Mermaid character costume: Ears

Most of my designs for the mermaid character feature webbed, amphibian looking ears and so before the photoshoot I wanted to see if sculpting out a wearable pair was do-able.

In my initial attempt (first image) I sculpted out the basic shape in wire and tin foil but realised this didn't look as realistic as I wanted it too and had a cartoonish appearance to it instead, so began again.

The next image shows the second try which I made taking into account the aspects of the first attempt I didn't like.  This time the silhouette was different and I put extra hot glue over the top in order to form the 'cartilage' of the webbed ears. Once I was happy with the shape I also glued two hooks onto the backs so they could hang off of the models real ears (third image is me fitting them to real 'ear shape'.)

Finally, when I was happy with them the ears were painted. I made sure to match the colours to the tones I'd be using for the face paints else they'd look bizarre. I also glued a few pearl 'earrings' onto the lobe areas to match the embellishments on the tail and the rest  of the jewelry the character would be wearing.  

Tail Progression: Construction

Now the separate pieces had been coloured the tail was at a stage of completion; all was left to do was sew the two parts together, make any adjustments necessary and embellish it.

The top image shows the simple process of sewing the finished fin piece into the inside of the tail, underneath the bottom row of scales to the join would be hidden. Before this was done a line of sewing was fixed across the tail fin section to stop the wadding from coming out, as can be seen in the previous post.

Once all construction was done, a mixture of PVA and glitter was dotted across the tail in places that would catch the light, or wouldn't look too clumpy next to one another. The excess was shaken off afterwards. Then Charlotte and I sat down and between us glued down shells and sewed on sequins in little clusters in thought out compositions, so again it wouldn't look messy or too busy in one area.

Dying the mermaid tail: Main body

Once the test samples of dyed fabric were dried and colours where compared I was able too decide on which tones would look best running down through the tail.
Opting for the darker greens and turquoises, I figured out the order of the colour range starting at the top at the waist, darkening down towards the feet.

In order to create the gradiented colour effect a 'rig' had to be set up that worked by lifting out sections of fabric from the dye bath and allowing the garment to hang. However the quilted tail fin simply needed to be propped up in a vat with the dye regularly spooned up to ensure a gradual ombre as opposed to a harsh line.

Starting with the lightest colour, sections of the tail were dipped then lifted out of the dye and tied or clamped above it. Gravity would also pull the dye through the piece of costume assisting in the gradient, but spooning colour up regularly was the best method of creating a good ombre.

This process was repeated several times with varying shades of blue and green, ending with the darkest. Before taking it out of the vats and rinsing through with cold water,  I adjusted the rig so either end of the tail got a few minutes of extra concentrated dye to ensure a more vibrant colour.

Orpheus: Jacket Fitting. 27/4/2016

As Andy wasn't able to attend this meeting, I used Jordan to fit the jackets I've sourced as according to the Performing Arts students, the character of Orpheus (Jordan) could also potentially be styled in a Ring Leader fashion. Why this is, I'm not entirely sure as the context they passed on to me was a little unclear. However, what I gathered the general idea was is that Hades has the best of everything, so therefore would wear the more intricate and ornamental clothing. On the other hand, Orpheus has the Ring Leader persona, but isn't as polished or wealthy as Hades, so his costume designs would be a lot simpler.

There are obviously a few pieces of missing information here that would be useful to know, so I will try to communicate with the students to get a definite answer.

The jackets that I tried on had a good fit on this actor though. The general consensus was that the military styled jacket in the middle images was a favourite. If this is used then a few repairs will need to be made to it first though. The red tail coat in the top set of images has the most traditional 'Ring Leader' design to it, but it was requested that embellishments could be applied. As the jacket is sourced and doesn't belong to us I'm not sure how much embellishing could be done, and this could potentially detract from Orpheus having a simpler design if ornamentation's are applied over it. This will need to be cleared up and decided in a conversation with the acting students. 

Corset Fittings and Costume Experimentation: 27/4/2016

The visit from the entire cast of Orpheus presented a great opportunity to fit all the corsets that Joy and Magda had previously ordered. It was a perfect time to do this now so that they could be adjusted (if needed) and tagged with each actresses name. This way we could keep track of which corset fitted each performer, making it more efficient in preparation for the night of the production.

Practice for the jumpsuit and corset reveal was also available to be experimented with during this visit: As this is part of a costume change that supports an alteration in environment during the play, it was a good idea to figure out exactly how this would work.

Farnham Meeting: 27/4/2016

During this meeting the Orpheus group from Farnham came down to our studios to visit us. After seeing them in their own environment, it was great to be able to show them how we work and the processes we are currently going through. I think it was very beneficial in showing them what is realistic in the time given for this project, and by giving them an understanding of our methods, we could all get on the same page with the project.

In the meeting it was also decided that Joy and Magda, (the other two designers on the Orpheus project) would concentrate on the girls costumes, as they had focused on the designs for the girls specifically. In my position of providing general research and mood boards, and having already drafted up makeup designs for the male characters, I was formally assigned with the design and sourcing of the boys costumes. I'm more than happy to take this on as it was the designs of Hades and Orpheus that I was looking into anyway.

During the meeting, not only did we display and present our current ideas and progress but we also had the opportunity to watch through a rehearsal of the acting students performing routines from Orpheus. This gave us an insight of how our props and costume will be used, as well as solid examples of personality of the main characters, meaning that deeper characterisation can be explored. I feel that the better the understanding of character, the more developed the world we create around them could be.

Makeup Kit: April 2016

Not including my day to day makeup kit! I'd like to start doing updates of my makeup kits as seeing how it evolves with the experience I gain would be interesting to look back on. This is also the kit used for making every makeup look so far.

1. Wig cap. Used for holding hair back when putting on makeup or tucking hair away when putting n a wig.
2. Eye kit. Includes mascaras, and different kinds of colour and consistencies of eyeliner.
3. Face paint. Snazaroo is the current favourite!
4. Lip kit. Includes lipsticks, pencils and tints.
5. Eyeshadows. Can also be used for contouring, especially when face paint is being worn.
6. Silver beads. Used as fake piercings that can be applied with eyelash glue.
7. Glue stick. Used to stick down eyebrows when covering them up.
8. Foundations of different colours. Variety of colours can also assist in contouring.
9. Brush collection. Foundation, eyeshadow, smudger, and blush brushes.
10. Sponge collection, including a stipple sponge, application sponges and a blending sponge.