Development 'Smart Scarlett'

Following on from the previous Scarlett Johnasson image, I decided to develop the braid made out of fabric over the front of the hair to create a contemporary version of Elizabethan head pieces.

Above is the first image. I created the braid at the front of the hair out of fabric and then added silver to add more texture to the hair. I then added more blush to the cheek to link the look back to the Elizabethan era. I used a red colour fabric because red was seen as the colour of wealth.

Above is the second image. For this image I decided to create two braids and have them placed down the side of the face instead of over the forehead. I added the green to create a look which would resemble more of a head piece. However I really do not like the green. I wanted the card to resemble the Elizabethan collar but it would have been better if it was in a different material, like lace. I then added the jewel to the front, as was common on head pieces. I think that the first look is better than this one.

For the third image, I decided to experiment with ribbon and rope to create an alternative look to the braid. I started to braid the materials together which made them twist at the bottom so I then doubled it over to create a big piece. I think this would be better incorporated into the hair, not over the front of the face. I then added the jewel once again to link back to the jewels that would have been on Elizabethan head pieces. 

Braids & Twists

 Braids & Twists

Above is my first attempt at doing a french braid. There is also purple ribbon tied into the hair, but because the models hair is also purple it was quite hard to see it! Obviously braids are something that I need to work on, as hair was missing from the braid and the braid itself is really messy. I need to work on getting the same amount of hair into each bit of the braid to create a neater look.

Above are all my attempts at twists. I prefer twists to braiding, especially when the ribbon is incorporated into the hair. Once again i need to work on getting the right amount of hair into each section so that the end result is neater. To create the twist, take two sections of hair and always, always twist it to the right. Then place the right twist over the left. Repeat this until you are left with a full twist. Because the models hair was shorter I had to create smaller twists. If the hair was longer the twist could have been taken around the back of the head for a fuller look.

Elizabethan Ecclesiastical

After creating my own headpiece on a contemporary image, I decided to look at headpieces from the Elizabethan era compared to ones today. 

Queen Elizabeth I, Artist unknown, 1585-90. Available to view on wikimedia

Queen Elizabeth I. Pen and ink portrait drawing on vellum. Isaac Oliver. 1592-95 Available to view on wikimedia. 

Queen Elizabeth. Attributed to Hilliard. The phoenix portrait 1575. Available to view on wikimedia.



The portraits above show the type of  head dresses worn by Queen Elizabeth I. Each head dress was different and so elaborate with intricate detailing. The head pieces added to the outfit by giving that extra jewel that Queen Elizabeth was fond of. Pearls are seen in most, if not all of her portraits which represented the 'Virgin Queen' image. Furthermore, wearing a head piece would show that you are from wealth. Contemporary versions of the headpieces were seen on the catwalks at Alexander McQueen's autumn/winter 2013 collection.


Edie Campbell for Alexander McQueen. Photographed by David Sims. 2013. Available to view http://www.alexandermcqueen.com/gb/


Edie Campbell for Alexander McQueen. Photographed by David Sims. 2013. Available to view http://www.alexandermcqueen.com/gb/
The modern day Elizabethan! The whole collection is based around all things pure; ballets, nuns, popes, the high church and of course, the Virgin Queen. The headpieces are covered in pearls and tear drop pearls which 'Evoke beauty and rarity', (Campbell, 2013, McQueen website) much like Queen Elizabeth herself! The makeup is completely in keeping with the theme of the Elizabethan, white faces with a subtle blush and rose lips. I love how Campbell has created an over the face head piece to completely modernise the look, and creating something, dare i say it...rare. The second image shows how the hair was styled underneath the head piece. Tight curls in a cropped style, which really mirrors the hair style of Queen Elizabeth. This would have been created using wigs, which would have been quick to use especially when under pressure to get the looks out on the runway. The whole show just screams Elizabethan. Amazing!

Alexander McQueens Autumn/Winter Womens 2013 Collection. (online video) Published march 6 2013. (Viewed 20th October 2013) Available from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8muJIRlx1eI

Elizabethan Scarlett

'And lest it should fall down, it is underpropped with forks, wyres, & I can not tel what, rather like grim stern monsters, than chaste christian matrones.'

