Practicing Messy Brows Using Different Mediums- Claudia

I decided to practice the messy brows using different mediums to see what different effects I would get and also to check what will work best for the final shoot. On the picture at the top of the page I used black supra colour and spread this over the brows using a disposable mascara wand. While in the image at the bottom I solely used mascara and applied this over the brow using a disposable mascara wand. To get the messy effect I combed the hairs towards the opposite direction so that they would stand out and look messy.

Using black supra colour was not a good idea as it made the hairs stick to each other more and made the eyebrow look lumpy which can be seen in the image at the top of the page. This also caused the hair not to stand out evenly as most of the were stuck to each other. However, in the image at the bottom it is clearly visible that the mascara did a better job than the supra colour. The hairs were equally distributed and the I felt that the mascara held the hairs in place better than the supra colour did. I will be using mascara instead of supra colour of the brows for Claudia's final shoot.

Claudia-Final Face & Hair Chart & Practice

This is the final makeup and hair design that I will be using to create my character Claudia. I chose this design in specific as I do not want it to look way too modern however I want Claudia's appearance to be divine and beautiful yet screaming out that there is something wrong with her the fact that she is not mentally stable. I would have my model's base as her skin matching foundation. I would go for neutral colours on the eyes mostly beige and browns. I do not have the classic 50's winged eyeliner in this look as I thought it would be too modern.

I would like the brows to be messy as this will sort of describe her mental disorder, telling the viewers that yes she is a freak too, I would create the messy brows using mascara and disposable mascara wants and comb the hairs in the opposite direction as this will create the messy look. I will have just a soft blush on the cheeks and with the red lipstick I will smudge it in one corner of the mouth, I will also be adding blood to her mouth and fingers.

For the hair I will stick with the up do having the wave and structure in the hair that I have in the hair inspirations blog post. I will set the hair with hot rollers to get that volume into the hair. I then will set the hair to one side leaving the curves in the hair that will represent the 50's style.

In the image above is me practicing my design on myself to make sure that it does work as my final design. Looking at the books, the art of makeup and making faces I had the idea what 50's make up should look like. I tried keeping it as simple as I could and avoided the eyeliner in the final look as Claudia is not mentally stable there is no way she would do her winged liner perfect all the time. I didn't want the look to look too modern hence the messy bros that describe her mental disorder that there is something wrong with her. Looking at the brows I think they could have been a little more messy. I will have to check for this when doing the final shoot for Claudia. I will also be adding the smudged lipstick on the day of the shoot as well as the blood.

Claudia-Hair Chart Designs

This is the most classic hairstyle of the 50's. That is worn my many style icons of the time including Marilyn Monroe. This was the most popular hairstyles of the time. It also seen in the freak show series of American horror story. This style was worn by Elsa Mars throughout the series as she wanted to be the most popular style icon of the time. This hairstyle is usually for short hair however can also be styled on long hair as well.

This style has a middle or side parting and consist of a lot of texture as well as volumed wavy hair. It usually has a lot of texture at the top of the head as well as the hair that falls at the bottom. The texture and structure can be created by setting the hair with hot rollers. This would be an appropriate hairstyle for Claudia. However, I wanted to go for un up do rather than her hair open.





This is also a hairstyle I created that was inspired from the 50's as well. The image that I got this inspiration from is in the blog post named hair inspirations for Claudia. As I wanted to have an up do for Claudia rather than having her hair down I think this would be the design that I would create for the final look. This hairstyle consists of the wave that is commonly seen in 50's hairstyles. The wave/curve in the hair is normally at the front of the hair and has a lot of structure.

This structure and wave/curve at the front of the hair can be achieved by setting the hair with hot rollers. The hair will then be set to one side making sure the I keep the curve in the hair is still there. At the back of the head I will tie the hair in to a horizontal french twist as the hair will have a natural curl at the ends that was put in from the hot rollers. This hairstyle almost looks like a late victorian/ a contemporary victorian hairstyle.

This is also a hairstyle that I designed inspired form the 50's. This is more of a glamorous hairstyle as this style came in at the time the film industry started booming in the 1950's. This hairstyle consists of the hair being set towards one side of the head, with the hair having curls, texture and volume just at the ends of the hair.                                                
This can also be achieved by setting the hair with hot rollers to achieve the curls at the end of the hair as well as the texture in the hair. To keep the hair in place products can be used to set the hair making sure the natural curls of the hair remain in place. As much as I like this design I do not think I shall use it for my final hair design for Claudia as it could be too modern for her and looking at her having mental disorders she wouldn't have her hair so perfect.

