Thursday 26 February 2015
Estella Final Facechart
This is the final makeup look that I have chosen for my Estella character, the makeup itself is a lot more natural looking in regards to the tones of the lips and cheeks but still has that element of vibrancy required to express the skin of a child. The skin of this makeup remains very pale but the lips and cheeks are nicely enhanced, for this I took a lot of inspiration from my research into ball jointed dolls which are painted in a similar matter. For this reason the lips of my design are going to be slightly glossy with vaseline so that she resembles that same healthy glow seen on the dolls. The cheeks are going to be a naturally vibrant tone of pink/red and I will focus the colour onto the apples of the cheeks, avoiding blending it up as this will make the look to modern and also take away from the child like nature of the character. The eyes will be left bare except from a wash of nude eyeshadow just to remove any greyness around the eye socket and enhance my models own natural lashes and eye colour. As she is a child character no makeup on the eyes will be used, the lashes and brows will be kept completely natural to the models own features.
Wednesday 25 February 2015
BBC Documentary "The Art of Gothic"
BBC. (2014). 'The Art of Gothic' .
To run a brief review of Andrew Graham Dixon’s series of ‘The Art of Gothic’ I found the programme very interesting as it covered much of the known information surrounding Gothic but also looked into areas that I myself was unaware of. Gothic literature and the social movement that follows it is something of great interest to me and a cultural movement that I have loved for a long time. That being said I did find Andrew a tad overly enthusiastic at points especially in combination with the rather overly dramatic music but then again that is part of the Gothic movement, to create an atmosphere and dramatic impression. Overall the programme itself was very interesting and I was pleased that it covered the gothic genre right through from its birth in the dark ages up towards the modern movements of 19th century novella.
In episode one Andrew covered the birth of the Gothic movement and its development throughout the 18th century in the form of literature and art. The term Gothic is actually one first coined in the early medieval period as a title for a style of architecture dedicated to reaching God, therefore many of the doors, windows and spires point upwards into a peak. This is commonly seen on churches to enable people to be closer to God. The programme then goes on to question what the Gothic is and how it has developed throughout an industrial society, he begins by discussing the very first Gothic novel ‘The Castle of Otranto’ by Horace Walpole (1764) which was one of the first novels to explore a concept of hauntings and supernatural connections. In addition to this he also discussed how art and literature combined and continued to have a dramatic influence on our perceptions of horror, talking in particular about the novel ‘The Monk’ by Matthew Lewis which caused a great deal of reaction during the time as it demonised societies trust in religious figures through the temptation of the devil, rape crimes and sex.
Dixon goes on in Episode 2 to discuss how the impact of the industrialised Victorian era throughout the 19th century developed conceptions of horror further into installing the sense of fear that is so prominent within todays concepts. Throughout this era the fascination with science continued to grow alongside Britain's development in production and distribution. To many this fascination was an appalling concept that violated a connection with religion, for example Darwinism and the horror at the thought that a human may derive from an animal. This concept created further fear through the imagery of werewolves and we see in novels such as ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ this idea of mans manipulation through science and the dangers of dabbling with the body. Many gothic writers such as Bram Stroker and Mary Shelley wrote for the purpose of combining fear and romance, appealing to the human desire for temptation that had long since been discouraged. In the beginning many writers such as Shelley were disapproved of due to their descriptions of grave robbing and attempted acts of God, such as creating Frankenstein's creature where he questions "Who shall conceive the horrors of my secret toil as I dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the grave", concepts considered by many immoral to depict. This then lead on to the final episode which explored much of the modern known concepts of gothic such as the horror movement of the monster and the murderer whereby iconic film makers such as Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘The Birds’ began to install fear through more violent tones as opposed to a direct reliance on atmosphere and the sublime. A concept that we began to see develop at the birth of Bram Stokers ‘Dracula’ and Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ that embodied a sense of violence and monster imagery that is so common in modern film.
To run a brief review of Andrew Graham Dixon’s series of ‘The Art of Gothic’ I found the programme very interesting as it covered much of the known information surrounding Gothic but also looked into areas that I myself was unaware of. Gothic literature and the social movement that follows it is something of great interest to me and a cultural movement that I have loved for a long time. That being said I did find Andrew a tad overly enthusiastic at points especially in combination with the rather overly dramatic music but then again that is part of the Gothic movement, to create an atmosphere and dramatic impression. Overall the programme itself was very interesting and I was pleased that it covered the gothic genre right through from its birth in the dark ages up towards the modern movements of 19th century novella.
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| The Monk http://www.wwnorton.com/college /english/nael/romantic /topic_2/monk.htm |
Dixon goes on in Episode 2 to discuss how the impact of the industrialised Victorian era throughout the 19th century developed conceptions of horror further into installing the sense of fear that is so prominent within todays concepts. Throughout this era the fascination with science continued to grow alongside Britain's development in production and distribution. To many this fascination was an appalling concept that violated a connection with religion, for example Darwinism and the horror at the thought that a human may derive from an animal. This concept created further fear through the imagery of werewolves and we see in novels such as ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ this idea of mans manipulation through science and the dangers of dabbling with the body. Many gothic writers such as Bram Stroker and Mary Shelley wrote for the purpose of combining fear and romance, appealing to the human desire for temptation that had long since been discouraged. In the beginning many writers such as Shelley were disapproved of due to their descriptions of grave robbing and attempted acts of God, such as creating Frankenstein's creature where he questions "Who shall conceive the horrors of my secret toil as I dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the grave", concepts considered by many immoral to depict. This then lead on to the final episode which explored much of the modern known concepts of gothic such as the horror movement of the monster and the murderer whereby iconic film makers such as Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘The Birds’ began to install fear through more violent tones as opposed to a direct reliance on atmosphere and the sublime. A concept that we began to see develop at the birth of Bram Stokers ‘Dracula’ and Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ that embodied a sense of violence and monster imagery that is so common in modern film.
