My chosen characters: Claudia and Mrs Laderman

CLAUDIA AND QUENTIN

**Post taken from the brief to refer to on my blog**

Character Profiles

Claudia

Claudia is a girl in her twenties. As a child she was left alone to develop with little parental guidance and through her relationship with T.V. movies developed an unhealthy relationship with Horror films, believing this to be the way life really is.

All the scenes take place in various parts of Claudia’s apartment, which is European in style with
a great deal of kitsch décor. She is agoraphobic and is kept in touch with the outside world by her neighbours who provide her with her every day requirements.  She models herself on a variety of girls often twisting her look to suit whichever film she is watching at the time and there is often
a nod to the main character in the current film within her appearance.

The script portrays her as psychotic and there is always the feeling that although her character is scripted/can be seen as humorous, danger is just around the corner.   However all this is normal to Claudia and she is of a cheerful disposition in this mad world of hers.

Quentin

Claudia has an imaginary boyfriend, Quentin, who is long suffering and a constant disappointment to her. They don’t live together but he visits regularly and they talk on the telephone if he can’t get in to see her. As he is part of her imagination his appearance changes to suit her mood. Sometimes he will be a David Beckham looking guy, whilst in another scene he will appear as a Pete Docherty type, Daniel Craig type or a Hollyoaks Babe. If she is having a bad day he will morph into an uncouth couch potato chav with all that brings with it.

He is as into the horror film genre as she and into role-playing to suit her whims and moods.

Claudia has a paranoid suspicion that he is constantly having affairs behind her back and keeps him firmly under her thumb, sometimes restraining him or keeping him prisoner in one of the rooms.

Mrs Laderman

Claudia’s neighbour in her 40’s. She alternately changes into a variety alter egos and is Claudia’s friend and confidant. Living in the apartment opposite, she was Claudia’s only link to the outside world. Although they are friends there is suspicion that Mrs L’, has designs on Quentin. In fact she has designs on Claudia.

Each character must have the minimum of 3 face and hair charts. These charts will manifest the development of your ideas, reflected in the body of research presented on your blog. You must create consultation notes for each look, including skin type, skin sensitivities, current skin care regime and a full list of products or other materials used to create the look. Your notes must be concise, as the final assessment will focus on your ability to clearly communicate the final look.

You must create a make-up and hair design for the characters of Claudia, Quentin and/or Mrs Laderman and submit a portrait and a half-length image for each of the characters.

Timed Assessment: PART TWO

Today we had our second part of our timed assessment and I felt very nervous. I managed to recreate the same look with time to spare so it was helpful to go back, refer to my printed photos from the first assessment, and tweak any bits that weren't quite right. Overall I was really pleased with the outcome, I felt like the base was the same pale colour as the original assessment. I took note of how much skin base product I mixed with primer so that the outcome would be the same. For the eyes I used the same amount of product as the first assessment, and referred back to the photos to check how much I had buffed the product out under the eyes.

I was quite worried about the liquid latex on the lips and if the 'crustiness' would look exactly the same; it was hard to get the scabby bits all in the same place! I applied the product little by little instead of blobbing it on and was pleased with how it turned out. In terms of the blood, again I applied small amounts of product to my stippling sponge and ensured that I dotted in the same areas that I did in the first assessment. I managed to get the bigger blob on the left hand side of Amelia's mouth in roughly the same place too! 

The hair was my biggest worry because my model has natural curls rather than curls I created. I tweaked the ends to suit the first photographs I took and had a specific routine in terms of how many bits of hair I twisted at the top of the head to create the bouffant part of the do. I feel like the hair went really well other than the parting which is slightly off centre and not identical to the original photos. This is irritating as I was focusing so much on recreating everything perfectly and neglected the parting!!!!!

Overall I am really pleased with the makeup and hair replication in both parts of my assessment and feel like they match up really well; however I'm really disappointed that I didn't pay enough attention to the other details such as camera settings. In my first assessment my camera was on fstop9 and in the second it was fstop8. This is incredibly irritating as it has meant that the photos from the second part of the assessment have come out darker than the first - showing less detail, washing my model out, and making all the features darker. Next time I really will pay attention to the camera side of the assessment.

