trippingpara

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!!!! I have a character with multiple personalities. One personality is killing people and disposes of the body parts in various ways. I was hoping to have the killer hide or mix the blood in with paint used by his other personality, a respected artist. Does anybody have any idea if this is possible? I know that blood can actually rot and spoil. Are there any chemicals that can be mixed with blood to preserve it? What other ways can blood be disposed of (preferably without a trace)?

Anonymous

'Loh

I tried looking up info on the internet for you but ended up grossing myself out. From what I've seen, however, scientists have been trying to figure out a way to store blood so that it doesn't spoil. Basically the methods are refrigeration. I couldn't find anything about chemical preservatives. If I come across something I'll post for ya.

As far as putting blood in paint. I don't know. I think as long as the ratio was more paint then blood, it might work.

Sorry I couldn't be more help

trippingpara

dspellweaver,
Many thanks for the info. Sorry about grossing you out. I know that you can mix the blood with the paint, like a black satin paint with say, a 1 to 4 ratio, but will the paint ever be useable? Conceivably, could the artist be able to unknowingly use the paint?

Ozmandius

In the movie "The Red Violin", a violin maker mixes his wife's blood into the varnish that he paints the violin with.

Oz

Queasy Dillo

Trippingpara-

You might have your artist mixing blood into paint (his Jekyl personality unawares) and then have him complain about the decreasing quality of paint these days. One of those ironic touches that makes horror amusing.

Just my $.02

__________________
You have not yet begun to scratch the surface of my depravity.

Sam

I suppose that if the artist persona was working on something that used a lot of red* at the time, his murderous side could be sure the paint would be used.

Ooh, and as the paint would change colour over time the artists hidden personality could cunningly write messages of guilt with the blood/paint that only reveal themselves later on in the story when the painting is seen under a certain light in the art gallery. Ooh, ooh, and—

Pull up! Pull up! This post is spiraling out of control!

*Like painting the town, for instance.

__________________
Procrastination is like masturbation; in the end you're just screwing yourself.

StoneGarden

I believe this is something that a suspension of disbelief would nicely fill in. Since not every reader would know that the blood may or may not actually mix well with the paint you could take it in nearly any direction you wished. Congealing blood in paint could make it a bit stickier/thicker than normal and not really a great paint. It could thin the paint....etc. ..ala Queasy Dillo's post.

Be creative and have fun with it, though.

On another note, here is a little site that I found concerning homemade paint, which does include Ox blood.

http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/r...homemade-paint

__________________
Get your StoneGarden books from Barnes and Noble.com!

Now featuring classic horror from Scott F. Falkner.

trippingpara

I appreciate all of the tips. I think I got it working nicely now. The congealing blood in the paint doesn't work too well which allows the perfect persona of the Jekyl character to crack, which was something that I was having a problem trying to make happen. Why didn't I think of that?
Cheers!

Nimbus1944

As long as Jekyll is disposing of bodies in odd artistic ways, note that leather tanning involves the use of animal brains.

With that cheery thought, enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner, all...

__________________
It wouldn't be right to dream, while
Forgetting to live, it seems;
Nor would it be right to dwell on life
And yet forget our dreams.
-If There Were No Magicians