Dorian Gray design practice on my model

Hair:

• Paint with white and yellow Supra-Colour mix - yellow should counteract bluish tint
• For next time, add some dry shampoo for dusty effect
• Part very neatly for easy continuity
• Instead of simply messing up hair like in original design; backcomb, then style neatly, so that I can pull out individual sections and place them carefully, to then replicate exactly from pictures

Make-up:

• Cover any blemishes that might change over time
• Apply a couple of layers of latex - be careful to soften edges with acetone
• Powder on top and all over skin for slightly pale/greyed/dry skin effect
• Do not put latex where the bruising will be as it crumbles the texture of the Supra-Colour!!
• Fill in wrinkles with darker concealer
• Brush white/grey Supra-Colour through eyebrows, eyelashes and any facial hair (ask model to keep same facial hair for next session!)
• Grey in cheekbones to thin face
• Yellow tint under right eye, bruising on left - follow image of real black eye
• Create cut on left cheek
• Blend colour down neck - ask model to wear shirt with collar (in theme with period)
• Keep notes and take careful pictures!!!

My model - skin consultation notes

Model: Harry

Skin type: combination - oily around T-zone, dryer on forehead an under facial hair
Skin sensitivities - none. Tested for any allergy to latex. 
Current skin care regime - cleans face and moisturises daily, exfoliates 2-3 times a week
Full list of products used to create the look:

• Concealer palette (D1 + D10)
• Liquid latex (+ acetone)
• Illamasqua powder
• Cinewax
• Fake blood
• Kryolan blush palette (101, Youth Red + 665G)
• Kryolan Supra-Colour palette (blue, purple, dark red, yellow, white, black)
• Kryolan Aqua-Colour palette (white, yellow, black)

Dorian Gray design practice on myself

Order of working:

• Cover any blemishes
• Liquid latex 
• Fill wrinkles with dark concealer 
• Grey contouring to hollow cheeks
• Eyebrows and facial hair (eyelashes) - grey supra colour 
• Yellow on one eye - waterline too (jaundice)
• Bruise other eye 
• Cut on cheek 
• Liquid latex lips 

To improve:

- make the yellow more subtle

- improve bruising colouring - follow an image

- make sure colour blends down neck

- careful not to rip latex
- blend wax better with skin

Practical 5: dirt and teeth

Products:

• Supra-Colour palette
• Moisturiser
• Fuller's Earth (and water)
• Kryolan Colour Sprays
• Kryolan Tooth Enamel (in black and 'nicotine' colours)
• Surgical Spirit

Equipment:

• Cotton buds
• Hair dryer

Health and Safety:

• Clean, tidy workspace
• Cover model over
• Only use a tiny bit of Surgical Spirit to avoid it being ingested
• Use sprays in a large, aired space and advise model to hold their breath while it is spraying
• Make sure to test hairdryer temperature on self first

Technique:

• To make the effect if dirty hands and nails, I mixed together some red, yellow and black Supra-Colour to make a muddy, brown shade. I then dabbed it on with my fingers, smudging it around and making sure to get into the creases to avoid white lines by bending the knuckles and fingers as I worked, and also into the nail beds and under the nails.I thought it looked effective and realistic. 

• I mixed Fuller's Earth with water to make a paste, and smeared it onto the skin with my fingers again, to create a messy, uneven appearance. Then I dried it with a warm hairdryer. I liked how it created a cracked, muddy texture when dry.

• I then used a black Kryolan colour spray and tested how different distances and pressure created different effects. Up close made a very strong, black, harsh colour - but when dabbed with a towel this colour broke up and the white beneath showed through, created an almost sooty/ashy effect. From further away the spray could be splattered or just a thin mist could be applied. 

• Finally, I created the look of missing/rotting teeth. I dried a tooth with a cotton bud so that the tooth enamel would stick better, and then I dipped a cotton bud into the tooth enamel and painted it onto the tooth, making sure to get to the edges and gums. To remove, I dipped a cotton bud in surgical spirit and gently wiped the product away. I didn't think this method looked very realistic, plus I found it difficult not to accidentally touch other teeth or the gums. I think using a mix of colours would be good to create a rotting look, however. 

