how to prepare for assesments.

When assessments are coming up in college we know well in advance. When it comes to preparing we need to know what the brief is, and to research make up looks for this so that we have a reference to work from. Then its practice, practice, practice to make sure we know how to apply the make up to create the look and also the products that were using give the correct effect.

My time so far at James Watt!

So far at college I have really enjoyed my time here. At the beginning I felt that I was out of my depth, and didn't have the confidence to achieve what I wanted to. However, over time, with the help from the teachers and class mates, I have slowly built my confidence and knowledge to feel good about what I am doing and what I would like to achieve. The college have been great in catering for our needs with the facilities available. The people in my class are great, we all get along which I think is important because I feel comfortable in class and makes working and learning easier.

CFE and my course.

The course that we are doing is very much a people based course, where we have to work with different people, from all walks of life, and we have to insure that we are confident, professional, caring and understanding of other people and there needs. with each class, special effects, hairdressing, character make up and wigs, they all tie in closely to create an over all look which is important to the industry that we are going into. From this it shows that the CFE is important to obtain as it will hopefully give us the knowledge together with the skills learnt in this course to be successful in our professional lives, and not only that, socially we will be well equipped for life in general.

CFE

This is what I found out about the curriculum for excellence, and its from there website, which is what we aiming for during our course.

The 3-18 curriculum aims to ensure that all children and young people in Scotland develop the attributes, knowledge and skills they will need to flourish in life, learning and work.
The knowledge, skills and attributes learners will develop will allow them to demonstrate four key capacities  to be successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.

The four main factors for the CFE is:

• Successful learners
• Confident individuals
• Responsible citizens
• Effective contributors

Halloween make up

With halloween just passed, this week and last week in college we have been re-creating halloween looks for the scary season. here are three that I would like to do and how I would re-create them.

The corpse bride is a Tim Burton film and the make up for this look would be a blue grease paint base, and I would mix a bit of shimmer to give a glossy look. Then I would highlight and shade with different blues to create a dramatic look and then on the eyes, put dark blue eyeshadow and line the eye with liner. For the lips I would mix black and blue together to create a "cold" look.

The second look I would create is a skeleton, and there a different looks that you could create for this. firstly i would put a white base on the skin and then round the eyes, cheeck bones and round the jaw line I would shade with black, and then to finish the look I would add teeth over the lines and out to give a scary feel to the make up.

The third look I would go for is a witch, which is the most popular look at halloween. For this I would start with a green base, add black to shade and white to highlight and then create wrinkles and age the skin. From this I would maek the eyebrows longer and thicker and put dark eye make up round the eyes and out, and finally add some red lips to create the witch.

History of wigs.

The ancient Egyptians wore them to shield their shaved, hairless heads from the sun. The Egyptians also wore the wigs on top of their hair using beeswax and resin to keep the wigs in place. Other ancient cultures, including the Assyrians,[1] Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans, also used wigs. Wigs are principally a Western form of dress—in the Far East they have rarely been used except in the traditional theatre of China and Japan. Some East Asian entertainers (Japanese Geisha, Korean Kisaeng) wore wigs (Katsura and gache respectively) as part of their traditional costumes.
16th and 17th centuries

Wigs 17th century

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the use of wigs fell into abeyance in the West for a thousand years until revived in the 16th century as a means of compensating for hair loss or improving one's personal appearance. They also served a practical purpose: the unhygienic conditions of the time meant that hair attracted head lice, a problem that could be much reduced if natural hair were shaved and replaced with a more easily de-loused artificial hairpiece. Fur hoods were also used in a similar preventative fashion.

Royal patronage was crucial to the revival of the wig. Queen Elizabeth I of England famously wore a red wig, tightly and elaborately curled in a "Roman" style while King Louis XIII of France (1601–1643) and King Louis XIV of France (1638–1715) pioneered wig-wearing among men from the 1620s onwards.

