Apply a light base. Choose a tone that is lighter than the person's natural color. Old people tend to have lighter complexions due to the aging process. With a sponge, evenly apply the base all over the man's face. Don't forget to cover the neck and ears as well.
Apply wrinkles. For the beginning step, ask the actor to smile, frown and do exaggerated faces so that you can see the lines in his face. For dark-haired actors, use black makeup; for brunettes and redheads, use brown. With a flat brush, paint lines to his forehead, jowls and neck. With a fine-tipped brush, apply lines to the corners of the eyes and nasal folds.
Paint shadows. With a flat brush or sponge, paint shadows on the forehead, cheeks, eyes, nose and neck. Use a color that is slightly lighter than the wrinkle color. Feather the shadows from the ends of the wrinkle lines, stroking downward to blend.
Add extra features. With a dark brown color, apply uneven textures to create the image of liver spots and broken capillaries. To create a sallow effect, apply a yellow shade over the lines and shadows.
Gray the hair. With a sponge or old toothbrush, apply a gray or white hair color. Do a light coat first to see how it looks under the stage lights. If any natural color comes through, add another coat. Don't forget to also apply the color to the actor's eyebrows.