Tuesday 24 February 2015
Estella - Hair Experimentation
Health and Safety: If using a model place apron around the neck to protect clothing.
Always ensure to run a client consultation to check for any infections, allergies or contraindications.
Products Used:
- Apron
- Kirby Grips
- Sectioning Tail Comb
- Paddle Brush
- Small Hair Tie
- Sectioning Grips
Process of Creation
1. Brush hair through to remove all knots and tangles.
2. Divide the hair into a centre parting and then from ear to ear.
3. Taking the back section the models own hair, twist it into a mid height bun.
2. Divide the hair into a centre parting and then from ear to ear.
3. Taking the back section the models own hair, twist it into a mid height bun.
4. Take the front sections of hair at the front of the face and redefine the middle parting if required.
5. Plait each individual front section into a basket plait beginning from just below the eye.
6. Repeat on the other side.
7. Bring these plaits loosely backwards to hand just below the ear and looping back upwards into the bun behind.
8. Fix with bobby pins.
Evaluation
This hairstyle much like the one featuring a conventional plait was very simple to create but is an effective interpretation of an early Victorian hairstyle worn by the Queen herself. I feel that this would be a good choice for the type of hair design for my Estella as it is simple to create, looks neat when finished and could easily be worn by a child which is perfect for my Estella as I am basing my version of the character around the age of 12 - 13 years. Although the use of a basket plait makes the hairstyle slightly more decorative I think that because of its highly simple concept it could be made more effective to look at by wrapping a piece of ribbon around the top of the hair, this would be relevant to the hairstyles of the period but would so add an extra element of decoration. Obviously as my model has bright red hair the process of creating this hairstyle will be made more challenging through camouflaging the red tones of her hair and also adding length through hair pieces, however this is something that I will practice and develop through experimenting with my model at a later date.
Monday 23 February 2015
Estella Hair Designs
With regards to my Estella hair design all of them are relatively simple as was the fashion for children in the early Victorian period. The key focus for my designs is of a bun which will either feature braids or ringlets on either side of the face or back of the head, in continuation the hair will always be divided down the middle of the head and all will have to feature a method for concealing the hair pieces that will be required for concealing the red elements of my models hair which is down one side of her head.
Idea No 1. Basket plaits down the side of the head into a bun, featuring a ribbon to conceal hair pieces.
Idea No 2. Simple split parting plaited braid, may also require a ribbon to conceal hair pieces.
Idea No 3. Conventional early Victorian hairstyle with ringlets at the side of the head and low sitting twisted bun.
Friday 20 February 2015
Estella Facecharts
Idea No 1.
This first makeup design for my Estella look is a very clean and simple look as my character is designed to be of a child's age e.g. 13 years. Therefore to include a heavy amount of makeup would be inappropriate for the character but also inaccurate to the period in which the concept of the novel is set. For this look I am going to leave off any form of mascara or visible eye makeup and instead focus on creating a healthy colour in the cheeks and lips as children are frequently far more red in the face than adults. To achieve this my look will feature a nice clean base, matte blush and vaseline/red lip mix to keep the face looking glossy and healthy as a child should be.
Idea No 2.
My second idea is very very similar to my first however I wanted to experiment with altering the skin tone and choice of colours used in the blush and lips. For this look the base is slightly more pale in complexion which I thought was appropriate bearing in mind she does live in similar conditions to Miss Havisham. In addition to this I want to experiment with a more red toned blush for the cheeks however I feel that instead this has turned out aggressively pink and therefore would be not so aesthetically pleasing. Plus an aggressive pink may make my model look older and just like she is wearing a lot of pink blusher as opposed to a natural childlike red cheek.
Idea No 3.
This idea is defiantly far to gothic and inappropriate for my Estella look, it would work nicely perhaps for if she was an older character although the use of the rouge lip in context to Victorian connotations of makeup and its representation may paint her out as a bit of a loose woman. Obviously from the book she is described as abused by her husband as an adult so in that context the look may work perfectly but in regards to her being a child the makeup is far to severe. Furthermore if the lip is removed I feel that the look is still to pale to represent a child, my whole concept for Estella is that she look like a healthy child but through her expression we see the cold nature of her emotions. Not through the makeup.
