Introduction:
For this project, we were tasked with choosing a theatre production and creating a look for a character from the chosen show. Options included Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, The Snowman Ballet, The Grinch and Elf The Musical. It’s important for a makeup artist to know the basics of applying makeup for theatre productions. This is because a makeup artist could be given any job from a stage show to a photoshoot, so versatility is required to go far in the industry. Another reason for this is because knowledge of products can be used for different jobs. Due to harsh lighting and heat, stage makeup needs to be able to last through the performance. This means a makeup artist will need to know which products are most long lasting and effective. Knowing these products can also benefit other jobs, such as shooting music videos, photoshoots, or filming stage productions. Due to my limited experience with theatre makeup and lack of knowledge of the shows, I didn’t have much inspiration when it came to this project. I went into it just wanting to build my skills and strengthen my knowledge of this makeup style, as it was completely new to me at the time.
Products:
- creme foundation
- powders
- theatrical eyeshadow palettes
- setting spray
- professional creme colours
- cake makeup
- prosthetics
Brands:
- Ben Nye
- Bioderma
- Bluebird FX
- Cameleon Professional
- Kryolan
- Mehron
Research:
Swan Lake was written by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The synopsis of the ballet is Odette (the white swan) has been cursed by Von Rothbart and is now trapped in the body of a swan, only able to take the form of a human at night. Only true love can break the spell once and for all, which is where Prince Siegfried comes in, as he falls in love with Odette. Odile (the black swan and the character I chose to create a look for) is Rothbart’s daughter, and appears in the third act in an attempt to make Siegfried fall in love with her, which would result in Odette remaining a swan. Odile’s appearance of black feathers and dark, dramatic eye makeup is what drew me to creating that look, as it reminded me of goth makeup and Siouxsie Sioux in particular. Siouxsie Sioux (real name Susan Janet Ballion) is considered a pioneer of the goth scene, both in terms of music and fashion. Her signature look is dark, bold eye makeup similar to the look worn by Odile in the ballet. This look also inspired the trad goth look, which is often a person’s first thought when they hear the word goth. Pale base, dark eyes and heavy contour. This look is what sets trad goth apart from the rest of the scene, and is very similar to the black swan’s makeup. The common factor in the two looks is most notably the dramatic eye makeup, which is how I got from a classical ballet to an alternative subculture in the first place.
While movie makeup is supposed to look natural and lightweight, the opposite is true for theatre makeup. Actors on stage need to be seen from the back of the theatre, so the makeup they wear needs to be very over the top and exaggerated. Theatre makeup is used to exaggerate actor’s features and needs to be able to last for long performances under the lights, as well as easy to remove.
Lighting not only plays a part in setting the scene, it also can have different affects on makeup.
For my final look, I have decided to create a look based on the character Odile from The Swan Lake that is suitable for a performance. Choosing which production I wanted to create a look for was a rather difficult decision. This is because none of the characters really grabbed my attention or gave me inspiration. I eventually settled on the black swan because dark, dramatic makeup is an area I feel most confident in. I took inspiration from performances of the ballet as well as goth makeup from the 80s. The particular goth makeup style I was taking inspiration from is the makeup popularized by musician Siouxsie Sioux. Siouxsie Sioux is best known for her band Siouxsie and the Banshees, who were popular in the 80s goth scene. The main characteristics I took direct inspiration from were the bold, dark eyes, the eyebrows which almost act as bolder nose contour and the red lipstick. As this look is meant to be suitable for a theatre performance, I had to swap the traditional ghostly pale foundation for a base that is two shades darker than my model’s skin tone. This is to ensure that even under the harsh stage lights, the audience can see the performers from all the way at the back of the theatre.
After a few practice attempts, I decided I wanted to add some red under the eyes as well as just on the lips. I chose to avoid using blush, both due to the gothic influences of my look and because I felt it would be better for the character. Initially, I couldn’t decide between using dark purple or red on the lips. Due to the red under the eyes, I settled on red lipstick as it went with the rest of the look.
I think the final look turned out okay and I’m happy with the look overall, but there are some things I would do better. I didn’t take the rest of the look into consideration, mainly focused on the makeup. As a result, I couldn’t tie my model’s hair in the ballerina bun I had initially planned. To try and overcome this, I attempted to slick her hair back with gel spray and hair spray. Unfortunately, my model had a fringe that wasn’t cooperating with the copious amount of products I doused it in. I also failed to consider wardrobe too much. This was thankfully easy to overcome due to my model bringing an outfit that was sort of suitable for the character, as per my request. If I were to recreate this look, I would focus on the whole look as opposed to just staying occupied with just one aspect. I would also work on symmetry and making sure both sides are equal. As this was a theatre look, I should have also made the contour heavier.
Products used:
- Rock and Roll Beauty Ozzy Osbourne bat palette- (product is no longer available so I can’t find the price)
- Revolution Beauty Revoholics #lips lip palette- £4.50
- Pixi Beauty Tones & Textures eyeshadow palette- £22.00
- Technic contour palette- £4.50
- Technic eyeshadow palette-£4.50