The naked model lay face down on the floor and his back was painted with a mix of diluted grey gouache mixed with a small amount of liquid soap. This grey layer was allowed to dry and then the areas of the back where blood and sweat would accumulate were overpainted with a darker grey mix. This was also allowed to dry.
The model with his back painted.
To try to reproduce the scrounge marks a model of a flail was made including the characteristic three tails. Small lead weights were fitted to the tips of the flail to model the marks shown on the shroud image.
Once the paint on the model's back had dried he was asked to stand with his arms above his head and his back to us while we administered approximately 60 strokes from the right hand side across the whole of the back of the subject's body, using the model flail, which was regularly dipped into black paint. The pattern of marks produced was photographed. It was not possible to reproduce the pattern of marks observed on the shroud image when standing behind or to the side of the model.
The model after whipping with a paint soaked flail.
A further 60 strokes were then administered from the left hand side of the subject and the pattern of marks photographed. Again it was not possible to repoduce the pattern of marks when whipping from either behind or to the side.
The model after whipping with a paint soaked flail on the other side.