The first thing I did to create this look was the eyes. I used a black cream base to cover my eyelid. I then used various shades of purple and black to blend around the eye socket. I made the eyes darker at the lid and lighter as I blended out - this created a gradient affect which added interest and depth. Using a black liquid liner I produced a cat-eye (winged liner, pointed at the inner and outer corner) and lined my tight-line and water-line using a black kohl liner. Using the black liquid liner I outlined the purple circle surrounding the eye to neaten up the edges.
I then used white face paint to cover the top portion of my face (keeping the bottom half clear so I needn't worry about smudging at this point). I set the paint with a matte white eyeshadow to ensure it stayed in place.
Next, I added the scalloped detail below the eyes using the black liquid eyeliner. I had to ensure both eyes were as symmetrical as possible. I then filled the hollows with blue eyeshadow and added additional detail with liner.
I then added the nose details and forehead art - to do this I, once again, used the black liquid eyeliner and blue, green and yellow eyeshadow. I used some of Kelly Durette's art work as inspiration. Finally I moved on to the bottom half of my face where I added the teeth and additional detail on the cheeks. I also painted my ears, neck and chest white to complete the look.
Another Sugar Skull design, inspired by Kelly Durette
"Skulls and Butterflies - they are life and death in the most obvious form imaginable"
My inspiration for this piece was scarfs designed by Alexander McQueen. I was originally inspired by a scarf called 'the forgiveness scarf' which had a variety of vibrant insects .
I used a life size replica human skull to create this final piece - I found this added more interest then a simple drawing or painting of a skull. I used oil paints to paint the insects onto the skull in a variety of colours, sizes and species.
I chose to keep the skull symmetrical, painting the insects on like a mirror image - this mimics the symmetry in a butterflies wings.
I began by separating toilet tissue into single sheets so the layers were thin. I then laid liquid latex and the the toilet tissue onto a clean area of the skin. I continued to add layers until the patch was to the desired thickness.
Next, I cut out the central part of the patch to create a deep cut affect. I then used layers of foundation, powder and suitable flesh toned eyeshadows to make the latex and tissue look more like skin.
Then, using black, brown and maroon eyeshadows I filled in the open area to create depth and make the wound look more realistic.
The final touches were to add fake blood and to remove the excess latex around the wound in order for it to blend into the real skin better. The blood really gives it a much more realistic look.
To make the beak I experimented with paper creating different cut outs that would form a cone. Once I got the shape correct I made it out of cardboard. This alone was not stable enough to stay on my face so I covered it with plaster of Paris to add strength.
Once the paster dried, I covered with tape to make the surface smoother making painting easier. I also added two small holes in the top to mimic the nostrils. On the underside of the beak I cut out a large triangular hole. This was simply added so I could breath when it was worn over my nose and mouth.
I used acrylic paint to create a gradient affect on the beaks. I wanted to use viberant colours to mimic the beak of a tropical bird.
In the video below you can see the application process of the makeup and how I achieved the hairstyle to produce the final result.
You can see the final image of the half skull mask at the top of this post. I used a black background so the skull stands out. To produce the final image I edited the photograph to make it black and white and increased the contrast. I chose to only paint half of my face to show the juxtaposition and to show what is under the skin.
If you would like to see me apply this makeup to achieve the final result please watch the video below.
Since discovering the world of YouTube at around 14 years old I have always had a keen interest in makeup. I love the way makeup can totally transform someone both physically and mentally. As well as making people look different, makeup also has the power to change peoples mindset like the way it has the ability to make someone feel more confident about themselves.
Last year I studied art as an AS Level at school. During the year I experimented with many makeup techniques and looks and I thought it would be fun to share just a few of these with you.
Half Skull Mask
I studied Art as an AS subject last year and our coursework topic was 'Construction'. For this I decided to explore the construction of the human form. In art I tried to think out-of-the-box in order to stand out. Therefore, as well as painting on canvas' and sketching, I decided to use my makeup knowledge to create an art piece that will stand out to the examiners. I used black and white body paint along with various eyeshadows to show what lies beneath.
As well as a final print of the image I also displayed how I achieved this look with a video. As this video was played in the expedition I have not added any music, so if you're keen to watch it pop on your favourite song in the background!
Sugar Skulls
Continuing with the theme of skulls, I studied an artist called Kelly Durette (google her art work, it is incredible). Her work inspired me to paint myself as a Sugar Skull. I experimented with different colours and makeup products and initially I achieved the first image. Although I loved the makeup, I wanted to recreate the makeup with all aspects of the photograph taken into consideration - the hair, makeup, background and outfit.That is when I achieved the final images below.
Bloody Scar
As well as playing around with makeup and body paint, I took my turn at Special FX makeup. I wont go into detail about how I created this scar on my friends arm but it involved liquid latex, tissue, fake blood and a lot of patience.
After I peeled the gory mess off
Bird Transformation
In the second half of the year we were able to choose our exam topic from a list. I selected 'Animals, Birds and Plants'. The majority of my exam art work consisted of photographs but obviously I couldn't miss a makeup transformation opportunity! I decided to make some beaks out of card and transform myself into a bird. Again I used the images below as final prints and I also filmed myself applying the makeup (once again there is no music as it was displayed at the exhibition). As this was my first attempt there are things I would have liked to change but as it was an exam piece, we were limited on the amount of time we could use. Never the less I was happy with the final result and achieved an A grade at the end of the year.
I hope you enjoyed seeing some of the makeup looks I created for Art last year! Thanks for reading. Bye for now x