Perukes or periwigs for men were introduced into the English-speaking world with other French styles when Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660, following a lengthy exile in France. These wigs were shoulder-length or longer, imitating the long hair that had become fashionable among men since the 1620s. Their use soon became popular in the English court. The London diarist Samuel Pepys recorded the day in 1665 that a barber had shaved his head and that he tried on his new periwig for the first time, but in a year of plague he was uneasy about wearing it:


"3rd September 1665: Up, and put on my coloured silk suit, very fine, and my new periwig, bought a good while since, but darst not wear it because the plague was in Westminster when I bought it. And it is a wonder what will be the fashion after the plague is done as to periwigs, for nobody will dare to buy any haire for fear of the infection? that it had been cut off the heads of people dead of the plague."

Wigs were not without other drawbacks, as Pepys noted on 27 March 1663:


"I did go to the Swan; and there sent for Jervas my old periwig-maker and he did bring me a periwig; but it was full of nits, so as I was troubled to see it (it being his old fault) and did send him to make it clean."

With wigs virtually obligatory garb for men with social rank, wigmakers gained considerable prestige. A wigmakers' guild was established in France in 1665, a development soon copied elsewhere in Europe. Their job was a skilled one as 17th century wigs were extraordinarily elaborate, covering the back and shoulders and flowing down the chest; not surprisingly, they were also extremely heavy and often uncomfortable to wear. Such wigs were expensive to produce. The best examples were made from natural human hair. The hair of horses and goats was often used as a cheaper alternative.
18th century



In the 18th century, men's wigs were powdered in order to give them their distinctive white or off-white color. Contrary to popular belief, women in the 18th century did not wear wigs, but wore a coiffure supplemented by artificial hair or hair from other sources. Women mainly powdered their hair grey, or blue-ish grey, and from the 1770s onwards never bright white like men. Wig powder was made from finely ground starch that was scented with orange flower, lavender, or orris root. Wig powder was occasionally colored violet, blue, pink or yellow, but was most often used as off-white. Powdered wigs (men) and powdered natural hair with supplemental hairpieces (women) became an essential for full dress occasions and continued in use until almost the end of the 18th century. The elaborate form of wigs worn at the coronation of George III in 1761 was lampooned by William Hogarth in his engraving Five Orders of Periwigs. Powdering wigs and extensions were messy and inconvenient, and the development of the naturally white or off-white powderless wig (made of horsehair) for men is no doubt what has made the retention of wigs in everyday court dress a practical possibility. By the 1780s, young men were setting a fashion trend by lightly powdering their natural hair, as women had already done from the 1770s onwards. After 1790, both wigs and powder were reserved for older, more conservative men, and were in use by ladies being presented at court. After 1790 English women hardly powdered their hair anymore. In 1795, the British government levied a tax on hair powder of one guinea per year. This tax effectively caused the demise of both the fashion for wigs and powder. Granville Leveson-Gower, in Paris during the winter of 1796, noted "The word citoyen seemed but very little in use, and hair powder being very common, the appearance of the people was less democratic than in England."[2]



Among women in the French court of Versailles in the mid-to-late 18th century, large, elaborate and often themed wigs (such as the stereotypical "boat poufs") were in vogue for women. These combed-up hair extensions were often very heavy, weighted down with pomades, powders, and other ornamentation. In the late 18th century these coiffures (along with many other indulgences in court life) became symbolic of the decadence of the French nobility, which helped to fuel the French Revolution(although its influence is exaggerated).

During the 18th century, men's wigs became smaller and more formal with several professions adopting them as part of their official costumes. This tradition survives in a few legal systems. They are routinely worn in various countries of the Commonwealth. Until 1823, bishops of the Church of England and Church of Ireland wore ceremonial wigs. The wigs worn by barristers are in the style favoured in the late eighteenth century. Judges' wigs are, in everyday use as court dress, short like barristers' wigs (although in a slightly different style) but for ceremonial occasions judges and also senior barristers (QCs) wear full-bottomed wigs



19th and 20th centuries

The wearing of wigs as a symbol of social status was largely abandoned in the newly created United States and France by the start of the 19th century. In the United States, only the first five Presidents, from George Washington to James Monroe, wore powdered wigs according to the old fashioned style of the eighteenth century.[3][4]

