Jennifer Bowden, mother of three, was recently featured on the SyFy reality show “Face Off,” which pits aspiring prosthetic artists against one another. Although she was eliminated after this season’s second episode, Bowden said being on the program was a great experience.

Jennifer Bowden’s interest in makeup effects began — naturally — in a galaxy far, far away.

The Allegan resident and mother of three was recently featured on the SyFy reality show “Face Off,” which pits aspiring prosthetic artists against one another. Although she was eliminated after this season’s second episode, Bowden said being on the program was a great experience.

“I learned a lot about myself,” she said. “I know that I’ve grown as a person and as an artist.”

A life-long science fiction fan, Bowden began her foray into makeup effects over a decade ago through costuming — specifically, Star War costuming. Bowden was blown away by all the intricate outfits modeled after characters from the famous space opera when she attended a science fiction convention in the mid-2000s.

“I saw all these different Star Wars costumes there,” she said. “Then I decided it would be awesome for me to make one.”

Her work led her to the 501st Legion, which is an international Star Wars costume organization. The group’s members put together characters for various conventions, while also devoting their skills to philanthropic purposes. That can mean anything from creating suits for disabled children to marching a garrison of costumed Stormtroopers across the Golden Gate Bridge in a charity walk.

“It’s really cool,” Bowden said, “to combine my love of Star Wars with helping the community.”

Eventually, she got deeper into the work, teaching herself how to sculpt and create masks and prosthetics.

“I thought it would be better to learn how to make more life-like creatures that could emote,” she said. “I wanted something cooler than someone just wearing a mask.”

Through more networking in the special effects community, she ended up taking a class with Anthony Kosar, season 4 champion of Face Off. Kosar liked her work and encouraged her to apply for the show.

Rob Miller — season 8 Face Off contestant, fellow Michigander and a member of the 501st — also told her she should try for the show.

“Those two guys being my biggest cheerleaders, I applied,” Bowden said.

She did, she got it and filming began last June.

Bowden joined 13 other contestants for the 10th season of Face Off. In the early episodes, the artists were paired into teams for themed challenges.

In Episode 1, for instance, the contestants created intergalactic bounty hunters based on concept art of their character’s hypothetical space ships. The next episode — the one that saw Bowden eliminated — directed them to create characters for a children’s TV show.

“It’s just surreal to be on that show,” Bowden said. “They have everything you could possibly need. It’s like a Candy Land of supplies and colors and everything.”

The show’s pace forced contestants to take their ideas from concept to display on a model before judges within just a few days. That was intense, Bowden said.

“For conventions, you have a lot of time to plan and work out the details,” she said. But on Face Off, “It was pretty crazy. Plus, you are with a partner and you don’t know them so well but you have to collaborate.

“It was kind of stressful but also really fun.”

Constantly interacting with cameras was also an adjustment for her, Bowden said. She described herself as “introverted.”

“I’m not a person that really necessarily wants people looking at me,” she said. “I want people to look at what I make, not at me.”

The episode of her elimination aired on Wednesday, Jan. 20. Though it was disappointing, Bowden said she will continue on with makeup effects. Before the show, she said she went back and forth as to whether she really wanted to try making a career out of it.

“But being on the show pushed me,” she said. “This is something I can do, and that’s what I’m working on at the moment.”

Links to Bowden's work may be found through her Instagram account, @jenlocks.

— Follow this reporter on Twitter @CPWhitmer.