Burns (third degree)

Although an extensive burn makeup can be achieved with prosthetics, there is a great deal which can be done with directly applied effects materials and color, removing the need to sculpt and make moulds. This is great for a one-off, such as for a low budget movie, a makeup test, building a portofolio, or simply to create effective makeups without using a lot of expensive kit.  However...if the burn is serious enough, might it have been treated surgically with skin grafts and what would that look like? Also, the burn might cause other complications, such as shock and swelling, which in turn can affect circulation and offer further opportunity to enhance the makeup design. There are many kinds of burns.

1: Exposure to heat (first degree burn)

2. Second degree burn

3. Third degree burn

In Sue's lesson we learnt to make a third degree burn using special effects makeup. and below is the step-by-step.

- Put 5 grams of solid gelatin in a bowl and microwave it for like 12 seconds until it melts. Let it cool a little bit, the apply it to the skin with a metal spatula. If you want to be slightly 'out of relief'', you just keep picking the gelatin up with the spatula. Melt the edges with witch hazel using a cotton bud. Dry the area with a hair drier (cool, otherwise it melts again) until the fingers won't stick.

- Powder everything with translucent powder (patting).

- Using red and orange colors from Supra Color, stipple on the area with a powder brush. Try to make as realistic as possible, but be gentle.

- Then, the fun part: start building up the shades by coloring everything with red and dark colors. You can also add fake blood and pus. Tip: for a better blending, use moisturizer and for shine, use vaseline.

And that's it! A 'very beautiful' fake burn made in less than half an hour. 

It can be removed by gently pulling it and cleaning the edges with water & soap.

Products used:

gelatin

fake blood

fake pus

powder

supra color

which hazel

Health and safety:

- Make sure the hands are clean before using the products. 

- Make sure to cover the model's clothes. 

Early Victorian hair

In the Victorian Era, hairstyles were quite complicated. The hair was thick, long and luxuriant in many different styles. Hats were an important part of the outfit. 

Hair was parted down the middle, curled or braided, then tied or pinned back. Only in the informal occasions, the Victorian lady left her hair fall loose around her shoulders.
Later in the XIXth century, Victorian hairstyles became more elaborated. Bangs made their debut around 1880. Women became to use hot irons to wave their hair or to add ringlets to it.

Also, the Apollo knot was very worn. This hairstyle had three essential parts: the front of the hair was combed into a center part; the long hair in the back was piled neatly in a bun on top of the head; and small ringlets fell beside the temples to frame the face. The style reflected the trend in the early nineteenth century to wear Greek-inspired dress, styles and hair ornaments called sphendone and wreaths. Women either used their own hair or false hair pieces to create Apollo knots. Sometimes, they decorated the front of their Apollo knots with decorative combs.

Men's fashion: Throughout much of the Victorian Era, men wore fairly short hair, from just over the top of the ears at the start of the period to a moderately close cut towards the end of the 19th century. This short hair was often accompanied by various forms of facial hair including moustaches, side-burns and full beards. Victorian men used different kinds of waxes and oils to keep their facial hair in shape, including wood frames used at night to keep their moustaches shaped. A clean-shaven face did not come back into fashion until the end of the 1880's and early 1890's.

Source: http://chertseymuseum.org/hair

A good example of the fashion of time I've noticed while watching the BBC adaptation of 'Jane Eyre' (Charlotte Bronte).

 This one was the most common hairstyle between 1830-1860.     

        The step-by-step hairstyle I did in the Helen's class is below.                                                                         

  -I created a center parting in the front using a comb, then i fixed the hair pieces in two clips.

-With the rest of the back hair, I created a small twisted bun. 

         
- After that, I released a hair piece in the front and fixed the ending parts in the bun with hair grips.

- On the other side, after I released the hair piece and made a plait in the ending part and fixed it in the bun as well. 

And that's it- a simple Victorian hairstyle!

Cuts and scratches

Today in Sue's lesson, we learnt how to make cuts and scratches using SFX wax, latex, fake blood, collodion, tuplast. 

Cuts

Open up the scar wax and scoop out some wax with a spatula and put it on the back on the hand to warm it up a bit. Apply it to the skin, making sure there are no hard edges. If there are any difficulties while blending the wax on the skin, a tip is to put some moisturizer and then smooth it with a spatula on the edges. Then we cut in the middle (or wherever we want) of the wax with the spatula. Apply then a thin layer of latex, so the foundation can be blended on the surface to give color. Dry it with a hair drier until it goes clear. After that, using a foundation blended with alcohol, we apply it with a foundation brush, on the area to look as natural as possible. 

Then, with a hair pin, apply blood gel (wound filler) on the cut. Using the same hair pin, apply the fake blood on the 'wound'. 