Thursday 19 February 2015
Assessment - Miss Havisham Notes
Products / Makeup & Hair:
- Matte Primer
- Mac Pro Full Coverage Foundation
- Concealer Palette
- Illamasqua White Skinbase Foundation
- Kryolan Contour Palette - Glamour Bronze
- Mac Paint Pot
- Kryolan Eyeshadow Palette
- Liquid Latex
- Translucent Powder
- Supracolour Palette
- Illamasqua Fundamental Palette - Dark Gold
- Satin Lipmix
- Small Hair Tongs
- Paddle Brush
- Segmenting Clips
- Tail Comb
- Hairspray
Process Of Creation (Makeup)
1. Run a client consultation form to check for any allergies etc.
2. Cleanse, tone and moisturise the face.
3. Apply a primer to the skin.
4. Mix foundation with white to pale the complexion and apply to the face and neck.
5. Blend!
6. Apply a mixture of charcoal and pepper into the socket of the eye and blend out.
7. Deepen by adding more colour.
8. Taking a dark purple apply and blend into the bottom of the eyes natural fold.
9. Enhance further with violet.
10. Apply a dark gold along the bottom lash line blending out again.
11. Using white foundation or supracolour run along the brows and apply to the lashes for aged effect.
11. Add paint pot to the lips.
12. Contour the cheeks, jaw, temples and sockets further with contour powder.
- Matte Primer
- Mac Pro Full Coverage Foundation- Concealer Palette
- Illamasqua White Skinbase Foundation
- Kryolan Contour Palette - Glamour Bronze
- Mac Paint Pot
- Kryolan Eyeshadow Palette
- Liquid Latex
- Translucent Powder
- Supracolour Palette
- Illamasqua Fundamental Palette - Dark Gold
- Satin Lipmix
- Small Hair Tongs
- Paddle Brush
- Segmenting Clips
- Tail Comb
- Hairspray
Process Of Creation (Makeup)
1. Run a client consultation form to check for any allergies etc.
2. Cleanse, tone and moisturise the face.
3. Apply a primer to the skin.
4. Mix foundation with white to pale the complexion and apply to the face and neck.
5. Blend!
6. Apply a mixture of charcoal and pepper into the socket of the eye and blend out.
7. Deepen by adding more colour.
8. Taking a dark purple apply and blend into the bottom of the eyes natural fold.
9. Enhance further with violet.
10. Apply a dark gold along the bottom lash line blending out again.
11. Using white foundation or supracolour run along the brows and apply to the lashes for aged effect.
11. Add paint pot to the lips.
12. Contour the cheeks, jaw, temples and sockets further with contour powder.
13. Dap Satin lilmix onto the highlights of the face to create a greasy texture to the skin.
Process of Creation (Hair)
1. Brush exposed hair through to remove all knots and tangles.
2. Divide the hair up into small sections.
3. Using small curling wand create ringlets facing in towards the neck.
4. When curls have cooled push them back up the hair to create messy texture.
5. Spray with hairspray.
Process of Creation (Hair)
1. Brush exposed hair through to remove all knots and tangles.
2. Divide the hair up into small sections.
3. Using small curling wand create ringlets facing in towards the neck.
4. When curls have cooled push them back up the hair to create messy texture.
5. Spray with hairspray.
Tuesday 17 February 2015
Miss Havisham Practise (2nd Attempt)
Health and Safety: If using a model place apron around the neck to protect clothing.
Always ensure to run a client consultation to check for any infections, allergies or contraindications.
Wash hands before touching the clients skin.FOR ASSESSMENT - DRESS MODEL IN COSTUME BEFORE APPLYING MAKEUP AND HAIR!
Products / Makeup & Hair:
- Matte Primer
- Mac Pro Full Coverage Foundation
- Concealer Palette
- Illamasqua White Skinbase Foundation
- Kryolan Contour Palette - Glamour Bronze
- Mac Paint Pot
- Kryolan Eyeshadow Palette
- Translucent Powder
- Supracolour Palette
- Illamasqua Fundamental Palette - Dark Gold
- Satin Lipmix
- Small Hair Tongs
- Paddle Brush
- Segmenting Clips
- Tail Comb
- Hairspray
Process Of Creation (Makeup)
1. Run a client consultation form to check for any allergies etc.
2. Cleanse, tone and moisturise the face.
3. Apply a primer to the skin.
4. Mix foundation with white to pale the complexion and apply to the face and neck.
5. Blend!
6. Apply a mixture of charcoal and pepper into the socket of the eye and blend out.
7. Deepen by adding more colour.
8. Taking a dark purple apply and blend into the bottom of the eyes natural fold.
9. Enhance further with violet.
10. Apply a dark gold along the bottom lash line blending out again.
11. Using white foundation or supracolour run along the brows and apply to the lashes for aged effect.
11. Add paint pot to the lips.
12. Contour the cheeks, jaw, temples and sockets further with contour powder.
1. Run a client consultation form to check for any allergies etc.
2. Cleanse, tone and moisturise the face.
3. Apply a primer to the skin.
4. Mix foundation with white to pale the complexion and apply to the face and neck.
5. Blend!
6. Apply a mixture of charcoal and pepper into the socket of the eye and blend out.
7. Deepen by adding more colour.
8. Taking a dark purple apply and blend into the bottom of the eyes natural fold.
9. Enhance further with violet.
10. Apply a dark gold along the bottom lash line blending out again.
11. Using white foundation or supracolour run along the brows and apply to the lashes for aged effect.
11. Add paint pot to the lips.
12. Contour the cheeks, jaw, temples and sockets further with contour powder.
13. Dap Satin lilmix onto the highlights of the face to create a greasy texture to the skin.
Process of Creation (Hair)
