Where can I get references for blood?

[AugustRush]

I'm doing a texture research on blood and I'm trying to find references so I can take some photos. I need them in a tube, splattered on the ground, dripping off from the wall, wet, dried, whatever... I know I can find references on Google and books and artworks about blood, but I still want to see the real thing. Any ideas where can I get references for blood?

Thanks!

[TinyBird]

Well... you could try buying some pig/cow blood and take loads of photos from the real thing (since lots of average "blood" pics are not real blood). At least in my country you can buy that since it's used in foods, so depending where you live, some Googling for shops or slaughterhouses could produce results.
And of course there's the... obvious source for blood but it's not really recommended.

[AugustRush]

Thanks! Didn't thought about that but yeah my local supermarket sells pig blood. Does it look/feel similar to human blood? And does the color change a lot depending on if it's fresh or old? And NOOOOO I have no intention of using the obvious source... =/

[Noah Bradley]

Well a real artist would paint their own blood.

But yeah, a butcher shop or a shop that sells stage/film props and such should have something you can look at.

[erinc]

And does the color change a lot depending on if it's fresh or old?

It won't change color depending on the freshness, per se, but air exposure. Over time, blood will turn from red to a brownish color, sometimes even blackish. It has to do with iron and hemoglobin and oxidation and such and such. It's actually very similar to why meat turns from red to brown when you cook it, although I think that's due to myoglobin. Some types of poisoning will make your blood very bright red, and I've no idea what color poisoned blood turns when it's old.

So, it would probably depend on how the butcher stores the blood. I think a great deal of the texture of the blood would depend on how long it takes to drain from the dead animal and if anything is done to it in the butchering process, like blood thinners or something to make it drain faster/prevent clotting or coagulation.

You might get the best results if you use a combination of animal blood and theatrical blood. I don't mean mix them together -- but fresh blood might splatter differently than old blood, so you could use prop blood for that, while you use the pig blood for color, stains, pooling, whatever.

And now I'm strangely torn between being faintly nauseated and wanting to watch Dexter.

[arenhaus]

Well a real artist would paint their own blood.

You mean WITH their own blood! MWA HA HA HAHAHA!

Some types of poisoning will make your blood very bright red, and I've no idea what color poisoned blood turns when it's old.

If you are referring to the carbon monoxide poisoning, I expect it to remain bright red for quite a while. That type of poison binds very strongly to hemoglobin, mimicking the oxygenated form.

Blood turns black/brown when it dries simply because of its iron content. Iron is what gives blood its color, and when blood dries the iron, in essence, rusts. Iron oxides are brownish red or black.

[erinc]

If you are referring to the carbon monoxide poisoning, I expect it to remain bright red for quite a while. That type of poison binds very strongly to hemoglobin, mimicking the oxygenated form.

Oh, I was actually thinking of cyanide. I didn't know carbon monoxide poisoning did the same thing -- just knew that oxygen-rich or over-oxygenated blood was associated with some types of poisoning. Do you happen to know if it's the same or similar process that causes bright red blood in cyanide poisoning?

And this is by far the weirdest thing I think I've discussed on here...

[hitnrun]

this is certainly a fun thread - "you mean carbon monoxide poisoning?" "Naw, I mean Cyanide!"..

LMAO! okay then!

[Craig D]

Oxygenated blood is redder in color than non- oxygenated blood. Hence the blood from veins and the color of veins in, say, your arm is darker in color than arteries.

Carbon monoxide has oxygen (CO versus O2) but binds to hemaglobin more strongly. Thats why bloood from someone with CO poisoning is very bright red. The poisoning comes about because O from Carbon monoxide does not release into tissue to be used to keep us alive.

[blogmatix]

You could also go look up some of Gottfried Helnwein's paintings to see how he does blood... :-)

[Falchion]

Chocolate syrup, red food coloring, and a lot of corn syrup. Edible stage blood that looks a bit more realistic than real blood in photographs. Add peanut butter to the mix if you need to make it look coagulated.

[arenhaus]

Oh, I was actually thinking of cyanide. I didn't know carbon monoxide poisoning did the same thing -- just knew that oxygen-rich or over-oxygenated blood was associated with some types of poisoning. Do you happen to know if it's the same or similar process that causes bright red blood in cyanide poisoning?

Cyanide ion binds to iron permanently, rather than temporarily like CO, but it's essentially the same mechanism. (Its lethal effect, however, is not due to hemoglobin being clogged; it's due to the cyanide ion blocking the iron atom in cytochromeoxidase and stopping cellular respiration.)

[Dusty]

I did this when I worked on a FPS game a few years ago.
Real blood is honestly kind of unnecessary and it probably smells.

Just get some fake stage blood, a large piece of plexiglass, a white piece of plastic to go behind the plexi, and then a VERY VERY VERY large tarp.

Then you can drip, drop, throw, spit,and spray as much blood as you need onto the plexiglass. Since it is on a white backer, it will be easy to take pictures of them and separate them later.
And it tastes like sugar so you can put it in your mouth if you need to. I can't imagine you'd want to spit real blood on the ground. BUT...do not get it in your eyes. It stings (don't ask - I got a little carried away).

Then after you take all your pics, bring them into PS and adjust the levels and you've got texture sheets that you can use as a multiply layer or whatever.

[Stoat]

...and then hope against hope nobody close to you ever disappears under mysterious circumstances and the cops confiscate your computer...

[Pigeonkill]

I'm not sure about getting actually tubes of blood for you....other than go hunting? But for reference go to youtube and type.

"Field dressing a deer"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYvP8...feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m13XdBFUPIM

Crime scene photos at rotten.com

[Psychotime]

At least in my country you can buy that since it's used in foods.

What does it add?

[TinyBird]

What does it add?

You mean what it adds to the food? Well, blood sausage and blood "pancakes" are pretty popular here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustamakkara) and some people like those better self-made (I'm fine with pre-made ones from the shop).
But if you wonder what that all adds up to, seeing how we live in place where winter has 20 sunless hours per day, then yes, we are all vampires here.