Adventures in Stage Makeup: Final Project

Final Project:

Character: Autumn Elf

Techniques:

-Face shape manipulation

-Cover eyebrows

-Latex applique

My character is an autumnal elf, inspired by the scenery on the hill. Her story is inspired by Persephone’s, in which the earth’s vegetation withers at her loss every fall when she returns to the underworld. So her skin changes from lively greens to fiery colors. The latex applique will be to add organic plant texture, vital since she’s changing color. The eyebrows and earing holes should be concealed to make my face a little less human. Finally, my face (and ear) shape should be changed a little to push the non-human element further. I will attempt to use the clown green and green stick, but may purchase another fx wheel.

Process:

First step: Pencil drawing (should have been on a separate face, but I started straight on my own).
I also, unfortunately, did not do different drawings when I changed things. I never went a totally different direction, nor did anything that required me to start new. I basically had an idea of what I wanted and then I carefully laid it out on paper. One major unrecorded change was the addition of the bald cap and therefore extension of some of the shapes on the forehead line.

Then I had a whole lot more paperwork to set up to really lay out my project.

I eventually did the "initial" artwork and painted it. (Again, should have done this first....)

Before painting the artwork, however, I made guide to what color I would be putting where.

Then I was able to fill in my artwork.

Of course, having painted the artwork and setting up a guide to my color choices, I had to solidify a color palette from my research and also out of the colors of paint I had or could mix. (I also labelled which colors could be made from makeup that I had and which could not.)

Then I was also able to paint my color rendering depicted on my own face.

After having the color rendering, drawings, etc, it was time to get down to planning how I was going to put this all together.

I decided it would be easiest to make a copy of my drawing and label the pieces according to my plans on how to make them.

Looking at my drawings and thinking about them structurally, I had to draw and block in color for profile images. It was difficult at first, but easier when I really asked myself questions about what it would look like and why.

Then I prepared one final sheet to help me before I started the makeup. I outlined all of the bits that I ha indicated would be latex and made it easier to trace them so I could make replicas of the shapes I drew.

My final piece of paperwork comes from the during/after part of the process which was the recipe sheet, outlining all of my supplies and where they go in written form. (I included 3D pieces - straight latex, latex on fabric, and latex on wire, 2 out of 3 painted.)

Preparing physical pieces for the final:

Building appliances:

For the larger appliances, I used water soluble clay to make the "mold."

I used a board of masonite to hold the clay as I worked with it.

(In the background, you can see the beginnings of my other appliances. For those, I had a sheet of the shapes I needed in a pocket protector and put pieces of "wig lace"/tulle on top of the shapes, and started working with them similarly to how I completed the facial hair activity. More later.)

First I made the leaves on top of a sheet protector, with the shapes I wanted underneath, and added texture with the tools shown.

I ended up getting rid of my original texture and added simple veins instead.

Then they had to be covered in petroleum jelly to serve as a release agent for the latex that was to be painted over top. (The hair dryer helps to melt the petroleum jelly down to a thin coating, so as to not lose detail in small cracks.)

I was then able to paint several layers on top of the clay. I let them sit for quite a long time to make sure they were good and dry.

I moved to a new sheet protector to finish the other half of the appliances, and repeated my process.

Here, they are shown still slightly wet.

Then I felt confident to peel the leaf latex off the clay. To prevent to pieces from sticking to one another, I covered them with translucent powder. I had to take this step very slowly so as to not rip the appliances as I pulled them off.

I did a lot of the work on my flat appliances at home. I added several layers.

The moles were achieved with a few flat layers of latex over wig lace and then drops added on top of that the create the small mounds.

The petals were just painted on the wig lace.

The grass blades were painted on the wig lace as well, but I also added in a bit of wire in the center to make them controllable and give them support after they were put on my face. They were the most detached appliance, and I wanted to make sure they didn't droop or do anything weird.

I realized the inside of the appliances (the underside of the first layer) were more attractive and detailed than the outside, So I painted the inside to make it the new outside. (I followed my renderings and color charts to be sure I painted them according to my design.) I left them untrimmed until after I was done painting.