1. Brush exposed hair through to remove all knots and tangles.
2. Divide the hair up into small sections.
3. Using small curling wand create ringlets facing in towards the neck.
4. When curls have cooled push them back up the hair to create messy texture.
1. Brush exposed hair through to remove all knots and tangles.
2. Divide the hair up into small sections.
3. Using small curling wand create ringlets facing in towards the neck.
4. When curls have cooled push them back up the hair to create messy texture.
5. Spray with hairspray.
Evaluation
Overall I was very pleased with how the makeup turned out for my first proper run through before my assessment. I feel that the makeup followed my design well and the use of the additional purple tones around the eyes had been effective in creating that sunken look to the face but without ageing it. This was an important element to my whole Miss Havisham design as I did not want to portray a haggard, old character as that is not what I felt from reading the novel. Instead I wanted to focus my Miss Havisham on looking tired both psychically and mentally, drained of life and greasy from living in her own filth. A key feature that I felt was highly important from the facts surrounding Miss Havisham is the retainment of the pretty nature of both her appearance and status, although she is a damaged woman her vanity would still retain her beauty and class. For the hair I tried two different styles of ringlets to see which one would be most effective for the final assessment, originally I began with tight ringlets that I pushed upwards to create volume and a tatty backcombed effect. This I felt worked well as it still resembled a Victorian styling but was a slightly more natural and weathered which would be appropriate for a young Miss Havisham as she had not undergone the years of distress yet. The second version I did was far more relaxed with the curls falling more and being less structured, although this was effective I felt I had lost the connection with the Victorian fashion of the ringlets and it resembled "bed hair" more than that of bridal decay. Within the final assessment the look will be slightly different as a costume will be added, regardless I do not feel that this will take away from the makeup and hair and I will keep my styling as simple as possible to follow on from Victorian cosmetic fashions.
Monday 16 February 2015
Outside Work - Film Competition - Indigo Thunder
WARNING: Contains some bad language!
During my free time I was fortunate enough to participate in the Solent TV 48 Hour Film Competition where I assisted with filming but also my main role was that of the makeup artist. The concept of the film was around the given title of 'Indigo Thunder' with the chosen prop of a bicycle. Other than that the film was completely open to interpretation and the team I was a part of decided to create a mockumentary style film much like those of 'An Idiot Abroad' or 'Creature Comforts'. I found the whole experience of the creating the film with a team of people all of whom posed different talents to be a really enjoyable experience and I had great fun not only doing the makeup but also filming it.
The comedy element of the film was created through the main character 'Jamie' who is a hopeless mess at being an urban cyclist and therefore a fair amount of simple special effects makeup was required. This consisted of nose bleeds, grazes and a black eye that were all results of numerous accidents throughout the film. As I was working on the go I was unable to use any complex products to create elements such as the cuts and grazes and therefore had to rely on my more artistic skills to produce the illusion of wounds. Despite this I feel that I did a sufficient job at creating the injuries and was particularly pleased with how my black eye turned out which was meant to be rather fresh looking with an onset of bruising. From doing the film it proved to myself that I am capable of creating special effects makeup despite how I struggled in my technical classes, by completing the film it boosted my confidence in my professional skills and has made me more open to attempting projects that are outside my comfort zone.
What made the experience even more worth while was the fact that the film actually won the overall film competition placing 1st for 'Best Film', also winning awards for 'Best Performance' and nominations in a number of other categories.
Saturday 14 February 2015
Estella - Ball Joint Dolls
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| https://40.media.tumblr.com/957cc7044e ba1a3c43ef226893bce6fa/tumblr_mn8az 0HUdZ1s6vxg5o1_500.jpg |
A key source of inspiration for my Estella is that of ball-jointed porcelain dolls. The reason for this is predominantly due to the overall look of the dolls themselves which are beautifully ethereal with soft delicate features and ornate faces. However there is also the very concept of Estella who is in many ways Miss Havisham's personal emotionless toy. As my Estella is based around the age of 12 it is important for her to have a look of innocence about her. The way that these dolls are painted is of great inspiration to the makeup that I want to use for my character creation as it is very natural with soft pink tones on the cheeks, eyes and lips that naturally enhances the face. The pale skin is very delicate and this is another element that I want to include in my makeup design for Estella as within the Victorian era the middle classes would have kept out of the sun to avoid a tan. In addition to this is the fact that Estella lives with Miss Havisham and would therefore be very pale due to a lack of exposure to sunlight, although she is allowed outside to participate with normal society the majority of her time is spent indoors.
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| https://www.pinterest.com/p in/201043570841187140/ |
Secondly is the expressions of the dolls which is an almost sad/emotionless pose that despite being beautiful creates a sense of sympathy the more you look at it. This is a crucial concept for my Estella whereby despite her looking immaculate and youthful I wanted an element of sadness to leak through. At the end of the day she is an abandoned child who is manipulated by Miss Havisham to have no positive emotion therefore the lacking of 'sparkle in her eye' would be beneficial to expressing the design of my character.
The first image is a slightly more gothic interpretation of how I could create my Estella as the lashes are whited out and the skin around the eyes so hollowed that it looks slightly bruised. This is something that I find very pretty but do not think will work as well in my final makeup look, I do however think that I will take forward the pale skin and neutral pink tones on the eyelid. The second image is much more child like both in pose and styling with freckles visible on the dolls nose and more pink tones to the face. This is my favourite of the two and one that is of great inspiration to my final look, what I like in particular about this doll is the expression which is a completely neutral and slightly saddened look in the eyes.
