makeup), this feels amazing. I’m able to create whatever I want.”

Starting at 9:30 in the morning, Villanueva got to work with her model and fellow student Sarah Clark of Ashburnham, Mass. Four and a half hours later, after installing a three-piece prosthetic facial mask, Clark was transformed into a much older version of herself.

Using a facial cast of Clark, combined with photos of old villagers that Villanueva found online and a picture of Clark’s grandmother, a new face was constructed, leaving the audience to decide whether it’s the same person.

Dan Speicher is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Dan at 724-850-5455, dspeicher@tribweb.com or via Twitter @danspeicher.