CHAPTER 16
Creating a Likeness
For most makeups there is considerable latitude in choice of details—the height of the forehead, the line of the eyebrows, the shape of the nose. But in recreating real people whose faces are well known, the objective should be, of course, to achieve as accurate a likeness as possible.
The first step is to compare the face of the character with that of the actor who is to portray the character, noting points of difference and of similarity. The comparison should include shape of the face; shape, length, and color of the hair and the beard; color of the skin; and precise conformation of individual features, including height and width of the forehead; length, breadth, and shape of the nose; distance from nose to mouth and from mouth to tip of the chin; width of the mouth; thickness and shape of the lips; line of the jaw; prominence of the cheekbones; line and thickness of the eyebrows; size, shape, prominence, and slant (if any) of the eyes; distance between the eyes; and the line, in profile, of the forehead, nose, mouth, chin, and neck. The points of similarity can be emphasized and the differences minimized. If the actor’s nose is too small, it can be enlarged and reshaped with putty. If it is too large, it can be shadowed to make it seem less large, and attention can be drawn to other features. Wigs, beards, and spectacles can be enormously helpful.
An excellent way of training yourself to observe details and to reproduce them is to copy portraits. Photographs, with their myriad of details, may prove less useful to the beginner than works of art (paintings, drawings, engravings) with their simplifications. In using these artists’ representations, however, you should keep in mind that your objective, except when you are deliberately working with stylization, is to achieve a realistic, believable makeup. It should be your purpose to recreate in three dimensions the artist’s subject, not to reproduce his technique.
Whereas the artist is permitted to show brush marks and to use a cross-hatching of lines to represent shadows, the makeup artist, in doing a realistic makeup, is permitted no such license. You may also have to make certain compromises in minor features that cannot reasonably be duplicated on the actor’s face. But a good likeness can usually be achieved in spite of inevitable minor variations from the original.
FIGURE 16-1 Creating a likeness in a makeup workshop. Note the careful arrangement of the portrait and the close-up mirror for easy comparison between the portrait and the likeness. (Makeup by student Clista Towne-Strother.)
Queen Elizabeth I
Creating the likeness of Queen Elizabeth I was a makeup done for the Ben Nye catalogue by makeup artist Rick Geyer. The white makeup originally hid the smallpox scars that marred the skin of the “Virgin Queen.” Her high forehead and red hair were signature elements of her look throughout the years. To complete the transformation a highly ornamented costume and jewelry are added.
1. Prepare the model’s hair for a wig cap.
2. A yellow neutralizer applied to the areas of the skin with redness allows for an even application of the white crème foundation. The foundation is carefully layered for the best results. (See FIGURE 16-2A.)
3. Crème concealor pencils are used to correct and detail the foundation in small areas. Using a clean powder puff to support the hand keeps the warmth of the hand from smearing the white foundation. (See FIGURE 16-2B.)
4. Loose powder is worked into the puff and the excess is tapped off before pressing it into the foundation. Use the softest powder brush available to dust off the excess. Sprinkle a small amount of neutral powder on the dry rouge first to dilute it before its first contact with the skin.
5. Make a lip stain by mixing lipstick with petroleum jelly, or clear lip balm, and work from the center. Add more pigment into your stain as you move toward the lip line. (If you use a lip liner, choose a nude tone in a thin line.) (See FIGURE 16-2D.)
6. Contour the eye socket with a natural rouge, adding a few touches around the edge of the face for warmth. Lining around the eye was a concealer set with neutral powder. The model’s dark lashes were lightened with pale shade of pancake applied with a fan brush all the way to the root. (See FIGURE 16-2E.)
7. The wig is secured with hair pins, and spirit gum on the lace, with jewels added to decorate the hair. (See FIGURE 16-2G, and color photo in Appendix G.)
Mark Twain
Actor Hal Holbrook (FIGURE 16-3), in his brilliant recreation of Mark Twain, is as meticulous in his makeup as in his acting. No detail is too small or too unimportant to be given careful attention each time the makeup is applied. And for every performance he devotes more than three hours to perfecting these details. That his makeup takes so long is perhaps less significant than that he is willing to spend that amount of time doing it. In discussing his problems of recreating Mark Twain physically, Mr. Holbrook says: “The jaw formation is similar, and so is the cheekbone. My eyes have the possibility. His eyes had an eagle sort of look, but you can create that with makeup. And, of course, his nose was very distinctive—long and somewhat like a banana. Mine’s too sharp. The nose alone takes an hour. I have a smooth face, and if I don’t break it up, the texture is wrong. Also, I have to shrink three and one-half inches. Part of this is done by actual body shrinkage—relaxation all the way down as though I were suspended on a string from the top of the head. Part of it is illusion—the way the suit is made and the height of the furniture on stage. The coat is a little bit longer than it should be. There’s a downward slope to the padded shoulders. There’s a belly, too—not much of one, but it pulls me down. The lectern, the table, and the chair are built up a little higher.”
