Leigh Bowery was an Australian fashion designer, club promoter, and performance artist. He was known for the being the proprietor of the hedonistic London nightclub 'Taboo'. Taboo became famous for its defiance of sexual convention.
Looking at the images of Leigh Bowery and Party Monsters you can see the similarities between make up and style. Even the hair is similar with a blond wig and curls. They have the same big red lips and the dots on the face.
After watching Party Monsters and doing some research into the different characters I found Marilyn Manson. His part in the film was small but in general real life his make up and actions are very eccentric. His make up is always pale and dark which is very similar to the make up used by Emcee and the make up in Party Monsters. Even today in this era his style and make up is very unusual and still shocking to some. He actually really reminds me of the Rocky Horror Picture show.
I chose the image below as I really like the black strip across his face because its like a mask its like he's hiding from something and with the one eye lash which is distinct and striking compared to the black background. He also has the same pale make up and I've found from the research I've done the lipstick is always dark and the cupid bow is always accentuated.
The Blitz kids were a group of young people who frequented the weekly Blitz club-night in Covent garden, London. They were known for there outrageous style and make up for both sexes.
From researching images and styles I've found there make up traditionally was very pale skin and extravagant eyes. It tended to be dark eyes and dark lips similarly to Marilyn Manson today. Often the male eye brows were painted on very thinly and there hair tended to be either stuck up in different directions probably done with gel. They often had a piece of hair coming down onto there forehead in the shape of a triangle and gelled down in place. Or some of the men wore wigs.
After watching Party Monsters the character that stood out to me the most was James St. James played by Seth Green. For a start his name is very individual and different and that's what initially got me interested. His character is very eccentric filled with a bubbly personality with clothes, style and make up to match. Almost in every scene he is wearing something different and even more bold than the last outfit. He is simply the definition of fabulous. Below is my favourite scene from Party Monsters 'How to be fabulous' .
From watching the clip James St. James quotes two things 'The road to excess leads to the palace of wisdom' - William Blake. The quote implies that if you do things too much, to excess, you will become wise. This could suggest that doing things too much will make you learn from you mistakes therefore becoming more wise. This could imply to anything drugs, sex, alcohol or even fashion. The second quote used by him was 'Don't dream it, be it'- From the Rocky Horror Picture show. I think this quote is pretty self explanatory. This then led me to research into the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Comparing the make up from 'Party Monsters' to the Rocky horror picture show I can now understand why the reference was used. There's similar make up and style between both the film and musical. The same eccentric outfits on men and the dark eyes and red lipstick.
Looking at the film Party Monster I can see the resemblance between the character Emcee and James St James. Even though Party Monster came out in 2003 and Cabaret in 1972. Both the characters have similar characteristics such as both having eccentric personalities they both wear extravagant make up.
The make up worn in the image by Emcee above is large eye lashes red lipstick and pale face this is very similar the image below of James St James from Party Monster. James St James has a more extravagant style compared to Emcee as you find in this modern era you have to be more extravagant to get noticed whereas wearing lots of make up on a man in the 1930s was seen as extravagant.
I really enjoyed experimenting with the palette and I liked the techniques I learnt in this lesson. I hope to use this technique later in this unit.
Looking back at the final images I realised I should have stopped earlier as I slowly ruined it the more colours I added.
This is a close up image to see where I went wrong. I can see on the cheeks its all the same colour because I blended too much. But under the eye you can see brush strokes an the light blue. I really like it where the white and blue mix its like a reflection.
After a while I found that I started blending the colours in too much creating a brown colour overall. I started to realise sometimes more is less. So I know fr next time not to try and use too many colours and blend them in too much.
Using the Kryolan supracolor palette I started to mix and blend colours in trying to recreate the Otto Dix style painting. I found it really fun using the face as a canvas and I really enjoyed the free brush strokes. I started on the nose and worked my way up to the forehead. I then started looking around the eyes. I constantly looked at the painting trying to work out the different colours used.
In my own time I practiced the Kit Kat look before. The first stage I cleansed my face then I started with the base. I mixed white illamasque liquid foundation with my correct skin tone foundation. I applied this all over my face and then blended with my blending brush.
The second stage was contouring. I used my contouring brush to add blusher and contour colour to the cheek bones and cheeks.
Next I added eye shadow using my Urban decay palette. I started with a soft colour and then blended out to my eyebrows. I slowly started to blend darker colours on the outside of the eye lids.
I then started adding Mac eyeliner to the lower lids and blending a little into the eye lashes. I then used two different types of mascaras on the eye lashes to create really thick lashes.
