Restorative art is the second-largest Sciences domain at 34 scored items, and it splits cleanly into two halves that reward different kinds of study. The anatomy and proportion half is memorizable — bone landmarks, the facial thirds and fifths, profile classifications, the parts of the nose and ear. The color and technique half is conceptual, and that is where students lose points.
Color theory in particular shows up more than most candidates expect. Complementary correction, tints versus shades versus tones, metamerism, and how a light source changes the read of a cosmetic are all fair game, and they are asked as applications rather than definitions.
What this domain tests
- Facial proportion — the thirds, the fifths, feature symmetry, and measuring from a photograph
- Cranial and facial bone landmarks, and the muscles of expression and mastication
- Color theory — primary through tertiary, tints, shades, tones, harmonies, intensity, metamerism
- Complementary color correction of discolorations, and cosmetic type selection
- Wound classification and the matching restorative treatment
- Waxes and restorative materials, tissue building, undercutting, and texturing
- Suturing, including intradermal technique, and supported versus unsupported restoration
3 sample restorative art questions
Real items from the bank. Commit to an answer before you open the explanation — the reasoning is what transfers to the exam, not the answer key.
SciencesFacial proportions & physiognomyeasy
1. According to the classical canon of facial proportions used in restorative art, the face is divided vertically into three roughly equal sections. Which set of landmarks correctly defines these three sections?
- ACrown of head to eyebrows, eyebrows to tip of nose, tip of nose to base of chin
- BHairline to eyebrows, eyebrows to base of nose, base of nose to base of chin
- CHairline to line of eye closure, eye closure to line of mouth closure, mouth closure to base of chin
- DCrown of head to line of eye closure, eye closure to base of nose, base of nose to base of chin
Show the answer and why
Answer: B — Hairline to eyebrows, eyebrows to base of nose, base of nose to base of chin
The standard three-part vertical division of the face runs from the normal hairline to the eyebrow line, from the eyebrows to the base of the nose, and from the base of the nose to the base of the chin. These thirds are approximately equal in the average adult face and serve as the baseline for reconstructing missing features.
- A. The canon begins at the hairline, not the crown of the head, and the middle third ends at the base of the nose rather than its tip.
- C. The eye and mouth closure lines are landmarks within the thirds, not the boundaries that define them.
- D. This mixes an incorrect starting point (crown) with an incorrect boundary (line of eye closure); the upper third is bounded by the hairline and eyebrows.
Mayer, J. Sheridan, Restorative Art (standard course text), chapter on Facial Proportions
SciencesWaxes & restorative materialseasy
2. Which restorative wax is the firmest of the commonly used waxes and is intended to fill deep wounds and excisions because it holds its molded shape without slumping?
- ASurface restorer wax
- BLip wax
- CWound filler wax
- DMascara-type sealing wax
Show the answer and why
Answer: C — Wound filler wax
Wound filler is the firmest and most putty-like of the restorative waxes, formulated to occupy deep cavities, excisions, and large tissue deficiencies. Its stiffness allows it to be built up in bulk and retain sculpted contours without sagging.
- A. Surface restorer is the softest wax, spread in thin films over abrasions; it lacks the body to fill deep defects.
- B. Lip wax is a medium-consistency, tinted wax intended for lip lines and shallow surface work, not deep filling.
- D. This is not a recognized deep-filling restorative wax; sealing products are used to coat or secure, not to build bulk in deep wounds.
Mayer, J. Sheridan, Restorative Art, chapter on Restorative Waxes and Materials
SciencesColor theory & cosmetic applicationeasy
3. Using the pigment (red-yellow-blue) color wheel applied in mortuary cosmetology, which hue is the complement of yellow and is therefore used to subdue a yellowish discoloration?
- AViolet
- BGreen
- COrange
- DBlue
Show the answer and why
Answer: A — Violet
On the pigment color wheel, complements lie directly opposite each other, and violet (purple) sits opposite yellow. Applying a hue's complement neutralizes or grays it, which is the basis for corrective cosmetic treatment of discolorations such as jaundice-related yellowing.
- B. Green is the complement of red, not yellow; it is used to subdue reddish discolorations.
- C. Orange is the complement of blue and is used to counteract bluish discolorations such as some ecchymoses.
- D. Blue is a primary whose complement is orange; blue placed over yellow shifts the area toward green rather than neutralizing it.
Mayer, J. Sheridan, Restorative Art, chapter on Color Theory (complementary colors and corrective pigments)
How to study it
Draw the proportions rather than reading them. Candidates who sketch the facial thirds and fifths a few times stop confusing them under time pressure, and the same trick works for profile classification and ear position.
The rest of the Sciences section
Every question here is original, written to the public content outlines and standard funeral-service textbooks. MortuaryPrep is an independent study aid and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to The Conference, ABFSE, or Pearson VUE.