Timed Assessment: PART ONE

Today we had the first part of our timed assessment. I felt quite confident going into the assessment because I had had a couple of practises with my model, Amelia, and because I kept the look quite simple I felt like it wasn't going to be overly complication to create in a limited amount of time. And twice!!

In the assessment I ensured that my work space/area was neat and tidy and that I had easy access to all the products I needed as well as my brushes. I made sure I had the practise photos, my face chart, and written instructions to refer to throughout. My model was helpful during the practise sessions and we discussed what we could improve; these were also written on the instructions.

I think the aspect of the look I was worrying about most was the blood. The eyes, eyebrows and the base were all very simple, however I used a stippling sponge to dab the fake blood onto and around the models mouth and this was something I worried about for next time as the blood moves around/drips and doesn't often stay in the same place for very long. I made sure that I used little amounts of blood at a time so that I didn't overload the mouth area with drips of blood that would be hard to control.

For the hair I was nervous!! Originally I had looked for a model with straight hair and wanted to curl it in an undo 'Victorian' style. I wanted to use Amelia as my model for her interesting features and wide eyes - as her hair was curly, I left it mostly natural and just tweaked at the ends with the curlers. As her hair falls in natural curls and waves, it will be harder to recreate the exact same in our next assessment. This is something we practised but I still had problems with!

Front and back views

Side views

Second practise session

Second practise session with my model

Props for my continuity design

I wanted to create a prop for my continuity exam that would suit the era. I watched Bram Stoker's 'Dracula', 1992, for some inspiration as I was interested to see what the makeup and styling was like. I paid particular interest in Lucy as she is my chosen character, and especially liked her wedding dress in her final scenes. I really liked the ruff, and thought it would have looked particularly grim if it was covered in blood!! I took this as inspiration for creating my own Victorian ruff. I researched online and thought about buying one from eBay but decided to give making one a go by using lace and stitching it all together on a sewing machine.

The ruff I made was a lot smaller than the ruff Lucy Westenra had in the film production of Dracula. I think for my final design I will use some silk material and wrap it around my models shoulders - a simplistic approach to a wedding dress!! 
To create the ruff:
I bought about 2 meters of lace and half a meter of lacy material. I simply stitched the lace underneath each other and left two long pieces at the back so that I can tie them to my model - this also meant I can use it on several people for future shoots/designs (one size fits all!!). In my first practise session with my partner, I am going to apply the same fake blood to the lace ruff that will be on the model. Very pleased with this :) 

Bibliography:

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/66/e4/ef/66e4ef558d3e274c121bb71c49e39c08.jpg

Practising my final continuity design

Practise session with my model

Today I practised my design on my model Amelia. I eventually chose to use the white base mixed in with the matte primer as it suited Amelia more than the satin primer! I found it really useful to practise on my model as I now know what will take extra time and what I want to change. I don't like how the eye makeup is darker than I wanted - so I decided to use less of the supra colour and go with the subtle look of the H&M eyeshadow. For the lips, I tried using supra colour in white before applying the fake blood; which I don't like. In our next practise session these are things I will change and improve for the final assessment.

As for the ruff; my model was very pleased with it and I was satisfied with how it fit on my model. As planned, I dirtied it up with the fake blood I used on Amelia, positioning it so that it looks as if it has dripped from her mouth onto her front. I love the overall effect of this!!!

Creating Lucy Westenra

First practise session with my model

For my design I wanted to stay simple. I have gone for a white base using a mixture between illamasqua's matte primer and illamasqua's white base to achieve a very gaunt and iron deficient looking model! For the eyes I used a matte purple shadow and for the brows I used wax on a clean mascara wand to roughen them up. I started using the white colour from the supra colour palette but in my next practise I want to use a darker colour as the base for the fake blood. The fake blood is pale in colour to make it look fresh!

I was pleased with the outcome of my first practise with Amelia and pleased with the overall effect of the hair and makeup combined. I also added a few splodges of blood to my home-made ruff to create a realistic representation of a vampire. I felt that the time given to complete the hair and makeup was very reasonable! I managed to get everything done in just over an hour and so had time to tweak certain bits at the end - ideal for the actual assessment. I am going to practise this look again before the assessment so that I feel confident on the day!

