Practicing And Evaluating My Designs

This was actually my least favourite design out of the 4 I created. I felt that the overall look was very theatrical, but not in an Elizabethan, nor a contemporary way. I did not think the Elizabethan influences I used came through in the design, and it definitely did not look modern and contemporary. 

I felt the extreme red contouring and white face were almost too contrasting and the overall colour scheme was not very effective. 

Therefore, I have decided not to use this design, and develop one of my other ideas. 

I actually really liked how this design turned out when applied to the face - the pale face is the clear main Elizabethan influence, and the use of the heavy smokey eye and contouring gives a very contemporary feel. 

I think I carried out the look quite effectively, the only thing I would need to practice/improve is the lip, ensuring it does not smudge (like it has slightly on the top lip). When actually carrying out the design, I decided not to block out the eyebrows, as originally planned, because the model (much like myself) has very dark and thick eyebrows, so I thought it would look more effective with eyebrows. I think the dark lip finishes the overall look and it works harmoniously with the rest of the design. 

I am definitely considering using this design as my final one.

Again, this I thought was a quite a successful design. I liked how the Elizabethan influences and modern influences literally merged together in front of your eyes, e.g. where the white fades out into skin tones with contouring. 

The only thing I altered slightly from the face chart was that I added a light gold coloured eyeshadow, because I felt that the eyes needed a little bit more colour. After looking back onto this look I am actually considering using white eyelashes, instead of black, so that they blend in with the white section of the face. 

I will consider using this as my final design also. 

Personally, I felt the 2 designs above were much stronger and more effective than this one - I feel that there is not enough going on, and that none of the influences really come through. The mixture of Elizabethan and contemporary is much less visible in this design, and therefore I will not be choosing this look. 

After looking through my 2nd and 3rd design, I have chosen to develop and proceed using my 3rd design, because I feel it looks quite unique and individual, but yet you are able to pick out certain aspects of the design that are contemporary (e.g. the contouring), and factors that are contemporary (e.g. the section of pale skin). 

I will practice this design on myself so I know how it works and if it is effective, and I will then proceed to make all final decisions, for example, about what to do with the eyebrows and eyelashes. Finally, I will draw up a conclusive face chart and give this to my partner. 

Initial New Elizabethan Make-up Designs

Reminder of my Elizabethan and contemporary Elizabethan portraits: 

Look 1

This style did not necessarily have a specific influence (apart from bearing in mind my Elizabethan portrait from the National Portrait Gallery and my contemporary Elizabethan styles). I used all of my knowledge of what I have learnt about the Elizabethan's and then combined it with, what I believed  to be, more contemporary elements. I also incorporated an analogous colour scheme due to previous colour theory lessons. 

In this look, the face is white (Elizabethan), and features red contouring all over the face - the fact it is red relates to Elizabethan and the fact that they had rouge lips and cheeks, but the actually technique of contouring is referring to modern society. I also chose to contour the head into a heart, because heart-shaped headlines were actually quite popular in the Elizabethan era. The eyebrows would be blocked out and then drawn back in but much thinner and darker (combination of both Elizabethan and contemporary - Elizabethan because they had very small, if any, eyebrows, but it is quite popular today to have dark eyebrows, sometimes even darker than your hair). I then chose to have dark purple lips because I see this as very modern, and this is actually shown in my contemporary portrait. I then chose to have quite a light eyeshadow because Elizabethans did not wear heavy eye make-up, and I chose an orangey colour to make the colour scheme analogous. Finally, I wanted white eyelashes with this look, because I wanted them to blend in with the rest of the face, and Elizabethan's did not have extremely dark, long eyelashes like is desirable in today's society. 

Look 2

This look was actually inspired by a look that I found whilst researching - it caught my eye because I thought it was quite unique and the contrast was very effective, but yet the blend/fade of the colour was done very well. 

This made me create the above face chart - whereby the area surrounding the eyes was white and it would gradually fade out into natural skin colour (the white would represent the Elizabethan pale face, and the natural skin colour would show modern society). I then accompanied this with only mascara on the eyelashes, because I wanted this to be the main focus on the eyes (this would relate more to Elizabethan because it would be quite natural). The rest of the face would be contoured (modern) and would feature the rouge colour Elizabethans wore, but it would be applied in a contemporary way, rather than just circles on the apple of the cheeks. The lips would be a dark reddish colour - red relating to Elizabethan, but the fact that it's dark being modern. The eyebrows will be left fairly natural to contrast with the white area. 

Look 3

This image is quite strongly influence by the 2 portraits I chose. For this look, I want a white face (Elizabethan), but with moderately heavy contouring (contemporary). I have chosen the colour scheme to be purple - in Elizabethan times this represented wealth and royalty, so there will be a hidden meaning within the look. I have chosen to have a purple smokey eye (as smokey eyes are often used today), and this will be paired with dark purple lips, again because I see this as a very modern style. I have chosen to block out the eyebrows to add more of an Elizabethan feel, but I will try this out before moving on because I do not know if this would suit the look. It is also key to take into consideration that the look will be created on myself, and I actually have quite dark and thick eyebrows, so the blocking out may not be possible to do to the degree desirable. 

