Web Design Explained

For my web design there were elements that were chosen specifically for the site so that the image and editorial pieces flowed together. As the concept of my work is science/biology based I wanted to select a theme for the site that reflected that nature, my reason for choosing this style in particular was due to the minimalism of it. The use of the black and white structured layout reminded me of old school boards and ties in with the education theme. In addition to this the minimalistic design makes the key focus of the site the images themselves as they can be appreciated fully without being overshadowed by flashy design work or decorations. This is predominantly the idea behind the site not having a header image or headboard but instead focusing simply on the title of the body of work.
The site itself is split into four pages:
- Home
- Medium
- Science of Beauty
- Stills
Coming back to the theme of the work I wanted to display my work as a hybrid between a science experiment write up and a gallery of work, therefore as you work through each page it is like working through the pages of a book. You start with the theory of the work/definition (Home), then moving onto the tools used (Medium), thirdly addressing the process that you will undertake (Science of Beauty) until finally, you arrive at the conclusion (Stills). By setting out my work in such a way it hints back to the technical nature of my makeup work but also carries a classic design that makes it visually appealing and simple to manoeuvre. The final page is the most important as it is the display of all my images combined. It was important for my images to flow as they focus on the elements, in addition is how the lighting visually intensifies across the three head shots. Due to this it was important that they be placed side by side one another. The macro shots were then placed beneath their matching headshot, by doing so my images work both as a pair (downwards) but also in the flowing motion of intensity as intended.

Product Shots

The medium of creation, the very tools used within cosmetic beauty contain the same organic behaviours that feature within the human skin. Fullers earth is but one example, used within beauty regimes throughout time its natural matter demonstrates an ability to conduct a phase change from solid to liquid.

Final Images

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Final Images (Macro)

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Terrain - Chosen Images

Editoral Article Final

Science of Beauty

Within the beauty industry there remains a stigma. An association with the image of the failed “beauty school drop out”, ruled over by self-obsession and vanity. It is due to such connotations that the career of a makeup artist goes unacknowledged and looked down upon by many outside the fashion industry. Through “Phase Change” this stigma is challenged as the infrastructures of chemical biology, physics and cosmetics become knitted together for the creation of a new breed of editorial photography that exposes the complex relationship between the Earth’s biological structure and our own.

Chosen image to accompany article - Intro Image

Science is the base point of all things beauty. The process of “phase changing” follows the basic chemistry of how a substances construction alters from solid, to liquid to gas. In many cases the construction of cosmetic products follows a similar process. Biochemistry builds the very foundations of makeup, the study of cosmetic reactions to the skin and even the most organic products take their benefits from the substances of Earth itself. At every corner the biological and chemical connections stand. The most everyday of beauty essentials frequently construct their key ingredients from the organic environment, in this instance focusing on the basic facemask. Fullers Earth remains a fundamental natural ingredient in most mud mask treatments; due to its bentonite properties it absorbs dirt and oil to leave the skin free from impurities. What remains unrecognised is just how heavily connected such a product is to the natural environment despite its fundamental role in modern beauty regimes.  This development from natural matter to cosmetic tool demonstrates within itself a form of phase change, whereby the structure is altered from a solid to creamy liquid for the purpose of our own skin management. Through this series of images, “Phase Change” depicts an exploration of the connection between the behaviour and terrain of the human body to the textures of the natural environment.

The process of examining the biodiversity, weather patterns and conservation of the Earth’s elemental landscape, exposes the similarities between the human skin too an extreme detail. Within their landscaping both work in near identical behaviours, for example both our skin and the Earth produce moisture under the pressure of heat, the pattern in how liquid follows the concaves of each face mimics that of rivers, and the very patterns found within the structure of both terrains are shared. Skin in particular carries such detail within the fine textures that on a macro scale the two’s differences are almost unrecognisable. Through photography the combination of both these substances; natural skin and soil, enable the similarities to be reflected more obviously when placed next to one another. These resemblances in texture can be exposed further through the medium of thermal technology whereby the heat readings of the human body mimic that of the natural landscape. Both the furthest points of each, be it human or organic appear purple in thermal tone, suggesting their cooler temperature. Areas of heat appear redder, enhancing the production of moisture on both the skin and terrain. Finally aquatic elements appear a mid tone of blue. When placed alongside one another each image depicts both the Earth and skin’s development through the phase change process, as both the body undergoes the process of solid to liquid.

From this the connection between the behaviour of the human skin and Earth, and the natural ingredients required for beauty products are combined into a visual representation. Beauty, be it organic or chemical requires the intervention of science. We ourselves represent a living organism that functions in mimicking the behaviours of the very life form from which our beauty ingredients are plucked.