Overall, I enjoyed this practical. Although not something I am likely to incorporate into my design, I thought the dirty/muddy hands looked realistic and I liked how the products created different effects. I think I would have to work with the tooth enamel again to practice if I wanted to create a more realistic look. 

Dorian Gray hair practice

Although the hair is much too long for my design, I had a go at practicing the techniques of my design on my hair doll. I parted the hair down the centre, in keeping with the fashions of male hair in the 1880s/90s.  I then took small sections and backcombed them, layering it up so that all of the hair on top of the head looked messy and damaged. I left the lower parts as in the Victorian period the sides were often shorter than the top. I was happy with the outcome, and think it is simple but effective, meaning I will have time to colour the hair, style it, and then have time to focus on the make-up. 

Continuity practice

I practiced continuity by creating an eye look, making notes and taking pictures, and then recreating it again a few days later. These were my notes:

• Stay Matte primer all over lid
• Stay Matte Powder all over lid - press on with brush
• (Use Naked palette:) 
• 'Sin' eyeshadow all over lid - press on with finger
• 'Sidecar' all over eyeshadow all over on top of in - press on with finger
• 'Toasted' eyeshadow on outer V with eyeshadow brush and blended up with blending brush, also apply under eye with eyeshadow brush - blend with blending brush
• 'Hustle' eyeshadow in the crease on a thinner eyeshadow brush, and also under outer half of eye - blend with blending brush 
• Thin line of black eyeshadow ('Creep') under bottom lash line, blend out
• 'Creep' eyeshadow on top lash line on outer third of eye, and right in the crease with small brush, blend outward in cat-eye shape up towards end of eyebrow
• 'Virgin' eyeshadow on inner corner with small pointed brush
• Makeup Revolution 'Indirect' pigment on inner corner with small pointed brush
• Soap&Glory 'Supercat' eyeliner - very thin across whole upper lashline, thicker towards edges, flicks
• Mascara on upper and lower lashes - apply to top and bottom of upper lashes

These are the images of the first look (top) compared to the second (bottom):

I think I recreated the look really well. The only differences I can notice are that the inner corner colour looks slightly different - in the first images it looks very slightly brighter, as if I applied more product that time. Also, I think I blended the colours slightly more the first time. I also had trouble remembering exactly which brushes I used, so I could have been more clear in my notes. However, I think on camera, or to someone who did not do the make-up themselves, it would not be noticeable, and so I am happy with how my notes and images helped me to recreate the same look for continuity.

The importance of continuity

The script supervisor has the responsibility of making sure that continuity is maintained between takes and scenes or setups. Continuity is vital for creating enjoyable, believable stories in films: if characters' appearances, props, or scene setup changes between shots, the viewer is reminded that what they are watching is not a depiction of real-life; instead, it becomes just a series of video clips that don't quite fit together. Everything has to look exactly the same - the exact placement of wounds, where clothing or hair sits on a person, where props are placed, lighting, camera angles, and so on. To do this, careful notes need to be made and followed, and numerous pictures are taken throughout filming. 
Each individual department of a film crew will take front, back and side images, close-ups and full body shots, and make many detailed notes. All notes will be dated with the scene number and the day of the film sequence. 
A common problem is when filming pick-up shots later on in the production of a film. The original costume and make-up artists may have moved on to another project by then, so another team is needed to recreate the same effects as before for shots that need to be inserted. If a lot of time has passed between filming, actors' skin, hair or physique could have changed colour or length or shape; it is important, while watching the film back, that continuity notes are made, so that when filming further shots the actor can be made to look the same. Costumes or wigs may need to be re-hired from companies. Otherwise, when all the shots are edited together, the characters will keep changing appearance back and forth, which will ruin the viewing experience. 

http://www.delamaracademy.co.uk/blog/2009/06/an-introduction-to-continuity-for-the-make-up-artist

