13
Historical Period and Theatricalized Makeup

Just as each era had its own styles in fashion and clothing, it also had its individual style in makeup. Much of the time this affected only the women of the period, but in a few cases in the, past men have also worn makeup. In theatre, Certain genres in different eras have utilized their own particular style of makeup. In these cases, both men and women (if the women were permitted on the stage) wore theatrical makeup.

When creating a period or theatrical makeup, thoroughly research the art and fashion of the time before you begin. This chapter is meant as a starting point and, as such, the explanations are simplified. We will look at a selection of western (mostly European) makeup styles that you might be called upon to apply. In most cases before the twentieth century, makeup was worn only by the wealthy upper classes and those in high society, therefore it was geared towards Caucasian skin tones, Each case of "nontraditional casting" deserves its own serious discussion between the actor, director, and designers to determine how the makeup will be approached. In the twentieth century we will look at glamorous, high-style makeup made popular by movie stars and models of a variety of ethnicities.

If the production you are in has a makeup designer, you will follow her or his design and instructions. Sometimes the costume designer is responsible for makeup choices and you will defer to him or her. If you have neither, make sure your makeup style is consistent with that of the rest of the cast.

Ancient Egypt

The artwork of ancient Egypt shows a focus on thick, dark lining of the eyes and the eyebrows for both men and women. The lines are often extended beyond the natural shape of the eye. Skin often has a warm, reddish tone. Lips are a natural shape and often colored terracotta. Basic contouring of the features would be a good base to start from. Use black liner pencil on the eyes and eyebrows. In this case you can draw the eyebrows in rather than just coloring the hairs.

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN MAKEUP STYLE

Classical (Greek and Roman)

HIGHLIGHTS FOR A SCULPTED, CLASSICAL EFFECT

During the classical period only men appeared on the stage, and they wore masks. When a classical Greek or Roman play is performed now, the desire is sometimes for the actors (both men and women) to look somewhat like the sculpture of the period. The features are strong and symmetrical; they may look squared-off and seem almost carved from marble.

To achieve this look, use highlight to straighten and lengthen the nose, connecting it to the lower ridge of the forehead. Cheekbones will be high and the jawline will be rounded but deep.

Place the shadows closer to the highlights than usual. This will leave a smaller area for blending, creating a harder, more chiseled edge. Darken the shadows at the deepest points, creating a stronger contrast between the highlights and shadows.

SHADOWS FOR A SCULPTED, CLASSICAL EFFECT

BLENDED HIGHLIGHTS AND SHADOWS

Another characteristic of the sculpture of this period is full, defined lips on both men and women. Create the shape first with a lip-liner pencil, blending it inward. Then fill in the outline with a natural lip color.

DEFINED LIPS

Gothic

During the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries in Europe, especially northern Europe in the Burgundian region, it was popular for upper-class women to have pale skin, a very high, plucked forehead, and minimal eyebrows. Jan van Eyck's 1432 painting, Giovanni and Giovanna Arnolfini provides a good example.

Choose a lighter-than-usual base color (unless you already use a light base). Use the technique demonstrated in Chapter 6 to create a high forehead. If your eyebrows are thick, you may need to use spirit gum to glue them down as demonstrated in the section on men playing women in Chapter 12. If your eyebrows are dark, apply cream highlight to lighten them. Apply your theatrical base over the highlight on your eyebrows. Stipple highlight and shadow above and below your eyebrows to visually break up the skin surface, and minimize the difference between it and the texture of the eyebrows.

GOTHIC MAKEUP STYLE

Renaissance

Men and women during this period had a very natural look. A basic corrective makeup would work for most plays set during this time.

Elizabethan/Shakespearean

SHADOWS TO CONTOUR

BLUSH

ELIZABETHAN MAKEUP

Women did not appear on stage until King Charles II was restored to the English throne in 1660. Prior to this, young men dressed and made up as women, played the women's roles in the plays of Shakespeare and his contemporaries. High foreheads and pale skin remained popular with upper-class Women through the Elizabethan period. During this era, paleness was so prized that women's skin was often made up to appear as white as milk. In contrast to this whiteness, rouge Was painted on the lips in a small, bow shape. Eyebrows were minimal, but visible. Near the end of the period (after 1600) rouge was also applied to the cheeks. The many paintings of Queen Elizabeth I of England demonstrate this style.