To create the makeup for my Estella character I am going to combine my favourite elements from these two inspirational dolls to enhance that sense of childish innocence but with a cold inside. Much like a doll Estella is beautiful to look at but is merely an emotionless puppet belonging to Miss Havisham.
Estella - Victorian Children
Gubar, M. 'Historical Essays: The Victorian Children'. Available: http://www.representingchildhood.pitt.edu/victorian.htm. Last accessed 14th Feb 2015.
Charles Dickens. (2003). Chapter 49. In: Charlotte Mitchell 'Great Expectations'. 2nd ed. London: Penguin Classics. p286.
By the beginning of the Victorian reign the concept of childhood was beginning to change as society adjusted, furthermore by the end of the 19th century the middle classes had completely separated the world between adults and children. Previously to this children had been forced to work along side the adult world up chimneys, in mines and factories. The result of which meaning that children were completely denied the innocence of childhood.
It was during this time of great industrialisation that this concept of the importance of a proper life of a child was first created. Throughout the period a great number of social reformers and advocators of Christian values began to force into place the appropriate rights for the health and welfare of children across the United Kingdom. This applied not only to children on the upper classes but in particular of those in the working class system who were removed form positions of work and placed into orphanages if the parenting they received was not appropriate.
Charles Dickens’s work had an increasingly influential role in the awareness of life for Victorian children by exposing the vulnerability and abuse suffered by children in particular of the working class. By the age of 12 Dickens had already lost his farther to imprisonment as a result of debt and was therefore himself sent to work as a child in one of the surrounding factories. This event within Dickens’s youth haunted him for the rest of his life and caused him great concern as an adult for the lives of the innocent youth. Within some of Dickens’ most famous novels such as ‘Oliver Twist’ (1837) and ‘A Christmas Carol’ (1843) he expresses this sense of anger by exposing the reader to the vulnerability of figure such as ‘Tiny Tim’ who would be unable to survive in a harsh Victorian London as a result of their disability and no doubt die from infection. In addition is that of Oliver Twist who despite his attempts to escape a life of crime and cruelty is repeatedly thrown back into the centre of childhood suffering. Dickens’s hatred for the horror that was a direct result of the New Poor Law of 1834 which relegated the use of workhouses and split families from their young children for the purpose of industrial profit.
Escape to the Middle Classes
To those who do not know the novel ‘Great Expectations’ on an analytical level it may be interpreted that as Estella is handed to Miss Havisham at a young age, she is fortunate in escaping the hardships that burned other Victorian children. For example Pip, that being said through an examination of Estella we are shown another side to the cruelty of a Victorian childhood that comes in the form of parental negligence and manipulation. To a modern reader we understand that childhood is ideally a time for innocence and play, instead however Dickens creates a counter view that a child’s life is burdened with grief. Estella is very much a puppet of her carer with no free will in the choices that she is allowed to make regarding her attitudes towards life but also her use of emotion. Miss Havisham herself states that she “stole away her heart and put ice in its place” therefore suggesting a complete removal from the joys of childhood. This however is not the only way in which Estella clearly suffers as a result of her childhood experiences. We learn at the very end of the novel how she (like Pip) is an orphan as a result of loosing both her parents as a very young child and that her father is actually the criminal who threatens Pip, Magwitch. The concept of children loosing their parents is a popular theme within Dickens’s work and explores this idea of how a child cannot be raised properly and happily without that parental contact. Magwitch dies before he is ever able to see Estella again and therefore she is left a puppet to Miss Havisham and her abusive husband later in life. For Estella the middle classes offered no escape from the pain of a Victorian childhood.
Charles Dickens. (2003). Chapter 49. In: Charlotte Mitchell 'Great Expectations'. 2nd ed. London: Penguin Classics. p286.
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| http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_ Alice_of_the_United_Kingdom |
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Charles Dickens’s work had an increasingly influential role in the awareness of life for Victorian children by exposing the vulnerability and abuse suffered by children in particular of the working class. By the age of 12 Dickens had already lost his farther to imprisonment as a result of debt and was therefore himself sent to work as a child in one of the surrounding factories. This event within Dickens’s youth haunted him for the rest of his life and caused him great concern as an adult for the lives of the innocent youth. Within some of Dickens’ most famous novels such as ‘Oliver Twist’ (1837) and ‘A Christmas Carol’ (1843) he expresses this sense of anger by exposing the reader to the vulnerability of figure such as ‘Tiny Tim’ who would be unable to survive in a harsh Victorian London as a result of their disability and no doubt die from infection. In addition is that of Oliver Twist who despite his attempts to escape a life of crime and cruelty is repeatedly thrown back into the centre of childhood suffering. Dickens’s hatred for the horror that was a direct result of the New Poor Law of 1834 which relegated the use of workhouses and split families from their young children for the purpose of industrial profit.
