Evaluation

When first being set the project about Diversity, I was excited and intrigued to create new ideas and take upon this journey of influences and to see where I end up. Diversity as a concept ranges in so many different ways, however I knew I didn’t want an idea of diversity to be obvious within my final images.
I admiZedly struggle at the beginning, as our starPng point we were asked to look into the 1930’s of Berlin, a Pme of secrets, quirky personaliPes and various diverse sexualiPes. I found it hard to incorporate 1930’s style and a diverse concept, I was unsure on what road to take and how to put both concepts together.
I firstly found I wanted to interpret 1930’s style make-up and began thinking of ways I could portray diversity. I found in the 30’s, a lot of women were comfortable with showing their skin and seemed happy in their curvaceous bodies. It then came to me, I knew I wanted to signify body image and size as a diverse concept. We were then luckily enough to have Caryn Franklin as a guest speaker who is a main part in trying to incorporate all sizes within fashion. Caryn spoke a lot about using various body shapes on the catwalk and if there were more variety would we feel beZer about ourselves?
I noPced in the media and in the fashion industry, everyone obviously wants varied body shapes and many people have said “curvy is beauPful”, Women should have curves, etc. Also, more mannequins are more plus sized.
However, I noPced it was obviously more about bringing plus sizes, curvy bodies and just a variety in general? But were they forgedng about the skinnier, pePte girls? Were they just gonna completely push them out? I’m not sure, so that is why I decided on pudng some light upon these women and portraying a posiPve side to women who are naturally skinny and that people shouldn’t judge if you are. Obviously just like the same as any size, people should judge, but we do, without realising, every person will judge one another.
So as for models I wanted to include a model who was naturally skinny and quite tall with long limbs. I was greatly inspired by the film ‘The Skin I Live In’, The lady in the film was locked in a room and kept herself busy with yoga and wore a flaZering all in a nude all in one piece that was fiZed and showed every shape and curve. I loved the way she used her body with yoga and it simply just inspired me to create movement within my images and the use of the arms. As well as capturing the long, slimness of the body. For my second model, I wanted a contrast between the first one, and obviously sPll feel a curvier woman is diverse also, therefore decided to use a womanly, curvaceous model. My third I decided to more so use her due to the beauty of her skin. She had amazing, smooth skin and was really inspired to work on her. I wanted to keep all the make-up very simple and glowing with a small hint of Berlin, I only incorporate that by using a dark vampy lip on one of the models.
Over all I was quite happy with all my outcomes, although if I could go back I would maybe try and get more poses and shapes from my models as I feel the concept I was discussing on my blog was to portray body movement and shapes with the arms and back – To portray the real beauty of the body. I did find it difficult to come up with a concept but once I found what I wanted, I was extremely happy and really enjoyed blogging and researching into my idea. 

Final Images

Understanding My Concept

Because Who Is Perfect?

This video doesn't actually link in with my concept, however I felt it was an incredible video to watch and actually got a little emotional, I absolutely loved what they were doing in order to create awareness of the disabled by making mannequins of the few bodies in this video. 

I felt this massively relevant to this diversity project. 

I thought it was quite similar to the fact that some high streets shops are introducing plus sized mannequins. I get that they're are bigger women out there - however we can all help our weight in some way, however a disabled person can not help the way they are, some are even born that way. 

However, regardless of your size, race, hair colour, etc. everyone is diverse and this video absolutely portrayed that concept, I especially love the end of all the mannequins together "because who is perfect?" Who says so and so is perfect? 

Our perception of perfect is manipulated by the media massively due to constant photoshoped images , and we are always seeing celebrities at their best.. but we must remember they are just normal people like us and have down days and 'ugly days'. 

Face Charts and Design

Design Process

diversity inspiration

Final Ideas

Drawing Ideas

Technical File

TECHNICAL FILE - HANNAH KEMP - LEVEL 5 

AQUA COLOUR AND SUPRA COLOUR

Creating a painting on the face using supra colour, applying paint like textures onto the skin, also considering the direction of light to create contrasts of light and dark areas, adding depth and dimension. Using thick layers of various colours, like you would see in a oil painting. Expressing yourself as an artist. Bringing out the natural tones in the skin, such as blue/green and yellows.