Use a very pale base with some white mixed in. If your eyebrows are thick, you can use the base/white mixture to block out the area you want to hide. Use a light shade of brown or tan for shadow contouring. Highlight is not necessary, or even possible, because your base is so light.

Use a pink or coral shade of red for blush.

Use a lip pencil to outline the lips and blend the lines inward as described in Chapter 5. Fill in the lips with the same color used on your cheeks.

Men of the Elizabethan period were also relatively pale, compared to today. Very fashionable men of the upper classes might wear makeup to make their skin paler for court, or when sitting for a portrait. Carefully trimmed beards (which came to a point) and moustaches (often curved upwards) were very popular, as were carefully groomed and arched eyebrows. The miniatures of Nicholas Hilliard, especially the portrait of the Earl of Essex, are good examples of this style.

Restoration

Both male and female actors in early Restoration theatre of the late seventeenth century wore makeup. Very light or white skin was still popular as were lip paint and cheek rouge. The cheek rouge tended to be focused on the center of the cheek. The lips were still bow-shaped. Women's eyebrows were more visible than in the past and carefully shaped into a gentle arch like the men's. Face patches (small pieces of black velvet cut into dots, hearts, crescents, and other shapes) were used to hide blemishes. Nell Gwynne and Thomas Betterton were popular actors in this era.

FEMALE RESTORATION MAKEUP

MALE RESTORATION MAKEUP

Eighteenth Century

By the eighteenth century, men returned to a more natural look. Women remained pale, but not white. Soft, pink rouge was used on the center of the cheeks and on the lips. Eyebrows looked natural. The paintings of Antoine Watteau and William Hogarth beautifully represent the style of the day.

Nineteenth Century

For most of the nineteenth century, women looked natural. A basic corrective makeup would work for most plays set during this time.

Turn of the Twentieth Century

In the late 1890s and into the early 1900s the "Gibson Girl" look was in style. Named for the illustrations of Charles Dan Gibson, the feminine ideal was natural, with strong, classical features. Squared-off eyebrows were popular. Lips were full and bowed.

EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY MAKEUP STYLE

GIBSON GIRL MAKEUP STYLE

1920S MAKEUP STYLE

1930S MAKEUP STYLE

The 1920s

During the 1920s the focus was on the eyes. Upper and lower lids were thickly lined and often blended out for a "smoky" look. Performers such as Josephine Baker and Louise Brooks drew the outer ends of their eyebrows into a straight line. Lips were dark and full, often glossy.

The 1930s

In the 1930s women tweezed their eyebrows into a high, curved arch. Sometimes they tweezed the entire brow and drew a new one above it in imitation of the actresses Jean Harlow, Anna May Wong, and Marlene Dietrich. Eyelids and the orbital part were often neutral (skin tone) or might be contoured with shadow in the crease. Long, starry false eyelashes were the rage. Lips were red and bow-shaped.

1940s

During the war years women grew back their eyebrows but kept them neatly groomed. Eyelids were contoured; lashes were still full, but not quite as spiky. Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, and other stars of the day squared off the top lip by filling in the space above the top edge at the corners. The overall look had a strength befitting Rosie the Riveter.

1950s–early 1960s

Women in the 1950s and early 1960s copied the Style of movie stars Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor and TV star Diahann Carroll. The "cat eye" was popular along with a contoured lid and a dark, arched brow. Lips were full and bright in the 1950s, paler in the early 1960s.

1940S MAKEUP STYLE

1950S-EARLY 1960S MAKEUP STYLE

MID-1960S MAKEUP STYLE

1970S DISCO MAKEUP STYLE

Mid-1960s

By the mid-1960s models Jean Shrimpton and Twiggy had helped to glamourize a youthful look of dramatically contoured eyes and pouty, pale lips. Lashes could be even more full or spiky than in the 1930s.

1970s

During the disco years dark, glittery eye-shadow, plucked eyebrows, bold blush, and bright lip gloss were worn by women emulating the look of Donna Summer, Cher, and other disco divas.

1980s

Whether you were a "good girl" like Brooke Shields, or a "downtown girl" like Madonna or Cyndi Lauper, in the 1980s you had thick, dark eyebrows. While Brooke and wannabe members of the Breakfast Club might sport minimal makeup, the girls who wanted to have fun used thick eyeliner, smoky eye-shadow, and neon colors on their lips.

1980S MAKEUP STYLE