FIGURE 16-3 Actor Hal Holbrook as himself. Chicago Tribune, photo by John Austad.
MATERIALS The makeup is done with a combination of creme stick, grease-stick liners, pencils, and powder. Three shades of creme stick are used—FS-5-c/d for the base, OF-2-b for highlights, and S/FS-10-e for shadows. Three grease sticks are also used—a deep brown, a maroon, and a rose. All three are used for shadows and accents and the red for additional pink color in the cheeks, on the forehead, eyelids, and ears, for example. There are also brown and maroon pencils for deep shadows.
FIGURE 16-4 Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain. Chicago Tribune, photo by John Austad.
APPLICATION Except for the base and the first general application of creme-stick shadows to the cheeks and eye sockets and sides of the nose, all of the makeup is done with brushes, most of them flat sables in various widths. The smaller wrinkles are done with ⅛-inch and 3/16-inch brushes and some of the larger areas with a ⅜-inch brush. The makeup is taken directly from the stick. The color is sometimes taken up from the two sticks and mixed on the brush; but more frequently, the various shades are applied separately, one after the other. Mr. Holbrook uses three shadow colors—the S/FS-10-e, the maroon, and the dark brown—and he sometimes adds a bit of rose to give the shadow more life.
All shadows and highlights, as can be observed in FIGURE 16-5A, are exaggerated since they are to be powdered down. If cake were being used instead of grease, this initial heightening would not be necessary. However, once one has determined what effect the powder will have, one way is as effective as the other. For the detailed brushwork used on this makeup (the whole makeup is approached almost as if it were a painting), the creme-stick and grease method is probably easier. As always, choice of materials is a personal matter.
One of the greatest problems in making up youth for age is to eliminate expanses of smooth skin. It is at this point that otherwise technically competent makeups often fail. The problem has been solved in this case by covering the smooth expanses with wrinkles, puffi-ness, hollows, and sagging flesh. You will notice in the accompanying photographs, especially FIGURE 16-5D, that the entire face and the neck (except for the forehead, which is concealed by the wig blender, and the upper lip, which will be concealed by a mustache) are almost completely covered with shadows and highlights. Very little of the original base color shows through.
FIGURE 16-5 Making up as Mark Twain for the stage. Chicago Tribune, photos by John Austad.
After the makeup has reached approximately the stage shown in FIGURE 16-5B, the cheek area in front of the ears is stippled (using a small brush) with dots of maroon, rose, and the creme-stick base. This is then softened somewhat with a clean ⅜-inch brush. When further toned down with powder, the effect, even in the dressing room, is remarkably convincing. (See FIGURE 16-4.)
After the stage shown in FIGURE 16-5B has been reached and that much of the makeup powdered, the lower part of the forehead, across the bottom of the sideburns to the ears, is covered with spirit gum, and the wig is put on in the usual way (FIGURE 16-5C). Ordinarily it is safer to put the wig on first, then apply the spirit gum underneath the blender, though with a very tight wig this may be difficult. Practice makes it possible, however, to apply the spirit gum in the right place and to put the wig on exactly right the first time so as to avoid the difficulties with the gum. The blender in this case extends down to the eyebrows.
The next problem, and a crucial one, is to adjust the blender perfectly so that there are no wrinkles, no air bubbles, nothing to destroy the illusion. This must be done quickly, before the spirit gum becomes too tacky. Again, it takes practice to know exactly how to adjust the blender and what sort of minor imperfections are likely to cause trouble later. Once the blender is perfectly adjusted, it is pressed hard with a towel all along the edge in order to stick it tight to the skin and to make it as smooth as possible. The blender is always cleaned with acetone after the performance in order to make sure the edge will be as thin as possible.
In concealing the edge of the blender, the creme-stick base is applied to the blender somewhat irregularly with a ⅜-inch brush. Then the shadow is applied with a brush to the temples, crossing the edge of the blender. A little light red is worked spottily into either side of the frontal area, keeping away from the hairline. Wrinkles are then drawn on the blender with maroon and the shadow color and highlighted with OF-2-b. Then the temples are stippled with maroon and rose and the shadow color. This is a very important step, since it further helps to hide the blender line by breaking up the color in the area. (See FIGURE 16-5D.)
The eyebrows are made shaggy by sticking several tufts of gray hair with spirit gum into the natural brows. The mustache (ventilated on gauze) is attached with spirit gum, the hair is combed, and the makeup is completed. (See FIGURE 16-4).