APPLYING WIGS

FIRSTLY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY - PREPARE THE HAIR

• Pin Curls 

or

• Depending on hair length, french plait the hair in 3 separate sections if hair is thick - MAKE SURE HAIR IS TIGHT
• Ensure hair is flat to the head
• Baby hairs are slicked back with wax

ENSURE YOUR MODEL IS COMFORTABLE, NOT TOO TIGHT OR LOOSE. 

APPLYING THE STOCKING CAP

- Ask your model to help by using their hands in a 'bunny ears' motion in front of their forehead to hold the front of the stocking cap, therefore you can pull the cap neatly onto their head.

• Pin the stocking cap, if needed

- top section 

- nape of the neck

- behind the ears

• criss cross your pins, ensuring they well pinned to the hair/cap
• Keep the ears seen
• Straps on wigs can be tightened, depending on the size of the head
• Ensure the wig is level 

- Apply the wig with the same motion as the stocking cap

• Synthetic wigs do not take heat
• Roll inside out when done to care for your wig

When applying various wigs, you're able to see a change within the face and even the person's personality. Different wigs can portray a total change, including the skin tone, face shape, eyes etc. It's amazing to see how a change of hair colour or style can completely transform someone, even giving them more confidence and flare. 

By preparing the hair for wigs, you are able to create a flat surface therefore the wig applied will look even. When wearing a wig, the head can produce sweat, therefore the stocking cap is able to absorb and ensure no fly away hair will be seen. 

 

ANITA BERBER

Express your own interpretation of Anita Berber and portray how you thought she looked when this painting was created by Otto Dix in 1925. 

Anita's life was a roller coaster, her heavy substance abuse resulted in an early death. I felt I wanted to portray a softer side, yet still creating an edginess within her famous heavy make-up.

To create a softer effect, I used a yellow shadow to indicate happiness, whilst using heavy black eyeliner and strong black/plum lips to match her edgy signature look. 

I felt this look would be slightly different to how other make-up designers would interpret her. As I feel using red and black would be quite obvious. 

FINGER WAVING

When finger waving for the first time, it can help if you wet the hair first instead of gelling due to it setting, therefore if the hair is just wet, you are able to brush the style out if something goes wrong. 

• Spitz the hair until damp or gel the hair and comb the hair through
• Part the hair and begin at the root
• Using a comb, comb back away from the face
• Whilst comb is still intact with the hair - push upwards creating volume 
• apply your finger below the groove you made with the comb - then realise your comb and apply a clip where you held your finger (see pic 2)
• Repeat the same step -
•  Instead comb the hair towards the face creating an 'S' shape 

After you have repeated the same steps throughout the hair - spray with hairspray and leave to set

- When hair is dry you are able to release your clips and style however you desire. 

TIMED ASSESSMENT PRACTICE 

DESIGN BRIEF 

Inspired from 1930's make-up and also interoperating Anita Berbers style. 

MAKE-UP 

- Blended purple hazy eye shadow

- Shimmery eyebrow bone, inner corner and cheek bones

- Smudgy eye liner and mascara

- Contoured cheeks with same purple eye shadow 

- Dark plum ombre lips 

- Defined dark red eye brows

HAIR

- Well backcombed from the underneath

- Parted down the middle

- Combed neatly to the ear around the end 

- Ends of hair are pinned inwards (roughly)

- By backcombing the hair you are able to create volume when pinned. 

Dior Couture

A women's obsession with weight - Where it all started...

Where did the term 'diet' come from? why is it today we are currently obsessed with our body weight. It seems in the 19th century we became aware of diets after the phase of corsets were washed out. Corsets were made to rearrange a women's fat rather than making them appear skinnier. So when corsets were basically out of fashion, woman were left dissatisfied with their natural figure. 

The industry revoloution began, meaning standardised dresses became more wanted, woman were more aware of their body shape due to the shops selling the dresses in various sizes, such as 8, 9 or 10 or small, medium or large. Indicating a obvious state of who was bigger. 

Food science found one of the most influential cases being the 'calorie'. Also having access to more food choices. 