Claudia- Face Chart Designs & Practice

As my chosen TV series the American horror story freak show is based during the 1950's, the makeup designs that I have created for Claudia are more so makeup of that time. The 1950's was all about the winged eyeliner, strong shadow and the bold red lips. This particular make up design has the basic features that 1950's makeup would have. For the base I would use my models skin colour matching foundation. On the eyes I would use very subtle colours which are the neutral beige and brown colours.

I would have the classic winged eyeliner and would have just mascara on the lashes to keep the lashes looking natural then supposed to fake. On the lips I would have the red lipstick 009 from the lipstick palette. However as every makeup technique in this design is based on the 1950's makeup, I wanted there to be some element in the make up that describes Claudia's mental state and that is the reason I have messy brows in the design. From the image of Chris Nicholls I got the inspiration of the messy brows. This explains hints out to there is something wrong with Claudia. I would use mascara on the brows and comb them in the opposite direction as this would give me a messy texture.

Looking at makeup from the 1950's I created this design and I was quite pleased with how it looked when I practiced the look. It has all the elements of the typical 50's makeup including the messy brows that were an addition to my design. Although, I was happy with the look I wasn't quite sure whether I want to have the winged eyeliner in my final design as I think this might be a little too modern as Claudia has mental disorders how will she have perfect winged eyeliner everyday? I think I will opt this out from my final design. 

Moving on from the first design that I created I came up with this second design. I kept all the elements of the 1950's make up as well as the messy brows apart from the winged eyeliner as I wanted to try and see how this design would come out without it. However, I decided to smudge the red lipstick from the corner of the lips as I thought just leaving the makeup as the first design might be a little too modern. I will use fake blood for the smear from the corner of the lips as this would be more freaky and more towards the horror side.


Keeping the messy brows and the smeared lip in this design, taking inspiration from the Image of Chris Nicholls I would like my model to have a similar pose for my final images of Claudia. I would also have blood on her hand as this will make her even more of a freak or a beautiful freak shall I say. As in my character profile of Claudia she has a mental disorder I would really like to portray this from her makeup and her expression(this will be my model's expression).

Combining all the elements from my first and second make up design I came up with this third design in which I decided to make half of her face looking flawless having the 1950's elements and decided to have the other half of her face looking the complete opposite and showing how much of a mess she really is. On the left side I kept the winged eye liner, a clean brow, the eye shadow and the clean lips. On the other side of the face I made it a little dramatic.

I kept the messy brow on the left side and went in with black shadow instead of subtle colours. I pulled the shadow upwards and made it look winged to give the cat eye effect. Using the same black shadow I created little tear like structures under the eye. However, these are not tears and they represent how mentally deranged Claudia actually is. I also went in with a darker contour and smudged the lips as I wanted that side to represent the darker side of Claudia.

I practiced this design as I was eager to see what the finished outcome would be as this is half the face of Claudia's beautiful face while the other side shows her disorders and the freak side of her. I liked the idea of having each side of the face representing Claudia's characteristics. However, I wasn't really happy with the way it looked in person. I wasn't pleased with the way the eye makeup looked as seen in the image. I think I should have used supra colour to create the black tears at the bottom the eye instead of eye shadow as this would have looked much more prominent and bold. Looking at the overall design I don't think I will be using this as my final design for Claudia. 

Ref:
Aucoin K, 1994. The Art of Makeup. Prion, London
Aucoin K, 1997. Making Faces. Little Brown, New York

Practicing Mrs Laderman's Third Eye

Looking at the images of the first practice trial that I did of Mrs Laderman's design I wasn't pleased with the outcome at all. This showed that I had to practice the design more and bring it a little more to life. As the third eye of Mrs Laderman in my first practice trial did not look anything like an eye, I decided to practice drawing eyes on my hand.

The first image shows the eye I drew using supra colours, I decided to keep this without lashes as I wanted to see how it would look as the finished outcome. I quite like the look of the eye without lashes as I think it gives a more prominent look. However it just got me thinking will an eye in the side of the face have lashes or not.