The preceding paragraphs about Mr. Holbrook’s makeup were written for the third edition of Stage Makeup. It is interesting to note that by the time Mark Twain Tonight appeared on Broadway in 1966, Mr. Holbrook had made several changes in his makeup—notably, from a blender wig to one with a lace front (putting on the wig was far easier and the effect from the audience was essentially the same) and in the use of sponges for stippling (as described in Chapter 10) instead of brushes. The effect was equally good though not quite the same. Whereas the sponge method took away the youthful smoothness of the skin, which then looked convincingly aged, the brush technique, giving equal age, suggested discolorations of the skin typical of old age. For Mr. Holbrook’s television special in 1967, a three-dimensional makeup had to be created for Mark Twain using foamed latex (see FIGURE 16-6). Since then, Mr. Holbrook has made further changes in his makeup for the stage—a latex nose, false eyebrows, and a plastic cap underneath the wig to conceal his own hairline.
There are several lessons to be learned from Mr. Holbrook’s makeup:
1. An effective makeup should be carefully planned and rehearsed. Any but the simplest sort of makeup may well require a certain amount of experimentation, sometimes a great deal. Even experienced makeup artists do careful research and planning on any makeup involving historical characters.
2. The makeup should be an integral part of the characterization. Mr. Holbrook over a period of years studied photographs and even an old film of Mark Twain, read everything he could find by or about him, and talked with people who had known or seen him. His makeup developed along with his performance and was the result of considerable planning and experimentation.
3. It is essential, in making up, to adapt the makeup to the actor’s face. Mr. Holbrook does not duplicate a portrait of Mark Twain on his own face. As he makes up, he continually twists and turns and grimaces in order to make sure that every shadow or wrinkle he applies follows the natural conformations of his own face so that there is not the slightest chance that a passing movement or expression will reveal a painted wrinkle different from a real one.
4. One of the secrets of aging the youthful face is to concentrate on eradicating all signs of youth, including a smooth, youthful skin. This Mr. Holbrook has done. The numerous wrinkles in the Mark Twain makeup are less important individually than for their effect in breaking up smooth areas of skin with light and shade and color. Unwrinkled areas are textured with stippling. Mr. Holbrook has taken a positive approach to every area of the face and has made sure that nothing remains to betray the actor beneath the makeup.
Because the remarkable recreation of Twain’s likeness is essential to the effectiveness of the performance, Mr. Holbrook feels that he must cut no corners and that even if the audience were unaware of any imperfections, he would know, and in his own mind the performance would suffer. This is an example of the dedicated artist to whom no amount of effort is too great if it will in any way contribute to his performance.
FIGURE 16-6 Television makeup for Hal Holbrook’s Mark Twain. The series of photographs on the following pages show the step-by-step creation of Dick Smith’s makeup for the CBS-TV special of Mark Twain Tonight. Although Mr. Holbrook does his own makeup for the stage (see Figures 16-3, 16-4, and 16-5), three-dimensional constructions were required for television. Mr. Smith spent eight to ten weeks preparing for the makeup. This involved making more than 50 casts (A) and a number of experimental tests. Three complete makeups were created before the final one was chosen. With the help of an assistant, Mr. Smith was able to cut the 5-hour application time to 4½ hours and removal time to 1 hour. The method of making casts and foam-latex pieces like those on the following pages is described in Chapter 13.
The makeup involved both expected and unexpected problems. In order to prevent the smearing of makeup when Mr. Holbrook put his hands into the pockets of his white suits, Mr. Smith painted the backs of the hands (after the foam-latex pieces had been attached) with a mixture of latex and acrylic paint. Then at the dress rehearsal it was discovered that the edges of the large latex appliances were working loose around the mouth because of muscular activity—a common problem with any prosthetic application in that area. The use of Slomon’s Medico Adhesive in troublesome spots successfully prevented any loosening of edges during the performance.
Although the three-dimensional television makeup shown here would obviously not be practical for regular use in the theater, some of the techniques might very profitably be incorporated into makeups for the stage. The first step was to flatten Mr. Holbrook’s front hair with spirit gum. B. After the gum was brushed on, it was pressed down with a wet towel. Stipple latex was then applied to the eyelids, dried with a hair dryer, and powdered to prevent sticking. C. Foam-latex eye pouches were attached with stipple latex and adjusted with tweezers. D. Eyebrows were flattened with spirit gum and covered with foam-latex pieces. E. The foam-latex nose was attached with spirit gum and stipple latex. F. The large foamlatex appliance (neck, jowls, nasolabial folds) was set in place and attached with spirit gum on the lower parts and stipple latex on the top edges. The edges were blended with Scar Plastic Blending Liquid. G. Piece completely attached. H. Duo adhesive was then applied as a sealer. I. Meanwhile, foam-latex pieces were being attached to the backs of the hands by an assistant.
