Claudia Make-up & Hair Designs

Here are my ideas for my fairy inspired look, I wanted to produce something quite mystical but not too over the top. This is why I went with soft pinks and bronzey make up tones.
Here are some images that I got inspiration from to produce my make up look -

Here are my face charts and the practice looks I did on myself -

For my first design I decided to go with a look that embraces the pink over the eye and up over the eye brow too. I think looking from the images I found inspiration from the over excessive eye shadow really works when you are thinking about faeries.

The skin will be bronzed and contoured too, the eye brows will be filled in and the white dots will add to the mystical-ness of it all too.

I like this design as I think it looks cool and edgy, the soft pink tones work really well for fairies I think they are quite soft looking and nothing too harsh. The dots add some features to the look as well as making the looker think there is something mystical about this person. 

This look I got inspiration from a Nars advert where the cheeks and temples are bronzed yet pinky toned too. I really liked the idea as I can change it in to something more mystical. 

I did the skin as normal using foundation and contouring around the face. I did the eye brows and used a shimmery brown all over the eye lids up to the brow bone. Then I used a bronzer and a pink eye shadow to create the look around the cheeks up to the temples too on to the forehead. 

I like this look as it is a bit more normal than the other two designs but I do really like the pinkness on the face I think it adds some character and it also still makes it look mystical as not many people would wear this look as an every day thing. 

My last design is a take on the first one but just toned down a little.
The eye shadows are the same colours as the first design, but there is a more definition in the inner corners of the eyes than around the eye brow. The white dots add some colour and definition to the brown as also keeps it looking mystical. The face is preped the same as the other two designs with the foundation and contouring too.
I like this design too as I think it has an edge to it, the pink tones I really like too!

I did another mood board to show how I would like the hair and the inspiration I got -

These are my hair designs -

The first design her hair will be all wavey and crazy like her personality, she will also have a flower in her hair behind her ear - as the key word is white rose added flowers will be relevant. I would curl the hair using tongs and add some wax in to the hair to make it messy looking too.

My second design is the hair straight, as she is a little crazy she likes to look after her self so straight slick hair would fit too. I added random little plaits in to the design as they add a bit of texture and something extra in to the hair. Faeries usually have something different about them and the added plaits will look cute too.

The third design is the design I like the most, their hair is nicely curled and soft looking, at the front of the hair is a Swedish braid but loosely in the hair so at the front the baby hairs are coming out. In the end of the braid there will be flowers stuck in the plait too - as the key word is white rose the added flowers in the hair will relate to that too.
This is my favourite design as plaits and faeries are associated together, the messy ness of the hair shows how crazy she is and the flowers represent the key word and also gardens - where faeries are usually found.

Claudia & Quentin Presentation

I did a presentation to the class on my ideas for my characters and I got some feedback on my ideas on what they think I should do next -

Those were the responses that I got from my class mates on my presentation. On the presentation there was all the information on my previous blog posts - Introduction to Claudia & Quentin, Claudia and Quentin.

THe main feedback was to decide on where I want to shoot my characters, in the studio or on a location. I have decided to shoot them both on a location.

Claudia will be shot in a garden full of flowers, where faeries are "supposed" to be. I have decided to do this because I think you will get a better feel for the character and the mood if it was in a garden.

Quentin will be shot in a room where there is just concrete around him like a basement or an un-used room that looks dark and gloomy. He will stand out in the room as he will be so pale and dead looking too. I think this would look good as then you can see how dark the whole situation is and in a way you would feel sorry for him being left in a cold dark room.

Another point was to go my face charts, which I have now done and I have done some practice on myself of the make up I want to produce for the looks.

I was pleased with the other comments like having good information, I think I have made my ideas clear about what I want to do and why I want to do them to fit in with the TV programme and with the word I chose too.

Quentin

My second character that I chose was Quentin and this was the character brief I was given on his character -

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

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

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

The concept I have on this character is, I know he isn't actually a real character as he is a made up person, by Claudia. Therefore I wanted to create something for her, something that she could have hidden away in her house.

Claudia is a very strange girl and no one really knows what she gets up to, what she likes or doesn't like or what she does when she's at home, Quentin will be locked away in her bedroom but because no one knows he's there it's like her little secret she keeps from everyone which she loves.

Quentin will be a new vampire, a newly made fresh blood vampire, in True Blood these are the best vampires to "catch" because their blood is still in transition and "tastes" better and gives you a different high.

Quentin was a twenty year old boy, a new vampire who Claudia found in the woods one night chained down and holes in his arms. She saw him and took the chains off, took him to her home and decided to keep him for herself.  As soon as she could she had him chained down on to her bed so he couldn't move. The silver on the chains burned through his skin and it hurts that much he can't move. So he ends up being stranded there hurting, she drains his blood daily little by little so she can get her vampire blood fix. One day shes nice and the next she can be terrible and terrorise him. 

