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FMP Evaluation

I chose my flip side theme artificial/natural due to my interest in shows such as ‘Botched’ and the community of extreme plastic surgery. When creating my mind map I created links to this topic as it links to the artificial process of distortion to natural forms. From brainstorming my original concepts I was excited to see what I could produce as outcomes that reflects my prior interests in the topic.

An artist that heavily contributed to my concepts was Picasso this is due to his use of distortion with faces. Elongating features and messing around with proportions inspired me to incorporate this into my designs, developing these techniques into my outcomes allowed me to show the limits a face can be pushed with cosmetic surgery but convey this with the most extreme. Picasso’s ‘Buste de Femme Assise’ shows a distorted face mainly in a cubist style with links to surrealism, looking at this painting it shows the use of  enlarging, removing and changing the placement of features on the face. Using Picasso’s methods loosely within my sculptures allowed me to experiment with size, placement but maintaining balance as to still show the form of a face at its most extremes. 

Linking back to my theme of distortion throughout my process another artist that inspired my final outcomes was Francis Bacon. This is due to his use of unsettling themes that showed human forms being combined with geometric structures whilst maintaining the original features. My biggest take away from Bacons studies is his tendency to focus on single subject for long periods allowing him to constantly evolve a series of designs ever changing and mutating. For my own heads I focused on the change over time and how one face can evolve into the unrecognisable sate it becomes at the end.

Ron Meuck is another artist that helped me understand and create my own sculptures. Meuck is a sculptor who creates large scale realism people focusing on heads and proportion. When I was creating my own series of life sized heads I chose to take a more surrealism approach rather than Meuck's hyperrealism, however his methods and mediums helped me understand how to build up the features in the face to replicate the contours and structure of a face.

For my wider world research I looked into shows such as ‘Botched’ and ‘Drag race’. I looked into botched as it shoes different perspectives on the topic of extreme plastic surgery, being able to see when cosmetic surgeries cross the line of minor changes into creating a whole new face. The show also gives insight when surges go wrong, this helped me develop knowledge on the actual procedure rather than the just the aesthetics. As for drag race I looked into this as it heavily inspired my final stage of adding colour to the face, using make up to finish the faces I used drag techniques to compliment the over exaggerated features such as large eyeliner and flash eyelashes to give the illusion of bigger eyes to add more definition to the up turned up cat like shape that I gave increasing for each head. 

What I want my viewers to see within my project is the extremes of the aesthetics  of these faces that mimic real life people but also the addiction and the lack of control behind the distortion. Creating these faces to appear so inhuman and distorted allows the viewer to interpret the gradual loss of identity through extreme plastic surgery. Having one face change into three different ones all so contrasting shows the extremes a face can be pushed with these surgeries but also developing their own options on when plastic surgery becomes an addiction. When looking at my case studies some individuals have extreme plastic surgery to look like a famous pop culture figure or a cartoon which fuels this loss of individuality as they are becoming someones else not just changing their appearance to look like an ‘upgraded’ version of themselves.

Throughout my FMP I explored new mediums such as super sculpy, air drying clay and more advanced levels of photoshop. To create my outcomes I used super sculpy a material have never used before, going inky this medium with a fresh base allowed me to experiment with my techniques to see what effects work best for me and my skill Lebel alongside the desired effect I want. When I first started using the polymer clay I learnt how it doesn’t air dry giving me a longer working time, this I used to my advantage as it allowed me to make constant changed to my heads to ensure they work in a series to show a gradual increase in intenseness. Using my fingers and nails in combination with metal tools it allowed me to blend all the features of the face together constantly adapting as I worked more into the sculptures. For the digital element I upgraded my own skill set producing animations and brush tools for my early work, this then helped me when it came time to create distorted faces on photoshop as a first concept mock up of what I could do with my sculptures, doing this task I used the clone stamp and spot healing tool which I had never used before to expand my skill set and confidence using the program.

The piece of art work I have created during this project that allow me to expand my abilities was my mandalas, this is because I experimented with the hand based work focusing on symmetry, pattern and colour. These mandalas were then edited in photoshop where I created short animations and changed aspects of them where I couldn’t with my hand based work. Nor only did this task allow me to expand my confidence with photoshop it allowed me to understand how Amy own work can be experimented with again and again creating different effects each time. My digital work with the mandalas made me more comfortable when creating my mock ups for my sculptures.

If I was to present my work In the end of year show I would either create a hanging insulation where the heads are suspended from the ceiling to create a floating effect or I would attach them to a painted black wooden board. This board would then be attached to the wall so the heads would be viewed at eye level as if they were the height of a person to strengthen the connection between them and a natural human face allowing the viewer to understand the distortion more. 