You can also tap with a finger on the wound to blend it out a little bit, just to color the edges. 

It looks more realistic. 

Even if it was my very first time doing special effects, I didn't find it hard at all. It is so easy to create fake cuts and wounds when you have the right products. 

This fake burn was made by using collodion. After applying it with its brush while the skin is squeezed, use a hair drier for faster results. It is quick, simple, but effective. 

The old scars are done using tuplast. You literally apply the paste directly on the skin from the tube and let it dry. For more realistic results, you can also color it .
Everything goes off with alcohol and water. Final result below:

Products used:

scar wax

moisturizer

alcohol

wound filler

foundation

supra color 

fake blood

collodion (burns)

tuplast (old scars)

Health and safety:

SCAR WAX: safe

WOUND FILLER: safe

COLLODION:  Rigid Collodion is one of the easiest to use FX supplies there is.  But first, know that it is very much a flammable, chemical compound and needs to be treated with the proper respect. It also 

has an odor similar to nail polish, only much stronger. It can also cause ALLERGIC REACTIONS 
so be sure to ask your actors ahead of time about their allergies and if in doubt, do a small test on 
an actor's arm to ensure there will be no allergic reactions.   Now, what is it that rigid collodion helps mimic so well for us FX artists?  Every cool scar or scabbing you’ve seen in films is likely just grease make-up  under a layer or few layers of rigid collodion. It can also be used to create realistic looking fresh cuts on the skin as well.  

TUPLAST: Keep away from heat/sparks/open flames/hot surfaces. - No smoking. P305+P351+P338 IF IN EYES: Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing. P333+P313 If skin irritation or rash occurs: Get medical advice/attention. P337+P313 If eye irritation persists: Get medical advice/attention. P403+P233 Store in a well-ventilated place. Keep container tightly closed. P501 Dispose of contents/container in accordance with local/regional/national/international regulations. 

Review of the feedback

I had an amazing experience in the last semester with ups and downs, new lovely friends and a lot of interesting stuff that I learnt. Also, my makeup and hairstyling skills started to develop, and this thing pleases me quite a lot. I've been through deep emotions at my first assessment, but it went well eventually. I got used on how to do a research based on historical facts and not only.
I've been communicating all the time with my assessment partner and we've organised meetings in order to practise our design in the spare time. All these things extended my horizons, my points of view as well as the decisions. Moreover, I helped a few photography students with makeup for their models and I also modelled for a few fashion styling students.
I worked hard for my designs and my research, but I know I could've done better, that's why I'm not disappointed with the grades. It was my first experience which helped me to develop my ideas. Also, the teachers were very friendly and sympathetic; they all have my respect and appreciation.
All in all, the most important thing is that I learnt to be better than the last semester, and I will (hopefully) do better each semester and year. Fingers crossed!

Theatrical ageing: creping of the skin on hands and face

Aging is one of the most common special effect (made by make up artists) used in movies, theatres and tv. Aging can be done with mere makeup, but also liquid latex, other substances and prostetics are being used. When filming close-ups, result needs to be natural and authentic. This is really hard (or impossible) to achieve with mere makeup. Liquid latex gives real authentic outcome, but it needs more precise work. And much more work altogether. 
Latex as found in nature is a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants^. It is a complex emulsion consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins, and gums that coagulates on exposure to air. It is usually exuded after tissue injury. In most plants, latex is white, but some have yellow, orange, or scarlet latex. Since the 17th century, latex has been used as a term for the fluid substance in plants. Many people are allergic to latex.The word is also used to refer to natural latex rubber; particularly for non-vulcanized rubber. Such is the case in products like latex gloves latex condoms and latex clothing. Latexes may be natural or synthetic.(Wikipedia)

Today, in Sue's lesson we learnt how to do theatrical ageing using latex. The first step in creating a wrinkled skin, is to prepare the skin by putting a latex protection which is Kryolan Pro Shield Barrier Foam. This foam protects the skin from extreme influences.

In the images above, I have applied the protection on the areas where I wanna apply liquid latex. 

Skin is stretched between hands, spread liquid latex, dry, repeat. You need to dry every layer, before you can "release" the skin. Using hairdryer fastens the drying of the latex. Dryed latex turns from white to transparent. Skin needs to be stretched in the opposite direction you want the wrinkle to be. For example, if you want vertical wrinkles, you stretch the skin horizontally horizontal wrinkles - vertical stretching. Spreading the latex on the other hand happens in the same direction the wrinkle shoud be. Avoid making horizontal and vertical wrinkles right next to each other, the result is unnatural. Applying latex happens an area at a time, so you need to make sure there's no "free space" between the areas. The latex-free area pops out between the other areas suprisingly well. When applying latex, base makeup has the tendancy to wipe out, so remakeup afterwards. Make sure that the latex doesn't get into hair, it is really hard to get off. 