Quentin will be the perfect vampire, good looking, pale, charming when he is allowed and mean when told to be by Claudia, he has the perfect pretty boy image too so if he was human then he would be very attractive too.  He does what Claudia says, obeys her rules even though he knows he can get away if he really wanted to, he can't because he secretly is in love with her.

My key word that I picked for Quentin is "SAVE US" -
I picked this word because he needs saving, all vampires who get trapped by love or in chains need saving because  there actually dead. No human could have a life with a vampire.
As he is in chains he will be in pain and needs some one to come along and save him or just kill him. He is never exposed to sunlight because she has him hidden in the basement.
He will be chained down on a concrete floor, uncomfortable and in pain. Chains will be over his neck and his wrists too, his skin will be more pale than usual and this one particular day he wants saving more than ever so he will have blood tears coming from his eyes. His hair will be still in place, his facial features will be perfect as ever too. He will not be wearing an clothes on the top part of his body either.

I created a mood board to show my idea -

Scars Using Moulds

Today we did a lesson on making scars with ready made gelatin molds, putting them on the skin and making them look realistic.


Health and Safety 
Follow all health and safety guide lines making sure the client is ok during the process of the application of the gelatin and make up
Make sure the client has no allergies and do not apply any of the glue too near the eye area - keep eyes shut

What I Used 
- Pros aide
- Pro clean
- Witch Hazel
- Loose powder
- Cotton buds
- Brushes
- Cotton pads
- Supra palette
- Blood
- Clotted blood
- Alcohol

What I Did 
1. The mold was pre-made so was coated in talc, firstly I put the glue on the mold and on the skin
2. I waited for the glue to go clear on both the mold and the skin and then stuck the mold on to the skin pressing firmly so the gelatin stuck really well and started to blend in to the skin
3. Using witch hazel on a cotton bud i rubbed all the edges on the gelatin to make them smooth and blend in to the skin
4. Once blended I got some loose powder and covered the gelatin once again
5. Using the red Supra colour i wet my brush with alcohol to make it weaker in colour and brushed it all over the mold and the surrounding areas on the skin
6. Adding blood and clotted blood on to the mold to make the wound look more realistic
7. Once I was happy with the colouring it was then finished

Molds are a really good way to get continuous wounds that look exactly the same, there very good for continuity and they are very easy to create too.
Once the gelatin has set in the mold coat it with talc so they don't stick together and they don't stick to anything else either.
To remove the mold from the skin you need to use the correct remover or it will stick to the skin!
The remover is called Pro Clean, using a cotton pad I wiped over the wound and the colouring, gelatin and the glue came off the skin.
It is really important that you wait for the glue to have gone clear on both the skin and the mold, because if they are stuck together when they are white then it will appear white on the skin and it won't dry.

Reflection 
I really liked this lesson today learning how to do scars with pre made molds, I thought it was much quicker and easier to create the scar than using wax or gelatin. I think it would be a great help using a mold in future for continuity and quickness.

I really liked the different molds that were available too as there was a choice as to what kind of look you wanted to make. I really liked the outcome of the scar too it looked really cool.

The only thing I found difficult was making the edges fade in to the skin with the witch hazel, the edges were quite thick and so getting then thinner took time.

Overall, I really liked the looks that we got to do today, the quickness and effectiveness of the scar was really good too and i'm glad we got an opportunity to try it out.

Claudia

My first character that I chose was Claudia and this was the character brief I was given on her character -

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

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

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

The concept I had on this character profile to fit into TV programme is to make her one of the main characters cousin. The main character Sookie falls in love with Bill but she is also a fairy. She can read peoples minds and in season 3 she gets transported to the fairy world. 

But Claudia is a bit ditzy, she does a lot of crazy weird things but no one knows she can read their mind too, like Sookie. Every one knows she has something wrong with her as she trances around town being mystified with everything she sees and does. 

She also likes to take vampire blood, real vampire blood which is drained from a vampire is sold as a drug to normal people to give them a high. 

I can appear Claudia to look blonde and a typical all American kind of girl, really fun and energetic but then also really crazy and strange too. She will have blonde hair, very pretty looking too - this will engage men as her good looks but her ditzyness always create attention from men. Women will also be interested in her character too as we want to know what she is going to do or say next so she's quite intriguing.

