I love being able to express myself through the way I do my makeup for example wearing gothic/ emo makeup.

my favourite makeup form is drag makeup this is because it gives me self expression and freedom.

I love the expression of special effects makeup as you can take a scenario and develop it in many different ways for example a casualty patient with head trauma and burns this could entail severe head wounds and 3rd degree burns or a slight head wound and small 1st degree burns however you interpret the brief.

How does this relate to my final project idea?

This relates to my final project as I am doing a dragon like creature that is half human half dragon and this meant that my character would have been in battles and would have cuts and scars to make it more authentic and to add the special effects element to my design.

Silicone research : Stokes.K.(2021)Theatrical, Special Effects and Media Makeup Artistry 1st edition. London: Hodder Education

The use of sculpt gel (A&B 3D Gel)

Sculpt gel enables makeup artists to apply prosthetics easily. Once mixed, it can be applied directly to the skin without the use of moulds or casts. Sculpt gel is also used to create realistic scars, cuts and swelling directly onto the skin. Paint can also be added to the mixture to create the desired colour for the scenario you are creating. The use of blood on silicone can prove quite difficult as regular special effects blood tends to separate from the silicone therefore artificial blood has been developed for silicone use. The use of silicone based blood is best as this will bond with the silicone and help it stick better.

https://youtu.be/n5LPJ0GbX-0?si=8ECnEuqHTb6XE5XF

We also picked a name for our final project we Democratically voted on two subjects that appealed to us the most and the ones with the most votes were 'Grimms Tales' and 'Once Upon A Time' however we all had different ideas of what we wanted to for example aliens and fairy tale creatures that didn't necessarily fit into the description of either of those. Therefore, after a lot of brainstorming we settled on the name In A Land Far Far Away to give the ability to incorporate all arrays of fantasy and intergalactic creatures. This meant that everyone had the chance to find something that fit the style of makeup that they liked the most.

Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star Series 3 | Trailer - BBC

Why have I added this link?

The reason I added this link is to give a more in depth understanding of what the series is about and an insight into what out project is about as our project is going to be ran like a Glow up competition and judged the same. I also added this link to show the kinds of makeups depicted in the show and how when given a creative brief the artists are able to take this and produce amazing work. This relates to our project as this is what has been given to us.

Why is this beneficial to my project?

One reason this is beneficial to my project is because it gives me more information to back up the reasoning of my choice in character design and what genre they would be from. For example if I was to do a gnome like character I would have chosen from the themes of fantasy and fairy-tale and would have the context of where this kind of character had come from and its original place or time of origin. Another way that this amount of context is beneficial is because it helps towards further depth in the context elements of the project brief as wider reading helps to boost the theory side of our project and expand our intellectual knowledge of origins and contextualisation.

cs.cmu.edu/~spok/grimmtmp/009.txt

Why did I add this link?

The reason I added this link is so that you are able to read one of the Grimms brothers stories that I initially wanted to base my final look on. This also gives some context into what our titles is based on. It also shows a resource that I had used to conduct my research on for out brief and what kind of stories the Grimms brothers wrote and how they show the twisted side to the fairy-tale world.

. Air dry clay to create my moulds

. Silicone A&B

How did I create these prosthetics?

To begin with I created my moulds using standard air dry clay and creating different textures. I did this by rolling out my clay to the desired thickness so that my patterns wouldn't create holes in the clay and make the prosthetics tear when removing them. I created my patterns by using items like the end of a pencil a glue stick lid and a textured stipple sponge. I then stored them flat in a warm well ventilated room overnight for them to dry. I then brought them to college the next day to create my silicone prosthetics I also found some prosthetic moulds to see which would work better the clay or the moulds. To make my prosthetic I began by using a spatula and taking a large scoop of part A and applying it to my pallet. I then used a SEPERATE spatula to do the same with part B and mixed these two together on my pallet to get the mixture I needed to create prosthetics. I then used a spatula to put a thick amount of the silicone in the middle / deepest part of the mould. I then used a flat craft brush to use some of the thickness from the middle of the mould to thin out to the edges to create a thin blend able edge. I then let these set overnight before I could peel these from their moulds and see which had worked better. When they had set overnight I attempted to peel them from their moulds.

