For my first Halloween costume I chose to do Pennywise as I have previously seen the film IT and absolutely loved it, and it really inspired me to recreate the clown Pennywise!
I started off by blocking out my brows. To do this I lathered my eyebrows with glue and used a metal spatula to lay them straight and flat to my face. Once the glue had dried I added another two layers then set it all in place with loose powder. I then tied my hair in a slick back ponytail as tight as I possibly could, and used hair gel to smooth it all down ready for my head piece. This part was super simple and I was really happy with how it turned out.
Next I flipped my ponytail onto the top of my head to create a dome shape and secured it with hair grips and sprayed it all in place with hairspray to make sure it lasted. I then used cotton wool to add extra height to my forehead (as Pennywise is known for having a huge forehead.) This was also used for padding for my head piece which I added on after this. The head piece I created was made out of paper-mache and it was a round shape created from using a football as a template. (Literally that easy!) I applied this using prosthetic adhesive around the perimeter of my face and it leaned against the cotton wool I layered on my head.
After that I used a plastic red head (mannequin) and covered it in latex multiple times to create a bald cap. (Tip: Make sure each layer of liquid latex is evenly spread out to reduce any lumps or bumps you may accidently create, and also make sure each layer is completely dry before adding another. If not they latex will lift and the bald cap won’t be strong enough to hold.) Once my bald cap was completely dry I carefully removed it off the mannequin and heavily powdered it with white loose powder to prevent it from sticking, then applied it on top of my head piece for extra strength and to make the top of my head super smooth. (Make sure the edges of the bald cap are stuck down with prosthetic adhesive to prevent it from moving around or lifting.) I was really pleased with my head shape as it resembles Pennywises head shape just how I hoped it would!
Next I layered cotton wool and tissue and built up thick layers of skin, using latex, around my nose and ears to make them excessively bigger and to make my face shape more like Pennywise’s. After this had dried I did Pennywise makeup using white face paint, red lipstick and black eyeshadow! I used multiple images of Pennywise from the film IT to recreate the makeup look to my best ability! After this step I was really happy with how my makeup turned out, however I wish I had made the ears slightly larger and more prominent as when I added on my wig you couldn’t see them as much as I would have hoped for.
To finish off my look I added an orange wig and styled it using hairspray, then got into my Pennywise costume I had previously made.
I made my Pennywise costume by taking a large long sleeved T-shirt and sewing on three big red pom poms I made from using red wool. I then got some white net and sewed one side together and synched it all in to create his puffy collar and sleeves. Then to finish it off I sprayed the T-shirt and some white leggings I bought with red and black spray paint to make them look dirty and to add to the effect.
Overall I was super happy with my whole costume and was really proud of myself and the look I had recreated however if I was to do it again I would choose a better wig which would be easier to work with and style and I would also add a postiche piece to the front of the wig to create his hairline!

            

Becky x

Second Lesson

Our second lesson of Postiche was pretty much the same as our first, however on our white paper we were given a shape to fill in (Mine was a rectangle.) This is really simple and easy to do once you have mastered the knotting technique!

 

Third Lesson

However for our third lesson, we started off by creating a moustache template. We did this by placing some cling film over our friends mouth and used tape to strengthen it. Then we drew a moustache on the tape and then placed a thicker piece of tape over the top to prevent it from rubbing off, then cut it out. Next, we attached our template to a white piece of paper and pinned it to a ‘malleable block’ (This is basically a head shaped block) along with our new piece of net! Then we started to knot synthetic hair and fill in our template. I found it much easier to knot when the net was attached to the block rather than just having it on the table, and I was really happy with the amount of work I produced in just over an hour!

   

 

Becky x

Today I attempted my first ever one length cut. It was actually much easier than I expected! I started out by conditioning my dolls head, then gently towel dried it so it wasn’t soaking wet. I attached my clamp stand to my desk and then placed my dolls head on top, and made sure it was secure. Then we all watched Julie’s demonstration of a one length cut and tried it out for ourselves!

I quickly set up my area by having my comb kit and scissors set out neatly in front of me to ensure I had easy access to everything.

We had to start off by combing the hair with a wide tooth comb in order to make sure there wasn’t any knots; using a wide tooth comb reduces the amount of hairs lost and it is much more delicate on the hair. I then sectioned the hair in a middle parting and then from ear to ear, leaving me with four even sections (We call this the ‘Hot Cross Bun’).  I then pinned up the front two sections, and took a very thin layer of hair from both the bottom sections, this was going to be my guideline. This step was really easy to follow, as long as the partings were kept straight.

After that, I ran my comb down the hair to make sure it was all smooth, then used my index finger and my middle finger as a guide to make sure my cut was going to be straight. Once I was happy with that I took my scissors and cut about 1cm off then ends and hoped it was straight! Luckily it was!

I then took another small layer from both the bottom sections and repeated the previous steps, using my first layer as my guild line, to ensure it was all the same length. (Tip: Make sure your sections aren’t too thick, as you won’t be able to see your guide line and your cut won’t be straight) I kept repeating the previous steps until all the sections had be cut and I was happy with my work. Personally I was really happy with my final cut, considering it was my first attempt! The one thing I would recommend is to make sure that you always have a water spray to hand, therefore you can keep the hair wet and make sure that the hair is kept all the same length; because when the hair dries it can look slightly shorter, especially if the hair is naturally curly!

 

Becky x

 

In my first postiche lesson I found out just how hard creating postiche actually is! It was a pretty laid back lesson considering it was our first ever time doing postiche, as we were all just getting to grips with everything and trying to master the basic knotting technique (which sounds much easier than it actually is, trust me!)

We were given a thick, brown net with ‘larger’ holes, which was a lot thicker and less likely to stretch and tear. We then attached this to a piece of white paper, using tape, in order to make it easier to see the holes. By doing this, it kept the net secure and therefore meant it was easier to knot as it couldn’t move around. We were also given a knotting hook and this is used to pull individual hairs through the net in able to knot them. We used human hair for our first session because it’s the easiest hair to work with.

After following Millee’s demonstration we had to create our first knot. I started off by taking a small bundle of hair (I found that having a smaller bundle makes it so much easier) and created a small loop with my fingers. I then hooked the knotting hook through one of the holes in the net and came back up through the next hole. Then I wrapped some of the hair around the end of the needle, held it tight, and slowly pull the hook back through the hole without unhooking the hair. This part was relatively simple as long as the hair was kept tight. Next you have wrap the hair back around the knotting hook and pull it towards the back. At this point I faced my hook towards me to prevent the hair from falling off. After that you will see you’ve created a tiny loop which you will need to push your hook through and then gently pull through the hair to create the single knot. This part isn’t as simple as it sounds because it’s easy to miss the loop as it’s all so compact, and the loops are super tiny! This is what I struggled with the most and it took me ages to get to grips with.

I found a couple of videos on Youtube that show you how to create postiche, and I found it much more useful to re-watch their demonstrations rather than my friends explaining it to me, as I find a visual representation much easier to follow. The videos I thought were the most helpful I have linked below!

1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWqGTzj3y14
2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaHlaYv8WWU
3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o_-1kPqPLY

Becky x