Applying Theater Makeup And Prosthetics

1. Theatrical base makeup should be several shades darker than everyday makeup.Unless the character is supposed to appear pale and lifeless, standard theatrical lighting will wash out an actor's unmade face.The best way to counteract this whitening effect is to overcompensate with base makeup.If the production has a small budget for makeup or no budget at all, ask the female actors to purchase a standard makeup base at least two shades darker than normal.Male actors may have to purchase theatrical makeup designed especially for men at a local theatrical supply store.These tubes of theatrical makeup may have names such as 'Leading Man' or 'Deep Suntan' in order to overcome the stigma of male makeup.Encourage your actors to apply their makeup into every crevice of the face and hairline for a consistent look.Ears and necks are especially prone to neglect, creating a blotchy or uneven effect.

2. Natural features may have to restored with makeup.Cheeks covered in heavy theatrical makeup will not have a natural glow, so rouge should be used sparingly to restore a youthful appearance.Be careful not to draw red circles on the cheekbones, but rather aim for a subtle highlight on the highest point of the cheeks and feather the rouge into the makeup base.Aging characters may need some darkening under the cheekbone to draw in the face slightly.Follow the bone structure of the actor and only darken areas where shadows would naturally fall.Some amateur makeup artists try to define the hollows of the cheeks with a porkchop-shaped application of darker base or eyeshadow.This technique may be effective for elderly characters, but is not as convincing for others.When in doubt, find a portable light source and observe where the shadows fall on the actor's face.Only color in those areas in the most darkness, and keep it subtle.

Eyes and lips may also need to be defined and restored with makeup.Male lips may only need to be darkened to compensate for lighting- bright red shades may be overkill, so try for plum or dark neutral shades.Female characters are often defined by their lipstick shades, so find a red shade appropriate for the age and background of the character.The natural instinct for beginning makeup artists is to go for the boldest colors in the box.Never forget who the actor or actress is portraying- a prim librarian would not necessarily wear a fire engine red lip color.To accentuate the eyes, use a bold black eyeliner to draw a line across the eyelids.Eyebrows can usually survive the harsh lights, but a little gray can emphasize age.Alcoholic or sick characters can be helped with a line of red under the eyes and dark shadowing to enhance a tired look.

3. Wigs and other hair pieces need to be secure. Actors should be encouraged to wear caps in order to keep their natural hair as flat as possible. Many times a wig failure occurs whenever an actor's own hair forces its way through the hairpiece.If a professional wig cap is not available, a Halloween bald cap made from latex should work.Actors should have their natural hair rolled and pinned under these caps before a proper fitting can take place.Wigs need to be custom-fitted to an individual actor's head whenever possible.If a personalized fit is not possible, then the wig should have at least two separate methods of attachment for security reasons.Hairpins can hold the wig snugly against the cap and natural hair, while a last-minute application of spirit gum, a natural adhesive, can be used along the hairline.

Artifical beards and mustaches fall into the category of prosthetics, so different techniques must be used.For a light beard, dark makeup can simply be dappled onto the actor's beardline.For a heavy beard, an artifical appliance should be created using natural hair and a lightweight mesh netting.This beard can be applied to the actor's cleanshaven face with spirit gum.Spirit gum is a clear adhesive commonly used to apply prosthetics to an actor's face or body.It generally comes in a small bottle with an applicator brush.For maximum benefit, spirit gum should be applied directly to the actor's face or body part and allowed to air dry for several minutes.The appliance or prosthetic should also have a very thin coating of spirit gum.Once the adhesive has become tacky, the makeup artist should carefully apply the beard or mustache or latex appliance to the appropriate area and press gently.Once the adhesive cures completely, the beard or latex appliance should be fairly secure.During the course of a performance, however, perspiration may cause the beard or appliance to slip.Makeup artists should always have extra spirit gum on hand for quick touch-ups.

4. Make the prosthetics as light as possible.Many fake body parts or wrinkles are made from liquid latex, which is usually light and easily applied to the actor's face and body.Because latex is flexible, the actor usually does not put much stress on the appliance.But sometimes the appliances and prosthetics are created from heavier substances such as wood or plaster.Even if the prosthetics are custom-fitted to the actor's own features, the sheer weight will sometimes cause them to fail onstage.No amount of adhesive will keep a heavy appliance permanently secure.The trick is to either use another method to keep the prosthetic attached, such as an elastic band, or to lighten the weight of the prosthetic itself.

If the piece cannot be duplicated with latex or foam rubber, it may have to be hollowed out to reduce its weight.A poorly-attached prosthetic may be worse than no prosthetic at all, so makeup artists and actors may have to confer with a production's director for acceptable alternatives.

It may be possible to use makeup techniques to imply the same effect as the original prosthetic.

5. Prosthetics and appliances need to blend with the rest of the makeup.One common mistake made by amateur makeup artists is not matching the various elements of the character's makeup.If a prosthetic dog snout is used, for example, the makeup from the actor's face should also be used on the snout.Once the appliance has had time to dry and adhere, additional makeup should be used to blend it into the existing face.Occasionally a prosthetic may shift positions on the actor's face, revealing unshaded areas of natural skin.Be prepared with additional makeup to cover these bare spots between scenes.

One technique to help prosthetics blend more naturally with an actor's face is to add more coverage area with the prosthetic.Instead of construction a latex nosepiece, extend the appliance to include portions of a cheek, brow and upper lip.The ends of the appliance should feather away to a very thin layer of latex.When this improved piece is applied to the actor's skin with spirit gum, it should appear more natural as it blends with the existing makeup.