Sugar Skulls

As I missed the lesson on Sugar Skulls because I was ill, I didn't want to miss out so I decided to do my own look at home. 

I have never done a Sugar Skull before so this was quite an interesting experience for me. As I was going along my skull did start to have the effect of being a typical skull rather than 'day of the dead'. So I decided to add on a 'tiara' effect to the look, by drawing on small swirls and filling in the circles with colour. To also add that slight decadent feel to the look, I used the gold in the Illamasqua liquid metal palette to fill in more of the swirls and the piping. I was looking at some of the designs that others had done in class, and recurring items were hearts, so I decided to add in a heart as the pin point of the 'tiara'. 

All in all I was quite happy with how my Sugar Skull turned out. I think that for my first attempt at doing this look, it turned out quite well, I really liked the intricate design of the 'tiara' and how different it was to other sugar skulls that I have seen. However I think if I was to do this again I would add a lot more colour into the look- especially on the lips to make it look even more like a typical 'Day of the Dead' make-up look. I think that it would've been a lot easier to do this look on another person, so that I would be able to get a more accurate look to the detailing as I found it very difficult to do on myself. I kept bumping into the mirror with my small detail brush as I kept getting too close to it so I could see better.

I liked how it looks going along the cheekbones

The 'Tiara' close up

Elizabeth in Film - Fire over England, The Virgin Queen and Shakespeare in Love

Fire over England- Flora Robson

As the film is shot in black and white it is more difficult to see whether Flora Robson has been made up with the pale face and rouged cheeks. However looking at her comparatively against the other people in the film, she does look sightly paled out.

 The main focus of her look is the hair. Although she doesn't seem to have the drastic hairline as some of the other actresses do in their portrayals of Elizabeth, she is still shown to be in character through the hair that is used. She is still displaying the elaborate hairstyles with the elaborate adornments and the same texture. One part of the film that I found rather intriguing is that they specifically show Elizabeth taking off her wig as she is getting ready for bed. This showed the colour contrast between the darker colour of the wig and her natural hair (as best as I could see with the black and white), which is probably what it was like for her. I thought this was interesting because it breaks down a barrier of this image we have of Elizabeth and shows everything that she has to go through to transform into the Queen. 

Davies, J. (no date) C16th makeups: Fire over England. Available at: http://www.themakeupgallery.info/period/c16/uk/elizabeth/fire.htm
(Accessed: 8 December 2015).

The Virgin Queen - Anne Marie Duff

This was the most drastic transformation for playing Elizabeth, she had her hairline shaved back, along with her eyelashes & eyebrows bleached, and she has prosthetics applied to show the progression in age. She is shown from her adolescence to her death. 

At the beginning she is shown to be very plain, with very simple hair and no makeup, this continues into her being crowned. As the film progresses her hair gets darker and the styles are shown to be much more elaborate and adorned. Prosthetics were applied to her face and body to show her change in age, making her look older, one that particularly stood out to me is her at her oldest. 

Kendra (2014) The virgin queen. Available at: http://www.frockflicks.com/the-virgin-queen/
(Accessed: 8 December 2015).

As shown in the picture above, she has been made to look like she is nearly on her death bed. The intricacy and detail of the work is mesmerising and shows a complete transformation between the Elizabeth that is shown at the beginning of the film to this Elizabeth at the end. 

Shakespeare in Love - Judi Dench

Even though she isn't featured in the film for too long, she still had to undergo an extensive makeup transformation in order to become Elizabeth. She seemed to have had a bald cap applied so that her high forehead would blend in well with the red wig and make it look more realistic. Her wig is seen in the traditional heart-shape along with the typical texture and adornments. In comparison to other portrayals of Elizabeth, her makeup isn't as drastic, she still has the typical white face, lightly rouged cheeks and very faint eyebrows. In comparison to the makeup in Elizabeth R, which by the end was very full on and dramatic, this seems to be more muted and probably similar to what they would've been able to achieve in Elizabethan times. 

Davies, J. (no date) Judi Dench in ‘Shakespeare in Love’ | Queen Elizabeth I | sixteenth-century Britain | period makeups. Available at: http://www.themakeupgallery.info/period/c16/uk/elizabeth/shakespearejd.htm (Accessed: 8 December 2015).