The latest-born notable person to be portrayed wearing a powdered wig tied in a queue according to this old fashion was Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich of Russia (born in 1779, portrayed in 1795).[5][6]

Women's wigs developed in a somewhat different way. They were worn from the 18th century onwards, although at first only surreptitiously. Full wigs in the 19th and early 20th century were not fashionable. They were often worn by old ladies who had lost their hair.In the film Mr. Skeffington (1944), when Bette Davis has to wear a wig after a bout of diphtheria, it is a moment of pathos and a symbol of her frailty During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century hairdressers in England and France did a brisk business supplying postiches, or pre-made small wiglets, curls, and false buns to be incorporated into the hairstyle. The use of postiches did not diminish even as women's hair grew shorter in the decade between 1910 and 1920, but they seem to have gone out of fashion during the 1920s

Fantasy Make up



 
In todays market, fantasy make up is being used in different outlets in the media and fashion world and the concepts behind the look, are incredable. The use of products, colour, texture and imagination make for great fantasy make up. Through the years with new products and technology, the fantasy make up has grown to extreme levels, sometimes finding it hard to fault a look, from the way that the make up has been applied, to the way it has been showen and the technology used to make it stand out and inhance whats been created. One musical that stands out form the crowd, is wicked. For the make up for Elphaba, she has a green base which is created by aqua colour. On top of this they contour her face with dark shades of grease paints and continue with the make up with stricking eyes and lips. They set this all with powder and add a black ,long style wig and the look is complete. This is simple yet affective and looks great for the show.

In the move Labyrinth, David bowie's make up is very creative in the way that it changes his face shape. the use of eye make up, and extending the arch in his brow to create an evil, stricking look gives his face even more character, and also helps with suggestion for the audience, as it give's an odd, untrusting feel towards him. ( I would trust David Bowie with my life!)

In the movie Avatar, this showsa great example of make up and technology, and where they both meet. The use of colour, texture and help from smart software, the creators were able to achieve a belivable look, and make the experience for the viewer greater. I think to create an avatar, there would of used stencil work, with airbrushing, and fine detail to create an impressive look, and on top to use technology to inhance this makes the overall apperance outstanding.



The history of make up

This is a great website I found the gave a short blurb on the history of make up. Its also just a great website for make up artistry. the website is called makeup artist world, but here is the post on the history of make up. Enjoy!!


We know that for centuries, both men and women have enjoyed the indulgence of face makeup. But the history of face makeup dates thousands of years back to the 1 st Century Egyptians. This is not to say that the Egyptians were the first to use face makeup, rather they were among the first to document the importance of face makeup as an important part of culture as seen in the discovery of ancient Egyptian tomb paintings. Egyptians used natural ingredients such as unguent, a hydrating substance, and kohl, soot, to beautify the skin and appearance. Egyptians were well aware of the beauty of soft skin and seductive eyes.
The 1 st century also showed the Roman use of kohl for eye makeup and eyelash makeup. The Romans also used chalk as a skin whitener and rouge. The Greco-Roman and Persian influences added the use of henna dyes to stain the face and hair.

Face makeup continued to evolve as did time. By the Middle Ages European cultures added to the popularity of pale skin. Pale skin became known as a sign of wealth and stature in society. Women went to great lengths to achieve white skin by resorting to bleeding themselves. Adding subtle pink as seen by the 13 th century added a further sign of societal wealth and importance. Only the wealthy could afford pink face makeup.

The focus of white skin as a sign of wealth continued into the Italian Renaissance. Again, women went to exaggerated measures to achieve status by using deadly ingredients such as lead and arsenic. By the Elizabethan Age, face makeup began to be associated with poor health. Women turned to egg whites to add a healthy glaze to the face. Heavy face makeup was used to hide disease and illness.

Many thanks to the French in the 18 th century for adding life and vitality back to the face by bringing red to face makeup. Red lips and red cheeks became a symbol of health and fun.

