17 of the wildest effects makeups on ‘Face Off’

The jaw-dropping talents of prosthetics makeup artists will be on display again when “Face Off” returns for a ninth season tonight on Syfy.

Season 9 is the start of a new era on “Face Off”: Now the reality competition series has contestants who got into effects makeup and honed their skills by watching the show, which premiered in 2011.

“They”re sort of the first gen of contestants that grew into what they are watching the show,” judge Glenn Hetrick told HitFix. “That makes them a different breed. They”re really savvy to the way the show works.”

So when season 9 premieres at 9 p.m. ET/PT today, expect to see contestants who know how to avoid the pitfalls of artists on past seasons, how to better manage their time in the Spotlight Challenges, and how to best navigate working with their competitors.

If you geek out over how movies are made, over the technical work and artistry that goes into making sci-fi, horror and fantasy, then “Face Off” is a show for you. It“s fascinating and captivating to watch these artists race against the clock to create new creatures that will win the expert judges” approval. I”ve learned so much about effects makeup watching “Face Off,” from the steps in the sculpting and painting process, to what kind of knowledge of human and animal anatomy is required to create plausible makeups, to how two artists” skill sets can work together (or clash).

Chatting with Hetrick about the best looks of the series was another educational opportunity. The “Face Off” judge is a special effects makeup artist who has worked on such projects as “The Hunger Games” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Read on to learn from Hetrick what makes some of the best looks of “Face Off” effective. Here are my picks for 17 of the wildest, most memorable, most stunning makeups on the first eight seasons of “Face Off”:

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