Final Presentation for Specialist Study

 

Final Presentation for Specialist Study:

Today I presented my mood board that explained all of the steps to complete this makeup. Due to COVID rules, filming the application of this makeup has been postponed and possibly even cancelled which means that this presentation is very important to get across the steps and contextualization of this makeup.

This is my mood board:

This mood board was created using the drawings of my steps and the writing to go with each step was my dialogue for this.

These are my drawings:

These are the steps I used to vocalise my steps and contextualise everything:

Step 1: Apply the bald cap.

• ·         Use water, gel, or Vaseline to slick the hair back and tame any baby hairs around the hairline.
• ·         Pull the bald cap onto the head and mark where the ears are, then remove the bald cap from the head and cut a hole where you marked on either side, other areas can also be trimmed if needed.
• ·         Place the bald cap onto the head again and pull the ears through the holes.
• ·         Make sure the bald cap is laying flat on the head and place some latex under the edge of the bald cap to secure it to the head.
• ·         Begin to blend the edges into the skin around the entire edge (this may take several layers to make seamless but be patient).

A latex bald cap is used because it can stretch slightly which means it is versatile and can fit on most head sizes and it has less chance of ripping. This is applied first as other prosthetics such as the horns and eyebrow prosthetics will be layered on top of this, so the edges of the bald cap need to be blended before applying other prosthetics on top to allow the details of the prosthetics to be seen properly. A slit will also be placed in the sides to allow the ears to go through rather than cutting around them as this will help blend the edges around the side of the face and further help to prevent any possible seams around the ears.

The edges of the bald cap need to be very thin to allow them to be blended into the skin seamlessly as they can already be quite hard to blend and if the edges are visible it makes it obvious that it’s makeup and ruin the illusion, the paint will also cling to the edges if they’re not seamless which will continue to emphasise that it’s makeup. The edges also need to be completely blended to allow the other prosthetics lay properly and allow the edges to be blended seamlessly, this will help the makeup appear more realistic, as the seams won’t be seen, and allow the makeup to look more like the actual makeup used for ‘Game of Thrones’.

The hair will need to be smoothed down completely with water, gel, or Vaseline as this will help the bald cap lay flat on the head, but it will tame the baby hairs and help to hold them down which will prevent the latex pulling them out. A latex bald cap is also used rather than a silicone bald cap as it has more elasticity, and it is a more suitable material and technique for my skill level which will overall make the makeup appear well applied. As I have drawn, a sponge is used to apply the latex as it applies the latex more evenly than a brush and it prevents ruining a brush. You can also cut off the area of the sponge that has latex on it which means you can use the rest of the sponge again rather than throwing the whole sponge away or having to buy a new brush every time you use latex.

Step 2: Apply the ear prosthetics.

• ·         Place the ear prosthetic up to the ear to make sure it’s the correct size for the ears.
• ·         Fill areas of the prosthetic with cotton if needed, such as, the point of the ear to help it keep its shape and prevent it becoming distorted when applying.
• ·         Apply latex to the underside of the prosthetics to secure it to the ear.
• ·         Begin to blend the edges and create a seamless blend between the ear and the prosthetic (this may take a few layers but be patient).

The ear prosthetics are applied after the bald cap so that it’s easier to blend the bald cap into the skin and it prevents any unnecessary pulling on the ear prosthetics when trying to pull the ears through the holes in the bald cap as this increases the chances of them ripping or coming off completely.

The edges of the prosthetics need to be very thin to allow them to be blended into the skin seamlessly as they can already be quite hard to blend and if the edges are visible it makes it obvious that it’s makeup and ruin the illusion, the paint will also cling to the edges if they’re not seamless which will continue to emphasise that it’s makeup. The edges also need to be completely blended as this will help the makeup appear more realistic, as the seams won’t be seen, and allow the makeup to look more like the actual makeup used for ‘Game of Thrones’. The ear prosthetics are made using an ear cast as this means the prosthetics will fit the model and it helps with continuity as all of the prosthetics will look the same and all of the details will always be in the same place which stops the ears looking different between shots if the makeup is needed multiple times.