5 Great make up products

Hey, so we have been asked to talk a little about five of our favourite make up products. There is so much out there to choose from and each product will work for you and some will not. these products I've used before and like the look and texture that it gives the skin and the affects you can achieve with them.

1. The first product I would recommend is MAC Strobe cream. It can be used as a primer or moisturiser and gives the skin a great, shimmery look, and reflects the light to help diminish imperfections. It retails at £12.00 and lasts a long time, so for value I think its a great buy.

2.Chanel mat lumiere long lasting luminous matte fluid foundation is a great foundation and leaves the skin matte, smooth and gives great coverage. I think it could be a two in one product as on some skin it will leave the skin a matte look that you may not need powder. I also find the range of colours fantastic. Its a bit pricey at £33.00 but you only need a little amount and smells great, which is always a bonus!

3. Bobbie Brown bronze shimmer stick is 30.50 and gives a great, dewy glow over the face. This product has won awards and many products have copied its idea of having different, complimenting colours in a block, to give a great look and is light and easy to use. the great thing about this product is you can use the individual colours to use as eye shadow and is a very adaptable product, and comes in different shades to, such as pink quartz, rose shimmer, beige shimmer and nectar shimmer.

4. Ben nye Neutral set colorless face powder is a great finish to a make up look and the Kerdashians have been said to use this. At £5.95, its a bargain and is a no fuss product. A little goes a long way, and you can use it alone or over make up, and give the skin a great finish, if its good enough for the Kerdashians, its good enough for us!

5. Last but not least is Benefit badgal lash waterproof mascara. It does what it needs to do. its £16.50. done.

Special Effects

In special effects were learning all about burns. We've been researching first, second and third degree burns and then recreating them. Its been really interesting and great fun to do, as its messy, creative and is really different to what I thought we would be doing. Its great to use the different products like gelatin (which stinks!), tuplast, latex and colodine.

Hairdressing

Hairdressing we have learnt a lot of different type of styles on the hair, a few are basic blow dry, pin curls, brick set, finger rolling, straighteners, and tongs. Its fun to learn the different styles and really important to know to help achieve full looks.

Wigs

For Wigs we have working on our wraps to get the measurements for the head to send off to get them made. First you have to pin curl the hair so its flat, and then get cling film and sellotape it down on the head, and sellotape until its basically a cap, then your ready to measure up. Short and sweet.

Character Make up.

Currently in this classs we are learning about the basic tv and theatre make up for men and woman to wear and what the differences are between each look. Currently I have been working on basic tv make up and was nice to do, and get to know the tools, products and different face shapes to work with.

Style Icons

Patricia Field, the designer best know for styling the girls from Sex and the City, is one of my favourite fashion designers. From her crazy designs and her flare for colour, she inspires to create wearable and alternative looks. She has attracted me to make up due to the pairing of texture and colour in her designs and styling, which made me think about make up in a new light and the way it can change a whole image and make a different mood and look for each person, environment and time. The make up that is paired with her outfits, as seen on Sarah Jessica parker and Kim Catrell, made me inspired to create different looks for make up and complement clothes, people and even places. The use of different textures and designs on clothes made me want to explore the same aspects for make-up and the freedom that you have with this type of medium.

The second person that inspired me to make up artistry would be David Bowie. He was iconic for his time due to the use of make up on himself to express his mood, music and give off certain feelings. He was seen by many as ahead of his time due to his music, style and the fact that he used make up on himself with his signature Lightning bolt down his face. This for me was interesting that not only was it unique and made a great statement, but the fact that a male used this outlet as a way of expressing himself. It has given me the opportunity to use make up to express myself and also others and bring across peoples thoughts, emotions and ideas through colour and products. He has inspired many people from his forward thinking, such as Lady Gaga who again uses make up to create different looks that are revolutionary for our time. From what David Bowie has done in his career and his fashion statements, he has given me the influence and ideas to want to create my own statements through the use of make up artistry.

Hey

Hi, my name is Euan and currently I am studying at James Watt college, doing media make up. for the foreseeable future I will be posting on here to show what we are doing in class and hope you all enjoy!!