What problems did I run into when making prosthetics?

One major problem I had ran into when making my prosthetics is that when I had left them to set in the air dry clay moulds the silicone had actually absorbed into the clay itself and stuck to the mould because water is used to mould air dry clay all the moisture had been absorbed into the clay and made the silicone stick to the clay. Therefore I had found that using a different type of clay or even a plastic or silicone would be better as the moisture would not be absorbed and my prosthetics are less likely to stick.

Why did I make prosthetics?

I made my own prosthetics to see if it would be better to learn how to make a prosthetic from silicone or to purchase a pre made one which I have now done as i feel they would be more reliable on the day and more accurate to my look. I also wanted to practice making my own prosthetics to learn the processes of doing so and find out which ways work best and what not to do next time.

https://youtu.be/BQ7tsisltno?si=lmsthylSRJ2c_3j7

Why is time management so important when working in the make-up industry?

Time management is a massive key attribute to being a makeup artist especially when working in places such as a fashion show or movie set managing your time is a massive aspect of your professionalism and employability skill set. Time management is also really important as you need to be able to manage time effectively to complete the brief given by the director you are working for and make sure it is up to standard in a pressurised environment.

What are some effective ways to manage time constraints with the makeup and hair department?

1- plan ahead of time- This means having a clear understanding of the situation before hand. For example having a great understanding of the script, characters, locations, schedule and budget. Communication with the Director(or whoever is in charge of the event) is very important as it gives you the opportunity to make sure your expectations and visions align with one another's. As well as the points already made planning ahead can help avoid last-minute changes, delays and conflicts that can waste time and resources.

2- Another way to manage your time is to prioritise and delegate tasks from most important and urgent to least. You should have a clear layout of responsibilities and roles within your department and tasks should be assigned according to these factors. Prioritising by importance means prioritising actors that need the most attention and time. For example lead roles, roles with the need of special effects makeup or roles with multiple changes. By doing this you can optimise your work flow and ensure everyone is on the same page.

3- A third way to manage your time is to be flexible and adaptable to possible changing situations and demands. As an artist you should be prepared to deal with unexpected challenges. These could be a number of things such as weather conditions, equipment failures, Actor injuries or script revisions. You should also be open to compromising in many different ways for example adjusting your plans when necessary, such as using alternative products, techniques or styles. Being flexible and adaptable opens you up to overcoming obstacles and delivering the best possible results.

4- A fourth way you can manage your time is to use time saving tools and techniques that can speed up your process and improve your quality. Investing in reliable and efficient equipment such as Airbrushes, Dryers, Curlers and Pallets can aid you in this. You should also use techniques that can reduce your effort and time for example, doing things like prepping the skin, using multipurpose products or applying makeup in layers, by doing this you can enhance tour productivity and performance.

There are many other ways to manage your time efficiently for more examples please click the linked in link.

How did I apply this prosthetic?

To begin with I chose where I wanted to place my prosthetic and how I wanted to place it on my model. I then used pros aide adhesive to stick the prosthetic to the skin. I did this by applying a thin layer in the middle of where my prosthetic would be and waited a minute for it to get tacky before I placed my prosthetic flat to the skin. For the edges I used a cotton bud and applied a very thin layer of pros aide and allowing this to go tacky before pulling my edge flat to the skin and removing any bubbles or wrinkles in the application. I then used a cotton bud and 70% isotropic alcohol to blend my edged I did this by dipping my cotton bud into the alcohol and bringing it around 2 mm away from the edge of my prosthetic to ensure a smooth and seamless blend I used a flat rounded craft brush and made sure my brush was saturated but not too much as if you have too much alcohol on the brush and it gets onto another part of the prosthetic it will melt it and it will no longer be usable.

what problems did I run into when applying my prosthetic?

When applying my prosthetic I had ran mistake that I had made when making my prosthetic.This issue was that when making prosthetics you are supposed to create a very thin blend-able edge. however I had found when trying to blend my prosthetic into the skin that I had made my edge too thick so it didn't blend smoothly into the skin and had rough edges as a result. To solve this problem so that these edges were not seen I used stage blood to add an extra texture on top of my prosthetic and on the skin so that these rough edges can not be seen.