"Now you knew the calories (your intake) and the output (your weight). The smaller those numbers were, the heathier you were," 

WOLCHOLVER, N. 2012. The Real Skinny: Expert Traces America's Thin Obsession [online] [viewed 27 November 2013] Available from: http://www.livescience.com/18131-women-thin-dieting-history.html

Refining my idea

So as I have discussed before, I didn't want diversity to portray too strong within my images. Also, I felt others wouldn't exactly indicate this type of diversity in their project. As said before I wanted to show a model with a skinny frame to justify those girls who are naturally slim and being judged for being 'too thin' when really one can not help it.

3   F I N A L   I M A G E S 

As a end result we are asked to submit 3 final images that portray our concept of diversity.

Above I have discussed on how I want to portray body size, a smaller figure in particular. I thought using another body size that contrasts against the skinnier body and to also show another diverse body type. 

D I V E R S E   M O D E L S 

So what now? I've thought of my idea, I just need to find the right models to portray my concept.
I feel to indicate a diverse slimmer frame I will obviously choose someone who is quite slim and slender yet still healthy.
Creating various shapes and movements to enhance and take advantage of their slim, long limbs.
Next to contrast against a skinnier figure, I want to chose a female model who is womanly and curvy.
Not only will I want to show a couple of ranges of sizes, I want to also mix up the ethnicity as well.

Diverse range of bodies

'Would seeing a more diverse range of bodies in the media improve your self-esteem?'

Perhaps yes, society of today are constantly being influenced into a world of 'perfection'. If there were a range of diverse bodies we would feel more normal about ourselves. However, within the media there will always be a slight obsession of perfecting ones look. Unfortunately, I feel naturally as a human being we are programmed into automatically judging one another, regardless of how diverse we are. Although, seeing your own body type being flaunted in the media, you praise that person! Like myself, I am only 4'11"...Tiny you say? If I saw a petite model strutting herself on the catwalk, I would jump with joy, "you go girl!" In conclusion, I would like to think seeing a diverse body would help others flourish within their self-esteem, however I feel we've gone too far in the world of media. Our minds are almost brain washed into thinking what's perfected in our eyes, all being different due to our own opinions and judgements. 

It's hard for them too...Skinny girls

Throughout society there has been a huge conspiracy on larger woman and how it's OK to look curvier and "big is beautiful". However, I have seen that many girls who are naturally very slim with no curves, bust or a booty are suddenly judged on being 'too thin' and sometimes it's not just bigger women who are self-conscious, skinnier girls are embarrassed of their tiny frame and as much food as they eat, some will never put on weight, normally due to high metabolism. OK, maybe there are some girls who are guilty of starving themselves and wanting that 'perfect' skinny body...but thats a whole other story! We can't just suddenly judge a slimmer girl and think she's making herself look like that. I suppose it's the same with larger woman/men...sometimes it's in the genes and so on...I do feel a lot of people can help being over weight however.

I've heard a few stories on girls who are naturally skinny, that it was a struggle growing up. They didn't have breasts like all the other girls, some may of got teased. 

Even my lecturer Sharon said briefly that growing up as the only girl with her brothers she felt a struggle having a small frame and no breasts. 

However, in conclusion overall it's the fact that we can't judge nobody. We don't know anyones story and why they look like that. But we do, we judge every single person, sometimes without realising! We see a fat person, some think "oh they're fat". We come across a skinny person "er, she's so skinny, too skinny". Every single person we see in everyday life is diverse. Whether they are tall, fat, small, skinny, Even if we don't like the way they look, that is diversity. 

How do I want to portray diversity?

Within my final images obviously I would like to portray a slight hint of diversity, however I wouldn't like to be too obvious with this concept. Throughout my blog and from now I am referencing to body image within the media and the fact that there is a certain line between being too thin and portraying the perfect body. However what is the perfect body? Many people may think different but I feel the ideal body is healthy. And how do you define healthy? Many opinions will differ. 

However, I will never understand why they portray a size 14/16 as healthy? Is that not promoting slight obesity? As in some high street shops they are now using size 14-16 mannequins. I know they are trying to show a diverse range of sizes, but I feel maybe that is maybe sometimes verging on unhealthy. 