Elizabeth in Film - Private Lives of Elizabeth & Essex and The Virgin Queen

The Private Lives of Elizabeth & Essex - Bette Davis

For the film Bette Davis had to go through a dramatic transformation in order to become Elizabeth I. Her hairline was shaved back three inches, and her eyebrows were shaved also and replaced by thin pencil lines. Her lips were underlined as well so that they looked a lot thinner in comparison to her natural fuller lips. She was also made to look a lot older by having bags drawn under her eyes. 

 Her hair is shown to be very bright red and put up in the typical Elizabethan style, adorned with pearls and jewels. The texture of the hair is also frizzed in very tight curls, much like Elizabeth's hair is shown to be in her portraits. 

(no date) Available at: http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/Pelicula/BD03.jpg
(Accessed: 8 December 2015).

The Virgin Queen - Bette Davis

Bette Davis reprised her role as Elizabeth I in 1955 starring in The Virgin Queen. Her makeup isn't shown to be as extreme as the makeup shown in Elizabeth R, although she does show the same Elizabethan elements like; the pale face and rouged cheeks/lips. Her hairline seems to be a lot higher and more drastic than the previous film, with scenes of her being in bed with her real hair being shown. It is shown to be very pale and fine in comparison to the red hair shown throughout the rest of the film. The red hair that she is shown to have looks very fake, it is such a bright red/orange colour and definitely looks like a wig - showing Elizabeth's hair could've looked like as she was said to wear wigs. 

Davies, J. (no date) C16th makeups: The virgin queen. Available at: http://www.themakeupgallery.info/period/c16/uk/elizabeth/virginbd.htm
(Accessed: 8 December 2015).

Elizabeth in Film - Elizabeth I & Elizabeth R

Elizabeth I - Helen Mirren

At the beginning of the first half of the film it is very obvious that they are trying to portray Elizabeth in her 'younger' years through the distinct lack of makeup. Although there are still elements to the makeup and hair that are Elizabethan in nature. For example; she does have a slightly pale face but not the extent that is seen later on in the film, her hairline is also very high as is typical of Elizabethan women. 

There are moments in the film that she is shown to wear slightly more makeup, especially on special occasions, such as when she is meeting the Prince of France. On this occasion there was slightly more rouge on the lips and cheeks. Furthermore at this moment her hair was a lot more elaborate, with more jewels and pearls being adorned in the hair along with the tight curls. 

During the opening sequence of the second part of the film, we are shown the process of the Queen having her makeup applied. This shows a change from the first film as she is noticeably wearing a lot more makeup, almost like she has 'become the Queen' through this process. We are also shown that she is wearing a wig, with her natural hair being very short and grey in comparison to the vibrant red hair of the wig. Again this could be seen to her hiding herself to become this 'character' of the Queen for the public. 

There is a further contrast between the two parts of the film, as the passing of time is shown so is the ageing of the Queen. Towards the end of the film the designers and artists have definitely made her look older and haggard to show the result of what has happened during the events in the film and her old age.

(no date) Available at: http://i.lv3.hbo.com/assets/images/movies/elizabeth-i/slideshows/elizabeth-i-04-1024.jpg (Accessed: 8 December 2015).

Elizabeth R- Glenda Jackson

Across all the parts of Elizabeth R, there is a complete change shown through the use of makeup. At the beginning she looks very young, and looks like she isn't wearing any makeup at all. Her entire look is very simple, even her hair which is worn down and isn't as bright a red, it's more of a strawberry blonde colour. As it progresses into part two, she is shown to wear her hair up a lot more and the styles are more elaborate in comparison to the first part. She also begins to pale her face out a bit more, but not the extreme that is shown in the later parts. One element that I did find interesting in the second part was the idea that Elizabeth loved her hands. In part two she contracts smallpox, causing her to get spots on her hands, which she becomes very upset about.
By part four  she is shown to be wearing a lot more makeup, the face is paler and the cheeks are much more rouged. Furthermore she is also shown to look older, by the addition of wrinkles and bags under her eyes. By doing this it also causes her makeup to look like it has been caked on in thicker quantities, much like it would've looked for Elizabeth.
Finally by part six her hairline is so much higher than in previous parts, with the hair also being much brighter in colour - it is a bright red in comparison to the strawberry blonde colour at the beginning. She also looks like a mask has been applied to her face and neck to make her look older and add wrinkles to the face. The fact that the makeup has been caked on also makes her look so much older, her lips also look like they've been drawn on to look a thinner to make her look older as well. Furthermore it looks like her eyebrows have been drawn on, comparatively to previous parts where her eyebrows look like they have been lightened rather than look drawn on.