Over the holidays I have made slight changes to my design

for example instead of hand painting the scales on the back shoulders and arms individually I have opted for a stencil of the scales. The reason I opted for these is so that I not only helped myself to manage my time when working within a time limit on competition day but so that each scale is the same and doesn't look animated but more realistic which is what I want for my character. I also decided that instead of just painting all of my injuries on that I was going to use sculpt gel (silicone A&B). This helps really bring all of mt skills to my look as I already have the use of prosthetics and body paint. It also helps to tie in another element of 3D design and really bring the battles that my character would have fought in to life. I also wanted to use sculpt gel as it adheres to the skin better than wax and is a lot easier to create skin like scars and cuts and the use of alcohol paints can create realistic skin like tones. This is because alcohol paints are really good for slight colouration as they have a lovely transparency which really brings the eye to think that the injuries created are actual bodily injuries. I am also going to change my design slightly as I was going to add the use of fake fangs to give stronger dragon like features to my character and to really top off my look. However I realised this may not be the most convenient as I realised the ones I had bought had wax that needed to be placed in boiling water for them to be applied and this only works for one use so would not be a great idea on competition day as when we tried them at home we found that they took around half an hour to get to work properly. This would not be good when trying to manage my time efficiently as I could use this time to perfect my look further.

The reason we have worked on Harvard referencing is so that when we incorporate wider reading and contextual research within our work we are able to reference the source properly and be able to give the information for people to be able to locate this information easier. This also gives us the skills to reference at a higher level for example Harvard referencing is used a lot in universities when completing essays that use paraphrasing and direct quotes from information needed to be given in these circumstances.

How did I find Harvard Referencing?

To begin with I found Harvard referencing fairly difficult to understand as there is a lot of steps for each way to reference some being more in depth and informative than the others. However after a while I found it a bit easier to understand I found it more helpful to have the steps of what I need to do for each part of the reference written down so that I can walk through each part step by step and make sure I am doing it correctly and am not susceptible to plagiarism or misinformation.

The reason we use a timeline is so that you can track exactly what you need to do and when so that you can keep on track with what is needed to be done. I personally have found it quite difficult to manage my time during this project as I am used to having structured and specific instructions and deadlines. Therefore I am finding time management quite difficult as I feel less structured and motivated to do things as I don't have a specific timetable. However I have found this experience helpful as I have realised you are not always going to have a structure in life for everything you do so you have to try and adapt to that and be flexible with your time management to get things done.

Jessica Wilkinson: Jessica Wilkinson - IMDb

Why do we do Artist research?

The reason we do artist research is so that we can look at examples of there work and see how it correlates with our work as a whole and what techniques can link deeply with our work and what similarities it has. We also do artist research to compile further context on what our character is based on. For example I researched the artists that worked on the film Dungeon and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves as this is where my character idea originated from. For example I have researched artists that have not only worked on movies that link in with my character but also use the skills I will be practising. For example Jennifer Aspinall is a prosthetics and special effects artist that has not only worked on the dungeons and dragons movie but many more that have need her specialist skills and knowledge she has developed over her 45 year career. Even though there wasn't a lot of information on Jessica Wilkinson I have managed to find enough research to determine a link within my project and her work as a whole she is well known for her work on the hit BBC drama the crown that focuses on period makeup however she takes a great leap from this when working on Dungeons and dragons: Honour Among Thieves as the makeup in this is heavily based on the fantasy realm of the Dungeons and dragons world. Another reason we do contextual artist research is to understand how they developed within the industry and how this can help understand how standards within the industry have changed. Examples of this can include the health, safety and hygiene standards and how they have developed over time to ensure a safer experience. Another way we can see difference is by the products and productions they have worked with throughout their career.

. Athena Grease Paint

. Dish sponge

. Stencils

How did I create these scales?