BUT woman do need the comfort and realisation that skinny isn't the only way in fashion.

So, when discussing diversity within body image, many will suddenly jump to curvier, bigger women. However, being skinnier is still diverse. Many young girls can't help being petite and skinny. So, therefore having a small, petite, skinnier girl in general on the catwalk isn't always wrong. 

Diversity

When speaking of diversity within the modelling industry many will refer to bigger/curvier woman and men. Some will say that it's not fair that designers use smaller models and the industry should change and make a difference by using plus size models etc.

However, is there a line between being too thin and too fat? In my opinion, most definitely in many fashion capitals so many models are seen to be painfully thin. Which portrays a bizarre idea into young girls minds that it's okay to look like that.

"According to Sinclair, beauty lies in diversity." bellapetite, (2013). A Model of Diversity: Angel Sinclair [online] [24 November 2013]. Available from: http://bellapetite.com/model-angel-sinclair.html  

Fake Perfection

                        

 So it's nothing out the ordinary when opening up a magazine and seeing a perfected, well groomed model, thinking "why can't I look like that" or "they look amazing" But it seems that many companies are just going too far when editing their Ad's and the majority of all images released to the public they will always go through post production. Below is a video I found of a Dove campaign who completely expose what a company goes through to perfect the chosen image/ad.

As amazing as the final image of the model is, it's quite scary and sick to think they do that much to a woman! 

Face Charts

Anita Berber

Anita Berber was a french dancer within the 1920's of Berlin. She became increasingly famous when dancing naked in night clubs and appearing in silent soft porn films. This is an aspect that was very much frowned upon within society. Anita seemed to have a very short life. Dying very young due to her excessive alcohol and drug abuse, especially cocaine. Berber was very well known for always wearing heavy amounts of make-up and was hardly ever seen without it.
To the left is a painting of Anita, created by Otto Dix. Using his technique, Otto was able to portray Berber in a very strong edgy aura. Her pose is strong yet stuck up whilst the red indicates lust and power.

I N S P I R A T I O N

As my ideas grow and flourish throughout this project, I have found myself to be using hints of Berbers style and make-up. I always knew I wanted some aspect of Berlin 1920's make-up. But I feel her make-up oozes sexuality and lust. I love the combination of dark eyes and the dark pointed red lip. This is something I will take onboard when creating my face charts.

http://arthistory.about.com/od/from_exhibitions/ig/glitterdoom/gad_07.htm

Typical Monday Morning

So every monday morning is a struggle for everyone. We all have a seminar at 9am every monday, however ours isn't your typical seminar, you will always find us discussing heated topics about, well...pretty much anything to do with feminism and sexism within the media and ALWAYS Miley Cyrus is brought up. (We love a cheeky Miley Cyrus YouTube video) I'm pretty laid back, I kind of go with the flow...I'm not really too bothered with how much Miley wears or how little clothing she has on but it's so interesting listening to other opinions on her. Some say she really has no need to be so drastic and sexual with the way she promotes herself and her music. Others absolutely love the fact at how crazy she is. One point that my lecturer Sharon made was "she's comfortable". Miley simply loves her body and in fact she actually loves being naked.

So Miley obviously has an affect on young girls and most probably will influence them too like most celebrities in the media. At the end of the day, they are in the spot light, they are going to influence everyone with everything they do, no matter what! Whether it's good or bad, we will always be able to see what style and phase they are going through. So really, is it their fault young girls feel the need to be so revealing? In reality, that's the trends these days. If you think about it sexuality and revealing too much skin has been around for decades! But I'll come to that later on, that's WHOLE DIFFERENT STORY! anyway, it's just more obvious to us these day's as we are constantly surrounded by it from our TV ad's, magazines, internet, posters, etc! So, I don't want to point fingers at JUST Miley Cyrus, many celebrities feel the need to strip down to their underwear at some point throughout their career, maybe because they don't want to be seen us a young girl/boy or they feel their career going down hill and need a change in style! Another example we looked at was Rihanna, just because of how she was so innocent and girly at the beginning of her career to now, portraying a very sexual, edgy image. Which personally I do love! However some may think it's too sexual and there is no need. We watched her most recent music video, that is probably her most sexualised video yet! There obviously is a 'cleaner' version and an explicit version. In class we were discussing the aspect on whether she really needs to do this in her video? Is she not talented enough to just sing? But then Adele was brought up and someone said "well Adele doesn't have to take her clothes off...because she's a great singer". But it all honesty Adele is a completely different genre of music to Miley and Rihanna. However, the opinions could go on forever! Below is a video of Rihanna's music video - 'Pour it up'

