Shrunken Heads: A Workshop with Russ Adams
Shrunken Heads: A Workshop with Russ Adams is a complete practical‑effects guide to creating professional‑quality shrunken heads using the same methods employed by Hollywood prop designers. Written by Amazon bestselling author, special effects artist and creature designer Russ Adams, this workshop takes you from concept to finished display piece with clear, comprehensive, step‑by‑step instruction.
The book covers sculpting, mold making, casting, painting, hair punching, and finishing techniques, along with tutorials for building your own sculpting tools, armatures, and turntables to save money and expand your creative control. Russ shares shop‑tested methods drawn from his extensive experience in creature design, offering practical guidance rarely found outside a professional FX studio.
This workshop includes nearly one hundred diagrams, a quick‑reference mold‑making checklist, and detailed process breakdowns designed to help beginners and seasoned artists alike. Russ even explores the real historical rituals of head shrinking practiced by Amazon tribes, providing cultural context for the art form while maintaining respect for its origins.
Russ writes: “My goal for this book is to equip you with the tools for success by guiding you through a step‑by‑step process that maximizes your chances of achieving great results. You’ll learn more than just how to make a shrunken head — I aim to dispel the myth that specialized tools and equipment are essential for success.”
Shrunken Heads stands as one of Russ’s most unique and comprehensive FX workshops — a blend of practical instruction, cultural insight, and hands‑on creativity for artists of all skill levels.
For Russ’s other FX books, visit the Instructional FX Books page.For his creature work, visit the Creature Designer Shop.
www.amazon.com/author/russadams