Distortion 

Alienated

Extreme 

Plastic 

Artificial 

Maximal 

Unsettling 

Creepy 

Intense 

Compelling 

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Reflection W11

This week I finished my outcomes. After baking my outcomes I applied make up based off the results I got from my sample pieces of clay. I started with the base and worked up to the eye allaying hair spray as a setting method throughout the process, I also applied false eyelashes that became more and more extreme for each head. For the eyes I used acrylic paint as it complimented the use of the cosmetics whilst working on the clay as I kept the paint very thick as to allow it to sit longer and not try to leave time for me to blend. I am really pleased with my outcomes as they support my research and convey my message across to the viewer. When it came to my finishing stages of my heads my experimentation helped me understand what techniques worked best for the outcomes but also what worked for every element I had to fill such as setting properties, colour payoff and texture.

Plan for next week

My plan for next week is to write my evaluation and consider if we had an end of year show how would I present my sculptures. Alongside this I am going to finalise my blog making sure it is up to high standards but also that my concepts come across throughout my writing. 

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Presentation

If there was to be an end of year show I would present my work differently as I want the effect on the viewer to be more Intense. My two ideas consisted of first having the heads from the ceiling as a floating instillation. I would have the heads In a darker room with harsh lighting to create dark shadows and emphasise the structure of the face. Hanging them by fishing wire to mimic the illusion of floating, I would have the heads suspended at eye level to increase the feeling of the heads being real people. Having them at this level also helps the viewer to understand just how distorted one face can become creating a set of different identities. 

For my other original concept I wanted to get a piece of wood and paint it a matt black, with this I would then secure the heads onto it and drill it onto the wall. Again I would do this at eye level to increase the distortion. I didn't end up doing either of these as I didn't have the facilities, however I presented my work on a white background to not overwhelm the viewer as the heads consist of loads of shapes and colours that could create an unbalanced effect if I was to have a patterned or heavily saturated background.

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Strengths and Weaknesses

Throughout my FMP project I have tried different mediums, techniques and medias. Creating a set of sculptures for my outcomes was a decision I made never having loose into sceptre before but knowing that it would convey my message in the best possible way. I have challenged myself but I have been proud of my outcomes and the work leading up to it.

One of my strengths in this project have been my outcomes with the make up application but also creating a sculpture I was happy with and worked with my research. I could of smoothes out the skin texture more on the heads but the way the make up sits on the clay worked well for my ideas and concept.

A weakness of mine throughout the project was seeing how m ideas would translate onto other clays. I didn't like the methods I had to use to achieve what I wanted on the air dry clay demotivating me from creating a set of them to test my limits. However I understood that this clay type wouldn't work for my project and from this I learnt about what properties you need when you are sculpting all depending on your own ideas and what you want to create to what effect.

My biggest weaknesses were my experimental heads when it came to painting them. When I stared the painting process it dint have the desired effect so I proceeded to file off the paint resulting in damage to the clay base. However I learnt from this that I didn't want to encounter this on my outcomes so I changed my process and used make up instead which gave me the perfect result. This mistake really helped me improve the quality of my later work but also allowed me to expand my knowledge of all the stages of sculpture.

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When baking my test circles of super sculpy it allowed me to see how the baking time and temperature was effected by the thickness of the clay. As my small experimental heads were thicker without tinfoil in the centre they took a longer time to cook at a higher temperature. I baked the circles at 100 degrees for 30 minutes to ensure they were fully set but didn't crack, for a smaller amount of circles I would have cooked for less time. This allowed me to understand the limits of the clay and the points of which it would have cracked as yo ensure the best outcome when baking my final pieces.

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Process of head 2

For my second head I wanted to mimc slightly botched surgeries as in this point in the series the person would have undergone loads of procedures, focusing on the nose and lips. When creating the head I didn't want it to a[pear perfect with identical symmetry as that's not realistic of extreme cases of plastic surgery, the more common features would be a thin and crooked nose and it would have minimal cartilage left making it very weak. Another feature seen commonly would be the oversized lips. When you have a continuous lip filler applied the filler migrates above your lips spreading into the rest of the face creating a very full look around your lips not just in the desired areas, I wanted to show this a little bit with the top lip appearing heavier and more full. Overall I am pleased with how this head turned out as it picks up on all the features I want and works in the series.