So when others were appalled, I actually didn't mind, along with a couple of other girls in my group. It's like 'whatever' You just have to deal with it, if you really don't like the music video then turn it off. Doesn't stop you from appreciating the music.

So in conclusion to todays seminar...you will always find varied opinions everywhere you go, you will always find sexuality in everything advertised across the world and are we OK with it? Yes because it's such a massive part of the industry and whether people like it or not, it gets people talking, it get's everyones attention and that's what they want!!!!

Inspiration

T H E  S K I N  I  L I V E  I N.

In another seminar, for a totally different project we were shown a film called 'The skin I live in'. Weirdly enough I was inspired more so for this project. That's what's so great about this industry, we are constantly surrounded by things that inspire us, without us realising or totally unexpectedly.
The Skin I live in is about the life of an amazing plastic surgeon, who is haunted by traumatising events in his life and takes revenge upon someone who hurt his daughter. I feel the film is quite disturbing, confusing yet intriguing.

The main aspect of what influenced me was the way the character Vera Cruz used her body movements in a way of calming her and taking her mind into somewhere completely different, where she could forget reality. Vera creates beautiful shapes and movements using yoga.
For some strange reason I was complete captured in the way her body looked and the way you could see the human form, through the shapes of yoga. Also complimented by her skin tight suit, which was actually used to protect her skin.

Within my final images, I would like to produce a look that portrays the body in not stereotyped size like 'thin' or 'fat' I want it to be seen as beautiful shape, no matter what size. The human body is a beautiful form that is very much over looked.

Body Image

To portray diversity within my final images, I felt the root I was most drawn to was body image, and how diverse you can be with the many body shapes and sizes we have in today's society.
As I explained before about the fact that many people in the media today suggests that "big is beautiful". and curves are womanly, etc. Then you get someone who is skinny and they instantly get judged on being 'too thin'.
I also felt portraying a bigger woman in my photographs is just simply stating the obvious. As girls on the catwalk are mostly skinny, people feel using bigger woman are being diverse. However, I think people also forget that being skinny is part of diversity as well. Being skinny are not having curves has it advantages too. I feel using someone who is quite skinny and tall will portray beauty of the body and I am able to work with the length of the models limbs, expressing elaborate shapes and movement. This is obviously just an idea I touched upon and will hopefully start to produce more ideas from this concept I want to look in to.

What Do I Think Is Beauty?

We were asked by our lecturer to bring in images of celebrities or anyone in general who we feel is beautiful to us.
When finding my images, I found I chose woman who were glamorous and in my eyes very attractive. In some ways I felt I was being quite shallow, as firstly I went for looks over what they were like or achieved as a person.

'Beauty At Any Size'

So for a while now I have been following a young woman on Youtube, who uploads various different videos such as comedy, makeup tutorials, vlogs and also inspirational videos too. One video that stood out in particular was one where she filmed herself in just her underwear showing up cards that she had written on. In my opinion I felt she was a little over weight, although others would say her curves are beautiful. Don't get me wrong she is beautiful, like everyone. But like I said before, it's my opinion. However, putting aside what she looks like the main aspect I loved about the video is what she was trying to get across. Many woman who are curvier, will love their curves no matter what, whereas others hate the way they look and I feel can be envious towards girls who are skinnier. I think we all do it. Which I feel then portrays hatred towards skinnier girls, and thinking curvier is the way forward. However, this woman in the video said that "real woman have curves" but then said after on another piece of card, "real woman are skinny too" So the fact that she was saying everyone is beautiful and that curves isn't the only body shape that is beautiful. I just loved the fact that she didn't care about her body even though she had wobbly bits and what not, I didn't mind, it didn't repulse me. Others may think different. I think she may of felt like she needed to upload this video as because she is a bigger woman, she will obviousy always stand by the quote "big is beautiful" and I think she got a lot of stick too for being bigger and for showing off her body because some would say she was "too fat" to wear the type of skimpy clothes she wears. So I do take my hat off her for being so brave and loving the skin she's in.