I then drew lashes on the eye to see how it would look. Thinking about the design as a whole I think it might all just look a little messy with the lashes o n the eye considering the amount of space I would have on the temple area to draw the eye as I have to fit in all the other elements of the design. I quite like the look of the lashes on the eye. During my next practice session I will draw Mrs Laderman's third eye and see whether I would use it for my final shoot.

Mrs Laderman-Final Face Chart Design & Practice

This is the final design that I will like to create for Mrs Laderman. I created this design based on the clown make up and made up a third eye in the design as I wanted Mrs Laderman to be the clown character in the TV series of the freak show. As it is a freak show I wanted her to be part of the freak family and that is where I came up with the design of having the third eye as this will make her a freak.

Not only will the third eye make her a freak, she also has the powers to watch Claudia from her third eye without even being there with her physically. The design consists of a normal face when you look straight at it. Making things slightly creepier one side of Mrs Laderman's face will have a third eye a nose and a mouth. These will be all the same elements that are in the design at the front of the face. I thought if I had the same features on the side of the face this would make it look a little more realistic.

Practicing the design was not easy and I wasn't happy with the way the design came out as this was the first trial of this design. I wasn't happy with any of the elements on the face as nothing on the face looks realistic at all neither dos it look scary. With the mouth I think it has to come up a lot higher than what I did during my practice. I also need to work on the shape of the teeth. I also think I need to make the brows thinner. I need to make the frown lines and the wrinkles look more realistic and work on shadings in the design. Adding shadings into the design will bring the deign to life.

I also need to work on the third eye, second nose and second mouth as looking at the images of my practice they all look some what out of proportion. I need to make the side of the face look like a real face that is on the face. For example, in the TV series of the freak show, Edward had a second head at the back of his head. This will be Mrs Laderman having half a face on one side of her face. With the design I know what I want it to look like. However, I feel that I need to practice the design more so that I can make it work for Mrs Laderman's final shoot.

Mrs Laderman- Face Chart Designs & Practice

As I want Mrs Laderman to be the clown character for the freak show TV series. This is one of the face charts I designed and practiced on myself. What I liked about this design is the fact that it has the horror elements as it is for American horror story. I was not really happy with the way the way it looks in reality once I had practiced it on my face. I was happy with the mouth area and not too happy with the way the eye area came out. It kind of looks a little too fake and more of a Halloween type makeup. I did mot like the way the wrinkles came out in the middle of the forehead as it looks unreal. I wanted to create a freak, however this looks a little scary as it has the horror elements but I don't think I shall use this as my design for Mrs Laderman.























This was another design that I created for Mrs Laderman. I came up with this design from the the research I did on clown makeup in fashion. I wanted to combine the both and see what result I would get at the end. I used my skin colour matching foundation as the base and set it using translucent powder. I then used black supra colour to create the design around my eyes and to create the design on the lips. I like the finished look of this design. However, I think it looks better on paper then it does in person. I feel that this is because it is hard to create very symmetrical lines next to the nose and also the area between the eyes and brows is too big. I like the way the nose looks as it is a very modern type of a clown nose and not the classic big round nose of a clown. I thought that this look would be great for runways but I'm not sure whether I can use it for the TV series. I would like Mrs Laderman to look more freaky than this look. I thought that this look describes a beautiful clown rather than a terrifying clown.























This was the third design I came up with for Mrs Laderman and I was really pleased with the finished outcome of this look as it has a very realistic look to it. I liked all the shadings in the practice that I did because I really feel that they brought the design to life. I used supra colours to create this design as well as black eye shadow to create the shadows. However, I think it has more of a skull look rather than a clown look. It has the appearance of a Halloween skull more like the grim reaper rather than a freaky clown look. For this reason, I don't think I'll use this as my final design.

Practice- Creating a Tribal Circus Look

Practicing different looks I created this tribal look that is also worn in many circus shows. I created this look using a mixture of supra and aqua colours. For the base I used the gold aqua colour as I wanted the base to be pretty solid. I created this look from my own intuition just going along with the patterns. I incorporated using gems on the pattern on the forehead as it enhanced the whole look. Looking at the finished look the triangles formed on the front of the face on the cheeks are not symmetrical and also they oddly stand out and I feel that, the particular pattern does not go with the whole look. 