Then using the Kryolan lip pallete I applied the colour LCOO8 using a lip brush. I tried to accentuate the lip bow to make the lips look fuller,
Finally I finished by adding the wig. The overall look I wasn't very happy with so I'm glad I practiced the look. I felt the eye shadow was too much and almost took over the entire look. So for my final face chart I will change the eye shadow. I won't bring it up to the eyebrows. Instead I want to do thin eyebrows and less eye shadow. I also want to change the lips and make them thinner.
These were a couple of Hair charts over which wig I wanted to use. But by drawing them I couldn't tell which wig would look better. So I decided to get two wigs and test them out. The top wig I felt was much more 1930s than the bottom wig. The bottom wig I felt looked very Sally Bowles especially with the strong fringe. The bottom wig I felt was a bit too contemporary for the look with the straight hair.
These were two practice face charts for the Kit Kat girls. I've written the make up I've used on the side. The top look has eye shadow going right up to the eye brow. But I haven't covered the entire eye lid with eye shadow. I felt this was quite a modern look so I made the eyebrows quite high to make it look more historical. I also gave the face quite a pale base and bright red lips to go with the character of a Kit Kat girl. I also have drawn on thick black eye lashes and some eye liner to make those eyes really dark as its meant to be a quite theatrical look.
The bottom face chart I've done the make up much darker with dark red lips and dark eye shadow. I chose to do thinner eye brows as most of the Kit Kat girls have drawn on thin eye brows. I did the same pale face but the dark lips and dark eyes I felt was a bit boring.
Here are the two wigs I wanted to try on to see which one would look better on the character. I felt the top one was very 1930s but also it was very hard to control the curls. They looked very messy. However I preferred the fringe on the top one as it had more volume and so did the hair. The bottom wig was too straight and it was hard to do anything with the wig. I felt the bottom wig would not go well with the make up and the character.
This is my final face chart for my Kit Kat character. I chose to do the high eye brow as I felt that matched the character very well. I also chose to do very thin lips as I felt most of the Kit Kat girls had thin lips from watching the film 'Cabaret'. I also chose to do the thick eye lashes to make the character look flirtatious, and sexy. Also doing smoky eyes and eye liner to make the eyes look bigger and brighter. The base is pale with blusher on the cheeks to make them look like a flushed girl.
The film is significantly different from the Broadway musical. In I Am a Camera, Sally Bowles is American , just as she is in the musical's film version. The stage version is the only version that makes her British. The character of Cliff Bradshaw was renamed Brian Roberts and made British. In the film version of Cabaret he is openly bisexual, whereas in The Berlin Stories and I Am a Camera the character is either asexual or of ambiguous sexuality. In the original stage version of Cabaret the character is notably heterosexual. The characters and plot lines involving Fritz, Natalia and Max do not exist in the stage version, and a minor character named Max in the stage version, the owner of the Kit Kat Club, bears no relation to the character in the film. Those plot points were drawn from I Am a Camera. While in the stage version Sally is a terrible singer, who thinks she's better than she is in the film she is far more skilled.
Boys Hair on a Girl
To make a girls hair look male- First of all using a tail comb create a parting on one far side of the head. Section the crown of the head into two sections. The bottom section tuck under the top and pin up. Using gel scrape back the top section over the bottom and use clips to pin in place. At the front of the head spray with water so its easier to stay in place. Using the comb scrape over the hair and create a slight groove as you can see below. Then put some gel in the hair make sure you really comb in through to make it all stay in place. Any pieces of hair out of place use the comb to tuck it in.
From looking at the script you can tell that the character Emcee is flamboyant from the way he enters the room 'walking hand in hand with a Gorilla'. He likes to make statement entrances.
You tube-Cabaret 1972 Wilkomen
Watching this video Emcee brings the room to life with his enthusiastic and eccentric way of pronouncing his words and his strong make up look. The starting moment in the video with him looking at his reflection is a very feminine thing to do he could be checking his make up he then turns around to look at the camera and flutters his eyelashes like a woman Maybe he does this because he wants to come across as feminine to let the audience know his sexuality. He also dances with a cane to add to his character. He comes across as very feminine with his big fake eyelashes and lots of blusher its very similar make up to the Kit Kat girls. From watching the video I also think that the way he sings very high pitch and has constant smile on his face makes him seem quite sinister almost clown like.
This is this the first moodboard for Emcee. Originally I wasn't sure if I was using Emcee for my historical or contemporary look. So I chose to do a moodboard mixing both historical and contemporary. It actually really helped me make up my mind about which to do as looking at some contemporary idea I got really inspired by some of the eccentric make up I could use. I especially enjoyed looking at Marilyn Manson as his make up and clothing is always so eccentric. He reminds me of a very contemporary Emcee with his style and make up.