Latex prosthetics are used rather than silicone prosthetics as it has more elasticity, and it is a more suitable material and technique for my skill level which will overall make the makeup appear well applied. Latex is also used as the bald cap is latex and silicone would react with the latex and cause the latex to melt, it is used rather than wax as the wax wouldn’t sit on the latex properly and there’s more chance of it falling off. As I have drawn, a sponge is used to apply the latex as it applies the latex more evenly than a brush and it prevents ruining a brush. You can also cut off the area of the sponge that has latex on it which means you can use the rest of the sponge again rather than throwing the whole sponge away or having to buy a new brush every time you use latex. A smaller sponge is used for the ear prosthetics as the ears are quite small and this prevents too much latex being applied and it helps get latex into small places such as small crevices in the ear.

Step 3: Apply the eyebrow and nose prosthetics.

• ·         Prepare the eyebrows by applying a coat of Vaseline to prevent the latex pulling the hairs out.
• ·         Add a small amount of cotton under the sides of the nose and to the eyebrow prosthetics to prevent them becoming distorted and to help keep its shape.
• ·         Apply some latex to the underside of the prosthetic to help secure it to the nose.
• ·         Begin to blend the edges of the nose prosthetic using latex to create a seamless blend between the prosthetic and the skin (this may take a few layers but be patient).
• ·         Then apply some latex to the prosthetics to help secure them to the face.
• ·         Begin to blend the edges of eyebrow prosthetics to help create a seamless blend between the prosthetics and the skin.

The nose prosthetic is applied before the eyebrow prosthetics as the nose prosthetic will need to be blended up between the eyes which would cover the edges of the eyebrow prosthetics if they were applied first which could cover the details of the eyebrow prosthetics. The eyebrow prosthetics hang down over the brow bone slightly which means it’s very close to the nose and they are protruding over the edge of the nose so the nose would need to be blended first to allow this to happen.  

The edges of the prosthetics need to be very thin to allow them to be blended into the skin seamlessly as they can already be quite hard to blend and if the edges are visible it makes it obvious that it’s makeup and ruin the illusion, the paint will also cling to the edges if they’re not seamless which will continue to emphasise that it’s makeup. The edges also need to be completely blended as this will help the makeup appear more realistic, as the seams won’t be seen, and allow the makeup to look more like the actual makeup used for ‘Game of Thrones’. The nose and eyebrow prosthetics are made using a face and nose cast as this means the prosthetics will fit the model and it helps with continuity as all of the prosthetics will look the same and all of the details will always be in the same place which stops the nose or eyebrows looking different between shots if the makeup is needed multiple times.

Latex prosthetics are used rather than silicone prosthetics as it has more elasticity, and it is a more suitable material and technique for my skill level which will overall make the makeup appear well applied. Latex is also used as the bald cap is latex and silicone would react with the latex and cause the latex to melt, it is used rather than wax as the wax wouldn’t sit on the latex properly and there’s more chance of it falling off. As I have drawn, a sponge is used to apply the latex as it applies the latex more evenly than a brush and it prevents ruining a brush. You can also cut off the area of the sponge that has latex on it which means you can use the rest of the sponge again rather than throwing the whole sponge away or having to buy a new brush every time you use latex. A smaller sponge is preferred for applying these pieces and these pieces are applied close to the eyes, so a smaller sponge reduces the risk of latex getting into the model’s eyes.

Step 4: Apply the cheek and chin prosthetics.

• ·         Prepare ant facial hair by shaving it off or applying a thick layer of Vaseline to prevent the latex pulling the hairs out.
• ·         If needed apply cotton under the raised areas of the prosthetics to help them hold their shape and prevent them becoming distorted.
• ·         Apply some latex to the underside of the prosthetic to help secure it to the cheek.
• ·         Begin to blend the edges of the cheek prosthetics using latex to create a seamless blend between the prosthetic and the skin (this may take a few layers but be patient).
• ·         Then apply some latex to the chin prosthetic to help secure it to the face.
• ·         Begin to blend the edges of the chin prosthetic to help create a seamless blend between the prosthetic and the skin.

The cheek prosthetics are applied before the chin prosthetics as they can be blended down onto the chin without covering any details on the chin prosthetics, I have also left some space on the cheek prosthetics that allows the chin prosthetic to be blended into the cheek prosthetics. They are very close together, so this allows them to be blended together without covering any details of the prosthetics.

