This week is probably going to be my busiest week yet and here I am blogging. I had to pick a busy week to add in a project, I guess. I have a tendency to do that so it’s not really a surprise to me. I am really happy with the way my mannequin head is coming along. I thought I’d talk about the next step, which was makeup. This part was not included in the blog post I shared yesterday. This is something I just wanted to add in. I really wanted to see how it would come out and if it would be worth it. Sometimes, you just have to jump in with both feet and give it your best shot.
In case you may have been in doubt, I love glitter. A lot. I’m the type of parent that gets excited when my kids want to use glitter in projects. So when considering different options for Pianola’s cosmetics, I definitely purchased a multi-pack of ultra-fine glitter. At the time, I wasn’t sure what colors I wanted to use for her eyes and lips. I also purchased a small bottle of acrylic craft paint in ‘antique copper’. I used acrylic paint from an artist kit Magiba received for Christmas (with her permission, of course) for the cosmetics.
To glitz up my project, I used a sponge brush to lightly brush a bit of the antique copper all over the mannequin head. It gave my project a more distressed look, a bit more vintage. You can barely see this in the photos but there are small streaks of copper all over the mannequin head. I let that dry. While it was drying, I did a bit of research to find some really fantastic eye makeup. I found this nifty photo on Pinterest and used it for inspiration. Since my girl has lots of blue in her skin, I chose to go with blush pink, light blue, blue, yellow ocher, magenta and black for her eyes. I used a brilliant red and orange blended together for her lips. I added matching glitter to my paints. I would recommend mixing the colors as you are ready to use them if you are going to layer them over one another. I painted the blush pink without glitter over the eye to give me a more solid base and make the colors easier to see. While that was drying, I painted her lips. The things I love about acrylics are that they usually cover a surface nicely with one coat and they dry quickly. Next I decided it might be easier to paint the eye makeup if my girl had eyebrows. I lightly tapped my brush on the brow bone to create a slightly arched line over each of her eyes using black paint. Then I painted over each eye completely with light blue paint. I accented the corners of the eyes with the darker blue and created a feathered effect. I used the gold (yellow ocher) to line the upper lid of each eye, then painted over the remainder of the light blue with the magenta. This created an interesting effect. The pink is indeed vibrant but you can still see some of the blue coming through and also a bit of purple, though that has to be an optical illusion. I let each color dry completely before adding the next so they wouldn’t mix. Lastly, I lined the lower lid and the outer and inner corners of each eye with black. I created a few curls and leaves on each eye and did them each a little bit differently. I have a hard time creating the same thing twice. Next, I decided to add to the steampunk effect by adding a little ‘hardware’. I painted a large bolt in the center and just above her eyebrows. I also painted on a few screws. I used my copper paint for those and accented them with black. Once all the paint was dry, I gave her another two coats of mod podge to seal the paints well.
The last step will be to add some fabulous eyelashes, a wig, and some real hardware or acrylic gems. I’m excited to see the completed project! Here’s a picture of Pianola with her makeup. It was pretty hard to get her eyes straight and even harder to get the lips just right. So I settled for odd and quirky. It fits my personality better, anyway. She may look a little odd at this step but keep in mind her eyes are closed and she doesn’t have her wig yet.
Here’s one photo showing Pianola’s eye and lip cosmetics. John said she looked like a bug!
Here’s a closeup showing the bolt and screws. It also shows a closer view of the details of the eye makeup. I used a different lighting effect to bring out how the blue color shows underneath the pink.
“I find my joy of living in the fierce and ruthless battles of life, and my pleasure comes from learning something.” ~Auguste Strindberg, Miss Julie, 1888
The above quote only vaguely fits today’s post. I did learn that it’s probably better to spend several more dollars to get the paint that already has glitter added to it. I also learned that for sticking large pieces of paper in small dents and creases, it pays to add a bit more mod podge so that the paper is softened enough to fit into those spaces without tearing. I didn’t tear any of my pieces of paper but some of them were not stuck down as well as they could’ve been. I had no intention of trying to make the paper sit smoothly on the form. I wanted my piece to look edgy and vintage and distressed. I think when her uneven eyebrows and eyes, and her lips that look like she’s smirking, are added to those creases and wrinkles, I succeeded. One thing is for certain, she will certainly stand out and catch the eyes of passing customers. Tomorrow, I’ll post a picture of her with her hair and I’ll hopefully have the eyelashes added on, as well.
Unchained Emporium 