Philip Stubbles. 1st March 1583. Stationers Register.The Anatomie of Abuses. 1583

Scarlett Johansson for Dolce & Gabbana. Image found in Vogue April 2013 issue


Above is one of the images i chose to look at when given the word smart. The task now, was to add Elizabethan details to the image in order to relate the image to my chosen quote. I added red fabric to the image, braided to create a head piece which was common in the Elizabethan era. I chose to use red fabric as this signifies wealth. The silver to the right is there to signify jewels, which would have also been on Elizabethan headpieces. I then added colour to the cheeks to create more of a blush against the pale skin. In terms of relation to my quote, the braided fabric could have been wrapped around wire and placed further back into the hair to keep the hair from falling down. This would have also shown the high forehead that was desired in the Elizabethan era. 

Purity and such a time

"It would please me best if, at the last, a marble stone shall record that this Queen having lived such and such a time, lived and died a virgin"

(Queen Elizabeth I to parliamentary delegation)

The task this week was to interpret a quote and create a hair look that we thought met this interpretation. The quote chosen to interpret was, 'It would please me best if, at the last, a marble stone shall record that this Queen having lived such and such a time, lived and died a virgin.' (Queen Elizabeth I to parliamentary delegation) The image we got from this quote was a sense of purity, as marble is smooth and has this look of freshness about it but also because of the use of the word Virgin; which is pure. 

So the idea was to create a look based around certain words from the quote; we used the idea of the marble and the word virgin. These words lead to the idea of using long ringlet hair which was popular at the time. We had to use materials like paper and old hair to create the look, basically showing that in the industry you have to be able to create something with what you have available to you. We then decided to put red ribbon through the hair to show the Elizabethan aspect of the hair style. The colour red was also used to show wealth. We then also put netting over half the face and intertwined this into the hair to make the hairstyle more contemporary. 

Above is the image that i created from the interpretation given to me, I curled paper with scissors to create the ringlet look, and also put the red ribbon throughout the hair. The netting was placed over the left side of the face where most of the hair was. I parted the hair to the side to give the image a more contemporary look. 

Above are the words used to create the look by.

The bottom image of the two, was created by my peer who also had the same brief to work by. She used real hair that was already curled and intertwined the netting through the hair, and added red ribbon to show the wealth. We didn't look at each others work until told to do so, but the images we created were quite similar although we both used different materials to make the look.

This task really showed me what it would be like to work in the industry and how important it is to use what you have around you to fullfill a brief.

Smart Scarlett

Smart Scarlett

Flicking through an old issue of Vogue, I came across a campaign for Dolce & Gabbana's Matte foundation. The advert includes a image of Scarlett Johanson modelling the makeup. The first thing that grabbed my attention was the barely there makeup, flawless! But I want to talk about the hair.... 

Scarlett Johanson for Dolce & Gabbana

Much like the skin; the hair is completely flawless, with no hair out of place! The soft curls of the hair mirror those on the sculpture. They also create a frame so that the face is the main centre of attention. By creating height at the top of the head, this opens up the face so that the main focal point is the makeup, which of course is what is trying to be sold here. The whole image just screams purity.

The Fundamentals of Make-up and Hair Design

Integral parts of the design process include analysis, construction and visual description. This to me means the whole break down of creating an idea; gathering the visual element, analysing this element and then taking the inspiration to construct and create. Part of being a make-up artist includes understanding the different techniques used to create a look and the process gone through to get to that point. The objective here is to create a contemporary look inspired by the historical using the techniques and knowledge gathered which will ultimately prepare us as make-up artists for the diverse roles that need to be created in the industry.

Elizabethan Hair & Techniques

Unknown Artist. 1559. Queen Elizabeth I coronation portrait. Oil Paint on Panel. Available to view: http://www.tudorhistory.org/elizabeth/queen.html

The coronation portrait of Queen Elizabeth I shows the queen with her hair down and around the shoulders, which signifies a quality of innocence leading to the 'The Virgin Queen' title being given. The hair would have been her own as this was before it was all cut off and before the queen started to use wig pieces. The hair would've been styled with oil to give it that glossy effect and to keep the hair off of the face. 

