talkmagic.co.uk

Just wanted everyones opinions on this. Dealing with the issue of TTs and skin tone, what do people think about using womens make up powder on the TT. Basically you wear the TT and then brush your whole hand with the powder to give everything one even matte finish. Once again i know skin tone is about the last thing you worry about with a TT and size is usually more important but i was just wondering

The problem that you will have is when you remove and palm the TT so that you can show your hand clean, you will be left with a white looking thumb because of the contrast between the make up treated hand and the untreated real thumb. Your real thumb will probably be much more noticeable than the TT

zig zag,

I don't find a problem with the TT off the shelf, as long as it fits. No one sees it long enough to compare it to your skin tone

Don't get hung up about it. I used to see it as a prop used some distance from the audience, now I do it in the pub surounded. If its somewhere close to the right colour, you will get away with it, even close up.

I heard the story of one of the well-known performers (may have been Daryl) who used a blue or purple TT during a performance and none of the specs noticed! I don't know how true this is. I've seen similar threads before about the colour of the TT in relation to the skin and I think that the general consensus was that it was irrelevant.

Another thing in this case is that there's a risk of the make up powder getting on the cards - although I realise the amount of colouring that would be used would be kept to a minimum.

yeah guys i know all that cmon...ive seen the classical performances of TT's that are fluorescent blue and green and absolutely massive...i understand all that kinda good stuff about misdirection and magic and this and that about a TT.. But what i asked was merely to work out certain details...in order to make the performance even better. One can say instead of spending time applying the makeup your better off practicing to get your handling down right but thats now what i asked...

The problem that you will have is when you remove and palm the TT so that you can show your hand clean, you will be left with a white looking thumb because of the contrast between the make up treated hand and the untreated real thumb. Your real thumb will probably be much more noticeable than the TT

well how about if makeup is applied when the TT is on the hand and then it is taken off and applied to the bare thumb to match. Therefore everything takes on one clean matte finish.

If you do a Search, you'll see that this topic has been discussed a few times before - lots of opinion and info but it all seems to boil down to misdirection, being confident, and acting as naturally as possible. After that, forget about it and concentrate on the effect you're doing.

If you're really into TTs, I seem to remember that a certain Mr. Lauten made the best ones I've ever seen - taken from a cast of your skin .

Kati

yeah kati ive seen some of mr lautens work and am defenitely quite impressed..will defenitely like one of his TT made to suit me.

If you do a Search, you'll see that this topic has been discussed a few times before - lots of opinion and info but it all seems to boil down to misdirection, being confident, and acting as naturally as possible. After that, forget about it and concentrate on the effect you're doing.

Yes, thank you mandrake i was aware of the search function but i did this so that more of my questions would be answered. Also i beleive i also mentioned earlier that i am aware one of the least important things in a TT is the skin tone and i understand its about confidence etc. But i asked for opinions merely on this tone issue. Also you say being confident...now thats very interesting..Don't you think by changing the tone of the TT to suit my needs it might give me a (maybe false) sense of security that will then help me act safer and more naturally. If i am able to incorportae many of these small details into my handling then when i am ready to perform i am confident because i think that "oh ya, ive done all these things and my TT looks perfect theres no way someone would be able to tell" . Well then because of me feeling confident and am able to improve upon my performance..

Don't want to come off as rude there but just voicing my 2 cents

zigzag,

I only voiced my opinion and hope you took it that way.

You do not need a TT to be so exact on skin tone, believe me, I use one close up. I have to say that you are making a mountain out of a molehill. If it fits, use it !!

I've seen tricks where I've felt the need to cross the I's and dot the t's but the TT will work without going to extremes.

Believe me please, I've used it in a pub, sat at a table with half a dozen seated and two holding my wrists and another half dozen stood round the table watching. Don't worry about the skin tone, its insignificant, honestly. They won't know.

alright thanks a lot tenko...yeah i use a TT a lot too...not to its full potential yet...gotta pick up a copy of darwins DVD's but it was just a thought...

Try bstanding from a certain distane it will mix in or using a blush of your skin colour over it, but then for that you will need to go ito a ladies shop. If you have money and i mean money thats almost throw away get one costomly made for you, thats what i had done.

Hawk you had one made?

Got any pictures you can upload? I'd love to see it on and off for comparison.

Ill see if i can get some done

The point about the Search function was to indicate that it might be better to carry on an existing thread where the previous opinions were close at hand for comparison. It also saves multiple threads on the same or similar topics - you wouldn't believe the amount of times this happens!

Anywho, at the risk of being burned at the stake for heresy, whilst I agree that the actual colour of the item is largely unimportant, my personal point of view would be why add problems? If you can get a TT in a close tone to yours, or if you can colour it, then why not? It's one less thing to be concerned about and ought to free you up a little more for doing whatever you're doing with it. I'm all for the easy life!

Goodness gracious... for the love of Mike etc...

Just 3 points about thumbtips:

1. Unless you are of ethnic origin, or you are of a non-average thumb size, the 'off the shelf' thumbtips are fine. There are 'tinted' TTs available, and for non-average sizes, TTs come in various designs. It's also possible to mould a good TT slightly my making it malleable in warm water

2. Your skill in misdirection should make sure the TT is never seen. If people see it, your performance needs brushing up

3. You need to build enough confidence to know that handled correctly, a TT is not even noticable. Try wearing a regular one throughout your normal day and become aware of how it's so easy to conceal naturally

Seasoned TT workers are wholly confident. The idea being that you make sure that the TT never becomes the focus of attention. The question of making it blend in like a special effects prosthetic is not even a question at all.

The amount of web space and time wasted utterly by people talking about having a TT blend into their skintone is absurd. The TT was 'invented' around the year 1900, and I am quite sure that their TTs were actually nowhere NEAR as sophisticated as the ones available today for less than £3.

Remember: ONLY YOU know you are wearing it. How often during your average day do people stare at your thumbs. Practice in front of a mirror to see your hands appearing in natural poses whilst hiding the TT. After a while, you will even become cocky about how 'stupid' people must be to not notice a 1.5inch prosthetic.

It still brings a smile to my face when I fool someone with a TT. To actually perform within 2 foot of somebody's face with a TT and go un-noticed is a great feeling.

Practice a lot, and you will soon find that colour issues are a mere stumbling block of confidence.