Escape to the Middle Classes
To those who do not know the novel ‘Great Expectations’ on an analytical level it may be interpreted that as Estella is handed to Miss Havisham at a young age, she is fortunate in escaping the hardships that burned other Victorian children. For example Pip, that being said through an examination of Estella we are shown another side to the cruelty of a Victorian childhood that comes in the form of parental negligence and manipulation. To a modern reader we understand that childhood is ideally a time for innocence and play, instead however Dickens creates a counter view that a child’s life is burdened with grief. Estella is very much a puppet of her carer with no free will in the choices that she is allowed to make regarding her attitudes towards life but also her use of emotion. Miss Havisham herself states that she “stole away her heart and put ice in its place” therefore suggesting a complete removal from the joys of childhood. This however is not the only way in which Estella clearly suffers as a result of her childhood experiences. We learn at the very end of the novel how she (like Pip) is an orphan as a result of loosing both her parents as a very young child and that her father is actually the criminal who threatens Pip, Magwitch. The concept of children loosing their parents is a popular theme within Dickens’s work and explores this idea of how a child cannot be raised properly and happily without that parental contact. Magwitch dies before he is ever able to see Estella again and therefore she is left a puppet to Miss Havisham and her abusive husband later in life. For Estella the middle classes offered no escape from the pain of a Victorian childhood.
Thursday 12 February 2015
Technical - Burns
Health and Safety: If using a model place apron around the neck to protect clothing.
Always ensure to run a client consultation to check for any infections, allergies or contraindications.
Wash hands before touching the clients skin.
Products Used:
- Gelatine
- Microwavable Bowl
- Supracolour palette- Microwave
- Wooden Spatula
- Hair dryer with cool setting
- Latex Sponge
- Black Stipple Sponge
- Small Brush
- Stiff Painting Brush
- Translucent Powder
- Fluffy Brush
- Cotton Bud
Process of Creation
1. Place block of gelatine into a microwaveable bowl.
2. Melt gelatine in the microwave for 10 seconds ensuring to check that the gelatine does not burn and has fully dissolved.
3. Test the gelatine for temperature on the back of the hand, the gelatine should be warm but not hot enough to burn the skin.
4. Using a wooden spatula smear the gelatine onto the area of skin where the burn will be created, continue to work the gelatine as it cools to create a blistered effect.
5. Smooth any rough edges with warm water and a cotton bud.
6. Powder over the gelatine (once set) with translucent powder and a fluffy brush.
7. Using a small makeup brush gently apply supra colour in red, purple and yellow tones to the burn and blend out with your fingers.
8. Add darker colours where you want to create depth.
9. Using fingers dab some red tones around the outside edges of the burn to create the appearance of soreness.
10. Using a black stipple sponge apply more red to the burn.
11. Taking a baby bud rub over areas of the gelatine to remove makeup creating the appearance of blisters.
12. Apply blood and puss to areas of infection and dents in the prosthetic.
Evaluation
I found the process of using gelatine to create burns a relatively simple technique that has excellent results quickly. I was pleased initially with how my burn turned out however I do feel that I overworked the prosthetic and therefore it lost a lot of its realistic elements, in particular I feel that I most definitely have to improve on the application and blending out of the edges of my prosthetic as this is a continuous issue that I seem to be struggling with in effects makeup. That being said the overall look of the burn I was rather pleased with and feel that the texture of the burn itself is satisfactory to what I was trying to achieve. The makeup itself definitely looks better from a distance!
Wednesday 11 February 2015
Technical - Ageing Hair
Health and Safety: If using a model place apron around the neck to protect clothing.
Always ensure to run a client consultation to check for any infections, allergies or contraindications.
Wash hands before touching the clients skin.
Products Used:
- Supracolour (White & Blue)
- Dry Shampoo
- Disposable Mascara Wand
Process of Creation:
- If greying out the whole head of hair, spray dry shampoo (Batiste works best for this) onto the head building up the layers until level of greying is achieved.
1. For ageing hair on fine areas such as the eyebrows, side burns or facial hair a more detailed technique would be beneficial.
2. Mix a small amount of blue and black supra colour into white until the colour resembles a grey tone.
3. Taking a disposable mascara wand, roll the wand into the colour.
4. Begin combing the colour through the areas of hair that require ageing.
5. Taking a clean disposable wand work then colour through again to ensure the hair is fully saturated.
6. Repeat for eyebrows using a similar method.
Evaluation
Unfortunately during class there was a shortage of dry shampoo therefore I was unable to show the effects of using Batiste on the hair to create an ageing effect, however because of this I decided it would be beneficial to demonstrate ageing using the supracolour technique. In regards to using the technique of male facial hair I felt that it was highly successful and created an effective image of aged hair, this technique works best in sync with theatrical ageing makeup to create an authentic effect. When applying supracolour to the hair I found it was crucial to ensure that the makeup was fully blended into the hair, this was not achieved by simply combing the colour through once but was much improved through repetitive combing of the colour using another clean mascara wand. Although this technique was successful for male facial hair I think that for longer hair it would be challenging using this method unless it was for a pop of colour/highlight. Therefore dependant on the clients hair type, the most appropriate application would be required. Overall I was very pleased with how this technique turned out and if given the opportunity to produce a male character of age I will definitely be using this technique.
Miss Havisham Practise (1st Attempt)
For my first attempt of my Miss Havisham design I practiced on my partner Lily, although the design works on Lily I will be using a model in my final continuity assessment as due to the concept Lily's dark and bright red hair will not work for a realistic interpretation of the character. The makeup worked okay on my initial practice however I feel that the contour of the cheekbones is more effective here than that of the hollowing of the eye socket, in future I will maintain the severity of the contour of the face but work to enhance the eye socket with a darker tone. On my face chart the skin around the eyes is noticeably more purple in comparison to that which is visible here and therefore I feel the look would benefit from an injection of violet tones that will enhance the deathly appearance of my model while maintaining that pretty element.