(no date) Available at: http://content8.flixster.com/photo/64/96/89/6496890_ori.jpg
(Accessed: 8 December 2015).

(no date) Available at: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/af/c2/e7/afc2e7a9fc415eec2cc868aca9bf9b85.jpg
(Accessed: 8 December 2015).

Project ideas/inspiration

I had a few ideas about what I could do for my New Elizabethans make-up project. I used Pinterest to research images that I could use for inspiration, and below I have added in the ones that interested me the most. 

Veins

In Elizabethan times it was said that Elizabeth drew veins onto her face to give the illusion that her face was a lot paler and almost translucent in appearance. I thought about using this idea in my look. I looked at how people have used special effects to draw them on, but I thought that by making the veins look so realistic it would be too surreal. So instead I looked at the shape and how I could use that in my look. 

From looking at the pictures I found, I thought it could be interesting to use the shape on the neck to create a 'ruff' like they wore in Tudor times- much like the image below. 

Tomlin, A. (2015) This is as pretty as ‘scary’ Halloween makeup gets. Available at: http://www.refinery29.com/2013/10/55906/halloween-makeup-evil-fairy-forest 
(Accessed: 23 October 2015).

Beautiful Halloween makeup ideas - (2014) Available at: http://www.elkevonfreudenberg.com/shop/beautiful-halloween-makeup-ideas 
(Accessed: 23 October 2015).

stylebizarre and Bini, E. (2010) Alex Box: The best make-up artist. Available at: http://www.stylebizarre.com/best-makeup-artist-2010-alex-box-mua-macabre-unique-artist 
(Accessed: 23 October 2015).

I liked how the shape of the veins are used in the photos I found. However I do wonder if using black would cause the make-up to look too 'Halloween-y' so I had the idea of using gold instead to paint on the veins. I think using gold instead of black would also make it look more regal. 

Along with the veins, I would have the face painted white much like Elizabethan portraiture, with slight contouring so that the focal point of the image is the detailing on the neck. 

Pearls 

For my second idea, I thought about the 'caviar manicures' that were very popular a few years ago. For the promotional images, the lips were shown to have the 'caviar' effect on them as well as the nails.   

Dodał (no date) Mouth -. Available at: http://stylowi.pl/2964248 
(Accessed: 23 October 2015).

Staples, T. (no date) Red candy lips holding blue stripped candy. Available at: http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/red-candy-lips-holding-blue-stripped-candy-high-res-stock-photography/117721392 (Accessed: 23 October 2015).

(no date) Available at: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/bb/53/62/bb536271e8d3be8427551743b98a9e77.jpg (
Accessed: 23 October 2015).

I thought that I could use this idea in my project, but change it to use some Elizabethan influences. I thought that I could use a white base, with pink/red cheeks and red lips. On top of the red lips I had the idea to apply individual small pearls or clear crystals. I thought that using pearls would tie the look back to Elizabethan times, as pearls were prominent in many portraits of Elizabeth.

Alexia sinclair (2009) 2 November. Available at: http://simpleblueprint.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/alexia-sinclair.html 
(Accessed: 23 October 2015).

I also like the idea used in the image above of applying the pearls to the lash line as well as the lips. I think this would give the look another dimension of glamour and status. 

Monochromatic look on a white base

Products Used

- Illamasqua Skin Base

- Illamasqua Pressed Powder

- Kryolan Glam Glow palette

- MAC Cool Neutral Palette

- Kryolan Eyeshadow Palette

- Kryolan Supra Colour Palette

- Black Natural Collections Mascara

- White Maybelline Eyeliner 

The Process...