Practical 4: pallor, fever and sweat

Equipment:

• Stipple sponges
• Flicking brushes
• Beauty brushes

Products:

• Supra-Colour
• IPA
• Glycerine
• Eyelash glue
• Eye drops 

Health and Safety:

• Be very careful with alcohol around the eyes; the model's eyes should always be shut while working
• Clean and tidy workspace, cover model over before working
• Wash hands

Technique:

• Remove any real blemishes first. Don't be afraid to leave a model with no make-up on at all, but blemishes must be covered for continuity reasons as they may disappear in a week or so.
• Moisturise the skin to make it shiny and mix with the products better
• Dilute red Supra-Colour with IPA to make it more translucent
• Dab it onto the skin with a brush and blot/blend with fingertips
• Cover the nose, ears, neck, lips, go into the hairline, etc. as blotches are not limited to the face only and would not have hard edges
• Eyelash glue dabbed onto the lips when puckered will stretch and appear like dry skin when the lips are relaxed - you can tear the glue slightly to look like cracked/torn skin. Red Supra-Colour can be applied to look like soreness or blood, make sure to go into mouth slightly rather than just on outer lips
• Powder lips to look even dryer
• Dab glycerine onto face with a stipple sponge to leave drops of 'sweat' on the skin
• Flick IPA and Supra-Colour at the face to give the appearance of wetness/shine/sweat
• Squeeze eye drops into the inner corner of the eye to make them watery or tearful

This practice was really enjoyable and I was happy with the work I created. I think it will be useful for my project too as I wanted to include dry lips and a sweaty and blotchy complexion. My model was not comfortable with me trying eye drops so I didn't get a chance to do that, but I was happy with how everything else looked. I thought using the glycerine to appear like sweat was particularly effective, and I was pleased with how realistic the blotches I created were, as they were not too strongly coloured. I darkened the eye socket a little bit as I was following an image were the colour was stronger in this area. An improvement for next time would be to take the redness into the hairline slightly, to avoid harsh edges were the make-up suddenly stops. 

Dorian Gray hair designs

The Picture of Doria Gray by Oscar Wilde was published in 1890, so first I looked at male hairstyles from the late Victorian era. I found images of men with oiled hair, often centre parted, and shorter at the back and sides.  

First I drew a design of what Gray might look like in his younger years - a typical centre parting, the hair longer on top, and quite smoothly styled with slight flicks out above the ears.

Next I designed how I want my version of Dorian Gray to look like once he is old and more deformed. I kept the centre parting to keep it within the period, although I will part it unevenly. I will tease, curl and crimp various sections, styling it with a bit of oil to make it look greasy and unclean, and I will leave it messy and textured. I will use dry shampoo or Aqua-Colour to grey the hair and make it look dry and aged. 

Greying hair

Dry shampoo:

I had a go at making hair appear grey and dry, as I would like to use this effect for my Dorian Grey interpretation. I used dry shampoo, splitting the hair into layers and taking thin sections, then spraying the hair with the shampoo. I had to use quite a lot to get a strong colour. I then combed through any harsh sections to even the colour out, and worked through the whole section of hair. I thought this technique worked quite well, however I was spraying the product sideways rather than up and down the length of the hair which meant it looked a little stripy in places. If I were to use this technique again I would be more careful about where the product sits in the hair. Also, because dry shampoo is a powdery product, in places were the product was heavier it was visibly flaky and powdery, and so looked less convincing. I also thought it looked a little too white. 

Kryolan Aqua-Colour:

At first, I used the white Aqua-colour on a spoolie brush and combed it through the hair. However it had  slightly bluish tint - so I mixed in a little black to make it more of a grey colour. It still looked a little blue, so I added a tiny bit of yellow to contrast the blue tones. This mix of colours meant there was variation in tones and shades in the hair, making it look more natural. It also looked less powdery than the dry shampoo method, and did not move around or fall out when I touched, brushed or moved the hair. It also added a dry texture, which is perfect for my design as it includes damaged, aged hair. Therefore, I think the Aqua-Colour technique is best for my design. I just need to make sure to use a variation of shades and use a little yellow to tone out the blue tints.  

