Face Lace

For this lesson, Branka showed us how to create a lace effect on the face using water based paint and pieces of thread to create a 3D lace effect. Face Lace is a ready made adornment that sticks on the face to create the illusion of intricate lace designs that have been painted on the face. Although the products are beautiful, they come with quite an expensive price tag. The technique that Branka shows us is free and much more creative, allowing the artist to create whatever designs they wish.

Branka's demonstration

The above image is Branka's demonstration. (NOTE: The adhesive is not fully dry) For this look we were required to block out both eyebrows and create a strong highlight and contour underneath to allow the black colour to stand out. We were allowed a certain amount of artistic freedom for our designs but just had to make sure we worked on our line work whilst incorporating thread into the design for a lace effect.

Products used:
-Full coverage foundations
-Wax
-Kryolan derma colour concealer palette
-Thread
-Kryolan aqua palette
-Spray bottle filled with water
-Translucent powder
-Spirit gum
-Duo glue

Health and Safety:
-Ensure the work area is clean and tidy
-Ensure all equipment is clean and ready to use
-Ensure the model is sitting at the correct height to prevent RSI
-Ensure the models eyes are closed when using adhesives near the face
-Ensure all products are disposed of correctly

Step by step:
-Cleanse, tone and moisturise the face.
-Block out the eyebrows (Brush the hairs, apply spirit gum to the brows using a cotton bud, flatten the hairs down by rolling on them with the side of a brush, apply wax to the brows, remove any excess, apply D32 from the Kryolan derma palette, powder with translucent powder, choose a concealer colour that matches the models skin tone and apply to the brows, set the makeup with translucent powder.)
-Chose a full coverage foundation that matches the models skin tone (I chose to use the Mandy Gold palette) and apply to the whole face with a foundation brush ensuring that no streaks are left on the face.
-Contour the face by choosing a cream based darker foundation, applying to areas such as under the cheekbone and forehead and ensure it is blended into the skin well.
-Chose a shade of foundation much lighter than the models skin tone and apply to the face in areas where natural light would hit the face This includes the cheekbones, bridge of the nose, lip and chin. Ensure the product is buffed into the skin well using a buffer brush.
-Lightly powder the skin using a powder brush and translucent powder.
-Create a pattern of lines on the face using a black colour from the Kryolan aqua palette. Use a small acrylic brush to achieve thinner lines.
-Use the point of the brush to create dots on the face.
-Once the paint is dry, take a small amount of thread and apply to the face using duo glue, incorporating it into your design and adding texture.

Evaluation

 

 

What went well:

I really enjoyed this creative lesson and particularly liked that we were able to create our own designs. I decided to create a design that curved around one side of the face to the other half. I really enjoyed using the aqua colours and think that generally, the black is quite pigmented and works well on the skin. Using an acrylic brush to achieve the lines was much easier than using a makeup brush because I found that I was able to achieve a much thinner line and had more control over the brush. I was happy with my technique of drawing the lines and also think adding dots made it a lot more decorative. I really liked adding the thread to the face and although it was quite tricky to position, generally I was happy with its placement. The thread added texture and gave the lines a more 3D look which I found quite effective.

What I found difficult:

I think one of the only things I found particularly difficult for this lesson was blocking out the eyebrows. I made the mistake of using too much wax and once I had applied the concealer, the eyebrows, although covered, looked very heavily caked with makeup. To prevent this in future I would make sure to get rid of any excess wax before concealing. I also think that because I forgot to put any foundation on the eyelid, it made the eyebrows look more caked than they actually were. Generally, this look was quite easy to achieve and I didn't find it particularly difficult which shows that I am improving in my skills. Reflecting to the start of the year and watching Branka do a demonstration, I remember worrying that I wouldn't be able to achieve the look but now I definitely have more confidence in my ability which is showing in my makeup.

What I need to improve:

Although I was happy with this design, there are things that I could improve. If I were to revisit this look I think I would like to go into more intricate detail with the line work as I think that my design is quite simple. Although simplicity is a good thing, I really would like to push myself further by creating smaller details. I think that I need to improve my highlight and contouring skills as I always seem to create a much softer version of the technique when it should be more prominent. If you look back at Branka's demonstration, the highlighting and contouring is very strong so it is something that I need to learn to enhance.

Overall, I really enjoyed this creative lesson and think that my overall design was simple but effective.