I have found my past two years at West Thames college informative and interesting but at times also very frustrating. There are things I have learnt and realised that I am very grateful for.
A unit I found interesting was period. I enjoyed the historical aspect of this unit very enjoyable and I like learning about culture through out the years. I did however find a lot of the make-up rather repetitive. Hair was something I struggled with in this unit and something I still feel needs practise on my part.
Theatre was a unit I really enjoyed as theatre is something I've always had a huge interest in. I did find a lot of areas in this unit hard like ageing and bald caps but overall I enjoyed this unit and I felt the teaching was of a particularly high standard.
The fashion unit during year one was a unit that I found the easiest to understand what was expected of me and I enjoyed the blog format. I feel that my magazine cover from this unit is one of my best pieces of work and is something I am very happy with.
Body painting is something I did not find very easy as it was a compleatly new medium for me to work with and unlike anything I have ever experimented with before. This is something that I enjoyed creative control with however and I would like to experiment more with this medium in the future.
For my final piece I made a few changes from my photo shoot. First of all I used a curling wand to curl the hair rather than rollers and this created more even curls and held the hair better. I also extend the ivy in the hair up to the crown of the head. I then made the eye shadow more intense and extended it out from the eye further and I added false lashes. For the lip colour a swapped the pink for mac's 'up the amp' which is a purple tone and added an inglot gloss over this to give it a slightly blue glaze. I also decide to mix some glitter into the illuminator on the body. My final change was to make the brows more intense by adding some black line to then. I then applied spirit gum and put silver glitter on them. I feel these changes really helped my look and I am very happy with the overall image I have created.
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
Monday, May 30, 2016
Photoshoot
Today marked the photo shoot of my final look.
I started by setting the hair in a middle parting in rollers and also using rollers to create the curls through out the rest of the hair.
I then moved on to make-up I did the eye look first as I did not want the eye shadows and glitter to fall on to the foundation and ruin it. For eye shadow I used colours from the Urban Decay naked pallet and Ben Nye pallet placing black in the crease and putting silvery greys on the lid. I also added a pearl white colour to the inner corner and brow bone. I then took some of the grey tones under the eye.
For the skin I first started by concealing any imperfections on my models skin using the derma colour pallet. I then used mac's face and body foundation mixed with some illuminator over the rest of the skin.
For the brows and liner I used an Inglot gel liner in a silver colour. I also lined the eyes with black to add more depth and applied mascara.
I then applied my lip colour and pressed the glitter over the top of this.
To dress out the hair I removed the rollers and took two sections of the hair back plaiting them as I did so. I then added the ivy looping it into the plaits. Finally I stuck the final ivy leaf to the forehead.
I am happy overall with the look but I feel some things need tweaking for the final show. For example I think I need to extend the eye shadow and make it bolder to stand out more. I also feel some false lashes will help with this. I am also going to make the brows bolder and add glitter to them. I think a stronger contour is needed. I am going to change the lip colour as it didn't make much impact and add more ivy to the hair. 
I started by setting the hair in a middle parting in rollers and also using rollers to create the curls through out the rest of the hair.
I then moved on to make-up I did the eye look first as I did not want the eye shadows and glitter to fall on to the foundation and ruin it. For eye shadow I used colours from the Urban Decay naked pallet and Ben Nye pallet placing black in the crease and putting silvery greys on the lid. I also added a pearl white colour to the inner corner and brow bone. I then took some of the grey tones under the eye.
For the skin I first started by concealing any imperfections on my models skin using the derma colour pallet. I then used mac's face and body foundation mixed with some illuminator over the rest of the skin.
For the brows and liner I used an Inglot gel liner in a silver colour. I also lined the eyes with black to add more depth and applied mascara.
I then applied my lip colour and pressed the glitter over the top of this.
To dress out the hair I removed the rollers and took two sections of the hair back plaiting them as I did so. I then added the ivy looping it into the plaits. Finally I stuck the final ivy leaf to the forehead.
I am happy overall with the look but I feel some things need tweaking for the final show. For example I think I need to extend the eye shadow and make it bolder to stand out more. I also feel some false lashes will help with this. I am also going to make the brows bolder and add glitter to them. I think a stronger contour is needed. I am going to change the lip colour as it didn't make much impact and add more ivy to the hair.
Friday, May 20, 2016
Daenerys Targaryen
Another character I have taken inspiration from is Daenerys Targaryen from 'Game of Thrones'. She is one of the last confirmed members of the House Targaryen who once ruled the iron throne for nearly three hundred years.
In the TV series she is played by actress Emilia Clarke. In the TV series she has long white wavy hair that is often styled in a fantasy medieval way. use I am going to use this as a big inspiration in my hair styling. I have also decided I will take inspiration from her wedding dress in terms of costume.
She shares some similarities to my other main inspiration Lady Galadriel in that she is also of royal blood and is a strong and powerful woman in her world.
In the TV series she is played by actress Emilia Clarke. In the TV series she has long white wavy hair that is often styled in a fantasy medieval way. use I am going to use this as a big inspiration in my hair styling. I have also decided I will take inspiration from her wedding dress in terms of costume.
