ON APPLYING THE MATERIAL

The actual work of making up must fall under the two headings of Form and Colour. We will consider first

COLOUR

The colour of a man's skin, or his complexion, may be indicative of his nationality or race. For example, consider the distinctive colourings of the English, Italians, Japanese, Indians, or Africans. It may suggest his age. For youth has its own peculiar freshness; the healthy meridian of life is florid, while pallor comes with old age. We may also vividly realise temperament from the tint of the skin. The sad, the morbid, and the mean are usually sallow; the happy and generous, brilliantly hued. Trades and professions also dye their followers to their liking. The monk is bleached in the cloister, the soldier or sailor is browned by the sun and wind.

Having decided on the complexion that will be characteristic of a given part, we mix and apply the paint. Are we to present an English soldier back from a foreign campaign No. 3 grease-paint, mixed with a little 13, will yield exactly the sunburnt hue that we desire. We must remember though that the upper part of the forehead has been protected from the sun's rays by his helmet, and so a distinct line of light flesh will remain. No. 2-1/2 will do for this.

A mixture of 2-1/2, yellow and a little brown will provide suitable pallidness. Such as we might imagine would be characteristic of the miser.

We cover the face with No. 3, and then deepening the hue of some more No. 3 on our palm with a little lake and carmine, and working this over the face in fleck-like blotches, we shall obtain the floridness of the man who drinks, or perhaps even eats too much.

I give these few examples to show the importance of first deciding what the actual complexion of the character shall be. This paint, which is spread all over the face is called the groundwork.

By a suitable application of colour, in the way of shadows and of high lights, we can give the illusion of a different form of feature or of face.

Let it always be remembered that the shadow is almost invariably of a similar colour to the rest of the face, only darker. This darkening may be done with brown, lake, or blue. For example, if the prevailing tone of the skin is 2-1/2 mixed with yellow and a brown, the same mixture with considerably more brown added to it will give us exactly the pigment we require for the shadows and wrinkles, remembering always that the depth of the wrinkles will be darkest. The same mixture, lightened with additional yellow and white until it is very pale indeed, will give the high lights.

The shadows round the eyes of the sickly and in their sunken cheeks will be bluish. A little lake and blue mixed with the groundwork will do for this.

Always strive to keep the colouring as light and brilliant as possible; only thus may a dirty appearance be avoided.

Finish up the make-up with plenty of powder of a colour that suits that of the groundwork.