Firstly I used the Illamasqua skin base to give the skin the white look - I chose this because I wanted it to look pale but not extreme- I then buffed the product to get rid of any streaks. As I wanted the eyes, brows and lips to be the main focus of the face, I decided to keep the contouring light just to give some shape to the face. I used the Kryolan Glam Glow contour palette to do this. Then using the purples from the MAC Cool Neutral Palette and the Kryolan eye-shadow palette. I created a 'cat-eye' shape which graduated and blended from lighter purple to the dark. Initially in my face chart I did bring the eyeshadow down to the lower lash line and add eye-liner, however in practise I didn't do these steps as I didn't think the eyes needed it. Instead I just applied mascara and bit of white eyeliner onto the waterline. 

I wanted the brows to be very heavy set, so I used a brow gel with a clean mascara wand to brush the hairs upwards. Then using a flat brush I drew on hairs to make them a lot bushier - as I wanted to incorporate some purple into the brows I mixed it with the dark brown from the MAC palette. 

Finally I used the Kryolan Supra colour palette to mix together the two purple shades with the back to make a colour similar to the eyes. 

My Face Chart for the look

My final thoughts on the look...

I was really happy with how the brows looked. 

All in all I was very happy with how the final look turned out- especially getting the straight lines on the eyes and the full brows. I did have to tidy up the eyes slightly on the crease so that the line was more defined rather than blended. I was really happy with the brows as I didn't think I would be able to replicate the look from my face chart to the same effect. 

I did however have a problem with the contouring as it wasn't as rounded around the cheekbones, so I did have to go over and keep blending the line to get the subtle effect I wanted. I did also have a slight problem with getting the lips symmetrical on the first go, as I didn't keep looking back in the mirror- so I had to go back in and perfect them. I think after the tweaks I was able to get a somewhat symmetrical look to the lips. 

Cream Contouring

The base before contouring

Initially I did find it slightly tricky to get the right colour match as I kept mixing in a shade that was too dark or yellow toned for Justine's skin tone. However I think that once I did get the right shade I think that it applied well and looked nice once applied. 

Using Cream/Greased-based Contour

Using the same method as previously, using small strokes with the brush to apply the product and slightly blending it out with the finger to make sure that there are no harsh edges. 

Once happy with the look of the contour, go over with powder. Test with the back of the hand to see if it's sticky, if it is then apply more powder.

Apply blush onto the apples of the cheeks and slightly blend up. 

Go over with the powder to make sure that there are no harsh edges. 

Showing the contour of the cheekbones and forehead.

Contour of the nose.

HEALTH AND SAFETY:

- Always make sure that you wash your hands before touching the model's face, you don't want to transfer germs. 

What I found...

I found contouring with the cream a lot easier than powder, which I was quite surprised about as I am used to using powder on myself. I found the consistency a lot easier to blend than the powder so that I didn't get a harsh line. I think I was also a lot more confident in comparison to doing the powder last week, which I think is why the end result was a lot better. I probably could've used more product to get better definition of the features, but as Justine is very pale I didn't want to use too much product and make the skin look dirty as a result. 

My Portrait

As a homework task we had to take a Self-Portrait including objects that describe our personality. I found this task pretty tricky as I didn't know what objects I could include that would show my personality. After much deliberation and consulting with people around me, I decided that I would lie with a pile of shoes around me. I think this described me well, as they are some of my favourite things, which I keep buying even though I probably shouldn't. 

It was a bit tricky to get the photo right. I did enlist my Dad to help take some photos, but I decided against using the ones he took as they weren't what I had imagined when I came up with the concept. Therefore I resorted to taking the photo as a Selfie. Lighting was also a problem, as it was very bright sunlight which was illuminating only one half of the face, and so didn't look right. So to rectify this problem I decided to shut the blind so that only hints of natural light would shine through, the image did come out slightly darker than I would've liked- but I did edit it so that it would be a bit lighter. 

Another problem I had was what to look at, I did try the photo with my eyes open but I did look somewhat dead, so I opted for eyes closed. I think this made it seem as though I am dreaming about the shoes that are surrounding my head. 

I did edit the photo, so that I could change the lighting and make it a tad lighter. I also de-focused areas of the carpet that were still poking through any gaps of the shoes, so that the shoes and my face would be the main focus of the portrait. I also smoothed out the skin on my face and got rid of any blemishes that I could.

Do people still have status symbols in modern portraits?

I found some portraits and looked into whether the status of the person is shown through the objects used, and what other symbols have been included as well and to what effect.