Below is the video.

Diversity

As a final outcome, our work should link to diversity and portray the concept through styling, ethnicity, size, etc. Diversity is a massive issuthat today's day in age struggles with. We are surrounded by ad's that portray the 'perfect' everything. constantly being brain washed into thinking everything the media shows is the right way to be. many adverts in magazines and on TV portray men and women to be 'sexual objects' and that have been massive conspiracy's on whether this is wrong. duced

Another aspect that many people think we lack diversity is modeling. Almost every female model you see is 'thin' some say too thin. So many questions are being asked on why do they have to use such skinny models. Others will debate that clothes generally look better on taller, skinnier models. I guess there is a line between being too thin on the catwalk and it may make others feel uncomfortable. Although due to skinny girls being shown all over our TV's and magazines, this has almost produced a hatred towards all girls skinny and that curvy is the way to be. MY argument is that, some girls can't help being skinny. It's the fact that if you seen a really skinny girl, you instantly judge and think she's anorexic or she's 'too skinny' although everyone judges anyway, whether you're tall, fat, small, skinny. that's the way of life, everyone will judge you, even without realising. But anyway, my argument is someone will look at a curvy girl in the media and almost everyone will comment saying "curves are beautiful", then maybe you get a skinnier girl and some will say "too skinny". What if she can't help being that size? BUT then again, who was it who said what the perfect size is? No one is right. Opinion plays a massive role in how diversity is portrayed in the media.

Sally Bowels

A sexual character of 'Goodbye To Berlin', A feisty one to say the least. Sally bowels, a confident young dancer of the 1930's in Berlin. seemingly irresistible in a man's eyes.
Author, Christopher Irshwood portrayed Bowels through inspiration of a young woman Jean ross,  who he met in Berlin when visiting there in 1931, claiming Jean Ross was the Sally bowels.

"In real life there had, of course, been no such affair but Isherwood explained there had been a real Sally Bowles, a young Englishwoman in Berlin called Jean Ross." DOWD, V. 2011. Berlin through the eyes of Christopher Irshwood [online] [26 November 2013]. Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12737335

Abstract painting

In our practical we were asked to create an abstract work on the face using our supra colour palette, to create texture and various tones that portray light and dark areas, referencing the style of oil painting and strong abstract brush strokes. Also identifying the undertones of the skin and applying those to the face, layering and texturising the product. 

This is what I came up with, creating one side quite textured and used the natural light to help identify where to apply the lighter tones then the other side using he darker product to create a darker, sultry effect. Applying less product to balance out both sides as I felt I didn't want to over do it. 

Goodbye to Berlin novel

Goodbye to Berlin is a 1939 novel written by Christopher Isherwood. Conveying the life's of whom would be at risk the most from the Nazis. The six short novels describes the people who Isherwood met within his time in Germany. 

The main chapters we were asked to read were "Sally Bowels" and "the nowaks" so far from reading about Sally and watching the adaptation film 'Cabaret' (1972) the character seems like a feisty, sexy woman who seems to always get what she wants. 

Sally is a character created from a lady named Jean Ross who Isherwood met whilst his time in Berlin. 

Introduction to 'Goodbye to Berlin'

This project will able me to portray my techniques and creative skills learned from level 4. Also working against time to allow me to adjust to the industry and under pressure as well as working as communicating as a team. 

I will be able to express myself using makeup and other materials to portray diversity and innovative works, using the body as a canvas. 

Researching into the world of Berlin within the 1920's - this era indicated the diverse personalities and lives in the community of Berlin. Reading upon the works of Christopher Isherwood 1998 'Goodbye to Berlin'. Conveying the lives of a feisty, sexy woman named Sally who isn't afraid of 'doing' of saying how age feels. 

I am definitely excited to begin my journey and to see what I find and produce as a final work that portrays diversity and creativity. I will want to create a look that doesn't portray an obvious diversity.