Continuity Design

For my continuity design I have chosen to go for a simplistic but effective vampire look. My character is still attractive even when she is described as 'undead', so I wanted to create a look that wasn't terrifyingly ugly but still had the attributes of a typical vampire - and someone who's supposedly been buried in a tomb for a couple of days!

I was originally hoping to create a design that involved a slit neck after enjoying learning about special effects in Sue's practical lessons. I had a sit down chat with Kat and we decided it would be better to keep my design simple for the continuity design, as a large wound could be quite hard to replicate. 

For my final design I have chosen to use (for the face) illamasqua's white base mixed in with their matte primer. I will need to practise on my partner for this part of the design, as I'm not sure whether my partner would be more suited to the satin primer or the matte primer. For under the eyes, I am going to use a mauve/purple matte eyeshadow by H&M and buff out an intense line under the lash line and downwards towards the eye socket/where natural eye bags would be. I will also buff the product up around the lid and the eye socket - this colour is great for making eyes look tired. To accentuate the look of tired eyes and the iron deficient look of a vampire who hasn't fed for days; I will use a thicker line of supra colour in dark burgundy very close to the lash line and buff this out to just underneath the eyes. For the eyebrows, I will warm some cinewax in my fingers and apply to the brow - my model has great, big eyebrows - and rough up the hairs using a clean mascara wand. Finally, for the lips I am going to apply liquid latex and leave it to dry naturally. I will then use supra colour in the red and apply this over the lips, finally finishing the look off by applying a small amount of fake blood to an orange stippling sponge and dabbing it over the mouth area/lips and down the chin.

The Importance of Continuity in Film and TV

Continuity in the makeup and styling in film and TV is incredibly important. It is very unsatisfying for an audience to notice when something isn't the same as it was in the previous shot whether it is the makeup/hair or the position of a prop/person. The reasons in which a scene can be different from another scene can come down to access to the locations where it was last shot, the availability of particular/certain actors or even the weather conditions. Often scenes are reshot after the filming of a program/film have finished - this could be up to a year after too! It is important to ensure that everything is as it was in the original scene the reshot scene is following.

There are often issues in makeup continuity; actors are required to be dressed the same, have the exact same skin tones (no tans etc!) the exact same hair, either using wigs or the styling and the makeup has to be the same too. In terms of clothes, there could be issues with clothes that are hired from companies, clothes that have been ripped/worn out. Wigs can be distorted, or hair lengths could change. Makeup could be lost/thrown away and not be recorded as to what they were and replaced. In order to keep the hair and makeup the same, profile and side shots are taken every time the makeup is done and continuity is kept in place by referring to these photos. This applies too if hair is wet in a particular shot - everything must be kept the same!!

Examples of unsuccessful continuity in films and tv programs. 

Bibliography: 

http://www.moviemistakes.com/images/mistakegrabs/8629.jpg

http://o.aolcdn.com/dims-global/dims3/GLOB/resize/600x400/http://www.blogcdn.com/slideshows/images/slides/287/955/3/S2879553/slug/l/friends-goof-1.jpg

http://www.moviemistakes.com/images/mistakegrabs/140068.jpg

http://www.delamaracademy.co.uk/blog/2009/06/an-introduction-to-continuity-for-the-make-up-artist

Elizabeth Siddal

Elizabeth Siddal wasn't considered a typically beautiful in Victorian times. She was described as a 'Pre- Raphaelite supermodel' and an icon, starring in many paintings, her own as well as her husbands, Dante Gabriel Rossetti.

She wasn't considered beautiful in the era due to her red hair. It wasn't seen as desirable but more exotic and unnatural. Her thin figure and red hair made her a target for painters everywhere, asking her to be their model. William Holman Hunt described her as a "stupendously beautiful creature.. Like a Queen, magnificently tall, with a lovely figure, a stately neck, and a face of the most delicate and finished modelling."