Collaborative Written Explanation of Ideas

Originally the concept for my organic beauty editorial was focused on one initial idea, using makeup

An abstract editorial example of how makeup can be used to recreate textures.
'Faces of Texture' Glassbook Magazine, 2015
Photography by Srecko Rundic http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/artistic-makeup-1

products to recreate three chosen elements within beauty. Throughout the research process however my idea began to expand further into examining the fine details of natural landscapes, in particular how colours, textures and lighting effects could be recreated within an editorial look. From my test shoots I discovered that my choice of colour palette was not strong enough to translate as effectively as desired on camera. The lighting in addition to this was not powerful enough and carried heavy cold tones which were not flattering to the makeup. Upon discovering this my research expanded into altering the lighting effects to recreate the colours that I wished to achieve and the makeup became far softer and more natural, fitting with the organic theme and focusing in depth on the recreation of elemental textures. It was my research into thermal imagery and Pseudocolor that inspired my final lighting choices for my shoot whereby I would use the spectrum of thermal technology to gradually increase the intensity of my elemental makeup. This was done to depict how the human skin and that of the earths are connected by a visually similar fabrication and in turn both affected by natural thermal patterns. This would be achieved through the use of organic product, makeup techniques and gel lighting effects.

1. Elemental Beauty
Creating makeup for the colours and tones of each element found within the natural environment e.g. earth, fire, water and air.
2. The Skin as a Landscape
Using organic and cosmetic products to create the textures of the organic environment for each element but with natural bare faced makeup.
3. Earths Natural Thermal Pattern
Continuing with the theme of natural makeup and using organic products to create the earths texture but through gel lighting implying the thermal patterns of each element.

Editorial Articles - Vogue & Q Magazine

 

Q Magazine Double Page Spread
Url: https://georgiahaynesg321resit.wordpress.com/2011/12/05/magazine-guidelines-and-ideas/#jp-carousel-53

The key inspiration for my article is taken from high brow editorial magazines such as Vogue and Q focusing in particular on the layout which is heavy in text, keeping the images separate and without distraction. This first article is taken from a double page spread for Q magazine focusing on the musician Lady Gaga, the use of the font within this article is very simplistic with only a large L over the page. The use of the L acts as an introduction letter for Gaga's name but is also symbolic of the start point letters used within the text. An old age technique used within heavy writing. Through separating the writing from the images it acts almost like a gallery whereby the body of text acts as an overviewing point for the images. In addition to this is the use of the collumning which allows the text to be read a bit like a tabloid paper, the amount of text is a huge give away for the audience type being of a higher education standard as opposed to heavy image based works such as gossip magazines etc.

Vogue 2012 'Tough Love'
http://ogormandiaz.com/tough-love-teen-vogue-may-2012-issue/

This second article is taken from Teen Vogue and supplies an example of how the same layout can be applied to another series of images. This article carries far less text as it is marketed towards a teenage audience as opposed to an adult market. That being said it remains in the classic style and layout that is commonly seen within Vogue Magazine, this features the use of large, crisp imagery and a body of text separate from the images. The title within this double page spread takes up a greater amount of space visually and is designed to grab the readers attention alongside the image. By doing so.. in addition to the lesser use of text the article is more appealing to its younger target audience. That being said the article does remain a feature within Vogue's main body therefore the writing style remains educated and in depth.
The use of cleaner layouts such as these I feel makes the articles look more professional and allows the imagery to be appreciated to a fuller extent as there is no distractions. Furthermore by allowing a full page for the images to be placed on means that all the details of the work can be seen.

Heat - Chosen Images

  

Liquid - Chosen Images

Terrain, Liquid & Heat Base Makeup Facecharts

Terrain:
This first facechart is designed for the terrain look, the colours are mostly warm golden tones but earthy. The fundamental feature for all of the base makeup looks is to keep them as natural as possible so that the focus remains on the effects element of the makeup e.g. the fullers earth, glycerin or water used to recreate the natural textures of the elements. For this makeup look the skin is kept clean and natural looking but with a soft contour and bronzed cheek, this should not be applied heavily as the makeup must still look as natural as possible. The most made up element of this look is the eyes and brows. Brows are nicely shaped but again natural so that they do not look overdone, the eyes however are enhanced with a wash of earthy gold eyeshadow and mascara. This flood of colour on the lid should not be the key focus of the makeup but used merely to blend with the fullers earth and reflect the tones of the gel lighting. By using the metallic elements to enhance features such as the eyes it makes them pop more in the gel lighting but also adds dimension to the pigments within the makeup. The lips should be kept clean and free from makeup, if applying a lip balm it should be blotted off first to avoid any sheen as the texture of the lips should still be visible and natural. The main reason for keeping the makeup so natural is so the skin ties in more closely to the organic theme through the model being less made up for conventional beauty standards.

