GROUP PROJECT - KABUKI CREW

RESEARCH

My group and I were asked to create looks themed after cyberpunk, streetwear, and kabuki theatre, with fall looks in mind. I chose to do one character makeup and one "showstopper", body art look. I put together a pinterest board to consider each of these prompts, as well as my own impulses for the designs. I decided to create one look based on scene/rave aesthetics and another based on cybergoth.

https://pin.it/7eVnjkF

My group and I met and decided to base our looks specifically on holographic fabrics and on cyberpunk technology. With all of these influences in mind, I sketched up two designs.

Look #1 - The Life of the Party

Look #2 - The Death of the Party

I liked the contrast of the two looks, especially the monochromes versus the bright neon colors. The cybergoth look was a bit too colorful to my tastes, so I ended up changing it a few times in test application.

TEST APPLICATIONS

My first two images were really tests of the makeup I had on hand and how bright I could make them look. I didn't like how it ended up, and later realized a creme makeup would give me more pigment. The others were tests of the second look, since it would be the more difficult of the two. I tried incorporating the colors in a different way, but I didn't like this version either. The final version was the only one I really liked.

LOOK #1 - LIFE OF THE PARTY

Progress shot

My friend Claire agreed to be my model for Life of the Party. I started by gluing down her eyebrows and covering them with makeup, and then doing simple contouring around her face. I gave her a smoky eye, black lipstick, and added the bright colors with neon green lipstick, a blue face crayon, and a pink face crayon. I glued some stick-on earrings to her cheeks to add some flair. To finish the look, I put her in some accessories from Claire's (the store, not the person) and put some handmade accessories from home (parts from an old laptop and some spare ribbons) in her hair.

I was really happy with the results here. Claire's eyebrows were totally gone, and the ones I drew on look super cute. If I could change anything, I would've liked to add some shading to the neon bits to make them stand out a bit more and put her under better lighting, but for the circumstances, I was really happy with the end product.

LOOK #2 - DEATH OF THE PARTY

My roommate for next semester, Sunny, agreed to be my model for Death of the Party. I decided not to glue down their eyebrows - I wanted to add a bit more humanity back to the character. Instead, I did some color correction and then added the foundation. Following that, I drew guiding lines for the sections of the face and then filled them in. To finish, I added shading.

The final look is something I really enjoy. I think it looks a lot better than my original design and my practice run. Putting the colors on the cheeks instead of the lips or all over the face made them less in-your-face, and very stylish. The shading is definitely extreme, but the effect is something I'm actually enjoying. It gives the face this dark, brooding sort of vibe.

What I Learned

Throughout this project, I learned to be a bit more confident in my designs, but to also dial back some of my ambition. Both of my looks were a lot more complicated in their original designs than they ended up being in person, mostly for practicality. I think that's a natural part of this business, but it's a habit I should break for when I meet with directors. Overall, I really loved doing this project, and I really loved working with my group. If you enjoye my designs, please check out the banner image to see the looks my classmates created.