The edges of the prosthetics need to be very thin to allow them to be blended into the skin seamlessly as they can already be quite hard to blend and if the edges are visible it makes it obvious that it’s makeup and ruin the illusion, the paint will also cling to the edges if they’re not seamless which will continue to emphasise that it’s makeup. The edges also need to be completely blended as this will help the makeup appear more realistic, as the seams won’t be seen, and allow the makeup to look more like the actual makeup used for ‘Game of Thrones’. The cheeks and chin prosthetics are made using a face cast as this means the prosthetics will fit the model and it helps with continuity as all of the prosthetics will look the same and all of the details will always be in the same place which stops the cheeks and chin looking different between shots if the makeup is needed multiple times.

Latex prosthetics are used rather than silicone prosthetics as it has more elasticity, and it is a more suitable material and technique for my skill level which will overall make the makeup appear well applied. Latex is also used as the bald cap and other prosthetics are latex and silicone would react with the latex and cause the latex to melt, it is used rather than wax as the wax wouldn’t sit on the latex properly and there’s more chance of it falling off. As I have drawn, a sponge is used to apply the latex as it applies the latex more evenly than a brush and it prevents ruining a brush. You can also cut off the area of the sponge that has latex on it which means you can use the rest of the sponge again rather than throwing the whole sponge away or having to buy a new brush every time you use latex. A smaller sponge is preferred for applying these pieces and the top of the cheek prosthetics are applied close to the eyes, so a smaller sponge reduces the risk of latex getting into the model’s eyes.

Step 5: Apply the neck prosthetics and the horns.

• ·         If needed apply cotton under the raised areas of the prosthetics to help them hold their shape and prevent them becoming distorted, this is very important for the horns.
• ·         Apply some latex to the underside of the prosthetic to help secure it to the neck.
• ·         Begin to blend the edges of the neck prosthetics using latex to create a seamless blend between the prosthetic and the skin (this may take a few layers but be patient).
• ·         Position the horns where you would like to apply them before attaching them so that they don’t rip if you want to move them.
• ·         Then apply some latex to the horns to help secure them to the head.
• ·         Begin to blend the edges of the horn prosthetics to help create a seamless blend between the prosthetic and the skin.

The neck prosthetics are applied before the horns as applying the horns will be a lot more time consuming than applying the neck prosthetics so applying these first means that I can spend lots of time making sure the horns are in the right place and secure correctly. There’s also lots of horns so applying them correctly takes precision and patience which is why they’re applied last.

The edges of the prosthetics need to be very thin to allow them to be blended into the skin seamlessly as they can already be quite hard to blend and if the edges are visible it makes it obvious that it’s makeup and ruin the illusion, the paint will also cling to the edges if they’re not seamless which will continue to emphasise that it’s makeup. The edges also need to be completely blended as this will help the makeup appear more realistic, as the seams won’t be seen, and allow the makeup to look more like the actual makeup used for ‘Game of Thrones’. The cheeks and chin prosthetics are made using a face cast as this means the prosthetics will fit the model and it helps with continuity as all of the prosthetics will look the same and all of the details will always be in the same place which stops the cheeks and chin looking different between shots if the makeup is needed multiple times.

Latex prosthetics are used rather than silicone prosthetics as it has more elasticity, and it is a more suitable material and technique for my skill level which will overall make the makeup appear well applied. Latex is also used as the bald cap and other prosthetics are latex and silicone would react with the latex and cause the latex to melt, it is used rather than wax as the wax wouldn’t sit on the latex properly and there’s more chance of it falling off. As I have drawn, a sponge is used to apply the latex as it applies the latex more evenly than a brush and it prevents ruining a brush. You can also cut off the area of the sponge that has latex on it which means you can use the rest of the sponge again rather than throwing the whole sponge away or having to buy a new brush every time you use latex. A smaller sponge is preferred for applying the horns as they are quite small, and a large sponge may not be able to get between the horns properly, but a larger sponge can be used for the neck pieces as there’s no other prosthetics very close to them apart from the chin prosthetic.

Step 6: Powder everything

• ·         Use loose translucent powder to powder the whole look to remove shine.

Powdering the whole look together rather than individually means less product will be used and if a prosthetic is blended then another prosthetic is applied on top of the edge, the latex may stick together which can help prevent the edges lifting. This also is less time consuming than powdering everything individually.

Powdering the makeup is very important as it removes any shine from the latex which gives the paint a more matte appearance and it helps the look appear more realistic as regular skin isn’t shiny, so this helps give that appearance. Removing the shine is very important for the look as it prevents inconsistencies within the makeup for example some areas being matte and others shiny.