She shares some similarities to my other main inspiration Lady Galadriel in that she is also of royal blood and is a strong and powerful woman in her world.
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| Daenerys on her wedding day |
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Final design
For my final design I have looked at all my inspiration and put together a look using key elements from my research.
Both the characters I am taking inspiration from have a very minimal natural looking make-up. I have decided not to follow this as I want the make-up to be the main focus and stand out. Therefore I have decided to enhance the idea of glowing skin that my inspirations possess by mixing the sleek 'barekissed illuminator' in Monaco in with my models foundation to give the skin an overall glow. I am then going to create an intense eye look using grey tones as I feel this will not only work well with my models colouring but it is a colour I have seen appear a lot in the visuals I have used to research. I am also having my model wear a grey dress so this will tie the look together nicely.
I am also going to create a strong silver liner using a Inglot gel eye liner and I will be putting silver glitter over this. I also want to repeat this look in the brows so I will be using the same product to fill the brows.
To contour the face I am going to be using colours from my super colour pallet and I will also a a lilac toned highlighter to the cheek bones to further enhance the ethereal glow of the skin.
For lips I have decided to create a pink glitter lip. For this I will be using the Bourjois Paris Rougue Edition Velvet in 01 for the base colour and applying a white glitter over this.
I will be adding more illuminator to the body to that is glowing too.
As discussed for hair I will be curling all the hair and placing it on a middle parting then plating two sections that will be pulled back and placing glittered ivy through the plait. I will also apply one leaf to the centre of the head to give to illusion of some sort of crown.
Both the characters I am taking inspiration from have a very minimal natural looking make-up. I have decided not to follow this as I want the make-up to be the main focus and stand out. Therefore I have decided to enhance the idea of glowing skin that my inspirations possess by mixing the sleek 'barekissed illuminator' in Monaco in with my models foundation to give the skin an overall glow. I am then going to create an intense eye look using grey tones as I feel this will not only work well with my models colouring but it is a colour I have seen appear a lot in the visuals I have used to research. I am also having my model wear a grey dress so this will tie the look together nicely.
I am also going to create a strong silver liner using a Inglot gel eye liner and I will be putting silver glitter over this. I also want to repeat this look in the brows so I will be using the same product to fill the brows.
To contour the face I am going to be using colours from my super colour pallet and I will also a a lilac toned highlighter to the cheek bones to further enhance the ethereal glow of the skin.
For lips I have decided to create a pink glitter lip. For this I will be using the Bourjois Paris Rougue Edition Velvet in 01 for the base colour and applying a white glitter over this.
I will be adding more illuminator to the body to that is glowing too.
As discussed for hair I will be curling all the hair and placing it on a middle parting then plating two sections that will be pulled back and placing glittered ivy through the plait. I will also apply one leaf to the centre of the head to give to illusion of some sort of crown.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Elves
I have taken inspiration from the elves in 'Lord of the Rings'. I was drawn to their ethereal beauty and this is something I would like to capture.
One character I have particularly looked at is Lady Galadriel. Tolkien describes Galadriel as "the mightiest and fairest of all the Elves that remained in Middle-earth". She is of royal blood and is one of the most powerful women in middle earth.
I am going to use her description from the books and Peter Jacksons film series where she is portrayed by Cate Blanchett as inspiration. Therefore I will be create a hairstyle that is long and curly and pinned back. I am also going to add some fake ivy with glitter on it to the hair to enhance the elven look and create a visual link to nature.
One character I have particularly looked at is Lady Galadriel. Tolkien describes Galadriel as "the mightiest and fairest of all the Elves that remained in Middle-earth". She is of royal blood and is one of the most powerful women in middle earth.
I am going to use her description from the books and Peter Jacksons film series where she is portrayed by Cate Blanchett as inspiration. Therefore I will be create a hairstyle that is long and curly and pinned back. I am also going to add some fake ivy with glitter on it to the hair to enhance the elven look and create a visual link to nature.
Monday, May 2, 2016
A Song of Ice and Fire
A Song of Ice and Fire is a series of epic fantasy novels by the American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. The first volume of the series, A Game of Thrones, was begun in 1991 and first published in 1996. Martin, who initially envisioned the series to be a trilogy, has published five out of a planned seven volumes. The fifth and most recent volume of the series published in 2011,A Dance with Dragons, took Martin five years to write. The sixth novel, The Winds of Winter, is still being written.
A Song of Ice and Fire takes place on the fictional continents Westeros and Essos. The point of view of each chapter in the story is a limited perspective of a range of characters growing from nine, in the first novel, to thirty-one by the fifth. Three main stories interweave a dynastic war among several families for control of Westeros, the rising threat of the supernatural Others in the northernmost reaches of Westeros, and the ambition of Daenerys Targaryen, the deposed king's exiled daughter, to assume the Iron Throne.
Martin's inspirations included the Wars of the Roses and the French historical novels The Accursed Kings by Maurice Druon. A Song of Ice and Fire received praise for its diverse portrayal of women and religion, as well as its realism. An assortment of disparate and subjective points of view confront the reader, and the success or survival of point of view characters is never assured. Within the often morally ambiguous world of A Song of Ice and Fire, questions concerning loyalty, pride, human sexuality, piety, and the morality of violence frequently arise.