I also started to paint the flat latex appliances.

For the grass and the petals, which would potentially be seen from both sides, I flipped them over after they were dry and painted the backs as well.

For the bark pieces, I had to do a lot of layering of color to really bring out the texture. Although I painted the base layer, I sponged on the top layer to add to the texture.

For my bark pieces, I made a flat latex base so I would have more contact with them. I had already decided to cut off all of the edges, against instruction, because I was not confident they were thin enough to blend. (My leaves were flat enough to have plenty of their own contact.

Cutting the edges off.

Finished pieces.

Cutting the bark edges off.

I then stuffed the inside with bits of cotton to provide some support to the piece when I attached it to the backing.

I painted the cotton and edges of the appliance with wet latex.

Then I set them on top of their coordinating backing and allowed them to dry.

When they dried, I was able to pull them off and then trim them again.

Finally, I used floral wire to make the little tendrils and added a loop on the end to serve as an anchoring point.

Working with other materials:

I also had to paint my bald cap. I used my raw sienna paint with a makeup sponge to apply the pigment, and I had the cap on a foam head to help it keep its shape and not get stuck to itself.

I had to be careful to try to not leave fingerprints.

Then I sponged on some green behind the ears to add a little something after the brown had dried.

Practicing makeup:

The main thing I had to practice was covering my eyebrows. The method I learned in the following pictures was gluing the hair down with a glue stick.

After cutting off some of the glue stick with a palette knife, I smoothed it into my eyebrow.

Then I used my eyebrow brush, fingers, and even a wider palette knife to smooth the hair down in multiple directions to break the line between the brow and my skin.

Here I had it mostly smoothed down. However, since the hair was still in the same shape, it didn't break the line. So I used the palette knife (not shown) to smooth the hair down more. (The cup of water pictured was to help rewet the glue whenever it began to clump while I was still trying to work it.)

Then I started to put makeup on over top of the glue after it had started to dry. I started by just sponging on my base color.

Then I started to use a brush to put heavier amounts of pigment on top of the hair.

It was mostly covered.

I put powder over the makeup to keep it in place.

Even though it was pretty well covered, I wanted to try to get it covered more, so I used the white makeup with a q-tip and a brush to try to mask it with a highlight.

I covered just the hairs with the white and then powdered.

Finally, I recovered the brow with the base, carefully sponging and brushing it on.

Putting Makeup on for Final:
The first step to put all of my hard work on was to block out my eyebrows with glue stick. I scraped off some glue with a palette knife and smooth it directly onto the hair. It needs to be worked in very thoroughly, then watered and smoothed down. The hair has to be flattened in any direction it will go. Using the eyebrow brush helps to accomplish this.

Then I had to put on my bald cap. I needed assistance for this. Alyssa Wano helped me by pulling the back down over my head while I held down the front in place. Then I had to tack down the corners with spirit glue by putting glue on the tabs and on my face/neck. It took a while for the glue to get tacky, but then the edges stayed down.

Then I started the basic corrective process, adding green stick, and eventually base.

First I had to work on covering the eyebrows. I put white over the eyebrows and then covered them with base. However, I think it works better to put base over the glued eyebrow with a sponge, powder, brush in white over dark hairs, powder again, and then sponge base over once more, blending with a larger sponge.

At any rate, after covering the eyebrows, I covered the rest of my face in a makeup that matched the colors of my bald cap as closely as I could. (I also covered my bottom lip, but not the top lip.

Then I started adding in shadows in the deepest hollows of the face - eyes, under the chin, by the ears, and next to the nose, but not one the cheeks.

Next I made sure base was covering my natural eyelashes and then cleaned off the makeup on the lid with a pointed q-tip so I could place the eyelashes. I put the glue on the lashes, waited for it to get tacky, and placed them on the upper and lower lid.

Then I painted in the design on my bottom and top lip, blending the red and yellow from the abrasion pot.

Then I carefully lined the design with brown and black pencils to make it stand out.

After powdering and removing spots of makeup in key areas, I started applying glue to attach the appliances (making sure to apply glue to the appliance and to the place where it will adhere).
I started with the largest leaf.