End of Year 1 - HND in Specialist Makeup - Evaluation

Having a bit of background in makeup was definitely a bonus when starting this year however knowing what I know now – I know how much more is possible! Starting the HND course has not only opened up whole new world in makeup and hair but in fashion, design and history!

I can’t imagine progressing into makeup design without this course. My tutor for level 3 queried how much more there could be to learn –  but it’s a huge amount!

Makeup:

I could produce a satisfactory makeup look when I started however some days went better than others meaning my skills were not consistently good enough. A better understanding of how to research different looks has meant that I have a good enough understanding of what needs to be achieved in order to know what needs to be perfected in order to achieve it – and that is so important!

I feel as though I have enough key skills in makeup now that with practice I can now get to the level I personally want to get to but that I need to put the time in to perfect certain areas.

One thing that still needs work is my eye lining but as with all things, knowing what products the look can be achieved with is half the battle and my product knowledge is much broader now.

I am much more knowledgeable in skin prep and base techniques including contouring and also a lot happier with lip shapes and blending and blocking brows. I now know the difference between what is needed for fashion, period and theatrical looks and I am really pleased with the new skills I have learned.

I've really enjoyed working as part of a team for our theatre studies assessment. It's nice to be able to share the workload and make use of everyone's best skills in order to produce the final look.

I would give myself a merit in makeup at this stage and hope that as my confidence grows I can be worthy of a distinction by the end of year two!

Hair: 

I feel as though hair is an area I shy away from a bit as I am not confident in my skills. I know so much more than I ever thought I would and I love some of the looks that can be achieved however it’s always the last thing on my list to get sorted. I do feel with proper planning I could design good hair looks to compliment my makeup and with practice, produce these looks. Better timed research is what is needed here. I know I can do it if I try as I was really happy with my results for the term 1 period hairstyling final which was quite complicated.

I can almost pull my newly acquired skills together but  I need to be inspired by the final look and things fell apart a bit this year as I was playing catch-up a lot.

I would give myself a pass with a small dash of merit for hair for this first year but knowing how important it is to finish a look, I will try to get design planning done earlier in order to practice a few times before a final next year. Whipping an unpractised look up is never going to get great results!

Contextual:

I can’t say enough how important knowing the context behind a look is! I love art and history and so to combine the two with period fashion and design has been so much more of an education than I could have expected from a makeup course. Knowing why people looked the way they did and who was who in a certain time period is invaluable to producing a genuine makeup and hair look.

I am confident in my historical knowledge to produce the correct look for a certain time in history and which sources to use in order to research further if needed.

This was one of my favourite classes and I would give myself a high merit in it. I will continually be topping up my knowledge from regular visits to museums and with further research on certain designers, models and high profile people throughout history – contextual studies was an education in itself.

Overall:

To get a distinction next year I feel as though I need to organise my time better and keep on top of my work as it is shown in the planned weekly layouts rather than knowing what I need to do but leaving things until the last minute.

The coursework is a lot to get through whilst maintaining a professional business however I know the quality of my practical assessments could improve once this issue is overcome. The experience I have gained this year has taught me many new skills which I want to put into practice with the best of my ability for my assessments next year. Planning and preparation is my main area for improvement.

Final Assessment - Mask

Here are some of the final shots I took myself on the day of our final mask assessment.

Face Chart:

 Here is my face chart with products and timings.

Hair & Makeup:

Evaluation:

I was pleased with the makeup on the whole, I think it worked well with the mask. I am never happy with my hair but since the model's hair was so short it worked ok with the fluff on the headpiece. I wish I had used a stronger product on the spikes and had time to create a more finished hair look. I have had a look at the final shots and they need a little work with Photoshop since the mask (which I used Prosaide to keep in place) looks as though it has slipped a little - anything's possible though and I will definitely take the time to create a better final photo! Overall, I am pleased with the mask construction and final finish, I think adding more feathers to the headpiece would benefit the overall look.

Makeup Looks Research - Mask Making

McQueen Catwalk Show

I needed a makeup look to compliment my mask design. Having chosen the theme of Pagan Mythology and inspired by my research on Alexander McQueen's 'Gazelle eye' catwalk look, I wanted to explore a bold graphic eye for my pagan goddess character so I started by researching into more high fashion catwalk looks.

Hache, Dior, Chanel Spring 2014

I love this look desined for Chanel SS14, it's almost a mask in itself and since my design is a half mask, I am thinking something bold is needed to balance the final photo.

Chanel

When I think about a goddess inspired makeup look, Katy Perry's Dark Horse Video comes to mind immediately!