The biggest design difficulty that faced me there was in regards of what to do with the eyebrows, on my design they were slightly aged in appearance and this was an important feature to my final makeup design. Initially i tried to achieve this by using the white supracolour ageing method that had worked so well previously for ageing male facial hair, however in regards to this design it was rather unsuccessful and did not work as I had hoped with the rest of my look. The white makeup made the whole look rather false and tacky as it was to visible on the skin, as a result I removed the makeup from the brows and tried again. This time I decide to use a foundation tone in the eyebrows and applied it sparingly using a mascara wand which I then worked through the hair to blend. This was significantly more successful as it gave an aged appearance without the theatrical element, this made my makeup look far more appropriate for the TV adaptation my character had been designed for.
Tuesday 10 February 2015
Technical - Late Victorian Hairstyling
Health and Safety: If using a model place apron around the neck to protect clothing.
Always ensure to run a client consultation to check for any infections, allergies or contraindications.
Products Used:
- Small Curling Tong
- Apron
- Kirby Grips
- Sectioning Tail Comb
- Paddle Brush
- Small Hair Tie
- Sectioning Grips- Decorative Items e.g. jewellery, flowers, ribbon.
Process of Creating Late Victorian Hair
1. Brush the hair through thoroughly to remove all knots and tangles from the hair.
2. Using a sectioning tail comb divide the hair into a middle parting from the front to the very back of the head.
3. Divide the hair again using the tail comb from ear to ear, the hair will now sit into four equal sections, taking the front two sections secure them away from the rest of the hair using sectioning grips.
4. Create a V shaped section at the top of the back sections and secure with a hairband into a high pony tail, this will become the structure point for the rest of the bun.
5. Dividing this ponytail into four small sections, curl each section using the smallest curlers into tight ringlet curls.
8. Begin pinning some of these curls up into the bun ensuring the sides are smooth against the head, this will create additional thickness and shape to the hair eventually creating a waterfall effect of curls. Do this for the remaining lower section ensuring that the ends of each ringlet remain neatly tucked up into the curl.
9. Then taking the front section of hair divide each side front section in half creating four partings at the front of the head.
10. Curl each of these sections outwards away from the parting into one large ringlet on each side of the head and pin the lowest of each of these sections into the bun on each side.
11. Split the upper section into three and curl each section again with a small tong so that the curls fall towards the face.
12. Gently brush through these curls so that they become one large curl at the top of the face.
3. Divide the hair again using the tail comb from ear to ear, the hair will now sit into four equal sections, taking the front two sections secure them away from the rest of the hair using sectioning grips.
4. Create a V shaped section at the top of the back sections and secure with a hairband into a high pony tail, this will become the structure point for the rest of the bun.
5. Dividing this ponytail into four small sections, curl each section using the smallest curlers into tight ringlet curls.
6. Taking each curl individually split them and then twist them around to create a messy bun of curls, ensure that the bun does not become rounded or "present shaped" like the modern styles dictate.
7. Now taking the bottom section of hair free from the bun begin to create a number of tight ringlets all around 1 inch in width across the whole back section of the hair. 8. Begin pinning some of these curls up into the bun ensuring the sides are smooth against the head, this will create additional thickness and shape to the hair eventually creating a waterfall effect of curls. Do this for the remaining lower section ensuring that the ends of each ringlet remain neatly tucked up into the curl.
9. Then taking the front section of hair divide each side front section in half creating four partings at the front of the head.
10. Curl each of these sections outwards away from the parting into one large ringlet on each side of the head and pin the lowest of each of these sections into the bun on each side.
11. Split the upper section into three and curl each section again with a small tong so that the curls fall towards the face.
12. Gently brush through these curls so that they become one large curl at the top of the face.
13. Pull this curl backwards on each side and pin to the bun, ensure that the curl remains and forms a waving shape at the front of the head.
14. Repin some of the curls at the side of the head to ensure they sit smoothly against the scalp allowing for the remaining curls to sit visibly away from the rest of the head in a long ponytail of curls.
15. Decorate with jewellery and flowers as required.
Evaluation
This hairstyle was more challenging to recreate than the previous style that we had been taught, this is mainly to do with the fact that this style is from later on within the Victorian reign when hair had become far more elaborate and ornate. That being said I felt that this creation went well and I was able to produce a style that mimicked that of the styles of the period, unfortunately the class had run out of flowers and jewellery etc so I was unable to decorate my style once completed however this is something that I can experiment with upon my later creation of characters such as Estella should I choose to place her within the later years of the Victorian reign. Although the final outcome of this hairstyle was highly effective I am unsure as to whether it would be a practical style to create within the final assessment as it did take me the full class time to recreate this look. In future if I was to produce this styling I would need to practice the look consistently to get the timing accurate for the final assessment. Overall however I was pleased with how this hair style turned out and feel it is a very beautiful style to both create and photograph.