In the photo of Beyonce from the promotional poster for the Miss Carter tour, she is shown to have lots of status - which is especially shown through the use of jewels and gold in her costume and on her. Furthermore even in the background the status and regal tone is shown, through the gold throne, fur throw and gold cushions. As in some portraits of Elizabeth I, Beyonce is shown with a crown and sceptre- both of which are symbols of monarchy and status. However as this was a promotional poster for the tour, this was all done for the effect of making Beyonce out as a Queen, thus creating this character for her that has high status.

Found here: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/318559373613302645/
visited 20/10/15

In the portrait of Vivienne Westwood, she is shown to have status through the use of jewels and pearls adorning her hair and around her neck. These are typical symbols of wealth and are used time and time again in portraiture. However in Elizabethan times the pearls would be used to signify virginity, and I think in this instance they are being used to show wealth and power instead.

Found here: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/367817494543780456/
visited 20/10/15

A different portrait is the one of the two Princes. Although it does show their titles and status, through their military uniform and commendations, it is a much more relaxed portrait in comparison to the two previous. The other two portraits show the subjects in very 'wooden' positions, whereas the portrait of the Princes seems to be a lot more relaxed- as if someone has just taken a photograph of them sitting down and talking together. In typical painted portraits (especially of Royalty) they would be placed in 'wooden' positions that make the image seem like a painting, however as this one seems to be more 'picture-like' in composition it makes the picture almost come to life. Furthermore by painting them in this way, it makes them seem more accessible to the people, so that they may have their titles but they are still 'normal' people as well.

Found here:
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2013/jan/11/kate-middleton-best-worst-royal-portraits#img-3
visited: 20/10/15

Reflection - Blogging, where do I go now?

After reviewing each others blogs, I feel a lot calmer about the work and which posts I need to do and how to go about doing them.

I still need to finish the blog post on Elizabeth in film and how each portrayal of Elizabeth is different, as well as the blog post on Modern portraiture with examples of some. I think going forward I need to look at other resources, other than just the Internet, so that I can get a wider range of information for my research and show more diversity in my work. Furthermore I think I need to look into the 'proper' way to reference in my blog posts by using the Harvard Referencing guide on the Solent Portal.
I think I also need to add some more visual elements to my blogs, e.g; face charts, pictures, videos, so that my posts look a lot more engaging and to also how that I can research elements other than pictures.

As my partner hadn't posted all of her blog posts, I wrote her a checklist to help her with figuring out which ones needed posting. I did mark her on her 'Elizabeth' post, which was very good. It showed a great deal of research into the time period as well as the background of the makeup process for the makeup artists to transform Cate Blanchett into the Queen.

The Ditchley Portrait by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger

Upon visiting The National Portrait Gallery in London, this is the portrait of Elizabeth I which stood out to me the most.

Found here: http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw02079/Queen-Elizabeth-I-The-Ditchley-portrait 

This is 'The Ditchley Portrait' painted by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger. The thing that stood out to me the most about this portrait was the fact that Elizabeth is painted standing on top of the world, with England being shown underneath her feet. I thought this was very interesting because to me it symbolised not only Elizabeth's rule across Britain but also the power she had across the rest of the world. Furthermore at her feet are ships sailing off from the South of England, I thought this could further symbolise her power and the power of the Navy. By painting them sailing away from Britain, I thought it could show them going off to war, and being the strong force to take down their enemies.
Other elements I noticed about the painting was the use of pearls and the inclusion of the Tudor rose on her clothing. These are symbols that are used over again in portraits of Elizabeth, with the pearls symbolising her virginity and reinforcing her image of 'The Virgin Queen', and the Rose symbolising her rightful claim to the throne- as many thought her illegitimate. Another element I noticed about the portrait was that Elizabeth is holding gloves in her hands rather than wearing them. Elizabeth loved her hands so they are always shown in her portraits. However I thought the fact that she is holding the gloves rather than wearing them could symbolise truth, as sometimes gloves could be seen as a symbol for deception and concealment, and so by showing her hands she is showing the people she is being truthful. Researching into the significance of the gloves, I found that gloves were said to represent elegance instead of deception as I previously thought.