J. A plastic forehead piece was needed to give the effect of seeing the scalp through the thin and fluffy front hair of the wig. K. After it was attached with gum, the edge of the plastic piece was dissolved with acetone to blend it imperceptibly into the natural skin. L. A light rubber-mask greasepaint base was applied over the entire face, then stippled with other colors, using a coarse sponge (M) and in some cases a brush. N. Eyebrows were attached over the latex covers. O. The wig was then put on, the front lace glued down with matte plastic, and the hair brushed. P. After the mustache (ventilated on a net foundation) was attached, the entire makeup was touched up wherever necessary. Q. shows the final result.
FIGURE 16-6 Continued.
FIGURE 16-6 Continued.
Stalin and Trotsky
In designing the makeups for historical characters, such as Stalin and Trotsky in Paddy Chayefsky’s The Passion of Josef D., it is helpful, as suggested in Chapter 6, to work from photographs of the actor. In doing character drawings from these photographs, one should be careful to do only what can actually be done with makeup in the given situation. If, for example, the makeup has to be done quickly (as in the change from the young Stalin to the older one, shown in FIGURE 16-7), changes should be kept simple. Although it is not necessary, there is some advantage in doing a sketch of the actor as well as of the character. Having both sketches for comparison, as in FIGURE 16-7 and 16-9, adds considerably to the effectiveness of the presentation in discussing the makeup with the director and the actor and in reassuring them that the transformation is feasible.
In using this method, be sure, as suggested in Chapter 6, that the photograph is a reasonably recent one, and use both front view and profile. If all your preliminary work is based on a firm jaw and a smooth skin, an unexpectedly wrinkled face with sagging muscles can be disastrous. Furthermore, a face that appears, from the front, reasonably easy to make into the likeness of a historical personage can present problems in profile.
PETER FALK AS STALIN The major elements in the change to the young Stalin were the mustache and the eyebrows. Adding the mustache (real hair ventilated on lace) was a simple matter; changing the eyebrows was not quite so simple. Whereas Mr. Falk’s eyebrows were heavy and slanting down, Stalin’s had to be thin and slanting up. Thus, the actor’s natural eyebrows had to be completely blocked out. This was done with spirit gum and fabric. (See Chapter 12.) After the foundation, highlights, and shadows had been applied, the beard area was darkened somewhat with gray, then stippled with dark brown for an unshaven effect. Finally, the mustache was attached with spirit gum, and Mr. Falk’s own hair was arranged to suit the character. For the more mature Stalin, the wig was put on (FIGURE 16-8C) and the lace front attached with spirit gum. Then the youthful makeup was covered with a cake foundation and appropriate highlights and shadows added.
ALVIN EPSTEIN AS TROTSKY ALVIN Epstein presented an additional problem in that he was expected not only to look like Trotsky but to achieve the likeness in a quick change. He was playing three characters, each one totally unlike any of the others; but only Trotsky needed to be a recognizable historical personage.
In addition to adding a wig, a goatee, and a mustache (FIGURE 16-9), Mr. Epstein reshaped and darkened his own blond eyebrows. The pale, translucent skin that Mr. Epstein wanted for Trotsky was achieved with white cake makeup lightly applied, then partially removed with liquid cleanser, letting the natural skin color show through and leaving a very slight shine. The bone structure was then accentuated with highlights and shadows and the eyes with black and light red. A touch of red was added immediately under the eyebrows.
The Mad Hatter
Likenesses can also be based on illustrations of fictional characters (FIGURE 16-10). Once it is determined, by examining the face in the mirror at the same angle and with the same expression as that in the illustration, that a likeness is possible, the procedure is essentially the same as when working with a drawing of a real person. For the Mad Hatter, the eyebrows, eyelids, and nose were the features requiring the most obvious changes. FIGURE 16-11 shows the step-by-step procedure.
FIGURE 16-8 Peter Falk to Stalin. A. Blocking out natural eyebrows. B. Human-hair eyebrows, ventilated on net, being attached with spirit gum. C. Wig being adjusted, front lace not yet trimmed. D. Makeup completed, wig being combed. Photos by Werner J. Kuhn.
FIGURE 16-10 The Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland. Based on the Tenniel illustration.
FIGURE 16-11 Makeup for the Mad Hatter. A. Nose being built up with putty-wax. B. Cake makeup foundation being applied. C, D, E. Face being modeled with highlights and shadows. F. Eyebrows being made up. G. Hairlace being pressed into spirit gum. H. Finished makeup. (Model and makeup artist, Richard Corson.)
PROBLEMS
1. Make yourself up as a historical character from a play.
2. Create a likeness from a portrait—not necessarily of a historical figure and preferably a painting rather than a photograph. Make sure before you begin that a recognizable likeness is possible.