Creating my scales was fairly simple as all I had to do was apply colour to my stencil with a dish sponge. I did this by first taking my dish sponge in my dark green paint and for the the lager scales applying this in random areas. However with the smaller more snake like scales I only applied this on the outside to add depth to the design. I then did the same with the light green and yellow on the larger scales. However with my smaller snake like scales my approach was slightly different as I wanted them to be lightest in the middle and darkest on the outer edges to give the look of a spinal structure as on competition day these types of scales would be located on the back. I did this by using my dish sponge and applying yellow directly in the middle then blending that into a light shade of green and finally blending that into my dark green to not only give the structure I wanted but the ombre look too.

What would I have done differently?

If I was to do this again I would have cut my stencils into different shapes as I found that when I was applying them they had left a square edge that didn't look very natural and make them look too perfect. This wasn't beneficial as I wanted my scales to look as real as possible and to make the character look as close to an actual reptile as possible. I would have also chosen a different colour theme as personally looking back I have realised that the idea of a green dragon is very stereotypical fairy-tale fantasy where I wanted mine to look as close to a reptile as possible. Another thing I would have done differently is to buy more stencils as I found only having one of each got very difficult very fast as the more I used it the dirtier it got the the likelihood of the design smudging kept increasing and I did find that a common issue. I did however try and combat this by cleaning my stencil between applications but this I quickly realised would be hard to maintain under a time limit.

One reason we create a budget list is to get an insight into what a makeup artist in the industry has to do to prepare for a big project and to get a feel for how much it would cost in industry as usually as an artist you are given a budget however a lot of the time if it is a small scale production you would have to pay out of your own pocket.

One way a budget is beneficial is to manage things such as kit fees. This is where a makeup artist has to pay for their own kit which contains specialist brushes, makeup products and other supplies. A budget helps determine the cost of the kit and how to maintain it over time. So what is a kit fee?A kit fee—also called a kit rental, box fee, or box rental—is a payment made to a crew member for the use of their personal equipment on a production. This can include reusable tools like carts or power drills, as well as expendable supplies like makeup sponges, gaffer tape, or batteries.

The idea behind a kit fee is to help offset wear and tear, restocking of supplies, and the convenience of having certain tools readily available. Kit fees are typically charged on a daily, weekly, or flat-project basis, depending on the production and what has been negotiated.

While kit fees are often processed through payroll, they are not considered wages and are treated differently for both financial and tax purposes.

The Essential Guide to Kit Fees | Wrapbook

Another way a budget list is helpful is to help manage production costs. A budget list helps a makeup artist to track expenses related to specific needs within a production such as buying specific shades of products such as foundations an products to fit the actors own specific look.

A further way that a budget list can aid a makeup artist working on a production is helping to predict and control expenses. Budget lists help a makeup artist to estimate and control costs, preventing financial surprises and ensuring they can complete their work while staying within an allocated budget set by producers and directors.

Tracking purchases and inventory is another way that budget lists are extremely useful. This helps to determine which vendors the products are coming from and whether they are trusted within the industry. It also includes a description of the product e.g. shades and sizes and the price of the products. It will also include a total price of the entire list as a whole.

. Silicone sculpt gel (silicone A&B)

. Ben Nye Bruise Wheel

. Ben Nye Stage Blood

. Merhon Synwax

. Dirt Works- Dark Brun

. Silicone Prosthetics

Wounds created:

. Keloid scars

. deep cuts

. Scratches

. Bruises

How did I create these wounds?

keloid scars:

To create these Keloid scars I first began by creating my silicone mixture to do this I began by mixing parts A,B&C together using SEPARATE spatulas for each part so as to not contaminate each part of my silicone as each part reacts with one another to harden and take shape so this would ruin my entire pot if mixed in with one another. Then after I had mixed these together on my pallet I used a spatula to apply a small amount to the skin. Then using a small flat rounded craft brush I blended the silicone and removed any extra to ensure a realistic skin like texture and blend. I then let my silicone sit for around 5 minutes to fully set to ensure no smudging or accidental removal when attempting to paint the wound. After this I used alcohol paints to create a more realistic skin tone but yet purple ish colour to give the full affect of what a real Keloid scar would look like on the human body. I also mad a keloid scar using synwax I did this by first warming the synwax in my hands for around 3 minutes as this makes it so much easier to work with as it is easier to blend into the skin and to mould into the shape needed for the wound you are creating. After I had done this I applied my wax to the skin I did this by first creating a sausage like shape with my wax and placing this in my desired area of the skin. I then used the flat edge of my spatula to blend the wax into the skin making sure to keep the shape of a scar in the middle of my blending. While blending I mad sure to remove any excess wax that isn't needed. I then used some Vaseline on the edge of my spatula just to make sure I had blended my wax to the best of my ability. I then took some powder and just lightly brushed this over my wax to take out any shine that the Vaseline may have added during the blending process. I then used my Dirt works Dark Brun powder to add the dirty and grimy look to the scar as this would link to my character being in the wild and not being the cleanest of creatures.