I am using black, white and blue colour scheme for the mask and headpiece. I went with this initial idea as it seemed to work well with my final design idea. I have kept the makeup look less polished to give more of a feel of the natural paints that were  used by the ancient Britain's.

I am keeping a natural base with stronger contouring than I have shown here. I tried doing a blue lip but felt it was too theatrical for a fashion look.

The Mask:

I have charted my design of the mask in my sketch book so I will add some visuals of my mood boards and the design process in later posts but here are some pics of the finished mask and headdress.

Alexander McQueen

ALEXANDER McQUEEN

The Designer:

Fashion designer. Lee Alexander McQueen was born on March 17, 1969 into a working-class family living in public housing in London's Lewisham district. 

At age 16, McQueen dropped out of school. He found work on Savile Row, a street in London's Mayfair district famous for offering made-to-order men's suits.

Deciding to further his clothes-making career, he moved on from Savile Row. McQueen began working with theatrical costume designers Angels and Bermans. The dramatic style of the clothing he made there would become a signature of his later independent design work. 

Read more at http://www.alexandermcqueen.com/experience/en/alexandermcqueen/biography/#id_article=137

Savage Beauty:

Thoughts:

It seems like more than a stroke of good fortune that the Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty exhibition was being displayed at the Victoria and Albert museum in London earlier this year, happening in conjunction with our final project on mask making. To have the chance to see McQueen’s collection in person has changed the way I think about design. He combines his talent with fashion with something bigger and braver than most could imagine. 

I can't recommend going to see his creations in person enough! The genius of his idea's not only in fashion but in the production of his shows need to be seen to be believed!

Ticket Information can be found at: 

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/exhibition-alexander-mcqueen-savage-beauty/visitor-and-ticket-information/

The Book:

I admit to being slightly McQueen obsessed... I will be reading this from cover to cover over the summer!

Further Research:

As I research into him as a designer he is continually inspiring. Drawing from his appreciation of the natural world, he manages to take form combined with time-honoured design and change it just enough to retain a classical sense of beauty whilst creating something exotic and thought provoking – his creations are a true work of art. I will take inspiration from him with a feather headpiece for my final design that compliments my chosen theme - Pagan Mythology. 

A/W06 Runway Show Part 1
(part 2 follows)

Antler & Lace Headpiece A/W06

Makeup:

The makeup is also highly creative falling in line with the highest quality of work that makes up a McQueen show. Below is the Gazelle makeup from the 'It's a Jungle Out There!' show in Borough Market in February 1997.

In a television interview he said: “The whole show feeling was about the Thompson’s gazelle. It’s a poor little critter – the markings are lovely. It’s got these dark eyes, the white and black with the tan markings on the side, the horns – but it is the food chain of Africa. As soon as it’s born it’s dead, I mean you’re lucky if it lasts a few months, and that’s how I see human life, in the same way. You know, we can all be discarded quite easily … you’re there, you’re gone, it’s a jungle out there!”

Even Further Research:

Here is a half hour documentary created by the BBC, it gives a great insight into the person behind the designs - a must-see!

BBC Documentary 'The Works' 1997

Another documentary well worth a watch is 'McQueen and I' - Enjoy :)

References:

Alexander McQueen Fall 2006 Ready-to-Wear - Collection - Gallery - Style.com. 2015. Alexander McQueen Fall 2006 Ready-to-Wear - Collection - Gallery - Style.com. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.style.com/slideshows/fashion-shows/fall-2006-ready-to-wear/alexander-mcqueen/collection/6. [Accessed 11 April 2015].

Alexander McQueen fall winter 2006 part 1 - YouTube. 2015. Alexander McQueen fall winter 2006 part 1 - YouTube. [ONLINE] Available at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHb9RuQSSI8. [Accessed 11 April 2015].

BBC Documentary 'The Works' - Alexander McQueen 'Cutting Up Rough' 1997 (Full) - YouTube. 2015. BBC Documentary 'The Works' - Alexander McQueen 'Cutting Up Rough' 1997 (Full) - YouTube. [ONLINE] Available at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=542vMeyma4g. [Accessed 11 April 2015].

McQueen And I - YouTube. 2015. McQueen And I - YouTube. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNK2mKT8n9o. [Accessed 11 April 2015].

. 2015. . [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.biography.com/people/alexander-mcqueen-541384. [Accessed 11 April 2015].

Exhibition - Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty - Victoria and Albert Museum. 2015. Exhibition - Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty - Victoria and Albert Museum. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/exhibition-alexander-mcqueen-savage-beauty/. [Accessed 11 April 2015].