As of April 2015, the books have sold more than 60 million copies worldwide and have been translated into at least 45 languages. The fourth and fifth volumes reached the top of The New York Times Best Seller lists upon their releases.
With the popularity of the series growing, the HBO network optioned A Song of Ice and Fire for a television adaptation in 2007.A pilot episode was produced in late 2009, and a series commitment for nine further episodes was made in March 2010.The series, titled Game of Thrones, premiered in April 2011 to great acclaim and ratings . The network picked up the show for a second season covering A Clash of Kings two days later.Shortly after the conclusion of the first season, the show received 13 Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Peter Dinklage's portrayal of Tyrion Lannister.
The Lord of the Rings
'The Lord of the Rings' is an epic high-fantasy novel written by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 fantasy novel The Hobbit, but developed into a much larger work. Written in stages between 1937 and 1949, The Lord of the Rings is one of the best-selling novels ever written, with over 150 million copies sold.
The title of the novel refers to the story's main antagonist, the Dark Lord Sauron,who had in an earlier age created the One Ring to rule the other Rings of Power as the ultimate weapon in his campaign to conquer and rule all of Middle-earth. From quiet beginnings in the Shire, a hobbit land not unlike the English countryside, the story ranges across Middle-earth, following the course of the War of the Ring through the eyes of its characters, not only the hobbits Frodo Baggins, Samwise "Sam" Gamgee, Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck and Peregrin "Pippin" Took, but also the hobbits' chief allies and travelling companions: the Men Aragorn son of Arathorn, a Ranger of the North, and Boromir, a Captain of Gondor; Gimli son of Glóin, a Dwarf warrior; Legolas Greenleaf, an Elvenprince; and Gandalf, a Wizard.
For economic reasons 'The Lord of the Rings' was published in three volumes over the course of a year from 29 July 1954 to 20 October 1955. The three volumes were titled 'The Fellowship of the Ring', 'The Two Towers', and 'The Return of the King'. Structurally, the novel is divided internally into six books, two per volume, with several appendices of background material included at the end of the third volume. Some editions combine the entire work into a single volume. The Lord of the Rings has since been reprinted numerous times and translated into 38 languages.
Tolkien's work has been the subject of extensive analysis of its themes and origins. Although a major work in itself, the story was only the last movement of a larger epic Tolkien had worked on since 1917,in a process he described as mythopoeia. Influences on this earlier work, and on the story of 'The Lord of the Rings', include philology, mythology, religion and the author's distaste for the effects of industrialization, as well as earlier fantasy works and Tolkien's experiences in World War I. These inspirations and themes have often been denied by Tolkien himself. The Lord of the Rings is considered to have had a great effect on modern fantasy; the impact of Tolkien's work is so common that the use of the words "Tolkienian" and "Tolkienesque" have been recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary.
Peter Jackson directed the live action The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, produced by New Line Cinema and released in three instalments as The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). All three parts won multiple Academy Awards, including consecutive Best Picture nominations. The final instalment of this trilogy was the second film to break the one-billion-dollar barrier and won a total of 11 Oscars (something only two other films in history, Ben-Hur and Titanic, have accomplished), including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.
The title of the novel refers to the story's main antagonist, the Dark Lord Sauron,who had in an earlier age created the One Ring to rule the other Rings of Power as the ultimate weapon in his campaign to conquer and rule all of Middle-earth. From quiet beginnings in the Shire, a hobbit land not unlike the English countryside, the story ranges across Middle-earth, following the course of the War of the Ring through the eyes of its characters, not only the hobbits Frodo Baggins, Samwise "Sam" Gamgee, Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck and Peregrin "Pippin" Took, but also the hobbits' chief allies and travelling companions: the Men Aragorn son of Arathorn, a Ranger of the North, and Boromir, a Captain of Gondor; Gimli son of Glóin, a Dwarf warrior; Legolas Greenleaf, an Elvenprince; and Gandalf, a Wizard.
For economic reasons 'The Lord of the Rings' was published in three volumes over the course of a year from 29 July 1954 to 20 October 1955. The three volumes were titled 'The Fellowship of the Ring', 'The Two Towers', and 'The Return of the King'. Structurally, the novel is divided internally into six books, two per volume, with several appendices of background material included at the end of the third volume. Some editions combine the entire work into a single volume. The Lord of the Rings has since been reprinted numerous times and translated into 38 languages.
Tolkien's work has been the subject of extensive analysis of its themes and origins. Although a major work in itself, the story was only the last movement of a larger epic Tolkien had worked on since 1917,in a process he described as mythopoeia. Influences on this earlier work, and on the story of 'The Lord of the Rings', include philology, mythology, religion and the author's distaste for the effects of industrialization, as well as earlier fantasy works and Tolkien's experiences in World War I. These inspirations and themes have often been denied by Tolkien himself. The Lord of the Rings is considered to have had a great effect on modern fantasy; the impact of Tolkien's work is so common that the use of the words "Tolkienian" and "Tolkienesque" have been recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary.