She was modelling for painter John Everett Millais, posing in a vintage white wedding dress submerged in a bathtub in an attempt to recreate drowned 'Ophelia', when she got an awful cold and became ill from the cold water. It resulted in her taking laudanum to relieve the pain, but she was soon addicted to it. As her health deteriorated, people said that she grew more beautiful. This led to a Victorian trend of young girls wanting to look deathly and gaunt; they would drink vinegar for weight loss, and stay up late reading to get dark circles under their eyes. They would also drop belladonna in their eyes to achieve the same 'glazed look' Elizabeth Siddal had. These methods to look beautiful even appeared in numerous publications throughout the nineteenth century.

Elizabeth Siddal sadly died after drinking half a bottle of laudanum. She was buried with her husbands poetry, which he apparently several years later claimed.. Whilst digging up her grave a new rumour speculated; that Elizabeth Siddal's beautiful red hair had kept growing after her death and had filled the entire coffin.

Bibliography:

http://blog.bridgemanimages.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/02-Lizzie-Siddal.jpg

Face Paint: The Story of Makeup - Lisa Eldridge pg 60-61

Victorian Beauty Ideals

Victorian beauty ideals were very different from the past centuries beauty ideals. The Elizabethans loved a chalky white look with rouged cheeks and a matching lip. The bright looks of Queen Elizabeth didn't appeal to Queen Victoria.

When she came to the throne at eighteen years old, Queen Victoria was very plain looking. She thought that the previous beauty ideals were suitable for prostitutes and actresses in theatre, not for a respectable queen. Although she had a large following that followed the same idea of wearing little makeup, there were a few subjects that weren't so interested in the change. They just wore less of it! Instead of heavy white paints for their complexion and bright cheeks and lips, respectable ladies wore little makeup or none at all. The idea was to look delicate and fragile. 

Much like the Elizabethans, Victorian women liked the look of a pale complexion. It was a sign of wealth, as people who worked outdoors had tanned skin - the rich didn't do such a thing! Unlike their ancestors however, they didn't use led to achieve the porcelain look. The Victorians used a white mineral powder that was zinc oxide. It was a lot safer to use! Alternatively, some people just never went in the sun or carried parasols to protect themselves from the rays. Crazily, an old wives tale was that if you drank vinegar, you would end up with a whiter complexion.

A few more trends in the Victorian era included some women painting fine blue lines on their skin to make it look even more translucent. Some people even liked to add to their dark circles by applying red rouge on their lips and their cheeks. Finally, they would dust on powders when their skin felt oily or looked shiny. They still wanted to look like they had a healthy glow however, so they used this sparingly! 

In terms of makeup, they used natural skin shades rather than anything too obvious. Eyeshadows could be made using alimony sulphide and lead. Eyebrows were plucked sparingly and were not made to look sparse. These were subtle colours - a lot more subtle than ever before! The lipsticks were made using mercuric sulphide and blushes were the same as they were in the Elizabethan era, made with beetle juice. The natural look was what was wanted; to look as if they were wearing no makeup at all! 

Bibliography:

http://beautifulwithbrains.com/2010/08/06/beauty-in-the-victorian-age/

http://www.refinery29.com/victorian-beauty-secrets-book

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/ac/21/f6/ac21f6d51e18800a11a0b783ff14c797.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/7e/a4/a7/7ea4a7284fef80ba488fb152d53c4b82.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/5c/44/11/5c44114bf73dd1e9e4dcd4619ec0775d.jpg

Technical File: Sweat, pallor and fever

In our lesson with Sue today we learnt how to create sweat, pallor and fever. Sue said that it is best to keep this as realistic looking as possible, working with a natural base rather than foundation. In order to keep the continuity you must cover any blemishes/scratches/marks that must be covered throughout the continuity production, whether it's a film or television program etc.

To achieve fever/pallor:

For this rash/fever look I used my supra colour palette by mixing the red with the burgundy and lightening it up so look like hot skin with the white colour. I applied it with my finger to keep it looking light rather than caked on and patchy - I blended it through the skin on areas such as in inner eye socket, down the nose, round the nostrils, on the forehead and cheekbones, and a patch on the neck to keep it looking real rather than in a concentrated area.

To achieve dried lips:

To achieve the dry lips I used liquid latex. I dabbed the product on lightly using a brush whilst my model squashed his lips together! Using a hair dryer on a cool setting, I cooled the latex whilst the lips were still wrinkled together, when completely dry, and the lips relaxed, the latex looks like crusty dried lips!