Deep cuts

To create the deep cuts I again used my silicone A&B mixture to create the shape and form of a deep cut just like I would with synwax however the use of silicone is easier to work with moulding wise where as wax has to be warmed in the hands for quite a while where as silicone only has to be mixed to apply to the skin. I firstly repeated the same steps when applying my silicone however there was one difference and that was adding the cut in the middle of my silicone I did this by using the pointed end of my spatula to separate the middle part of my silicone to create the cut. After I had done this I again let this set for around 5 minutes to again ensure that there is no smudging or accidental removal. I then used black grease paint in the middle of my cut to create the depth element of my cut. I then used an average dish sponge to add a mixture of both red and brown shades from my Ben Nye bruise wheel and applied this to create the fresh look of my cut. I then used a thin craft brush to apply blood in the middle of my cut to add further to the freshness of the cut. Finally using a stipple sponge I added Ben Nye stage blood on the rest of the cut to add the messiness and disregard to the cleanliness of the cut that my character would have.

scratches:

To create these scratches I firstly used the red shade in my Ben nye bruise wheel and a thin craft brush to create the base shape and redness of my scratch. I then used a deep red/ brown shade from my bruise wheel to add slight depth I did this using a thin brush and adding it in sections instead of the full scratch being the same. I also added the tiniest amount of black/deep blue from my bruise wheel to the parts I thought would be the deepest I again did this in sections using a thin craft brush. This adds the realism of the wound I am creating. Finally I used my thin craft brush and my Ben Nye stage blood to add small amounts of blood to the deepest points of my scratches and let this drip down to give the fresh realistic look to help the eyes perceive this as a real injury.

Bruises:

Creating bruises is fairly easy as I already had all the colours I needed laid out for me in the form of my Ben Nye Bruise Wheel. I firstly began by taking my red shade from by bruise wheel on a sponge and creatin my initial shape for my bruise and a slight redness. Depending on the age that you want the bruise to be determines the colours you use. As I wanted this to be a fairly fresh and forceful bruise I used quite deep colours. The next colour I added to my bruises was a deep red/brown colour to add more severity and depth to my bruise I applied this leaving around an inch of the bright red showing to show the redness around the point of impact. Finally I added a deep purple/blue to the middle symbolising the point of impact and showing where the most damage was caused.

https://youtu.be/y0R5KrS2asM?si=1lOL98ScIzv5yNiD

https://youtu.be/bpMUS_pddGo?si=kALwqS4j60IZltaG

https://youtu.be/n5LPJ0GbX-0?si=0Rj6hbiZmC-KD6uH

Why did I add these links?

The reason I added these links is so that there is a clear representation on how each of these scenarios can be created and to show which resources I had used to perfect my skill for each. These videos are also helpful as they have a deep description on how to do each step along with the visual representation. It is also beneficial as the products used in these videos are the products that I used to create my examples. This helps give an accurate representation on how each product looks on the skin and the best ways to apply them.

. 4x professional prosthetics 

. Hair gel & hair spray 

. Athena pallet 

. Ben nye stage blood 

. Silicone sculpt gel (silicone A&B) 

. Ben nye bruise wheel  

. Dirt works- dark Brun 

. Pros aide  

. 70% isotropic alcohol 

. Snazaroo black face paint

why did I choose this costume? 

 The reason I chose the kilt and speedo for costume is because my character is known for only wearing clothing on the bottom half of the body as they are known as strong protective warriors. They also wear less clothing as it is known to help with agility and movement which is perfect for the role that they play in the Dungeons and Dragons realm as in this realm they are the village protectors they fight off any threat that may be presented to the inhabitants of the area. They are known for their unmistakable half human half dragon body and form but also their extravagant strength and ability to create magical forms such as fireballs. 