Peter Jackson directed the live action The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, produced by New Line Cinema and released in three instalments as The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). All three parts won multiple Academy Awards, including consecutive Best Picture nominations. The final instalment of this trilogy was the second film to break the one-billion-dollar barrier and won a total of 11 Oscars (something only two other films in history, Ben-Hur and Titanic, have accomplished), including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Final Assessment
Today was the day of my photo shoot. My concept was a high fashion make-up to represent the Greek goddess Hera with an eighties inspiration . The hair was based off of a statue of Hera but with an eighties crimp. To fit in with this concept I decided to dress in a strapless top to give a nude look with bronzed skin.
As I wanted my models hair to be on a middle parting I started but setting it in rollers on a middle part just taking the two front sections. Before doing this I put some setting spray into my models hair so that it would hold better.
I then moved on eye make-up. I applied the eye-shadow in the same way I had on my third trail. But this time I took the blue colour from my Revolution pallet slightly higher than I had previously. I also added a very pale green from my revolution pallet as a highlight under my models brow bone. I found that when I blended the colours together the teal got a little bit lost and so I had to go back in a re-establish this.
I then applied my base using the same technique I had in my trial. This time I used Clarins skin illusion foundation mixed with plenty of 'Sun Beam'. This is a medium coverage satin finish foundation so it mixed really nicely with sun beam and gave me the perfect base.
I used the same technique I had for my trail to apply my contour using a darker tone from my la maquillage pallet and being sure to blend well. I then added the lilac shadow as I had in my trail to the contour. This time I used Mac's soft and gentle for highlighter which worked much better as it's a lighter tone.
I then applied the lip colour exactly as I had in trials only this time I mixed clinic's 'grape' lipstick with the Mac 'up the amp' as this lipstick has a slight sheen to it.
I then took my models hair out of the rollers and crimped all of my models hair. I did this in sections regrettably due to a fire alarm the crimping was a bit inconsistent and struggled a little bit with getting the same sized sections. I then went in with the crimper at the roots of the hair as in some places I got gotten nice and close and others I had left a section straight. I then created my twists I did this by pulling the front section of the hair back and making a rope with it and securing it with a hair pin through the centre of the rope to conceal them. When my teacher came and checked my hair she pointed out that my middle parting was not straight and I think that's something that really let me down. I also achieved a lovely shape with my twist on one side but not the other we discovered that this was because the side that had the nice shape had been twisted up first and the side the other side I had twisted downwards first so I quickly rectified that. My teacher also noticed that the hair had a bit of separation in the back. Due to the crimping all it took was a quick comb to fix this.
My very last step was to bronze my models chest and place the peacock feather in her hair. Overall I am very happy with my look. I think something that lets me down is the fact that my middle parting is not straight as your eye is drawn to it.
As I wanted my models hair to be on a middle parting I started but setting it in rollers on a middle part just taking the two front sections. Before doing this I put some setting spray into my models hair so that it would hold better.
I then moved on eye make-up. I applied the eye-shadow in the same way I had on my third trail. But this time I took the blue colour from my Revolution pallet slightly higher than I had previously. I also added a very pale green from my revolution pallet as a highlight under my models brow bone. I found that when I blended the colours together the teal got a little bit lost and so I had to go back in a re-establish this.
I then applied my base using the same technique I had in my trial. This time I used Clarins skin illusion foundation mixed with plenty of 'Sun Beam'. This is a medium coverage satin finish foundation so it mixed really nicely with sun beam and gave me the perfect base.
I used the same technique I had for my trail to apply my contour using a darker tone from my la maquillage pallet and being sure to blend well. I then added the lilac shadow as I had in my trail to the contour. This time I used Mac's soft and gentle for highlighter which worked much better as it's a lighter tone.
I then applied the lip colour exactly as I had in trials only this time I mixed clinic's 'grape' lipstick with the Mac 'up the amp' as this lipstick has a slight sheen to it.
I then took my models hair out of the rollers and crimped all of my models hair. I did this in sections regrettably due to a fire alarm the crimping was a bit inconsistent and struggled a little bit with getting the same sized sections. I then went in with the crimper at the roots of the hair as in some places I got gotten nice and close and others I had left a section straight. I then created my twists I did this by pulling the front section of the hair back and making a rope with it and securing it with a hair pin through the centre of the rope to conceal them. When my teacher came and checked my hair she pointed out that my middle parting was not straight and I think that's something that really let me down. I also achieved a lovely shape with my twist on one side but not the other we discovered that this was because the side that had the nice shape had been twisted up first and the side the other side I had twisted downwards first so I quickly rectified that. My teacher also noticed that the hair had a bit of separation in the back. Due to the crimping all it took was a quick comb to fix this.
My very last step was to bronze my models chest and place the peacock feather in her hair. Overall I am very happy with my look. I think something that lets me down is the fact that my middle parting is not straight as your eye is drawn to it.
References.
http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/beauty-hair/beauty-trends/news/g3648/spring-summer-2015-hair-makeup-trends/?slide=6
http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/galleries/TMG10309701/23/London-Fashion-Week-J.W.-Anderson-springsummer-2014-in-pictures.html
http://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/news/a21458/beauty-trends-of-1980s/
http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/galleries/TMG10309701/23/London-Fashion-Week-J.W.-Anderson-springsummer-2014-in-pictures.html
Pagan Influence In Fashion
A fashion show I have researched is the J.W Anderson SS14 collection that was shown at London fashion week in 2013.