To achieve sweat:

To achieve the beads of the sweat on the forehead, upper lip and nose, I used a decent splodge of glycerine and used a stippling sponge for texture. I dabbed this in the appropriate areas!

Tools used:

• Black stippling sponge
• Craft brushes

Products used:

• Supra colour pallet
• Liquid latex
• Fake blood
• Moisturiser
• Glycerine

HEALTH AND SAFETY:

For this particular makeup look I was aware that I would have to do a skin test for the liquid latex, so applied a small blob in the models inner arm and waited a while to see if there was any type of reaction. As well as this, I ensured that my working area was clean and clear of any clutter. I washed my hands before any makeup application and continued to wash them after each product used (supracolour/liquid latex/glycerine). 

Technical File: Creating light scars using moulds

In our lesson with Sue today we learnt how to create realistic looking scars using moulds. I found this lesson quite tricky because it takes a long time to work down the edges of the moulds so that they sit nicely on the skin and don't look like they've been plonked there! Here is how we achieved a scar:

1. Cover the client so that no product gets on them/their clothes
2. Cut the edges of the mould off; keep these rough so that the mould sticks better and you can work down the edges
3. Once you have stuck your mould to the desired area, wait for it to set and dry for a few minutes
4. Once dry, use a cotton bud doused in pure witch hazel and rub at the edges lightly until they blend nicely with the skin. This can take quite a while so be patient!
5. You can remove excess glue with pro-clean; be careful not to go too heavy with this as the solution could lift the mould away from the skin in places. 
6. Finish the mould with baby powder to make it look more fleshy and realistic! 

Colouring the mould

1. To colour the scar mould, mix up a few realistic colours from the supra colour palette 
2. I used paler colours for the edge of the mould/as a base to make sure that the darker colours on the mould weren't just suddenly there. It made it look more blended out and realistic looking.

Products used:

• Matrix scar moulds
• Witch hazel
• Pro clean
• Supra colour palette

Tools used:

• Cotton buds
• Artist brushes

HEALTH AND SAFETY:

For this task I ensured that my working space was clear and bags/coats put away. I made sure my hands were clean before starting the process and kept the model covered to insure nothing spilt on her clothing.

I found this lesson really difficult and its something I want to practise again to perfect it. The outcome of my scar to me wasn't very realistic, it seemed too bright in colour, for one, and the shape/smoothness of the edges wasn't how I wanted it. I am going to attempt to make my own moulds so that I can practise this particular technique! 

Technical file: Dirtying teeth, Dirt

In Sue's practical lesson today we learnt and practised how to blacken teeth and make a model look muddy looking/dirty. Again, we referred to images of black teeth so that we were familiar with what looks real and effective. We then experimented with fullers earth on hands and arms. This could be used for several looks.

To create black teeth: (using KRYOLAN tooth enamel)

1. Cover you client to protect any clothing from being exposed to the tooth enamel.
2. Dry the teeth with a cotton bud to ensure the product sticks and doesn't slide straight off.
3. Pop a small amount of tooth enamel onto a mixing palette; don't put it on the back of your hand as it will stain and is hard to remove.
4. Using a cotton bud, apply small amounts of the product to the area you desire.
5. You can layer and add a mixture of yellows and blacks for a really grim look!
6. To remove, soak a cotton bud in white spirit and then dab onto couch roll to get rid of any excess. 
7. Voila!

Products used:

• Kryolan tooth enamel in yellow and black
• White spirit (to remove enamel)

Tools used:

• Baby cotton buds

I really enjoyed this lesson because it was a quick and easy process but was very effective!! I want to use this for a future project!

HEALTH AND SAFETY:

I was very aware that working with models mouths is a strange subject. I made sure that my hands were thoroughly clean before starting the process and covered my model over to make sure no product went on her clothing. I ensured that each cotton bud I used was new and I wasn't mixing products/making it unhygienic. As well as this, I was very careful not to dose the cotton bud in the white spirit as it was going in the clients mouth to remove any enamel product, so made sure I had clean tissues near by to wipe of any excess white spirit.