From a vision to the final snapshot.
I’ve always believed that the best ideas are born spontaneously and in unexpected situations. Here I’ll share how a nighttime walk in the wild and my encounter with a striking insect became the center piece of a hair and makeup design. In this blog post, you’ll discover how a single inspiring moment in the nature can spark an idea, and how its execution can be structured afterward.
5 KEY STEPS OF MY PROCESS
1. Inspiration
Since childhood, I’ve admired the endless combinations of shapes, colors, and textures offered by nature. An infinite abundance of ideas I’ve always used in my work as an artist.
In a spontaneous moment this summer, within the beam of a flashlight, I saw an insect that caught my attention. At that moment, I didn’t know exactly how, but it was clear I have to use it for a new idea. I took photos, which I kept revisiting until, finally, the idea for a complete hair and makeup design based on the beautiful creature emerged.
2. Preparation with a drawing
The most direct and logical path from an idea in one’s head to its execution in reality is a drawing. I transferred the vibe and delicacy of the insect with a fast sketch directly onto a photo of the model I chose to work with. In this case I use iPad and Procreate.
The look includes abstract and very airy hairstyling and makeup inspired by the colors and structure of the insect. The challenge of the project is to keep everything translucent as the wings of this delicate creature.
3. Conversation with the model
I shared the idea of a dragon fly design with the young actress Elisabeth Schmidt. She reacted very warmly and accepted the challenge with curiosity.
It is crucial that the model / actor knows exactly what would follow and is prepared for it. We clarified what she is or isn’t comfortable with, how much time she had, whether there were any limitations like intolerance to products, heat from the styling tools, allergies, etc. Also, whether there would be payment involved and who would have the rights to display the photos and where.
4. Execution of the hair and makeup design
First, I structured the hair using a very fine crimper, then I sectioned it in three parts and began building the individual segments, following the forms from the sketch. It turned out that I had much less hair volume than needed. I overcame this by dividing the segments into sub-segments, using a lot of backcombing and hair powder for the structure. As usual this type of hair designs always finishes with tons of hairspray.
Out of my background as a painter, I work very intuitively with the makeup, strongly considering the face’s anatomy, skin type and colors. First I placed a very gentle light base tone. Then I painted the insect details with a cool palette of greys and greens. The design has been finished with thin black outlines. I achieved this look by using various Kryolan greasepaint products, actually more typical for theater make-up. To emphasize the aristocratic paleness of Elisabeth, I decided not to use any mascara or lipstick.
5. Photographing the work
In my opinion, every makeup and hair design is a collaboration between the makeup artist and the performer. Only when both are satisfied with the result can the design be considered truly finished. In photographing the final result, it’s always obvious whether the actor or model feels good and enjoys presenting the artist’s work or not.
Elisabeth has a wonderful, strong feminine presence, but also the finesse I was looking for. It was a true pleasure for me to capture my work in different positions, which she very professionally and gracefully presented. She did this also with pleasure and a smile.
Takeaways of this journey
Every project begins with a small inspiring spark and an abstract vision, initially submerged in sfumato. Gradually, the boundaries between the desired and the possible become clearer. In this project, the courage to experiment opened new doors and possibilities, even when difficulties arose.
The beauty of creating characters lies in the collaborative work with the actor or model and the inevitable trial and error that comes with it. In the end, the result must be a completely new curious and artistic reality.