I did have to research the portrait in much more detail as there were elements which I was unsure about and couldn't see properly at the museum, especially the Latin inscriptions. From my research I found that the portrait was produced for Sir Henry Lee, who was the Queen's champion from 1559-90. According to the information given on the National Portrait Gallery website, the theme of the portrait is forgiveness, which is shown through the inscriptions. The three inscriptions are said to read; 'She gives and does not expect';  'She can but does not take revenge', and 'In giving back she increases'1- these do show the theme of forgiveness. The forgiveness is said to be Elizabeth forgiving Lee for becoming 'A stranger lady's thrall', referring to his relationship with Anne Vavasour, who was his mistress and he was living openly with which was said to have offended the Queen.2  

Her dress definitely shows her status, and could also be seen to be symbolic. It is adorned in jewels and pearls, which show the wealth of Elizabeth as she was able to wear this garment that is adorned all over by the jewels. Furthermore the dress is white, and coupled with the use of the pearls on the dress, could be seen to symbolise her virginity, thus even further emphasising the image of 'The Virgin Queen'. 
She also has the typical high forehead, with the very pale white face- even though she was the fashion icon of the time, everything symbolised her high status and the fact that she could afford to look this way. 

Research
Internet: 1 Queen Elizabeth I (’the Ditchley portrait') (2015) Available at: http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw02079/Queen-Elizabeth-I-The-Ditchley-portrait (Accessed: 18 October 2015).
BBC (2015) Your paintings - Queen Elizabeth I (’the Ditchley portrait'). Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/queen-elizabeth-i-the-ditchley-portrait (Accessed: 18 October 2015).
2 Mongello, M. (2006) Portraits of Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603), with commentary. Available at: http://www.marileecody.com/eliz1-images.html (Accessed: 18 October 2015).
Symbolism in portraits of Elizabeth I (2015) Available at: http://www.rmg.co.uk/explore/sea-and-ships/in-depth/elizabeth/representing-the-queen/symbols-and-emblems-used-in-elizabeth-portraiture (Accessed: 18 October 2015).

Books: Bell, I. (1999) Elizabethan women and the poetry of courtship. 1st edn. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press.

Modern Portraits

When looking at Modern Portraits, I instantly thought about film promo posters and how characters are shown in them. I then remembered the promo shots that were dispersed for 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' and thought these would be good examples to use. I only chose two portraits that stood out to me the most; the one of President Snow and the one of Katniss Everdeen. 

Both Images found here: http://www.film-blogs.co.uk/index.php?i=40117 

Although this portrait doesn't have any objects specifically added into the background that show his status, the way he is sitting and his clothes contribute to this instead. By not looking at the 'photographer' he looks like he is distancing himself from the viewer, as if he his above doing so- thus showing his power. Furthermore, the way in which he is sitting- by firmly placing his hands on the arms of the chair- almost creates the effect of a throne, again asserting this power that the character has. The chair itself shows his status, as it is covered in velvet and (what looks like) gold, both of which are symbols of wealth and stature, as only the rich would be able to afford them. 

One aspect I noticed about his clothes is the gloves that the character is wearing. The use of gloves, especially in Disney animation, is used to show deception and conceal the person's true nature. This is symbolic of his nature in the film, that he is lying to his people and concealing his true feelings and actions towards the other characters. The main colour scheme for his clothing is black and grey, with black having connotations associated with death, again representing his true character. The fur scarf that the character is wearing is another symbol that reinforces his status, as fur is quite an expensive commodity, so only the rich and powerful would be able to afford such a luxury. Another symbol that reinforces his status, is the rose that he wears. In Elizabethan times the 'Tudor Rose' would be symbolic of 'the right to rule', and the character wearing it in this portrait could be using this symbol in the same way- showing his people that he is their rightful leader. 

By placing Katniss next to the chair with her hand touching it, it could be seen as symbolic of her rise to power and overthrowing President Snow, with her status being higher than someone who would actually sit in the chair. However it could also be symbolic of someone being absent, and she will not sit in the place marked for them. There is an antithesis between her costume and the chair itself. She is dressed in an elaborate dress, whereas the chair is very plain and wooden. This could be symbolic of her changing status throughout the film, and where she began to where she is now- someone who is still associated with a lower class who would sit in the chair but branching out to a higher class through the elaborate dress. 

The use of the white dress could be seen to be symbolic of innocence, which white is usually associated with, and is a contrast between the darker colours used in the portrait of President Snow. A further connection between the two portraits is made through the use of the rose. By having her lightly holding the rose instead of her wearing it, it could show the power and hold that President Snow has over her, as it is his symbol. 