You can see the pagan influence in the clothing with the straight cuts and chunky knits.
The hair has been kept fairly simple in that it is parted on the middle and quite simply styled. The make-up is also fairly neutral with brushed up brows.
One reported has drawn on the pagan influence saying 'Folded and basked weave leathers were cut on the cross. As the models strode down the catwalk in their throat-lapping sheaths and calf length skirts they sometimes looked like a human extension of the parquet flooring. That's not to say there weren't some heart-stopping pieces, because there were.'
You can see the pagan influence in the clothing with the straight cuts and chunky knits.
The hair has been kept fairly simple in that it is parted on the middle and quite simply styled. The make-up is also fairly neutral with brushed up brows.
One reported has drawn on the pagan influence saying 'Folded and basked weave leathers were cut on the cross. As the models strode down the catwalk in their throat-lapping sheaths and calf length skirts they sometimes looked like a human extension of the parquet flooring. That's not to say there weren't some heart-stopping pieces, because there were.'
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Final Project
For our final project we were given four themes to base a look upon. They are, Pagan, Day of the dead, Tribal and Masquerade balls of King Louis XIV. I have chosen Pagan as my theme.
Paganism is any religion that has more than one god. Through my research I have learnt about the Ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses and decided this is where I am going to take my inspiration from. Out of all the Greek goddesses the one I am the most drawn to is Hera.
Hera is wife of Zeus who is king of the gods therefore I will incorporate some regal colours into my make-up. An animal that is sacred to her is the peacock, this gives me the opportunity to play with colours I would not normally use.
I will be doing some practise and research help me create my look but as it stands now I think I would like to create a look that features a clean dewy base with some gold shimmer, A statment eye using peacock colours and a gold lip.
For hair my first thought like was to create a low Grecian bun similar to the one I created in a previous lesson. However having seen a statue of Hera I feel it would be better to give the hair a wave and pin it back in a similar way to hers on the statue.
Paganism is any religion that has more than one god. Through my research I have learnt about the Ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses and decided this is where I am going to take my inspiration from. Out of all the Greek goddesses the one I am the most drawn to is Hera.
Hera is wife of Zeus who is king of the gods therefore I will incorporate some regal colours into my make-up. An animal that is sacred to her is the peacock, this gives me the opportunity to play with colours I would not normally use.
I will be doing some practise and research help me create my look but as it stands now I think I would like to create a look that features a clean dewy base with some gold shimmer, A statment eye using peacock colours and a gold lip.
For hair my first thought like was to create a low Grecian bun similar to the one I created in a previous lesson. However having seen a statue of Hera I feel it would be better to give the hair a wave and pin it back in a similar way to hers on the statue.
Year 1 Evaluation
The first year of my higher national diploma at West Thames college has been a lot more full on than I expected. When I chose the course I had no idea how many projects I would be given or how many different styles of make-up I would cover. I was also completely unaware of the fact that I would also study history and art. Something else that was unexpected was the emphasis on hair. I have learnt a lot over the duration of my first year and realised that I will need to start making connections over the summer in order to give myself a stepping stone into the working world at the end of year two.
The first unit we covered this year was make-up and hair spanning from the Victorian Era up until pre world war one. I found the make-up lessons in this unit interesting in that a lot of products that would be essential for most women today, like mascara, were not used during this time period and if they were it was a very minimal amount. I did find that these lessons became a bit repetitive as the make-up was fairly similar throughout this time period. The hair section of this unit I also found very interesting. To me what was so fascinating is that even though women of today have a lot more technology out day to day hairstyles tend to be much simpler. Hair was something I really struggled with and at the beginning of the year I felt completely out of my depth. I had never even used a roller before our first class so I found it really hard to then have to create an elaborate hairstyle and I came away from nearly every class feeling incredibly deflated. I think this was reflected in my final image. I found the history section of this unit really enjoyable although I did find it a bit inconsistent. I had so many notes for the Victorian era that I was five times over the word limit on my essay, but with the pre world war one section of the unit I received far less information.
The next unit to discuss followed the same format as the first one but this time we looked at make-up and hair spanning from the nineteen twenties to the nineteen sixties. I found this unit more relatable as there are film stars and singers from these era’s whose performances we can see. I found the make-up from the nineteen twenties and thirties more challenging that what we had done previously as blocking out eyebrows is something I am not very confident with. I really enjoyed nineteen forties and nineteen fifties make-up as it was at this time my grandmother and her sister were in their twenties and thirties and they were probably the most glamorous women I knew. I also really enjoyed the sixties as the is decade in which most of my favourite bands and musicians rose to fame and the generation that people who know me say I should have been born in. I again struggled with hair in this unit I don’t think I have achieved anything to be particularly proud of although I did get used to the tools more. I also really enjoyed the history lessons in this unit coming from a countryside town where children were evacuated to during world war two and being of English and Caribbean descent it was really interesting to hear the historical context behind my grandparents and older relatives stories of the time. My only wish is that we had covered the sixties, but that’s probably just me personally due to my love of music from the decade.