Keyword 

The key word I have chosen is "WHITE ROSE"
I chose this word because you associate faeries with flowers and gardens.
Because Claudia is a fairy I thought this word really goes with how I want her to be in this TV programme.
The thoughts I had to create the image based on this word are all to do with her being a fairy, she also is very over dramatic and eccentric too. I image her to have taken some true blood and because it's a drug to normal people it had heightened things about her such as her over dramaticness. I pictured her in a garden looking at a white rose like there is nothing more beautiful in the world, her eyes will have been blacked out - which I will use contact lenses for, her look about her has changed and she has become all mystical and fairy like with a beautiful face of colour in pale pinks. Her hair will be long and curled but a little wild too, her clothing will be white too as she can look pure and innocent.

I created a mood board to show my idea -

Introduction To Claudia and Quentin

For the second part of the brief I have been given three character briefs and I have to fit two of those characters into a programme that I have chosen. I have to produce my ideas on how they will fit in to the programme making them one of the current characters or I can add our own characters to the programme instead. Including that I have to pick a word from a selection and link the character/image to that word too. Once I have done the research behind my characters I have to produce an image for each on what the character will look like and link it to the word that I chose.

True Blood 
The TV programme that I chose was True Blood, it is all about vampires, faeries, wolves and all sorts of other crazy mystical things. I chose this programme because I have seen most of the seasons and I really love it! I was addicted to it and the story lines are so good too.
It is based in a fictional town in Louisiana called Bon Temps, in the day time it is a lovely setting, summery and nice. There is nothing scary or strange about the place but when night time comes all sorts of creatures are lurking about in the woods and even just around the town.
As vampires are free to roam around the streets in the programme, they are becoming more like normal people and they want to fit in with the norm too.
It has some really big characters too and some crazy story lines which have you hooked after the first episode!

Audience Demographic 
Mainly women are attracted to the programme, it includes a lot of romance, sex and of course vampires. Ever since Twilight hit our screen a lot more programmes and films have been brought out and they get better and better. The special effects get better, the actors gets more attractive and the love scenes get more raunchy. This is what appeals to women these days, they aren't afraid to admit that either!
Men of course watch the programme too, it has some very attractive women in it, the story lines are so good that any one could get hooked to it and men also love a sex scene too which is what is in almost every episode of true blood.
It has won over 40 awards for various different things and has been nominated for over 100 awards too. It is a very good programme that people love and I find the whole different creatures that come in to it, make it even better!

Bruises, Cuts, Burns & Scars Research

Here is some research into what actually happens to the skin when a trauma happens, like a cut, bruise, burn and a scar. I wanted to do some research in to this so I know what happens to the skin, it will then be easier to recreate it on the real skin if you have a background of what it should look like in real life.

Bruise

Bruises are so common these days, you fall over and you get a little bruise that appears under the skin or even worse you have a fall and a huge bruise appears! The impact of the fall will make the blood cells deep in the skin appear near the top of the skin in a dark red or black/blue colour. Over time as it starts the heel the bruise will turn greeny yellow in colour. They only usually last about a week or so and they don't effect the skin in anyway it is just under the skin. 

Creating a bruise on the skin is tricky but the colours you need are easy to find, red. blue, yellow and purple are widely used and you can mix them together to get the colour you need to create that bruised look. 
Kryolan do some really good bruise wheels that are in a selection of different colours and shades - they are oil/cream based make up 

Cuts

A cut to the skin can either be as little as a paper cut or as big as a slash through the skin, the medical term for a cut is a laceration - a break in the skin. Little cuts still hurt the skin and can cause discomfort, blood is very possible to be visual too from the cut - this is just a breakage of the skin nothing too deep but a slash of the skin is much worse. The object that cut the skin could go through muscles, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels and nerves! Therefore more blood and discomfort. When the cut first breaks the skin the blood vessels go in to over drive to try and clot the blood from coming out, over the next few days chemicals are released from the body to help heel the wound, a scab is formed - called epithelialization, this is where the skin created new skin cells to cover over it like a protective barrier which is like having a scab. Over the next few weeks whilst the skin underneath is still healing, the capillaries are sending oxygen and nutrients to the wound which gives it the pinky purple look. After 2/3 week the colour starts to go more normal in the skin and get stronger. 

Creating cuts on the skin you need to use wax, latex, blood, sculpting tools, oil based colours and even puss, fake glass and dirt depending on how the cut was made.
Kryolan and Niells Materials have some really good products to create these cuts.
Kryolan do some great bloods like in the veins and arteries blog post

Burns

When the skin is burnt it can be affected differently depending on what burnt it and how burnt the skin got. 
A first degree burn will make the skin become red and very sore and painful and it only effects the top layer of skin. When the burn is heeling the skin will start to peel and the new skin will develop underneath it. 
A second degree burn will effect more than just the top layer and goes further into the skin which causes blisters and redness. It will also be very painful and the blisters can pop which makes the skin look wet. 
A third degree burn is the worst kind of burn you can get, it effects the skin and could go all the way down to effect the muscles, blood stream, major organs and could even cause death. 
The skin will be very red, could be burnt with black on it, pussy and yellow, possibly bleeding, the skin will look leathery and waxy brown in colour too. 