How did I create this look?

Hair

To create this look I began by gelling and slicking the hair back into a ponytail so that it is not in the face and matches the style of my character as if you see an image of a typical dracutaur they almost always picture a slick back style of hair.  

Prosthetics

After I had done this, I moved on to the most difficult part of my process applying my prosthetics. To begin I made sure that I apply an even layer of pros aid to the middle of my prosthetic using a cotton bud and let this air dry for around 30 seconds to allow the adhesive to become tacky before applying to the skin to prevent slipping or the prosthetic coming loose while the rest of the makeup is being applied. I then took a small section of the edge at a time and applying again an even layer of pros aid however after waiting to allow the adhesive to become tacky I pulled the prosthetic to make sure that when stuck to the skin there is no wrinkles or air bubbles. I then repeated these steps for all my prosthetic pieces. After I have stuck all my pieces to the skin, I used 70% isotropic alcohol to blend the edge into the skin and remove the thick manufacturing lip from the edge. To do this I used a cotton bud and dipped thin into the 70% alcohol, I then used this by blending about a centimetre away from the middle of my prosthetic all the way out to the edge so that my prosthetics matched seamlessly with the skin. 

Face

I then began focusing on the elements of the face first, so to begin with I used a dish sponge to apply green and black grease paint from my Athena pallet to my prosthetics to add not only my base colour but also adding depth with the black paint. However, this did take two attempts as the first time I used castor sealer to try and prep my prosthetic for paint however this just caused the paint to not stick and just not look good overall. Therefore, to fix this issue I blotted the  castor sealer off with a tissue and powdered my prosthetic and the paint took to this a lot better and created the look I desired. This problem solving helped me to realise that you don’t always have to think that a look is ruined just because of one mistake, it also gave me the opportunity to make slight changes to my design and better it slightly. After I had finished painting my prosthetics I began creating the scales around the face. I did this by using a stencil, of small scales so that they would fit better to the face, and a dish sponge, to add the colour to the stencil. I began by taking my dark green paint and sponging it on in different places on the stencil I did this to make sure that not all the colours were the same in the same place. I then did the same with both my light green and yellow.  After I had done this, I started on the facial features for example I used black snazaroo face paint to elongate the nostrils to make them look more reptilian. I then used black snazaroo paint and red grease paint to create my reptile like lips. I did this by using the black to make the mouth look longer and more spiked at the cupids bow and filled this in with the red grease paint. 

Neck

The work on the neck was simple as all I had to do was paint my prosthetics and add blood. To paint my prosthetics, I used the same method as I did with the prosthetics on the face using a dish sponge and grease paint, I used green and black paint to ensure the details I added where seen. I then used a separate sponge to add my base layer of fake blood to the edges of my prosthetic as I wanted it to look bloody and dirty. I finally used a spray on fake blood close to the area to give the effect of the blood dripping down the neck. 

Arms/legs/hands/feet

To begin with I started with the hands and feet. For the hands and feet, I used my Dirt Works Dark Brun powder mixed with water and brushed this onto the feet to show that my character does live in the wild and is not a clean character and to show the rustic side of living in the wild. I also added some Keloid scars to the hands and feet to show past injuries that could have been sustained in previous battles. I did this using the silicone sculpt gel. To use this I mixed parts A, B &C together to get the mixture I needed for it to work and set correctly. I then used a spatula to apply the amount I need to the area I want the scar to be in. I then repeated the process of using a flat craft brush and isotropic alcohol to not only clean up any edges that were created but to also create the shape I wanted my scar to be. I then let this set for around 3 minutes to again prevent smudging or accidental removal. After these had set, I used a pale pink alcohol paint to create a more realistic scar. After I had finished these scars, I moved on to the injuries I wanted to create on the arms and legs using grease paint. To create the injuries out of greasepaint I began by taking an angled eyeliner brush and the bright red shade from my ben nye bruise wheel and creating the base shape of what I wanted my laceration to look like. Next, I used the same brush and added a deep red/brown paint again from my bruise wheel to create deeper sections in my laceration.  I then used a fine craft brush and a blue/ black paint from my bruise wheel to create further depth to represent the deepest most sever parts of the laceration and where the impact points would be. To complete these injuries, I finished by adding my Ben Nye stage blood to the deepest points of the cuts and let it drop down to show that the injuries are from a recent battle. 