Looking at the textures the areas that I have used the supra colours have a more of a softer edge to where I have used the aqua colours. I think this is because of the two mediums being of a different base. As the supra colours are easy to blend in they give off a much softer look. Where as the aqua colours have a more of a solid look and give off a stronger more bold look. Looking at the patterns as this is a tribal look the shapes and lines do not have to be that symmetrical. However I think if they were a little more symmetrical the finished look could have been better. 

Horror and Fashion

This was an introduction to the next part of this project. During this session we had to recreate a chosen look that combines horror and fashion. I chose to create this look by as it is commonly wore at catwalks and runways. Along with being a popular look for catwalks it also is a little freaky as you would not see a random person wearing this as a everyday look and this is where the horror side of it kicks in. To create this look I firstly, applied foundation as a base to my model's skin and powdered it in place using translucent powder apart from the part that the black strip would go across the face.

This is because I used black supra colour for the black strip and if I powdered that bit the black would go patchy. This is because it is powder on powder and cream on cream as the foundation and supra colour are both cream products. I also used supra colour as the original image has a glossy look to it and I thought using flash the supra colour would give the same effect without powdering over the top. Using a small brush I lightly outlined the basic shape that is visible in the original image and then went in with a medium sized brush.

 Looking at the original image I then realised that you can be as free as you want with the design as long as you get the basic main curve shape that joins in between the eyebrows. I also noticed that the black  got darker just in the inner corners of the eyes slightly fading outwards.Looking at the overall look I recreated I think that it could have been better as the sides are not pretty equal. One of the sides is lower and more round than the other. Also the original image has a more messy look whereas my recreation is a little neat however, I tried messing it a little on the forehead.

Veins Progression

This is a post on how the veins I practices for Lucy have progressed along the way. The first image at the top of the page shows the first practice I did on my model. As seen in the picture the veins do not look like veins at all in fact they look like my model's mascara is running down her eyes and just do not look natural at all. I used A dark purple shadow to create the veins during that practice and looking back at the image that was not the right medium to use to create veins.

The second image was my second practice on my model creating the veins under the eyes. I used the same purple shadow to create the veins on the right eye. However I decided to try something different for the left eye, I mixed the purple shadow with the Illamasqua sealer to make a paste and tried using this. It definitely  came out better than the eyeshadow itself yet did not look that natural and realistic.

The third image at the bottom was my third practice at practicing mu final look of the veins and I was quite pleased with this practice than the first two attempts. I used a dark purple bruise supra colour to create the veins during this practice session and dabbed them with my fingers to make them appear in the skin and sunken in. I found that this medium worked best and will use this for my final continuity assessment.

Lucy- 3rd Hair Practice on Model

This was my 3rd attempt at practicing the final design of my hair. I was pleased with the shape and structure of the bun as I used the technique I discovered in the second practice I did. The bun looks more round and has a good shape to it. I was also pleased with how the loops came out as this time they both went over the bun rather than one of them just going half way through. I just have to make sure they are neat and at the same level on both sides and are equal at the back as well.
I also need to make sure that I keep the loops overlapping neat over the bun as seen in the image ave it looks pretty messy. Looking at the overall hairstyle, keeping the loops at exactly the same level will be challenge for continuity.

Lucy- 3rd Make-up Practice on Model

This was my 3rd attempt at practicing my final make-up design on my model. I used the same white skin base mixed with the lightest foundation colour as the base for the whole face. I will just slightly make it a little more pale just a tiny bit. I also used the same colours on the eyes. I kept it more to the purple side rather than brown as in the previous practice, I didn't quite like the look of the under eyes. I kept the purple darker in the inner and outer corners of the eyes as I thought this made it look more realistic. I lined the bottom waterline of the eyes with a brown kohl pencil.

This gave the eyes a very evil yet natural look as it blended with the purple under the eyes and made the colours really pop. After practicing drawing the veins on my face, I used the same technique during this practice session. I used the dark purple bruise colour, drew the veins one by one and dabbed them as I went along making sure they faded away and looked like they are underneath the skin. I was happy with the look of them as they did look like broken veins. However, I think that they could be a major risk to do for the final assessment as far as continuity is concerned. This is because they would have to be exactly the same for both parts and I really feel like this is going to be a real challenge.