Creating burns on the skin is quite easy I find, I like to use gelatine to create burns on the skin as it creates a lumpy effect on the skin with the added make up it makes it look more realistic too. 
On Neills Materials you can purchase gelatine to create the burns too, you can get it in a clear colour or flesh toned.

Continuity Test Evaluation

During this continuity assessment I have really enjoyed researching and learning more about Gothic Horror, I like the whole look of gothic architecture and how things have evolved through time by films, poems, books, paintings and buildings. I never knew there was so much to it either so seeing and learning about it really interested me.

The continuity test I found was the hardest part for me, I feel that the look I created with the gelatine was good but it is really difficult to get the same look on both days that I had to produce the look. I really liked my design as it links with the character I chose to base it on but making it look the same on both times proved difficult.

I liked working to the brief as it gave me guidance as to what I know I need to do, I enjoyed being able to create something from my own perspective considering how many times my character has been produced in different ways too.

Problems I came across were deciding on what design I wanted to do as at first I was unsure, I then thought long and hard about what products I liked and put it all together into one idea. Another problem I came across was finding a model suitable for the character as a number of people had let me down a few days before the test.

Over all, I am pleased with the character look I did and the research I did but if I had to do it again I will choose a different product/design which is easier to recreate multiple times. 

Continuity Test 2

Today I did my second continuity test on the same model, using the same products and creating the same look as I did last week.
I had on my mirrors my face chart, my hair chart and the make up I produced the week before of different areas of the make up on the neck.
I was very prepared and I knew exactly what I was doing this time too as I had produced the look the week before.

Everything went really well today too, I produced the look I wanted and did everything  exactly the same as I did in the first week. The model had had a hair cut in the week that I was unaware about so the hair will be shorter in this weeks shots.
He brought the same shirt with him though which was great as he still ended up looking the same.

I did the look quite quickly again this week as I feel working with gelatine you have to work quickly or it just gets really thick and sticky and you have to melt it again or melt more.
I can see a difference in the images as there is more colour/redness in this weeks photos, I can see it does look slightly different but I feel I did the best I could and I tried my best to produce the same look.
Over all, I am pleased with the outcome of the look, it may look slightly different but the whole look of the character is still the same. I am happy with the results but if I was to do the look again then I wouldn't use as much colouring on the gelatine.

This is how it came out -

 

 

 

Continuity Test 1

Today I did my first day of the continuity test, I had some problems at the start of the day as my model didn't turn up. But I managed to find a replacement and do the look on him.
He was basically what I wanted but his hair was a little shorter.

I feel everything went well today and I got the look I wanted from my model, the only thing is as it was such short notice (half an hour) my model didn't have time to grab a white shirt so I had to make do with a white polo shirt that he had.

I did do my look really quickly as I was working with gelatine, the hair was really easy to do as well so I did complete really quickly. Over all I was happy with the results though and hopefully I will be able to produce the same look next week.

 

 

 

Character Practice

Today I did a practice session of the look I am going to produce on my character. 

The products I used were - 

- Gelatine 

- Supra colour 

- Brushes 

- Bowl 

- Spatula 

- Loose powder 

- Matt primer 

-Alcohol

How I produced the look - 

1. I warmed up the gelatine in a bowl so it was runny 

2. I then put the Matt primer all over the skin 

3. When the gelatine had cooled down I used the spatula to get the gelatine all up the neck and on to the jaw line 

4. Once I had covered the neck I then used the loose powder all over the make it Matt and not shiny 

5. With a fluffy brush I used the alcohol  on the brush to get it wet and I dusted the colour all over. It grabbed the buher points of the gelatine so the effect looked really good 

6. On some areas I added more redness to tge areas that weren't risen and a little yellow too

7. Once I was happy with the look of the skin and the colouring I would then move on to styling the hair 

Reflection 

I was really pleased that I practised my look today as it gave me more confidence for the final assessment.

I really liked the effect the gelatine had on the skin too as I don't want a burn or a cut I just wanted horrible looking skin. 

The only thing I have changed to my design is the gelatine will only just come up over the jaw and not over it on to the chin or cheek bones. I changed it because I thought the effect looked better as it was only just coming over the jaw and I really like the effect. 

Also I am going to get the gelatine all the way back to the ears so it doesn't look like there is a gap. 

Over all I am pleased I practiced and I am really happy with the outcome of the practice session too.