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SPECIAL EFFECTS MAKEUP
My other design interest includes special effects make-up, which I would like to incorporate in my designs. I would not be where I am today without my experience in special effects makeup. I grew up dressing up as different characters and in various fashions due to my fashion designer aunt, my mother’s short films, and my own interests. In high school, a new door opened for me: the door to the world of makeup. I started to learn and practice techniques from YouTube tutorial videos while adapting them to utilize my limited supplies. I began to understand the transformative power of makeup and started to practice on myself in my room… and then on anyone who would let me experiment on their face. Learning how to transform into anyone or anything was a long process that required me to obtain many skills, such as creating wounds and traditional beauty looks. Still, it was a keystone in my journey to realizing the power of design and character building.
 “But if you had regular hands, you'd be like everyone else” - Edward Scissorhands (1990) The first character I transformed myself into was Edward Scissorhands. Determined to be him for Halloween my freshman year of High School, I taught myself special effect makeup and scissorhands construction through YouTube tutorials. The rest of the costume was thrifted and built from materials I could find in my bedroom (like curtain wrap and metal rings). I later rewore the costume to Phoenix Comic Con. |  “I myself am strange and unusual.” -Beetlejuice (1988) Inspired by Tim Burton's Beetlejuice, my Halloween costume for Senior year was a gender bent version of Beetlejuice. I created my look by following reference photos from the movie and other makeup artists’ renditions of similar concepts. As an alternative to moss, I utilized teased out green yarn to create a texture resembling the iconic hair from the film. |  It’s just a small cut, don’t worry about it. A mixture of wound techniques; I referenced images of real wounds in order to recreate their patterns, textures, and coloring. |  "Black is traditional. But if you'd prefer pink, or vermilion or chartreuse? Though you might make me jealous!" - Coraline (2009) Inspired by the film Coraline, I wanted to create a character with button eyes. As I progressed with the look, it evolved into my own rendition of a Voodoo Doll. The eyes were fabricated with cotton makeup pads, taped with masking tape, and painted over with water-based face paints. The thread of the eyes were created by painting dental floss and cotton pads. |
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 “My cousin says he’s ‘every nightmare you've ever had.’ He’s your ‘worst dream come true.’ He is ‘everything you ever were afraid of.’ However, you’ve never met me.” -IT (1990) |  Don’t worry, it’s an easy fix. |  “This place reminds me of Santa’s Workshop. Except it smells like mushrooms and everyone looks like they want to hurt me.” - Elf (2003) |  “If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is because everything would be what it isn’t.” -Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland (1865) Inspired by Tim Burton's Alice and Wonderland, I recreated Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter with a steampunk twist. The makeup look was created with white face-paint and colorful eye shadows. The hat was created out of foam, two-part epoxy, and Rub and Buff and the boxing hand wrap was spray painted. |
 Feeling bored? Follow me to the woods, I promise you’ll have a magical time. Looking to shift into more beauty makeup in order to round out my skills, I combined more traditional beauty techniques with sfx to create a Woodland Fawn. Inspired by the local fairy houses in Oak Tree groves near my house, I used liquid latex, cotton balls, water-based paints and leaves to create the root coming down her shoulder to indicate that the Fawn Fairy is one with the forest. |  *Queue Star Wars disco instrumental Cantina Theme music* This was an experimental look utilizing airbrush paints. My goal was to paint myself one color, but the look evolved into Stella who is ready to go out and have some fun! |  Gorge always has something on his mind, he would love to chat if you’re free! |  “Then your tail will divide and shrink until it becomes what the people on earth call a pair of shapely legs. But it will hurt; it will feel as if a sharp sword slashed through you." Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid (1837) I wanted to create Ariel’s transformation without the Disney magic. In order to illustrate the pain and devastation from the original text, this look features her mid-transformation, about to go back to the sea and become sea foam. |
 Halloween makeup, derived from the idea of someone slitting her throat. I utilized cotton balls soaked in liquid latex, then painted over with foundation, cream-paints, scab blood and fake blood. |  I might be a little damaged, but I am still pretty. Right? |  This is what I look like without any makeup on. Looking to learn how to transform my face with paints, I experimented with a contour palette, examining my wrinkles and where they will eventually appear on my face. I created shadows and highlights with the paints to make myself look sickly. |  Experiment gone wrong! Lab subject on the loose! Please call 1-800-555-HELP immediately. $1000 Reward. |
 You need a friend? Timothy is looking for a friend, and it looks like he wants to be your friend you’re in luck! |
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