A translucent powder is used as it will not add any colour to the look which helps the makeup look more like the makeup used for ‘Game of Thrones’ as the Night King is a white/grey colour, this also helps as it will prevent any prosthetics becoming discoloured.

The powder is applied before the paint as this helps to apply more evenly and prevent any inconsistencies in the finish of the paint.

A fluffy brush is used to apply the powder as it gives an even coverage of powder and it prevents any concentrated areas of powder which can cause some areas to appear lighter on camera than others.

Step 7: Apply the base colour.

• ·         Apply a white alcohol colour across the entire look (you can use another pale colour if you don’t have white).

Applying the base colour after the powder helps prevent any inconsistencies in the finish in the paint and it gives a more even application. It’s also important to apply this colour first as other colours will be applied on top of it and it’s easier to build on top of a lighter colour rather than applying the lighter colour over a darker colour. A purple colour corrector could be used before applying the base colour to cancel out the yellow tones of the prosthetics, if the paint isn’t very opaque, which prevents any inconsistencies in the paint work.

Alcohol paint is used as this makeup would be used for film and TV which means it needs to last a long time, alcohol paints also need very little touch ups which is why they’re appealing to use for film and TV, they also won’t be affected as much by water which will mean it will last longer than aqua paints would. Alcohol paints blend into the skin more and can be layered to achieve the correct colour required, they are also very easy to blend together which is important if more than 1 colour will be used.

A flat brush is used to apply the base colour as it helps achieve an even layer and it covers a large area which helps prevent areas of concentrated paint, using a flat brush also helps reduce brush marks in the paint.

Step 8: Apply the contour.

• ·         Use a fine detail brush and black alcohol paint to create thin lines for the shading.
• ·         Use another thin brush to begin blending the shading.
• ·         Use a larger brush to blend even further to get an even gradient between the shading and the base colour (use some more of your base colour to highlight if needed).

 Applying the contour after the base colours helps to blend the shading and give a nice gradient between the shading and the base colour, it is also applied after the base colour as it’s easier to layer darker colours over light than light over dark as the colour won’t be as affected.  

Alcohol paint is used as this makeup would be used for film and TV which means it needs to last a long time, alcohol paints also need very little touch ups which is why they’re appealing to use for film and TV, they also won’t be affected as much by water which will mean it will last longer than aqua paints would. Alcohol paints blend into the skin more and can be layered to achieve the correct colour required, they are also very easy to blend together which is important if more than 1 colour will be used.

A thin detail brush is used to add the initial lines to prevent adding too much colour to the look and it helps give enough room to blend without taking the paint too far. A small brush is also used to do most of the blending as it doesn’t spread the paint too much meaning you have more control over the paint and precision is important to make the makeup look like the makeup used for ‘Game of Thrones’. A larger brush can be used for further blending if needed and is the most useful for the shading around the eyebrows.

Step 9:  Apply eyeshadow and eyeliner around the eyes.

• ·         Use a small flat eyeshadow brush to apply black eyeshadow on the eyelid and in the crease.
• ·         Use the same eyeshadow brush to apply black eyeshadow to just below the lower lash line.
• ·         Use a fluffy blending eyeshadow brush to blend out the black eyeshadow around the eye.
• ·         Use a black eyeliner pencil to line the top and bottom water line.

Applying this last is best due to the difference in products that’s used compared to the rest of the look. Alcohol paints could be used for this, however as it is very close to the eyes, eyeshadow is safer as the alcohol used to activate the paint could cause damage to the eyes if it gets into them and it could even cause blindness. The eyeshadow may need topping up more than any other part of the look but it’s a lot safer to use than the alcohol paints this closer to the eyes.

A flat eyeshadow brush is used to initially apply the black eyeshadow as it will make the eyeshadow more opaque than a fluffy brush would, this is then used to blend the eyeshadow to create the gradient that was required with the other shading. The black eyeliner pencil is used to line the waterline to bring the black shading all the way to the eye rather than having the gap between the eye and the lower eyelid. They eyeshadow should be matte as the rest of the makeup is matte and a shimmery or glossy eyeshadow would be an inconsistency in the makeup and would ruin the whole illusion and the look. 

I also read out these cards about the makeup artists and the context of the original makeup: 

After presenting my mood board I was given feedback from everyone in the class, the images of my feedback are below:

Personally, I feel as though I articulated my ideas really well and I was confident when explaining my steps. I feel as though I demonstrated my knowledge of prosthetics, this makeup and makeup artists in this field.