I contoured the face the same way however, I think I should have blended the cheeks a little more during this practice session as I can see the visible contour line on the cheek in the image on the left side of the page. I left the lips natural here and did not go over them with the base colour and dabbed them with red lipstick but surprisingly it looks purple in the pictures. The lips look too pink and I would go over them with the base colour for the final assessment and I will use blood instead of lipstick. I will also be attaching fangs to my model's teeth for the final assessment. I feel like the practice sessions have shown me what would work for my design and what would not.

Practicing Veins On Myself

Getting the veins right was really stressing me until I did this practice and found out what product would work best for drawing them on the skin. I used the bruise dark purple from a supra palette I got last year. I found that once I drew the vein and just gently dabbed my finger over it no matter how dark it was, it would fade away without getting rubbed off completely. This was it!

I got the right product as it made them look as if they were under the skin and this is exactly the effect that I was looking for as it makes them look natural.I then went ahead and drew many veins on my face to practice their shape and structure. I would say they are more like broken veins/capillaries rather than actual full veins. After patting them with my finger to fade them away, I then went over them with translucent powder.

I did this to make them look like they are sitting under the skin supposed to just look like they are drawn on top. I used a very little fine brush and made sure that there is minimal product on it to start with and if needed I could add more as I went along. I need to now practice this technique on my model keeping in mind not to make it look like my model's mascara is running down.

Lucy- 2nd Hair Practice on Model

For the 2nd practice I tried creating the late victorian style from the front while still keeping the bun at the back. I honestly was not happy with how it came out and decided to stick to my original design. I used the heated rollers to create the two vertical and two horizontal structure on either side of the middle parting. I then created the braided bun at the back of the head. I was pleased with the shape of the bun and realised the mistake I did during the 1st practice. During the first attempt the braids were too tight and I directed them in different directions hence I got the funny shape.

During this trial I fanned the braid out before tying it in place and I thought this gave the bun a more fuller and bigger look. I also directed both the braids in the same direction and pined them in place. I was happy with the overall shape of the bun and would use the same technique further. On the other hand the front was a complete disaster apart from the sides that were pulled back flat and tied around the bun. The top section was just not the way it was meant to look like. The middle parting is barely visible and the hair at the top is meant to have height, shape and structure where as this looks flat. I was not pleased with the overall look and will stick to the original design as this was just a trial to see what look would look better with the make-up.

Lucy- 2nd Make-up Practice on Model

This was my 2nd attempt at practicing my final design on my model. As I wan't really happy with the base I used last time, I mixed the Illamasqua skin base with the lightest shade  of foundation from the Kryolan palette. Looking at the pictures I was glad I did this as it gives the skin a very pale look but not white. I thought in my 1st attempt of practice the base looks too white more dramatic. Where as this the pale look I was looking to achieve. I found that even though I powdered this base it did nit have a drying effect on the skin and also did not go patchy. I like the pale complexion it gives the skin and I will be using this for the base on the day of the final assessment.

On the eyes, I used the same colours I did before as I said in my previous practice I kept the yellow as the base very light. Looking in the corners of the eyes it gives the eyes a very dull look instead of brightening them up and this is how i wanted it to look. With the shadows at the bottom they look a little too brown to me, I would add more of the purple shadow next time.This is because just as it is now it looks dull rather than looking sunken in. On the left eye I mixed the purple shadow with the Illamasqua sealer which formed a thin paste of the colour. As I drew the vein I found that this product would dry instantly on the skin. I drew the vein and dabbed it to fade the colour and to my surprise it was already dry.

Even though I powdered over them to fade them out, they still look like they are sitting in the skin. I will not use this particular combination of products again as it did not work for this. On the left eye I used the purple shadow again and this did not work either. At this point this was really stressing me and I was reconsidering wether to include the veins in my final design or not. I used the black Illamasqua black shadow to contour the cheeks, nose, forehead and the jaw line. I was happy with this and liked the shadows it gave the face yet looking natural. I went over the lips with the base colour and dabbed rd lipstick in the middle. I personally do not like the look of this and would re consider the lipstick for blood for the final assessment. In the mean while I need to look for another medium/product to create the veins with.