. Our Tuesday morning meeting and weekly planning

. Beginning our individual research and coming up with our individual ideas for this project

. Body painting session

. Individual research

Tuesday morning meeting and planning

This week in our meeting we discussed what individually we have worked on for example what character ideas we may of had or what further contextual research we had done. This is massively beneficial as it helps work on our communication skills as a group. Communication is a key skill needed when working in the makeup industry as when you are working or large productions you have to not only communicate with members of your team but the directors of the production and the designers to make sure all expectations are met. These meetings are also massively beneficial as they give us the opportunity to show the elements in which everyone is strong and determine who is best to go to if help is needed with any element of the project. In our meetings we also find it helpful to plan what as a collaborative we are going to do in the week for example workshops and social media but also as individuals what we are going to do and how we are going to plan our time. For example if we are going to do a whole class workshop like the body painting session we have done this week we need to discuss how we are going to arrange our time the other two days of the week to get a substantial amount of our project done so as not to let ourselves fall behind.

Individual research and ideas

To begin the work on the chest I started with my scale stencil and greasepaint and created an edge of scales on the top of the chest I did this by using a dish sponge and my three different grease paints. Using a dish sponge I applied the dark green to different parts of the stencil I did this so that again there was no area of the stencil that had a full row/cluster of the exact same colour.  I then repeated this step for both the light green and the yellow grease paint. After I had completed this I then used the silicone sculpt gel to create more scars on the chest and stomach. I did this by repeating all the previous steps of when creating scars on other parts of the body. I again also add the use of surface injuries again created using grease paint and stage blood again this was done by repeating the steps previously used when creating superficial lacerations on the skin using grease paint.  For the ribs I decided to create a large bruise on and around the rib cage. My scenario for this was that my character was possibly thrown or headbutted in battle in that area and that is why they have got this bruising and redness. To do this I began by using the light red shade in my Ben Nye bruise wheel on a dish sponge to create not only my base shape but also the redness around there the bruise was going to be. I then used the same sponge with a darker shade of red/brown to add more depth to the injury and create a more severe amount of bruising to the area. Finally, I added purple to my bruise to show the most sever parts of the bruise and the point/points of impact within the injury. I did this again by using a dish sponge and my Ben nye bruise wheel. 

Back 

The back of my character appeared to be simple; however, I did run into a few challenges when working on this element of my design. To begin working on the back I began at the top of the neck. To do this I used two different types of stencils however this is where I ran into an issue. As I was using my two different types of stencils they began to move when I was applying my paint using a dish sponge. This led to my design smudging. After several attempts of removing my previous mistakes and trying again I realised I had to put my problem-solving skills into practice. By doing this I came up with an idea. My idea was to draw the attention away from any mistakes that may be visible on the back I was going to create some deep lacerations on the back on top of the scales or any areas I felt needed to be improved. I did this by using my silicone sculpt gel and applying the amount I needed in three separate places on the back.  I then used a rounded craft brush and alcohol to create the shape that I wanted. I then used the pointed edge of my spatula to create the separation between the two edges of skin where I wanted my cut to be. I then let that set for around five minutes as this was a larger amount of silicone. After this has set, I first applied black grease paint to the middle of the cut to create the depth and severity of the laceration. I then used a dish sponge and a deep red/brown shade from my Ben nye bruise wheel to create the redness there would be on an actual cut. I finally added my ben nye stage blood to the cuts to tie my entire look together.  

What would I have done differently? 

If I had the opportunity to do this again, I would change the design on the back of my character so I wouldn’t use the stencils as the stencils smudged and mad my design harder to produce than I expected. I would also get into the workroom earlier as it would give me more room for error if needed. However overall, with this being my first judged competition I feel I did well, and I am so proud of my look and how far I was able to develop it with all the slight mishaps I had along the way.