The theatre unit was probably my favourite. Having studied acting for ten years it held the most personal interest for me. Having said that it was the unit I found the most challenging, I don’t think there was any look that I was one hundred percent happy with form the unit. My favourite lesson from this unit was creating injuries and this has made me really excited to study special effects fully next year. I enjoyed doing the research for this unit due to my interest in the theatre. At the moment theatre is where I am thinking I would like to end up. There are still a couple of looks from this unit that I need to perfect.
My fashion unit was the one I was the most nervous about seeing as I do not follow fashion and would not consider myself a particularly fashionable person but I ended up really enjoying it. Being honest I did find the first few make-up and hair lessons a bit tedious as it was covering the basics but I understand that we need this as a basis move on to the more advanced make-up and hair. Out of all the units I feel that fashion is where I have created the looks I am the most proud of, possibly because I’ve been able to create a look myself and have some level of creative control. I really enjoyed putting my shoot together and this is probably the make-up that I am the most proud of from the year. I also find the blog the easiest and best way to present my work. I wish all units could be submitted on a blog.
Overall I feel it has been a good experience and I have grown a lot as an artist. I am really looking forward to being able to be more creative next year and improve and expand upon the skills I have built this year. I know that we have less projects next year as well so I am going to try and gain experience where possible.
The first unit we covered this year was make-up and hair spanning from the Victorian Era up until pre world war one. I found the make-up lessons in this unit interesting in that a lot of products that would be essential for most women today, like mascara, were not used during this time period and if they were it was a very minimal amount. I did find that these lessons became a bit repetitive as the make-up was fairly similar throughout this time period. The hair section of this unit I also found very interesting. To me what was so fascinating is that even though women of today have a lot more technology out day to day hairstyles tend to be much simpler. Hair was something I really struggled with and at the beginning of the year I felt completely out of my depth. I had never even used a roller before our first class so I found it really hard to then have to create an elaborate hairstyle and I came away from nearly every class feeling incredibly deflated. I think this was reflected in my final image. I found the history section of this unit really enjoyable although I did find it a bit inconsistent. I had so many notes for the Victorian era that I was five times over the word limit on my essay, but with the pre world war one section of the unit I received far less information.
The next unit to discuss followed the same format as the first one but this time we looked at make-up and hair spanning from the nineteen twenties to the nineteen sixties. I found this unit more relatable as there are film stars and singers from these era’s whose performances we can see. I found the make-up from the nineteen twenties and thirties more challenging that what we had done previously as blocking out eyebrows is something I am not very confident with. I really enjoyed nineteen forties and nineteen fifties make-up as it was at this time my grandmother and her sister were in their twenties and thirties and they were probably the most glamorous women I knew. I also really enjoyed the sixties as the is decade in which most of my favourite bands and musicians rose to fame and the generation that people who know me say I should have been born in. I again struggled with hair in this unit I don’t think I have achieved anything to be particularly proud of although I did get used to the tools more. I also really enjoyed the history lessons in this unit coming from a countryside town where children were evacuated to during world war two and being of English and Caribbean descent it was really interesting to hear the historical context behind my grandparents and older relatives stories of the time. My only wish is that we had covered the sixties, but that’s probably just me personally due to my love of music from the decade.
The theatre unit was probably my favourite. Having studied acting for ten years it held the most personal interest for me. Having said that it was the unit I found the most challenging, I don’t think there was any look that I was one hundred percent happy with form the unit. My favourite lesson from this unit was creating injuries and this has made me really excited to study special effects fully next year. I enjoyed doing the research for this unit due to my interest in the theatre. At the moment theatre is where I am thinking I would like to end up. There are still a couple of looks from this unit that I need to perfect.
My fashion unit was the one I was the most nervous about seeing as I do not follow fashion and would not consider myself a particularly fashionable person but I ended up really enjoying it. Being honest I did find the first few make-up and hair lessons a bit tedious as it was covering the basics but I understand that we need this as a basis move on to the more advanced make-up and hair. Out of all the units I feel that fashion is where I have created the looks I am the most proud of, possibly because I’ve been able to create a look myself and have some level of creative control. I really enjoyed putting my shoot together and this is probably the make-up that I am the most proud of from the year. I also find the blog the easiest and best way to present my work. I wish all units could be submitted on a blog.
Overall I feel it has been a good experience and I have grown a lot as an artist. I am really looking forward to being able to be more creative next year and improve and expand upon the skills I have built this year. I know that we have less projects next year as well so I am going to try and gain experience where possible.
Final Practise
Today I did my final practise prior to my assessment.
I followed all the same steps as before with a few slight changes.
The first change I made was to work on balancing. This time I managed to get my balance right I also made sure to blend the colours better as I noticed from my photo on my last practise that the gold and teal had a slightly too obvious line between the colours so I made sure to blend that this time.
The other thing was worked on was my my contour slightly more subtle and finding a more appropriate coloured highlighter for this I applied extra sun beam to the high points of the face. This worked better than the eye-shadow but I still feel that I need something a tiny bit paler so I think for the assessment I will use Mac's soft and gentle.