Practical 3: burns

Products:

• Gelatine
• Witch-hazel
• Kryolan Supra-colour palette
• Kryolan blush palette 
• Powder
• Fake blood
• Cleanser

Equipment:

• Spatula/palette knife
• Cotton buds
• Hairdryer
• Microwave (to melt gelatine)

Health and safety:

• Test gelatine on self first to check it's not too hot
• Test hairdryer on self first to check it's not too hot
• Clean and tidy work space
• Cover client to protect clothes, etc.
• Can be peeled off or washed off with warm water

Technique: 

• Consider whether it's a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. burn you want to create.
• 1st = sunburn
• 2nd = boiling water or acid
• 3rd = visible flesh
• Melt gelatine in microwave. Wait for it to cool before applying - test on own skin first!
• Apply with a spatula/palette knife - use thin layers in order to create smooth edges, layer up as you like
• Pull at gelatine, move it around and rip parts to create texture
• Use witch-hazel on a cotton bud to blend edges 
• Dry with a cool hairdryer - not hot as it will melt the gelatine again. Gelatine will still be tacky!
• Dab on powder - don't rub - to set gelatine and make it blend with skin and feel more flesh-like
• Stipple blush colours on to make surrounding area look sore
• Use false blood, supra-colour, and any other products (e.g. pus) to make the area look burnt and sore

I started by lightly rubbing a red and black mix of supra-colour over the gelatine, creating this veiny effect which I quite liked:

Next I added false blood, making sure to keep the ripped/lower levels darker and shiny to look like deeper parts of the wound:

I then added more black and brown supra-colour to darken certain bits and add texture:

Finally I took some cleanser on a cotton bud to remove small sections and blend it all a bit, as if some flesh was showing through and some skin was less burnt then the rest, creating texture:

I really enjoyed this activity. The gelatine was a lot of fun to work with and I was pleased with my result, although it does not necessarily look very realistic. However I liked the thin, veiny effects I managed to create. 

Dorian Gray design research and face chart

•Background - wealthy young gentleman, no parents, mistreated by his uncle through childhood

•Story - begins a life of sin and cruelty, safe in the knowledge that his appearance will not falter

•Status - a gentleman, wealthy, friends with Lords and Ladies

•Characteristics - 'finely curved scarlet lips, his frank blue eyes, his crisp gold hair,' very attractive, youthful

•Personality - impressionable, naive, curious

•State of mind  - gradually worsens and becomes corrupt

•Attributes - well-spoken, talkative, becomes cruel, promiscuous

•Research and evaluate

I researched some typically evil characters from films. What they all have in common is a wrinkled face full of frown lines, and quite a gaunt bone structure emphasising cheekbones and setting their eyes deep in their head. They have facial characteristics which seem almost abnormal, whether it's scars or the shape of their features. This makes them look monster-like, and therefore threatening and evil. 

•Who is it aimed at? - people who enjoy thrillers and old classics, people who have read the novel

•Visual impact  - shocking, horrifying, realistic

•Conveying personality  - frown lines, stress lines, wrinkles - all shows his cruelty

•Express yourself - including my own opinions/desires, e.g. not being as deformed as previous interpretations have shown Gray, as I felt they were excessive

•Goals and dreams - Dorian sets out to live a life of careless luxury, committing as many sins as he likes without a worry - therefore the effect on his appearance is quite drastic

•Building back stories  - assumptions of lots of smoking, drinking, opium, sex, possibly fights - his appearance would show the consequences of all this

Using my research and descriptions from the novel, I have created an initial design for my Dorian Gray interpretation. I have incorporated wrinkled skin and frown lines, a sore on the lips, which will be dry and greyed, a cut on the lower cheek and also a black eye to show evidence of getting into fights, yellowed eyes to show jaundice and therefore liver failure through alcoholism, greyed skin and tired, grey under-eyes, hollowed cheeks, a drooping mouth, and thin, greying hair.