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Process of head 1

When creating my first head I wanted it to be in the early stages of plastic surgery addiction. I conveyed this by creating a wider more natural nose, however I want it to still appear as if there has been a rhinoplasty as it is a very common procedure I did this by making the nose bridge seem slimmer and the tip appear more up turned. For the cheeks I made them fuller at the higher points to mimic botox to create the desired effect of strong cheekbones, however I didn't fill out the apples of the cheeks as it makes the face appear more extreme and wouldn't be balanced with the other features. I am happy with the way this head turned out as it represents the early stages of plastic surgery it shows that but balances out the distortion to work in the series to show the digression.

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Process of head 3

I am really pleased with the outcome of this head as it shows the extreme but creates a balance within itself. The full cheeks contrast the small nose but compliment the large lips and strong jawline. Placing the eyebrows high allows more space for eye make up which I used to my advantage to make the look appear more extreme to match the aura of the head but also show consistency within the series. A feature I would change would be making the skin appear smoother and tighter, before baking I didn't spend more time blending all the super sculpy to ensure the face appeared tight.

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When creating my heads I wanted to create the face with make up rather than paint as to give more of the illusion of drag make up. I wanted to test what types of cosmetics worked best on the baked super sculpy, so with these test circles I tired different methods and products too see what had the best finish. The methods I tried were using my fingers, a brush and a sponge all methods I would normally use when applying make up. I found that the brush created the nicest finish and didn't create a weird texture on the clay. Another factor I included was priming and setting. I tried a primer on the clay to them work the product on top but it didn't have the same effect on clay and created a slippy finish. For setting the foundations I tried two options, one being just hairspray but on top of the foundation alone it created a patchy effect. However when using a setting powder first followed by hair spray it created a smooth finish which didn't effect the finish of the product and didn't cause the make up to transfer. 

In terms of products used I tried different types of foundations, some with a cream base and others with a liquid base. The cream based foundations didn't have the right coverage for the base but also wouldn't sit right on top of the clay. Liquid foundations worked best with a brush and no priming base, the three I tried all worked well with each stage of setting and coverage but I ended up choosing a 2-1 foundation concealer as it at the best coverage and applied onto the super sculpy as if it was skin.This foundation applied with a brush set with powder and hairspray worked to achieve my desired outcome but also worked the best at applying more product on top allowing the process to work to the best effect.

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At this stage in completing my heads I applied the eyelashes. I chose to add false eyelashes as to maintain the 3D element and to really emphasise the eyes. For the first head I added one pair of long eyelashes as to give the same appearance of intense make up but continue with the more subtle theme. For my second head I added two pairs to show the growing intensity in the make up. For my most extreme head I added four pairs of eyelashes to give the really full and heavy look to compliment the features I gave them. To secure the eyelashes I used a combination of eyelash glue and superglue to make sure they are secure.

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For the eyes I used acrylic paint to achieve more dimension however I didnt add loads of detail as it would counteract the features on the face and throw the balance of, also the eyes would mainly be covered by the eyelashes I was going to put on them so intense detail wouldn't be needed. For the actual eye make up I took inspiration from drag queens such as Trixie Mattel who use pink tones and large eyeliner to make the eyes appear bigger and more exciting. 

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For the eye make up I chose to use warm pink and purple tones.The look I created was inspired by drag but the colours used link back to some of my pervious research, Barbies and children’s toys are used as references throughout the plastic surgery community, to Bring this back into my concept I chose to use the colours in the make up. I achieved this look by layering the shades, however I maintained the same colours throughout the heads and didn't exaggerate for each one as the eye shape and size changes throughout my heads causing the make up to appear more extreme due to this.

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For the base I first applied the foundation with a brush to get the maximum coverage but also to get the smoothest finish, I followed this with adding slightly lighter foundation to the high points of the face such as the tip of the nose, tops of the cheek bones but also the under eyes to add more dimension. I then set this with a loose powder applying an even layer across the face but not allowing it to create patchy texture by using a large brush and lightly dusting the face. This was then followed by hair spraying the whole head I did this between every step from now on to maximise the strength of the sealant. For the contours of the face I used a warm toned contour and added a darker shade on the arras of the face that would have the most natural shadows such as under the cheekbones and the nose. I bronzed the face to add more warmth and definition this in turn complimented the pink toned blush I used to add colour back Inyo the face to make the face appear more life like.

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Final Outcomes

I am really pleased with my outcomes as they have all the features I saw in my research but also work together as a series to show a progression into plastic surgery, Highlighting areas that might appear botched shows to the viewers that by trying to achieve perfection through plastic surgery it won't always work in the desired way when you take it too far. The colours used also link back to my first stages of research which bring the project together as a whole. 

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