On the dress is the subtle symbol of the Mockingjay, which is an important symbol throughout the whole film of the rebellion, so that even though the characters may still be controlled by President Snow (the Rose) they are still subtly fighting back (the Mockingjay). 

Colour Theory and Face Charts

We looked at Colour Theory and the colour wheel to distinguish different categories. These are;

- Monochromatic: A variation of the same colour

- Analogous: Colours that are neighbours on the colour wheel 

- Complementary: Colours on the opposite ends of the wheel, they have a strong contrast and can clash.

- Primary: Red, Blue and Yellow

- Secondary: Purple, Green and Orange

- Acromatic: White, Black and Greyscale

- Neutral: Beige, Taupe, Amber and Brown

- Chromatic Colour: Pure Colour, for example; pigment

- Cool and Warm: The undertone in the product

Face Charts 

I created three Face Charts, each with a different colour scheme. 

Complementary

For my Complementary Face Chart, I decided to use Yellow and Purple as my colour scheme with a very neutral but highly contoured face. I decided to do a 'cat-eye' look to change the shape of the eye and make it a lot more dramatic. I like the contrast between the dark 'blue-toned' purple and the bright yellow, and I think that it would look even better on actual skin so the colour can be even more vibrant.

Analogous

 For my Analogous look I took inspiration from the typical colours of a sunset, which is the gradient I wanted to create on the eye. I like how the yellow, orange and red blend together well to create this look I had imagined. I think it would've been good to find a colour for the eyes which would go well with eyeshadow and add something else to the look.

Monochromatic

For my Monochromatic look I decided to use Blue as my colour. As I wanted to do something a bit different with this one, I decided to colour the entire face a light blue colour, and use a darker navy blue as the contour and definition. In my head I imagined this as a look for a 'Snow-Queen' so I wanted to create a cold and harsh look which is why I left out eyebrows on the face. I think that to make the look even harsher I could've done even more contouring to make the features stand out more and appear more hollow. 

Creating a White Base

We looked into what products we could use to create a white base and what effect each gave to the skin.

Products used 

- Illamasqua Skin Base

- Illamasqua Eyeshadow in 'Sex'

- Supracolour Palette

- Aquacolour Palette

HEALTH AND SAFETY
- Scrape out the products in pans, to prevent you from dipping your brush into the product and to also prevent cross contamination.
- To clean powder as it is more difficult to scrape out than cream, clean with alcohol or wipe off the top layer with a clean tissue. 

1: Illamasqua Skin Base mixed with Illamasqua White Eyeshadow in 'Sex'

We decided to start with the Illamasqua white skin base and mix it with the Illamasqua white eyeshadow, onto one half of the face, to see if that would make the colour any stronger at all. It didn't really add much to the strength of the colour so there was probably not a lot of point in adding in the eyeshadow. Although the product did give the skin a white tint, it had a translucent finish, so that the skin tone still showed underneath. I did like the way it applied and the fact that it could be blended out. Kat also pointed out that even though it did leave a somewhat patchy finish, that would be quite 'authentic' when doing a historical Elizabethan makeup look as their skin wouldn't be flawless and fully blended. I think the finish it gave would be good for creating a slight white tint to the skin rather than a bold look.

Illamasqua White Skin Base mixed with
White eyeshadow (Sex)

2. Supracolour- Applied with a Brush

We did the other half of the face in the white Supracolour so we could see the difference between the two finishes. I really liked the way that it applied, it was quite a thick consistency but it covered all the pores really well and created a smooth finish which I think would be good for photographs. It did however streak a bit, much like the grease-based foundation palette, so I had to buff the product to remove the streaks. 

Supracolour (Applied with a brush)

Comparison between Illamasqua and Supracolour

The colour was a lot more vibrant in comparison to the Illamasqua, with it looking almost clown-like in appearance. I think this product would be good for creating a much more dramatic base. Megan also said that the product felt nice on the skin.