When using the comb be aware of not getting it close to the models eye.
Materials
Section clips
Comb
Curby Gribs
Cap
Method
Create a middle parting using the comb.
Then section there hair into 2
Then start creating two french plaits.
Once the french plaits have been done. Rap the plaits around the base of the head.
Place in some curby grips to create a anchor for the cap.
Place the cap over the head and place curby grips on top to make sure it secure.
Always make sure the ears are on the outside.
Looking at this wig I thought it really suited the model. The short hair mad her look much older and more sophisticated. I also found she suited the fringe and it made her face much slimmer. I also think the colour of the wig made her skin tone stand out more and also the colour of her eyes.
The blonde wig I also think suited her. The short hair again is a good look and I also thought the colour blonde made her skin tone seem much darker and didn't drown out her colour. Again the fringe is a good look on the model its a flattering wig.
I don't think the short wig really suited her. It made her age far too much and the hairstyle wasn't very attractive. I also thought the hair colour didn't do her any favours and to be honest its quite boring.
Anita Berber
Anita Berber Anita Berber was a German actress and dancer around the Weimar time. She also was a subject of an Otto Dix painting. She was a provocative woman and was loved and hated by the public for her scandalous behaviour.
Her hair was cut in a short bob that was often red. She wore dark coloured make up and was a big inspiration to many women in that era. The full fringe and the bob was a traditional hair due on Anita Berber and that era. It has inspired me to do a similar look in my Anita Berber continuity assessment.
Using my face and hair charts I felt the total outcome was good. The hair was my favourite bit as the curls came out really well as I left it to set for a long time. The eye make up I felt wasn't quite dark enough and dint come out very well on the camera. If I were to change anything I would have made her eyes darker. But I felt the hair came out really well as the model had really long hair and I found it difficult to tuck it all under to create a bob.
Now looking at the images from behind I feel it looks a bit messy and maybe before I took the images I should have used a comb to tuck the strands of hair underneath. With the model having such long hair it was very heavy to keep the hair staying in place. If I was going to change it I would have used more hairspray and back combed it more to keep it in place.
My Second Anita Berber Look
Looking at my second continuity I found the hair wasn't as good as the first time as I did not allow the hair to set for long enough. The make up was slightly paler but overall it was very similar. Again if I had a choice to do it again I would have chosen to do darker eyes. And I would have let the curls set a bit longer. Also my model got her hair cut and dyed it in between my assessment so the colour looks different and also her fringe was shorter making it harder to curl the second time. I also feel the front parting should have been a little bit more to the right as it looks to central in this image. I felt the lips looked better this time but similar to the first shoot.
The back of the hair is neater this time and you can see the curls more clearly. I found it easier to do the bob as the model had her hair cut so there was less hair to tuck under. I also did more curls this time so the back of the head was neater.
From looking at Anita Berber who was a massive female inspiration in the 1930s her make up tended to be very pale with dark rich make up. In my face chart I have used white rich liquid foundation mixed with Kryolan foundation to create a slightly off pale base. I then thought to create a darker more gothic look I contoured with dermacolor camouflage D15.
For the eyes I used my Naked Urban Decay Palette I started off with using light colours and then slowly blended in darker colours such as black, blues and browns.
For the lips I used my Kryolan lip palette LC010 mixed with some dermacolor to create a darker lip. And to finish I powdered the face with Illamasque.
For my hair I wanted to create the finger wave and bob look as I had practiced that technique. Below are the images where I practiced my look. The model I'm using for my final 2 looks has a lot longer hair than on the manikin so when creating the bob I will have to make sure a back comb thoroughly.
Start by using the tail comb to section the crown at
the back of the head. Pull back the hair from ears to the back using
the comb.
Clip that section to keep out of the way. Leaving the
front section.
Starting at the front of the hair curl the hair
backwards using the curlers. Once one curl is made role it backwards
to create a barrel and then place a clip in to keep it secure.
Behind this front barrel create two more barrels. This
will then create 3 barrels in the shape of a triangle.
Now starting at the side of the head you start your
brick work. Creating barrels in the shape of bricks. Making sure you
use the curlers in a downward direction so when the curls come out
they are making the right shape.
Once either side is done you can start at the crown of
the head.
If the model has a lot of hair then I would just curl
the top section of hair at the back in order to save time. If the
model has short hair then continue the brick work at the back.
Once all the curls are done and have been left to set.
You can start taking the clips out and unravelling the barrels.
Brush through the hair so all the curls join together.
If the model has long hair then back comb the back
section and roll the hair underneath to create a bob. Clip all the
hair underneath so you cant see any clips.
To finish use the comb to make the bob bigger or neaten
up curls out of place.
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