To begin with, I set out all my equipment neatly to ensure I had everything that I needed and it was all clean and sanitized. I had previously washed all my brushes and sponges using a specific brush cleanser to kill off any bacteria and to meet the hygiene standards. Then to follow health and safety precautions I tied my hair back, washed my hands, and removed any bags or cases from the floor to prevent myself or my client tripping over them. Next, I equipped my client with PPE including a gown covering her clothes to prevent any makeup or other products from getting onto them and a towel behind her head to rest on. I also made sure my model was comfortable in her seat and checked she had everything she needed. In my opinion I feel that I successfully accomplished the preparation stage, met all the health and safety precautions and was then happy to start with the application.
Firstly, I brushed my model’s hair back and took the bottom section of hair and began to apply wet look hair gel, all the way from root to tip. I worked from the bottom sections upwards and made sure it was all coated in the gel. Once it was all completely covered I took a wide tooth comb and combed it all slick back then hair sprayed it all in place to ensure the positioning of the hair stayed the same throughout the process. I then took a black ‘Snazaroo’ face paint (water activated) and began to colour my model’s hair, as her natural hair is blonde which didn’t fit my brief as Phantom’s hair is black. Once I was happy with the pigmentation of the hair, I sprayed it with hairspray again, then started to create a receding hairline using the same face paint. Overall, I was very happy with the hair as it turned out just as I had planned, and it met my brief.
For the makeup stage, I started out by creating Phantom’s scar separating both sides of his face. To do this I used Ben Nye scar wax and created a long sausage piece which I placed down the centre of my model’s face and used a metal spatula to blend out the edges to make it look more realistic. Due to the warmth of the room the wax was very soft, and I didn’t want to risk it peeling away from the skin, so I carefully stippled a thin layer of liquid latex over the top to keep it all in place. Once the latex had dried I created a small ridge running down the centre of the scar, using the metal spatula, and filled it in using a dark purple oil-based face paint to add depth. This was my first Special effect as we had to use a minimum of three to meet the brief. Next, I blocked out the right brow using glue and loose powder, as Phantom’s right brow had totally burnt off, so I wanted to create the same illusion. Then to create the severe burns on the right-hand side of the face, I built up about four layers of latex, making sure each layer was completely dry before adding another, therefore the latex didn’t lift. Once I was happy with the layering, I carefully peeled up small sections of the latex and used scissors to make tiny holes, which I then filled with oil-based paints and ‘Ben Nye scab blood’. This added depth and definition. To add redness and pigmentation to the burns I stippled on a mixture of oil-based paints (red, purple, blue and yellow) using a sponge, rather than using a brush which wouldn’t look as realistic. I ended up playing around with the colours to ensure it looked as soft and as blended as it possibly could. This was the second Special effect and was personally my favourite. For the last special effect, I tried to create a deformed ear. To do this I used scar wax and built it up underneath the ear lobed and tried to create the appearance that it was missing. However, this is the part which I really struggled with due to the warm room temperature and the wax being too soft to work with, it just wouldn’t stay fixed, and this is one thing I would do differently next time. I would ensure the room was at a lower temperature, therefore the products work better.
For the left hand side of the face, I used ‘Ben Nye Wrinkle Stipple’ to give the appearance of older looking skin, however when I applied my foundation over the top, you could see where I had applied the wrinkle stipple and therefore I wouldn’t use it again next time, instead I would just emphasise my model’s natural wrinkles. For the base I applied pale foundation as Phantom has a pale complexion with very cool toned contour, so this is exactly what I did. Lastly for the makeup I was going to postiche a grey, fluffy eyebrow to make the face look more mascular, however I didn’t have enough time to create one, so instead I improvised and used a dark brow pomade and an angled brush and created hair like strokes to give the illusion of a big, fluffy brow. Overall, I was happy with how my makeup and the special effects turned out, but next time I would do the certain steps differently to achieve a better outcome.
To complete my look, I dressed my model in a black tuxedo, as this is what phantom is known for wearing throughout the musical and I really think this pulled the whole look together. In conclusion I am highly satisfied with my work, as I believe I met my brief, followed all the health and safety precautions, and recreated the character ‘Phantom’.
Becky x
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