3. Aquacolour

We used Aquacolour next. I really didn't like this product, it was very difficult to work with and wouldn't blend like the other two products previously. It left very streaky marks on the skin and was very difficult (almost impossible) to blend out and also remove from the skin. I had to stop halfway through application as I was very frustrated with the product and didn't want to pull Megan's skin by trying to blend it in too much. I think this product would be better for painting lines/details on to the skin rather than full face application. This could be used in our final project to paint veins onto the skin like Elizabeth was said to have done. 

Using Aquacolour

 4. Supracolour- Applied with the fingers

I wanted to see whether using the fingers would give a different effect on the face. We still had the other Supracolour applied with a brush onto the other half of the skin so we could compare the two techniques. The application was definitely thicker and more time consuming, but as the mixture was thicker the colour was brighter as a result. As some areas were patchy and I couldn't get the right technique with my fingers I did go over with a brush to lightly blend out the product. 

Although I liked the final finish and how vibrant the colour was, Megan did say that it felt a lot heavier on the skin so this technique may not be the best if keeping the product on the skin for a prolonged period of time. 

Supracolour (applied with the fingers)

Comparison between the two Supracolour applications

 4. Red Lip

As an extra, I wanted to see what a red lip would look like against the white skin. I used the Supracolour palette and mixed the bright and dark red together to create the red I applied to the lips. I liked the vibrant colour of the red against the pale whiteness of the skin, as it created a contrast and almost makes the skin stand out even more. I think the red colour did also add a certain 'Elizabethan air' to the whole look, giving it a bit more definition than just a white face. 

Testing out a red lip

Contouring with Powder

You have to Contour differently depending on face shape and features. For example;

- Square Face: softly shade onto the forehead and under the jaw as well as the cheekbones

- Bigger Forehead: shade around the side to give it some depth

- Double Chin: shade under the chin

 Brushes Used

- Duo Fibre Brush

- Fluffy Brush

- Rounded Brush

- Powder Puff

Products used

- Illamasqua Pressed Powder

- Kryolan Glam Glow contour Palette

- Kryolan Blush Palette 

Tips

- Shading goes underneath the cheekbones and highlighter goes on top of the cheekbones. 

- Bring the product into the hairline so you don't have a gap in case you need to put the hair up.

- BLEND, BLEND, BLEND so that you don't get a solid line.

- Powder the face before using contour powder, touch the face lightly with the back of your hands and if it feels sticky, powder even more.

- If you do put on too much, add some powder onto a puff and go over the edges to soften it up a bit.

Technique

- Begin with highlight (you can add more at the end if you need to). Scrape the powder into the lid of the product and use that so you don't dip your brush into the pan.

- Highlight down the nose, top of the cheekbone, top of the brow bone, Cupid's bow and just under the lips

- Slightly contour the sides of the nose, if it's a harsh line you can slightly blend with your fingers (making sure they are clean)

- Contour the cheekbones and up onto the forehead. Don't go too far down the face towards the mouth. 

- Blend lightly under the chin and down onto  the neck making sure that you don't get a line.

Blush

- Get the model to smile, lightly apply blush onto the apples of the cheeks

- Blend the product up and out.

HEALTH AND SAFETY: 
- Make sure that you always wash your hands before touching the model's face. 
- To save you from touching their face, use a puff that you can rest your fingers/hand on during makeup application.

My attempt at Contouring

What I found...

I found it a lot easier to colour match after practising last week, and I think I got a good match to Chloe's skin tone. I think we both worked quite quickly as well so that we were able to switch over and work on each other. 

I found applying the contour quite frustrating as it looked more like a line rather than blended out. I did also go quite close to the lip, which I shouldn't have done. In future I need to keep the powder higher up on the face and blend it out a lot more so that it's not as harsh. I did like the effect the highlighter gave to the skin, and how 'glowy' it looked. 

I think with practise it will get much easier, and I need to practise a lot more in my free time to get the hang of it. Chloe did say that I need to have much more confidence in my own ability as I doubt myself quite a lot. Sue also said that I need to apply more product to the skin so that it shows up better under the lights - I think I was reluctant to apply loads of product due to lack of confidence and not wanting to ruin the makeup. 

After Chloe applied the makeup onto my skin, I did have to take it off as my skin started to have an adverse reaction (started to itch) to one of the products used. In order to make sure I know which product caused the reaction, I will do some small skin tests of the products we haven't used before. From this I will be able to then see if any reaction occurs and tell my partner that I cannot use that product in future application.