Death Mask 3rd Attempt
This is my 3rd and final attempt at creating a death mask makeup look, although I am pleased with how it turned out it is definitely a more dramatic adaptation compared to my previous attempts but I definitely feel that I have become more confident at using deep shades to construct shadowing on the face.
Death Mask 2nd Attempt
That being said there are still improvements that I can make to the makeup to make it appear even more deathly. This can be done through fading out the eyelashes and brows so that the face appears lacking in real hair. As death masks are made from wax they would capture the textures of the hair on the face but would be lacking in colour therefore this is something that I want to develop on my final version. For my third attempt I want to create a more dramatic version with heavily contoured shadows around the mouth and eyes, by doing so the face will appear even more sunken in and sickly. Although I was pleased with how this makeup look turned out I feel that it can be more dramatic as this is still rather subtle, I think one of the elements that I struggle with in creating makeup for realism is that of being heavy handed. Continuously within creating realistic makeup I have to build up the layers and application until I am comfortable with the look I end up with, through doing these death masks I feel that my ability to be more confident in applying makeup with a more dramatic flare has improved.
Death Mask 1st Attempt
Momento Mori & Death Masks
Janson, H.W (1977). 'History of Art: A Survey of the Major Visual Arts from the Dawn of History to the Present Day'. New York: Prentice Hall. p141.
Laerdal. The Girl From The River Seine. Available: http://www.laerdal.com/gb/docid/1117082/The-Girl-from-the-River-Seine. Last accessed 10th Feb 2015.
A death mask is a mask created from the cast of a dead persons face upon passing, these masks are often made from wax or plaster of paris, in some cultures clay was also used, the purpose of which was to create an item of remembrance that was highly durable. The whole concept behind the death mask was for these masks to represent a memento mori of the previously deceased, these masks were often created and given to the family or even to painters for the purpose of creating portraits of the sitter after they had died. Janson states that the first recorded death masks are those of the infamous Ancient Egyptians which were used as part of the mummification precess whereby the dead were buried with a mask of their own face often heavily decorated and perfected. Within Ancient Egypt the mask was believed to hold the supernatural ability to strengthen the spirit and protect the dead on their way to the underworld. Due to this the masks were often highly ornate with gold and jewel embellishment as it was regarded important for the dead to carry their riches through to the next life, therefore by placing such jewels into the mask was a direct embodiment of their wealth and success.
By 1876 an archaeologist by the name of Heinrich Schliemann discovered six graves which were apparently confirmed to belong to a series of kings and queen from Greek legend. However the idea of the masks actually belonging to Greek heroes was considered unrealistic and therefore the theory was abandoned. The masks however became another example of the substance used to create a death mask, in this instance it was a heavy type of clay. The clay was so heavy that it had visibly distorted some of the features of the dead such as noses and mouths, therefore the dead were somewhat unidentifiable.
Perhaps the most famous of all death masks however is that of the 'Girl from the River Seine', during the late 1880's the body of a young woman was pulled form the River Seine in Paris. As there was no visible distress to the body it was presumed to be a successful suicide attempt and due to the inability to establish an identity for the young woman a death masks was created, as was customary in the event on un-identification upon death. However what remains most fascinating about this girls death mask is that of her looks, it is reported by many that her face was one of ethereal beauty and carried a soft smile that gave the appearance of a peaceful sleep as opposed to grim suicide. Her smile was even compared to that of the infamous Mona Lisa smile. Al Alvarez wrote in 'The Savage God'' "I am told that a whole generation of German girls modelled their looks on her". The death mask was so infamous that it even became the model of modern science when it was rediscovered by Asmund S. Laerdal, the mask was used to develop the level of realism in first aid training, in particular mouth to mouth resuscitation. The training manikin 'Resusci Anne' was then formed during 1960 from a cast of the infamous death mask.
Laerdal. The Girl From The River Seine. Available: http://www.laerdal.com/gb/docid/1117082/The-Girl-from-the-River-Seine. Last accessed 10th Feb 2015.
A death mask is a mask created from the cast of a dead persons face upon passing, these masks are often made from wax or plaster of paris, in some cultures clay was also used, the purpose of which was to create an item of remembrance that was highly durable. The whole concept behind the death mask was for these masks to represent a memento mori of the previously deceased, these masks were often created and given to the family or even to painters for the purpose of creating portraits of the sitter after they had died. Janson states that the first recorded death masks are those of the infamous Ancient Egyptians which were used as part of the mummification precess whereby the dead were buried with a mask of their own face often heavily decorated and perfected. Within Ancient Egypt the mask was believed to hold the supernatural ability to strengthen the spirit and protect the dead on their way to the underworld. Due to this the masks were often highly ornate with gold and jewel embellishment as it was regarded important for the dead to carry their riches through to the next life, therefore by placing such jewels into the mask was a direct embodiment of their wealth and success.
By 1876 an archaeologist by the name of Heinrich Schliemann discovered six graves which were apparently confirmed to belong to a series of kings and queen from Greek legend. However the idea of the masks actually belonging to Greek heroes was considered unrealistic and therefore the theory was abandoned. The masks however became another example of the substance used to create a death mask, in this instance it was a heavy type of clay. The clay was so heavy that it had visibly distorted some of the features of the dead such as noses and mouths, therefore the dead were somewhat unidentifiable.
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| Girl from the River Seine http://madmikesamerica.com/2011/05/ the-unknown-woman-of-the-seine/ |
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