My model has sparser eyebrows than my classmate whom I have previously practised on so I filled her brows lightly using a Mac eyebrow pencil.
I followed all the same steps as before with a few slight changes.
The first change I made was to work on balancing. This time I managed to get my balance right I also made sure to blend the colours better as I noticed from my photo on my last practise that the gold and teal had a slightly too obvious line between the colours so I made sure to blend that this time.
The other thing was worked on was my my contour slightly more subtle and finding a more appropriate coloured highlighter for this I applied extra sun beam to the high points of the face. This worked better than the eye-shadow but I still feel that I need something a tiny bit paler so I think for the assessment I will use Mac's soft and gentle.
My model has sparser eyebrows than my classmate whom I have previously practised on so I filled her brows lightly using a Mac eyebrow pencil.
Second Practise
For my second practise I decided to implement some of my research into 80's make-up so I have started to use multiple colours on the eyes and add some colour to the contour which I learned I need to add from my last practise.
I still wanted to incorporate the gold colour to my make-up so I started by applying this to the inner third of the eye purposefully taking the colour around the inner corner. I knew that this time I wanted to add some more colours to the eye so I added a teal colour from my Revolution pallet to the centre of the eyelid and applied the blue that I used in my last practise and created sharp edge on the outer corner of the eye taking it into the crease. I preferred this look but I felt the crease needed a bit more definition so therefore I added some of the lilac tone to the crease. I also added some dark purple from my Revolution pallet to the lash line I kept this fairly subtle as the rest of the colours were so strong.
I then followed my previous method of adding 'Sun Beam' to foundation but this time I used Illamasqua 'skin base'. This created a nice finish to the skin. To conceal any bags under the eyes I applied some d32 greasepaint I then applied additional foundation over this. After this I applied some more gold, teal and blue to under the eye matching where the colours were placed on the lid. The model I was worked on had very full brows so I just ran through them with brow gel.
I contoured the face by using a darker foundation. This worked well but I applied a bit to much to the jaw line so it ended up looking a bit muddy in this area. I then highlighted the face using the gold eye-shadow I used previously. This gave a nice golden sheen to the skin but I feel it was a bit too bronze and I need something slightly lighter. I also added a bit of lilac eye-shadow to the cheek contour. I really like the effect that this has given and it is defiantly something I am going to keep.
My final step for the look was the lips. From my previous practise I had learned that the gold lip was not going to work and so I opted for a purple lip instead. For this I used the Mac lipstick in 'up the amp'. After applying this I decided I wanted a subtle ombre lip so I applied some dark purple eye-shadow from the revolution pallet to the outer lip line and blended it in. I liked this look and will keep it for my final piece.
Something I need to work on is my balance. On one eye the pulled outwards more and one side was pulled upwards more. I need to balance this and find a lighter highlighter.
I still wanted to incorporate the gold colour to my make-up so I started by applying this to the inner third of the eye purposefully taking the colour around the inner corner. I knew that this time I wanted to add some more colours to the eye so I added a teal colour from my Revolution pallet to the centre of the eyelid and applied the blue that I used in my last practise and created sharp edge on the outer corner of the eye taking it into the crease. I preferred this look but I felt the crease needed a bit more definition so therefore I added some of the lilac tone to the crease. I also added some dark purple from my Revolution pallet to the lash line I kept this fairly subtle as the rest of the colours were so strong.
I then followed my previous method of adding 'Sun Beam' to foundation but this time I used Illamasqua 'skin base'. This created a nice finish to the skin. To conceal any bags under the eyes I applied some d32 greasepaint I then applied additional foundation over this. After this I applied some more gold, teal and blue to under the eye matching where the colours were placed on the lid. The model I was worked on had very full brows so I just ran through them with brow gel.
I contoured the face by using a darker foundation. This worked well but I applied a bit to much to the jaw line so it ended up looking a bit muddy in this area. I then highlighted the face using the gold eye-shadow I used previously. This gave a nice golden sheen to the skin but I feel it was a bit too bronze and I need something slightly lighter. I also added a bit of lilac eye-shadow to the cheek contour. I really like the effect that this has given and it is defiantly something I am going to keep.
My final step for the look was the lips. From my previous practise I had learned that the gold lip was not going to work and so I opted for a purple lip instead. For this I used the Mac lipstick in 'up the amp'. After applying this I decided I wanted a subtle ombre lip so I applied some dark purple eye-shadow from the revolution pallet to the outer lip line and blended it in. I liked this look and will keep it for my final piece.
Something I need to work on is my balance. On one eye the pulled outwards more and one side was pulled upwards more. I need to balance this and find a lighter highlighter.
The influence of 1980's Make-up and Fashion
Having looked at fashion through the years I can see that the 80's had some Grecian influence. This is clear from the big shoulder pads and the fact that many of the super models of the time were very athletic looking.
Due to this influence I have decided to take influence for the eighties for my make-up and hair. This includes several colours on the eyes and strong coloured blush or contour and lip. It has also given me inspiration for my hair. I thought I might use rollers or curlers to create soft waves but the eighties inspiration has made me want to crimp the hair.