Liquid:
For the liquid look I wanted the base makeup to be even cleaner than the other two so it does not even appear as though makeup is being warn. For this look the main focus is keeping the skin as clean as possible so that the MAC mixing gel (which is being substituted as water due to its behaviour on camera) flows more effortlessly down the face and holds its shape. The use of the gel allows for it to set onto the skin but still act like it is water on camera. This is far more beneficial in the creation of my images as it keeps the model comfortable but also prevents a great deal of mess being created. The only additions that will be made to this makeup look will be that of shaping the eyebrows as with all the looks and applying a clean layer of mascara. The mascara should be applied delicately to ensure it still looks natural but still enhances the eyes. If the makeup clumps together it will be visibly false. The only difference that is visible within this look is the use of a sheen on the lip, this is done to add dimension to the lips and also add a subtle glint to the lips that compliments the water effect.

Heat:
The makeup for my heat look is similar to that of the terrain look as both use similar metallic tones, the use of a matching golden tone is important as it ties the properties of each look together. For the heat look however the use of such tones is used to a greater extent with the eyebrows being tipped with a liquid metal also in a golden colour. By using this in the brows as well as the eyes it means that more of the red tones for the gel lighting will be bounced back off of the makeup. In addition to this is the use of the glycerin which will be applied all over the skin to create the illusion of sweat, similarly to that of the water look the skin has to be clear looking and perfected so that the glycerin sits properly on the skin to create sweat.

Gel Lighting/Thermal Moodboard

Experimenting With Gels

A fundamental element to developing my images further is introducing the use of gel lighting which will enable me to recreate the illusion of thermal patterns such as those seen within my research. As i have previously never used gel lighting this came as an experimental session whereby I played with laying different colours of gel over the beauty dish and box to see what effects were most flattering. I found this session useful as I learnt how simply these effects can be created but also how much of an impact they create. Through using the gels in such a manner I feel confident that I will be able to recreate the thermal effects seen within my research. 

Purple Gels: Good for cool thermal tones, needs to be swapped on lights as it is too bright on the face.

Green Gels: Lighting again is too bright on the face and green isn't a useful tone for my project, it does however photograph beautifully and could be applied as a highlight tone. 

Elena Jasic - Papercut Magazine "A Cinema" 2008

Photography: Elena Jasic
Makeup & Hair: Eliza Davila

These images below are taken from Elena Jasic's body of work entitled "A Cinema", created in 2008 for Papercut Magazine. The theme of the shoot was exactly that, following the looks and stylings of cinema sirens throughout film history. This also explains the choices of the gel lighting which in this instance mimic that of the negative film strips and the early 3-D moving image system. Despite this I found both the makeup, camera angles, and in particular use of gel lighting within this body of work particularly inspiring for my own as it demonstrated how colour can be used to enhance a message to a beauty editorial look. In addition how through the use of the changing colour tones different moods and atmospheres are created within the image, without the requirement for explanation.

http://elenajasic.com/beauty 

This first image in alliance with the title is visibly depicting the colour tones of modern 3-D cinema, however by taking the subject away from its given title it is open to more elaborate analysis. For example the use of colour here ties in effortlessly with the previously researched theme of thermal imagery and Pseudocolor. The heavy use of the red gel lighting within this image, in combination with the subtle pops of green, creates a very heated concept. The subtle hint of highlight on areas of the nose and brow further enhance this concept by creating the illusion of glowing skin, though doing so the model appears subtly sweaty but still seductive. This is predominantly due to the close up, personal camera angle and posing. The makeup here is heavy around the eyes but with a nude lip, carrying a modern Kate Moss-esque grunge tone. It almost resembles that of a nightclub scene which again carries further connotations of suffocating heat and seduction. It is due to this connotation of the colours used with the gel lighting that Jasic's work is so relevant. The immediate association of colour demonstrates a connection to that of thermal imagery as red tones are those that depict heat. Therefore in connection to my own work the concept of creating a red toned gel lighting for the heat look would work effectively as it connects to the key of thermal imagery.

http://elenajasic.com/beauty

Secondly is this image which has a completely contrasting colour pattern despite its connection to the first image. Although the choice of makeup is very similar here in regards to the closing skin - through the use of a highlighter/illuminator - the bold eye has been removed, this in turn makes the whole look far softer making the model appear more innocent and youthful. Instead a hint of gloss has been added to the eyelid making her skin appear glossy and almost damp to the touch. This is something that would work well for both a water themed shoot or a sweaty/heated look as dependant on the lighting you would achieve a different effect. In regards to this shoot the use of the lighting creates the feeling of icy waters through the use of a cool toned blue. The blue only hits one side of the face and is not as dominating as the previous image. Through doing so the intensity of the images builds when placed next to one another with the blue image being far softer. Blue immediately carries connotations of the cold (especially when using a cooler toned blue), in addition it appears low down on the thermal scale, much nearer the mid bottom of the chart. As a result it carries a more fluid association and would suit well for the use of a water themed/liquid editorial shoot. In addition I like the use of the close up angle and feel it works beautifully to capture the fine details of the makeup look, the only thing that seems out of place is that of the hands, however hands are an addition that is notoriously difficult to make appear natural within close up editorial photography.