Look 4

My inspiration for this look came from my original Elizabethan portrait and this modern image... 

I thought the 2 images worked quite well together in terms of the colour scheme and the actual style of make-up. I like how the look features the same colour on every feature, but yet it is not too overwhelming. 

Therefore, my look consisted of, not a totally white face, but a fairly pale face (a mixture of both Elizabethan and contemporary), and light contouring, which would be seen as fairly modern. This would be paired with Elizabethan style blusher, whereby the red colour is applied in quite a circular shape on the apples of the cheeks. The lips would be a nude colour, with maybe a hint of red/orange - nothing overpowering. The eyebrows would be left fairly natural, and perhaps penciled in slightly (hint of modern society), and the eyes would feature a fairly neutral coloured smokey eye, again, a mixture of both Elizabethan and contemporary. The whole idea of this look is to have elements of modern society, but everything is in moderation and so does not actually stray too far from Elizabethan make-up because everything will be fairly natural. 

At this moment in time, I am unsure of which look I want to develop and pursue, therefore the next step I am going to take is trying out the looks in person because I feel face charts, although they give an idea, do not show the whole picture, and do not always highlight what is successful and what does not work so well. 

Contemporary Elizabethan Make-up

• To create this look I used the blocking eyebrows out process 
• I then applied a white base (for this I used supacolour because my model had recently had a reaction to the Illamasqua skin base)
• I then did some light contouring on the cheekbones
• I added a dark brown and gold eyeshadow to the eyelid
• I finished the look by adding some colour to the lips 

Ideally, I would’ve liked to of had a little bit more time (because we only had half an hour), but I think I did quite well overall. The base looks fairly even, but if I did it again, I would like to do it slightly thicker. I think I coped with my client’s condition well because I had to be careful with the products that I used, since she had recently had a reaction. I would of liked to of been able to spend more time blending out the eyebrows to match the rest of the face, and I need to perfect the lips. However, as an overall look I think it fits the brief quite well and would suit a ‘New Elizabethan’.


Equipment used:

Kirsty Mitchell and Elbie Van Eeden

When photographer Kirsty Mitchell lost her Mother to a brain tumor to 2008, her grief drove her to retreat into a world of fantasy, inspired by the childhood stories her Mother read to her. “In the months that followed, real life became a difficult place to deal with,” she says. “And I found myself retreating further into an alternative existence through the portal of my camera. This escapism grew into the concept of creating an unexplained storybook without words, dedicated to her, that would echo the fragments of the fairytales she read to me constantly as a child.” Originally planned as a short project of only a few shoots, Wonderland has grown into a three year narrative, which Mitchell says “has been a roller coaster of emotion, and an enormous amount of effort, but now (finally) Wonderland is in it final stages, with its completion planned for the end of the summer 2012.” The project has brought together Mitchell’s love of fashion and costume, as well as art history and film. Every aspect of the shoots are carried out by Kirsty Mitchell and her make-up artist Elbie Van Eeden. Costumes, props, wigs and sets are designed are created specifically for each shoot and the results are amazing. 

I think some of the images can, in fact, be related to the Elizabethan's/New Elizabethan's. For example, in this image the model appears to have very pale skin, and red hair which incorporates curls and plaits, as well as the use of a very elaborate head accessory. Furthermore, she appears to be wearing a corset and holding something which looks powerful, as the Queen would do in a portrait. The make-up has a much more modern approach to it (hence it could be a New Elizabethan) with smokey eyes and quite contoured cheekbones, but still the make-up appears fairly natural. 

The Queen's Armada: A fantasy queen sails a fleet of the most delicate paper ships.









This image reminds me of a person sitting on a throne, so relates back to royalty, and therefore to Queen Elizabeth. It also features the colour purple which demonstrates wealth, and was very desirable in the Elizabethan era. 





Reference: http://fadedandblurred.com/articles/making-wonderland-kirsty-mitchell/

The Taming Of The Shrew (2005)

Katherine Minola is a succesful politician, tipped for the leadership of her party. The only problem is, her awful temper has left her a 38 year old singleton, and everyone, from her party chairman to her sister, wants her to get married.  Katherine is extremely abrasive in her dealings with everyone, both in Parliament and her personal life, but her sister Bianca couldn't be more different -- a popular model whom everyone loves. Bianca's long time manager wants to marry her; in order to put him off she says she won't marry until her sister is wed (a prospect she knows will keep her safe.) So her manager arranges his friend -- who is a titled Earl -- to meet and marry Kate. 

I actually quite enjoyed this film because the storyline was actually quite interesting and it allowed room for comedy and lightheartedness. I also like how it displayed 'how the other half live', because you are able to see the vast contrast between the lives of Katherine and her sister Bianca. 

