Practise Shots: The Protagonist

Before:

After:

How did I create this look?

Hair & Make-up

I styled the hair using straigteners to create a naturally tousled look; using hair-slides I pinned the hair back to create a 1940’s hair style. Although the hair-do is representative of the era, it is however too youthful for this particular character. In future I shall use curling tongs instead to generate voluminous ringlets. Using straigteners was not as successful as the curls often dropped, leaving the hair to appear quite flat.

The make-up applied consisted of:

A light and even base of foundation to create a pale matte complexion and just a brush of mascara to lengthen the lashes. A light brush of brown eye-shadow under the eyes and on top of the lid to add more depth. Contouring of the cheekbones using bronzer to define her bone-structure. A sweep of blusher along the apples of the cheeks and a stain of red lipstick to emphasise the full, plump lips.

Costume

Winter Garments.

The first outdoor-look consisted of the character wearing the blue floral frock underneath. Having seen the dress actually modelled on the character, I now feel as if the pattern of the dress is too playful and fun for such a melancholy character. I think the style of the dress is perfect in reflecting the era of the film yet it does not suit the particular scene. On its own, the garment works; combined with the coat and fur, it portrays a look that is more accustomed to the season of summer.

As soon as my model tried on the second dress I automatically knew that the garment underneath had to be black. It matches the colour scheme of the outfit and is in-keeping with the reflection of the characters dark past. However, we did face difficulties with the length of this particular dress as the model I am using is very tall.

The final outfit we tried on underneath the coat included a pencil skirt. The garment would have been perfect if it wasn’t too big for the model. The best option now would be to find a dress like the one that features in the second photograph that is a suitable in length. I like the idea of her wearing a dress that floats and flutters.

On an additional note, the coat and scarf looked absolutely fine except for one minor detail. The coat itself lacks shape and considering my model is a tall and slim girl the only way to create more of an hour-glass figure would be to pin the back of the coat using clothes-pegs.

Casual Attire.

Nightwear/Under Garments.

Party Dress.