Makeup for the performing arts
Makeup in the performing arts serves both artistic and technical purposes, enabling actors to embody characters and enhance their on-stage presence. Historically, early theatrical makeup was basic, primarily due to poor lighting that limited visibility; however, as the film and television industries evolved, the need for detail in makeup application intensified. Notably, the introduction of gas and electric lighting in theaters during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries marked a significant turning point, leading to advancements in makeup techniques and products.
Innovators like Max Factor transformed the industry by developing specialized makeup suitable for film, including semiliquid greasepaint and pancake makeup that catered to the unique demands of color and black-and-white cinematography. As high-definition technology became prevalent in the 1990s and beyond, makeup artists adapted their methods to maintain a natural appearance on screen, utilizing techniques like airbrushing to create a flawless look. Today, the principles and innovations in theatrical makeup have influenced consumer products, making high-definition foundations and powders widely accessible. This evolution reflects not only the artistry involved in makeup application but also its critical role in visual storytelling across various media.
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Makeup for the performing arts
Makeup in the performing arts includes a variety of materials used for cosmetic purposes. Makeup is used to help the actor create a character and for technical reasons. Early makeup used in stage productions needed only to provide a general idea of the character's purpose or origin because lighting was poor and the audience could not see details. The advent of the film and television industries placed greater emphasis on details. Because the audience could see every eyelash in close-ups, makeup artists carefully applied cosmetics. By the twenty-first century, high-definition cameras required even greater attention to detail to make the most impact.
Overview
Many actors in ancient theater relied on masks. Eventually, however, crude makeup was applied to actors' faces. In medieval Europe's religious plays, actors portraying God or Christ used white or gold paint on their faces, while angels' faces were red. French Renaissance actors created fake beards using wool. In Elizabethan England, audiences recognized ghosts and murderers by their chalk-covered faces and blacks and Moors by the soot or burnt cork applied to their skin.
Makeup became especially important in the early nineteenth century. The invention of gas lamps increased visibility in theaters, and makeup—as well as costumes and scenery—improved significantly. Opera singer Ludwig Leichner invented stick greasepaint in Germany during the 1860s. Greasepaint sticks were manufactured commercially by 1890 and remained the standard in theatre for decades. By the 1940s, long after electric lights replaced gas lamps, many actors were using cream makeup, though greasepaint remained in use. Powerful electric lights washed out actors' faces by removing shadows and color. This meant that makeup was essential.
Theatrical makeup may include colors for the skin including rouges and eye makeup, as well as false eyelashes, putties, latex, facial hair, and adhesives. Many theater companies have professional makeup artists.
The advent of film required a new approach to makeup. Max Factor created specialized makeup for the motion-picture industry. His semiliquid greasepaint came in a wide range of tones to produce different effects in early black-and-white movies. Once film and lighting standards were set in 1928, Factor created panchromatic makeup that could be used by all movie-makers. In 1937, when movies were made in color, the hues once again had to be adjusted for Technicolor film. Factor adapted theatrical makeup into a water-soluble powder that could be applied with a sponge. This pancake makeup worked so well that many movie stars used it as everyday makeup. Consumers clamored for access; Max Factor products were developed for sale to the public. Other makeup artists created similar cosmetics companies.
Makeup for films must be exact, because the actor's face may fill the screen. It must cover flaws but must be light to allow subtle facial expressions to register. Professional makeup artists have developed techniques to significantly change an actor's face—for example, adding decades to a young face—that hold up under the extreme scrutiny of close-up shots.
Some techniques and makeups used in films were successfully used in television, including Factor's makeup for Technicolor, but in many cases the colors again had to be adjusted. This was done first for black-and-white television and again for color programs.
During the 1990s, technology introduced high-definition images in television. The industry had to adapt again because existing makeup accentuated lines and wrinkles in high definition. Airbrush technology applied a fine liquid foundation to skin, making it appear flawless but natural. The fine particles reflect light to create an effect called blurring, which describes a soft-focus film technique. Blurring makes skin texture appear even. Airbrushing was widely used in television news and on the series Friends, among others. By the early twenty-first century, high-definition cameras were being used to film movies as well.
As when early movie stars popularized pancake makeup, the advances made in professional makeup were adapted to consumer markets. High-definition foundations and powders became widely available.
Bibliography
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