Bianca Minola is played by Jaime Murray. She is portrayed to be a beautiful, glamorous high-end celebrity model with a jet-setting lifestyle. She is the total opposite to her sister and due to this factor, it is easy to see that Bianca gets on with their mum much better. The reason I have chosen to compare Bianca to a New Elizabethan is to do with her characteristics and her personality, not necessarily because of the way she looks.

I think she relates to an Elizabethan queen or a member of the royal family because she is strongly admired by many members of the public around her; for example, this is shown when Katherine, Bianca and their mother are sat eating lunch and the waiter asks for an autograph from a customer. This relates to Queen Elizabeth because many people looked up to her for various different reasons, whether it be the decisions she was making about ruling the country, or copying how she looked (e.g. pale skin, red hair, etc.). 

Furthermore, Bianca comes across and very confident and sure in her own decisions (e.g. when she decides she does not want to marry Harry Kavanagh and simply brushes his proposal off and says he always asks. This again is similar to Queen Elizabeth and how she is certain in her choices that she makes, and it actually reminded me of the film Elizabeth and how she comes to a decision that she will go it alone without a man, and that she does not want to be married, despite what everyone else is encouraging her to do. 

Reference: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0453555/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/shakespeare/tamingoftheshrew/

Cheryl Fernandez-Versini - A New Elizabethan?

Being asked to choose who I think is a new Elizabethan was quite a difficult decision, but I was actually inspired by BBC 4's list of who they think the new Elizabethan's are. Simon Cowell featured on the list and straight away this made me think of each of the X-factor judges, but I was instantly drawn to Cheryl Fernandez-Versini (or better know as Cheryl Cole).

The reason I have chosen Cheryl is because I would say she has an immense amount of power both on the X-factor panel, and in today's society, e.g. through the use of the media. She is definitely a trend setter and many people look up and admire her, both women and men. I would say her popularity/'celebrity status' has grown over the years, especially from when she became a solo artist and was no longer in Girls Aloud. Also, she is closely watched by the press, like royal Elizabethans would be kept an eye on, and every little thing (good or bad) is reported and almost exploited by the press. 

I feel that Cheryl sometimes acts like royalty - when you watch her on TV you are able to see how confident she is in what she is saying and some would argue some of the things she says are slightly bitchy towards other people. On the recent series of the X-factor you have seen her arguing with Simon quite frequently and expressing her opinions in a very strong and independent manner. 

The image I have chosen to show Cheryl is actually a painting created by Nikko Hurtado, who is the man that spent 50 hours tattooing her bum. Unveiling the complete piece of work, Nikko said: "This is pretty much done for now. For my 'Renati' solo show. 'Glitz & Glamour'."

The reason I have chosen this image to portray Cheryl as a new Elizabethan is because of the ruffles around her neck and the outfit she is shown to be wearing with the gems and pearls - these things all make her actually appear quite Elizabethan. However, the very unusual part of the image is the fact that she is wearing antlers on her head - the reason for this is unknown. In the painting, Cheryl's make-up appears fairly tame, and the main highlight of the make-up is her cheeks - I felt this again related to the Elizabethan's because they had minimal make-up with pale skin and red cheeks. 

Reference:http://www.reveal.co.uk/showbiz-celeb-gossip/news/a514826/cheryl-cole-given-antlers-and-elizabethan-ruff-in-new-oil-painting.html

Identity Revealed - a filmed triptych by Ellis Faas

De Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam commissioned this film by makeup artist/photographer/filmmaker Ellis Faas, asking Ellis to draw inspiration from traditional masks from the Ivory Coast.

Ellis explains her approach:
"Since ancient times, humans have been using masks - in order to express power and authority; to feel self-confident; to stand out or to hide behind; to not be recognised and disappear into the masses. Not only by traditional masks, but also by disguising and ornamental elements such as clothing, jewellery, hair and makeup. But can one truly change one's identity, or is it merely a temporary transformation? And who or what defines someone's true identity? Is it the mask, is it the human being behind the mask, or maybe even the creator of the mask?"

I found the video extremely eerie, due to the dark background and the music that was being played, I also thought the way in which the models were moving very unusual and unnerving. I also thought that some of the looks Ellis Faas created were actually quite scary but in a hidden sense; for example, I found that 2 of the looks reminded me of a gas mask used in the World War... 

The masks that completely covered the whole face were the ones that creeped me out the most, because you do not have any idea who that person is or what they look like - everything that you would potentially judge someone on has been taken away, so this left me feeling slightly on edge. 

Initially, from just watching the video (and not reading the meaning behind it) I did not necessarily understand the concept, but upon reading the information, everything became much clearer and I found the video very intriguing and interesting once I understood. I liked the way she explored different elements, for example, she used wires and 3D objects to create a mask, not just make-up, and I was very impressed with all the different looks she was able to come up with. Also, I think she was very clever with the concept she was trying to portray, because there is no direct answer to the questions she is asking, and different people will believe different things, so she is opening the subject up for discussion. 

Furthermore, I believe the concept is very contemporary because of the looks she creates and diversity she uses, as well as the fact that fakery and 'masks' are arguably often used by people in today's society... 

Reference: http://vimeo.com/109956784