Here I have applied only one layer. But for stronger results, it's better to apply two layers.

The final result (two layers of latex).

Then it is washed off quite easily, it starts to detach from the skin after a while. 

Products used:

latex

moisturizer

latex protection

Health and safety:

LATEX: Some people have a serious latex allergy, and exposure to latex products such as latex gloves can cause anaphylactic shock. Guayule latex has only 2% of the levels of protein found in Hevea latexes, and is being researched as a lower-allergen substitute. Additionally, chemical processes may be employed to reduce the amount of antigenic protein in Hevea latex, yielding alternative materials such as Vytex Natural Rubber Latex which provide significantly reduced exposure to latex allergens. About half of people with spina bifida are also allergic to natural latex rubber, as well as people who have had multiple surgeries, and people who have had prolonged exposure to natural latex.

Mood board and story of my chosen character

JANE EYRE BY CHARLOTTE BRONTE (1847)

Mood board

After reading the book and watching the 2011 BBC adaptation, I made an idea about how my character could look like. As it seems in the pictures, the look is quite pale, simple, but perfectly represents the Victorian period. I chose these pictures, because I want my character to look normal, as she is described in the book. I could've chosen to do Edward Rochester's wife, which was a scary psycho, but she wasn't even described that much. I chose these pictures for my mood board because people can clearly see Jane's makeup and hairstyle. Some of them are from the BBC adaptation, and the others are from Pinterest, where the style is adapted for the modern one. 

The plot and the description of the chosen character

I chose this book, because I was captivated by Jane's story, by the fact that she has been through a tough childhood, because she was an orphan, but also by the romance between her and Edward Rochester. 

However, 'Jane Eyre' is not a pure romance novel. Despite its complexity, though, the heart and soul of 'Jane Eyre' is the passionate love between Jane and her employer, Edward Rochester, and it is their love story that is the most memorable element of the novel. Jane Eyre is a fantastic character. Independent, honest, blunt and dignified. She was an intelligent, honest young girl forced to contend with oppression, inequality and hardship. Her strong belief in gender and social equality challenges the Victorian prejudices against women and the poor. When she is old enough to go to school, Jane goes to Lowood, where the living conditions are horrible. Jane survives there, but loses her best friends, Helen Burns who died from an epidemic. When the conditions at Lowood improve, Jane stays on as a teacher until she is 18, and then accepts a position as the governess to Adele Varens, the ward of the master of Thornfield Hall, Edward Rochester. 

Jane Eyre is famous for being a plain looking girl, rather than a beauty, and because of that, I've noticed the unfortunate and unfair consequences of her plainness: the servants find it difficult to sympathize with her because she's not cute and sweet and blue-eyed and curly-haired. She was passionate, and one of the strongest women characters in fiction and by sticking to her principles, she was rewarded with true love. 

Gothic Architecture

The style of architecture we now call Gothic first emerged in northern France in around 1140. It evolved during the construction of great churches in the Paris region in a move towards greater height, light and volume. Later it was also used for secular buildings such as castles, palaces, bridges, city walls and gates. Key features include the pointed arch, the rib vault, buttresses (especially arched flying buttresses) and window tracery. Over time and across Europe, Gothic developed into a family of related styles.

Enthusiasm for Gothic began to wane in the early 15th century, initially in the city states of central Italy where it had never been entirely popular. However, in northern Europe the style persisted into the 16th century and beyond.

Early Gothic in England

The new Gothic style emerging in France was rapidly taken up in England. It was used in two highly important buildings: Canterbury Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, where royal coronations took place. English Gothic buildings often include plant decoration, adding to the tree-like effect of the interiors. At York Minster, the stone 'pendants' suspended from the canopies above the seats in the walls of the chapter house are carved with botanically accurate leaves that seem to burst into life.

In the later Middle Ages, creativity in Gothic architecture shifted from cathedrals to parish churches. Many small churches serving local communities were built according to the latest fashion or refurbished in the style. Parish churches across Europe still display the great variety and inventiveness of medieval architects and stonemasons working within a shared family of Gothic styles.

York Minster Chapter House, York, Yorkshire, England, UK, begun about 1260. Photograph © f0rbe5 on flickr

Ref: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/g/gothic-architecture/

Exterior view of St Peter Dunchurch, Warwickshire, England, UK, photograph by Sir Benjamin Stone, 1899. Museum no. E5491-2000. © Victoria & Albert Museum, London