Robert Peake the Elder. 1610. Oil Paint on Panel. Available to view:

http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw08140/Elizabeth-Queen-of-Bohemia?search=sp&sText=queen+elizabeth+1&firstRun=true&rNo=15

The portrait above shows the larger forehead, meaning that the hair would have been plucked back at least an inch with high arched brows to show beauty. The hair could have been a wig piece to disguise the Queen's thinning hair. The hair would have been pasted with cumin seed, saffron and oil to get the colouring and to set the hair. Not having access to modern day appliances means that they would have had to use every day items to create the curl in the hair; a technique that is still used today. 

The rainbow portrait: attributed to Isaac Oliver. 1600. Oil paint on Panel. 

Available to view: 

http://www.gogmsite.net/the_late_farthingale_era_fr/minialbum_queen_elizabeth_o/ca_1600_rainbow_portrait_by.html

The rainbow portrait, by Isaac Oliver shows Queen Elizabeth I with part of the hair down around her shoulders. This portrait was painted a few years before her death; so to show the hair around the shoulders was a bit unusual as many of the portraits just showed short hair away from the face to show beauty. The hair around the shoulders conveys the image of 'The Virgin Queen'. Again the forehead is larger leading back to the tight curls which may have been a wig as the queens hair was thinning. This would have already been styled by using objects that could be pinned back to create a curl. 

'And lest it should fall down, it is underpropped with forks, wyres, & I can not tel what, rather like grim stern monsters, than chaste christian matrones.'

Philip Stubbles. 1st March 1583. Stationers Register.The Anatomie of Abuses. 1583



My own interpretations of this is that if the hair style falls down than the hair hasn't been propped up enough using the items suggested; Forks and Wyre. Therefore if the hair has fallen down then the men will regard that woman as a 'Grim stern monster' rather then the 'Chaste christian matrone' that women strived to be like, because of Queen Elizabeth I. As men also took pride in their appearance it completely makes sense that they would view a woman with underpropped hair as a monster; who would want to be seen with that, rather than a pure, modest lady?

McKnight's Milan

Sam McKnight, 2013. Models backstage at Moschino 2013 Milan Fashion Week (Digital Image) Viewed 04/10/13. Available from: http://www.vogue.co.uk/beauty/2013/09/24/sam-mcknight-milan-fashion-week-hair-photo-diary

Moschino and McKnight...a match made in heaven? 

Possibly a match made in hair heaven with smart sophisticated looks teamed with the wacky Moschino edge. French braids, slick slide partings and buns were worn throughout Moschino's Spring/Summer 2014 show in Milan. The smart styling of the hair was also occasionally accompanied by a wild hair band; an every day piece given a 2013 twist.  

Moschino Spring/Summer 2014 Milan Fashion Week. Fashion Tv. Viewed 04/10/13
Available from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cynqBgSJ6Mk

Above is my favourite two looks from the show. My impression from the show was that two models were used to create a good and a bad; two models to convey the different styles within the Moschino show. The look on the left showing the bad, with dark makeup and the hair scraped away from the face to show that icy expression. The hair used by McKnight on the left looks smart, chic and pretty effortless.

The look on the right i just love....imagine wearing that head dress to do your weekly shop! A bad hair day must have.

Wild Wild Wigs

Terrence Davidson, 2010-2011. Nicki Minaj (Digital Image) Viewed 03/10/13. Available  from: http://www.mydaily.co.uk/2012/04/20/nicki-minaj-wigs/#!slide=aol_4976295

Of course Nicki Minaj was one of the most obvious people to research when 'wild' is mentioned in terms of hair styles. Minaj's previous hair stylist Terrence Davidson was famous for creating controversial and outrageous wigs and styles for minaj. There isn't many that could pull of a bright orange wig! So what makes these styles wild? Pretty obviously the colouring; imagine these looks with normal brown or blonde hair...hello boring!  

My favourite piece of Terrence Davidson's work on Minaj is the blue and platinum blonde wig piece seen on Minaj on the front row at Betsey Johnson's SS2012 show in 2011. 

Betsey Johnson SS2012 show, 2011, Johnson and Minaj (Digital Image) viewed 03/10/13. Available from: http://style.mtv.com/2011/09/12/betsey-johnson-nicki-minaj-fashion-week/

I'm not sure what grabs my attention first; that dress....or that hair! 

One word...Wild!