Lucy- 1st Hair Practice on Model

This was my first attempt at practicing my final hair design on my model. As seen from the pictures I clearly need more practice. Looking at the middle parting it is not straight at all. It has to be as straight as possible as it was like that during the nineteenth century. I also have to make sure that all the sectioning I do has equal parts of hair in order for the loops to be equal. Looking at the loops they look neat however they do not look equal in texture and the part where the loop drops.

My model's hair is short and as seen in the picture it does not go over the bun. I need to sort this out as it will not be the right thing to do in the final assessment. I was not happy with the bun as it hasn't formed the round shape but looks like two braids folding into each other. Overall I was not pleased with how this trail came out and I need to practice the design more to get it right for the final continuity assessment. 

Lucy- 1st Make-up Practice on Model

This is the 1st time I practiced my final design on my model whom I will be using for my final assessment. I used the illamasqua skin base as the foundation for the face. However, I thought that this looked rather white than pale and after I powdered the face it went really patchy and there were some areas that were extremely dry. This could either be due to the product or an odd day of my model's skin. Even still I wasn't rely pleased with a base as I wanted a pale look rather than white. I will try modifying this step for my next trial.

On the eyes I used yellow eyeshadow as the base and on top of that I used shades of purple, brown and a shimmery neutral colour. I used these colours specifically to create shadows under the eyes and make it appear as if she has dark circles. However, I think that the top of the lid looks too shimmery and I should avoid using this for my final assessment as it looks modern and ladies in the victorian era would not have shimmery products. Looking at the picture I think I use the yellow very lightly and really blend it out as it looks too bright and I want it to give off a sallow look and not brighten the eyes. I lined the water line with a black gel liner to give the eyes an animalistic look. I think the use of the black colour looks contemporary. I will try this using a brown eye pencil as it might look more natural.

Coming to the veins, I just think they look like the model's mascara is running down her eyes and it just looks like a disaster. I was not happy at all with the veins. I used purple eyeshadow and the thinnest brush I could find. In my opinion powder products are not the best to use when drawing on little details like veins. I need to look for another medium for this. I also need to study eyes to see how veins actually look like under the eyes rather than just drawing on patterns as this does not look natural at all.

I thought that the lips looked very contemporary as in the Victorian times they would not have the perfect shape of lips or even strong bold colours. I need to rethink what I will be doing with the lips and how I can make them look a little more historical than modern.

Lucy- Final Hair Design

This is my design for y character, Lucy. I chose this typical Victorian hairstyle because I thought that it would fit in best with my character that I am creating. I would have the middle parting as it represents hair of the nineteenth century. I would have the sides that form loops and go over the bun at the back. The bun at the back will be a braided ponytail that is created into a bun. I picked this particular hair design for Lucy as she died on her wedding dress she would have her hair styled for that day. I have to be very careful with this hairstyle as I will have to make sure that the loops are equal on both sides and should also be the same for the continuity assessment. The bun and the middle parting should also be in the same positions. I feel that this will be a little tricky specially for continuity. I will have to practice more and more to make sure this comes out right.

Practical - Lucy Final Design Practicing on Myself

This was my first attempt at trying out my final design. I used the white Illamasqua skin base for the base of the whole face. I buffed it out with a buffing brush. Looking at the image now, I think that it looks slightly on the white side instead of being on the pale side. I used the Illamasqua black shadow to contour the cheeks the jaw line and the forehead. However, I kept this fairly light as I wanted this to look natural and be like make-up that was done during the nineteenth century. As in those times there was nothing like contouring. I did this as I wanted the face to have a sunken appearance and not making it look dramatic in any way.

I applied the white base over the lips and put the black shadow over it to give it a thirsty for blood look and put on the fangs. On the eyes I used the yellow Kryolan yellow shadow as the base on top of the lid and the lower lash line. I then went in with the purple shadow from the mac eyeshadow palette. I used this to create the darkness around the eyes and also make them appear as shadows underneath the eyes. I used a natural neutral colour on the eye lids and used brown in the crease and inner corners of the eyes. I lined the inner corners of the eyes with black gel liner. However I thought this looked very contemporary. I will avoid dong this for the final assessment.  I used the purple to create the veins around the eyes. I was not quite happy with how they looked as they did not look really like veins. I also thought using another medium would be a better option than using eyeshadows.