Due to this influence I have decided to take influence for the eighties for my make-up and hair. This includes several colours on the eyes and strong coloured blush or contour and lip. It has also given me inspiration for my hair. I thought I might use rollers or curlers to create soft waves but the eighties inspiration has made me want to crimp the hair.
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| Crimped hair at Stella McCartney SS15 |
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| Example of eighties make-up |
First Practise
Today I practised a make-up look on myself using my concept for my final piece.
I started with the eyes. I first applied Urban Decays 'half baked' all over my lid. I chose this colour as it is a true bronze gold and reflective of some of the tones in peacock feathers and quite lavish looking.
I then applied a blue colour from the Revolution 'mermaids vs unicorns' pallet to my crease and blended these two colours enough so there was not a harsh line but not so much that they became one colour. I also applied some of the blue colour to my bottom lash line. I added a champagne tone to my brow bone and inner corner as a highlight, for this I used Urban Decays 'sin'.
For my liner I used Barry Ms waterproof eye pencil in 'bronze' and applied this to my water line to echo the gold tone on the lid. I also used a dark purple eye-shadow also from the Revolution pallet to my top lash line. This didn't work very well as I wanted the colour to be much bolder so on the other eye I experimented with putting a white eye-liner on first and then adding the purple. This make the eye shadow more vibrant but still did not give me the desired effect.
My last step for my eyes was to add a layer of mascara. I don't want to add a fake lash to this look as I feel it will just hide the colours I have used.
For skin I used a medium coverage foundation on my skin but on my models skin I may be able to get away with sheer. On myself I opted for Collections 'lasting perfection foundation' this foundation has a satin finish which is good as I am mixing it with Benefits 'Sun Beam' to give it a golden shimmer. I am really happy with how this has made the skin appear and I will use this method in the final assessment. I then concealed my dark circles using my mac concealer pallet. I need remember to do this before I apply eye-shadow to my bottom lash line as it ended up getting a bit messy.
I then filled my brows I thought I would try this with a shimmery colour. My reasoning for this was that I was creating a character who is a goddess, not human and human does not shimmer. I think this technique may have worked but I chose the colour 'toasted' from the Urban Decay Naked pallet which was too light and ended up looking too unatural.
My final step was to create the gold lip. I don't have a gold lipstick so I improvised by mixing some of the gold eye-shadow I used previously and mixed this with a clear lip balm. I really liked the idea of the gold lip but unfortunately I think with the skin already being very golden I think it was a little but too much. I am going to find an alternative to the gold lip as if I have to sacarafice one of the two I'd rather keep the golden skin.
Although I like this look I don't think it's exactly what I am looking for. I think I need to add some more colours to the eye as right now they are looking Egyptian due to the blue and gold. I also need to add some contour to the face as right now it is looking a bit flat due to all the shimmer.
I started with the eyes. I first applied Urban Decays 'half baked' all over my lid. I chose this colour as it is a true bronze gold and reflective of some of the tones in peacock feathers and quite lavish looking.
I then applied a blue colour from the Revolution 'mermaids vs unicorns' pallet to my crease and blended these two colours enough so there was not a harsh line but not so much that they became one colour. I also applied some of the blue colour to my bottom lash line. I added a champagne tone to my brow bone and inner corner as a highlight, for this I used Urban Decays 'sin'.
For my liner I used Barry Ms waterproof eye pencil in 'bronze' and applied this to my water line to echo the gold tone on the lid. I also used a dark purple eye-shadow also from the Revolution pallet to my top lash line. This didn't work very well as I wanted the colour to be much bolder so on the other eye I experimented with putting a white eye-liner on first and then adding the purple. This make the eye shadow more vibrant but still did not give me the desired effect.
My last step for my eyes was to add a layer of mascara. I don't want to add a fake lash to this look as I feel it will just hide the colours I have used.
For skin I used a medium coverage foundation on my skin but on my models skin I may be able to get away with sheer. On myself I opted for Collections 'lasting perfection foundation' this foundation has a satin finish which is good as I am mixing it with Benefits 'Sun Beam' to give it a golden shimmer. I am really happy with how this has made the skin appear and I will use this method in the final assessment. I then concealed my dark circles using my mac concealer pallet. I need remember to do this before I apply eye-shadow to my bottom lash line as it ended up getting a bit messy.
I then filled my brows I thought I would try this with a shimmery colour. My reasoning for this was that I was creating a character who is a goddess, not human and human does not shimmer. I think this technique may have worked but I chose the colour 'toasted' from the Urban Decay Naked pallet which was too light and ended up looking too unatural.
My final step was to create the gold lip. I don't have a gold lipstick so I improvised by mixing some of the gold eye-shadow I used previously and mixed this with a clear lip balm. I really liked the idea of the gold lip but unfortunately I think with the skin already being very golden I think it was a little but too much. I am going to find an alternative to the gold lip as if I have to sacarafice one of the two I'd rather keep the golden skin.
Although I like this look I don't think it's exactly what I am looking for. I think I need to add some more colours to the eye as right now they are looking Egyptian due to the blue and gold. I also need to add some contour to the face as right now it is looking a bit flat due to all the shimmer.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Monday, March 9, 2015
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