Character Concept

I've just made the commitment to begin larping again with a buddy. Any time I do this there is a great deal of conceptualization that goes into each character. Costume designs, back grounds and trying to tie the two together into something seamless. So here's the beginning, I did a quick sketch of myself in the mirror with the spirit mark I'm going to have on my cheek. The character is human and the mark is tied in heavily with his back ground.

So this will end up being a Blog of sorts for my character concept and I intend to include lots of sketches and eventually a fully realized and well executed final drawing. I'm also hoping to learn some things from all of you, for example, at this stage face makeup is kind of new to me. I'm planning on doing the face makeup in green with a fine black outline to make the green really pop, I'm also concerned about it smearing over the weekend. Does anyone know the best way to go about getting fine detail like this?

character_concept_alistar_khol_by_kaiii-d31s2ay.jpg
 
For the green, cake make-up will stay better unless you're airbrushing. So, I'd use green cake make-up outlined with a black liquid eyeliner or a black liquid lip gloss even, then throw on some barrier spray to finish it off. It should last you the day, wash it all off at night, use some estringent (sp) to clean the pores and let em breathe overnight, then re-apply when you wake up.

Hmm, given the sharp points of your sketch you may also need a liquid paint for the green so you can use a fine detail brush to apply it. The barrier spray helps a lot from what I've seen and heard, although I haven't used the stuff myself (I stay away from make-up). You might want to just experiment in the off-season and see what works best for what you want.
 
Not enough responses have been posted to say this, so I feel that it is deserved:

Your line work is excelent. You dedicate confidence to your lines and the quality of your work is clear. Do you have a page like DA or something that showcases more of your drawings? From what I've seen you are easily the best illustrator that is posting work.

~Sean
 
Thanks for the replies.

MichaelF said:
For the green, cake make-up will stay better unless you're airbrushing. So, I'd use green cake make-up outlined with a black liquid eyeliner or a black liquid lip gloss even, then throw on some barrier spray to finish it off. It should last you the day, wash it all off at night, use some estringent (sp) to clean the pores and let em breathe overnight, then re-apply when you wake up.

Hmm, given the sharp points of your sketch you may also need a liquid paint for the green so you can use a fine detail brush to apply it. The barrier spray helps a lot from what I've seen and heard, although I haven't used the stuff myself (I stay away from make-up). You might want to just experiment in the off-season and see what works best for what you want.

From what I've seen, can't you apply many different types of face paints with a brush? I swear I've seen people apply cake makeup with brushes before. I guess I don't really have a good grasp of different types of makeup as I've only really used Cake makeup at NPC camp.

As for the eyeliner that's a pretty interesting idea. I'll probably give that a try. This is the first time I've ever heard of a 'barrier spray', is that anything like a workable fixative that you'd use on a canvas? I'm assuming that spraying workable fixative on my skin would be very very bad for me though. I'm intrigued by the idea.

Izlude_Oranes said:
Not enough responses have been posted to say this, so I feel that it is deserved:

Your line work is excelent. You dedicate confidence to your lines and the quality of your work is clear. Do you have a page like DA or something that showcases more of your drawings? From what I've seen you are easily the best illustrator that is posting work.

~Sean

Thanks for the kind words. I do have a DA page and you're welcome to have a look around. Sadly I don't have a lot of colored work because all of my canvas work is too big to scan (and I feel that digital pictures do such a terrible job of representation that I'd rather not even post it).

Here's my gallery http://kaiii.deviantart.com/gallery/
 
First off, I'll let you know I have 2 full makeup races with rather involved paint applications. I also do a good deal of the detailed makeup for NPCs in SoMN monster camp as well.

Barrier Spray: This is something you can pick up from a costume store or online that will keep makeup from seeping into your pores. This keeps your skin happier as well as making the cleanup much easier. Other benefits of it are that it somewhat inhibits you from sweating in those areas and can be used to set a powder makeup. It creates a translucent barrier between your skin and the makeup. The websites say that it also helps lessen makeup sensitivity in some folks, but I'm way too jaded about my somewhat severe makeup allergies to try using a non-hypoallergenic with it. I make all of my NPCs put this on before full makeup jobs. It stings a little bit like hairspray for a second after it's been put on your skin, and I have heard a few guys comment about how it hurts when put on freshly shaved skin (it's alcohol based) but it really does make a difference.

Brushes: Yes, you can apply cake makeup with brushes. I do it all the time. For brushes, an acrylic brush will stay unfrizzed longer, but some folks are more partial to natural fiber brushes. I use an acrylic brush set I picked up at Michaels as it gives me lots of maneuverability with the different brush sizes and shapes. This would work well for the green. Remember to always wash out your brushes!

Eyeliner: The reason you might want to go with a liquid eyeliner for the outline is that liquid eyeliner is generally waterproof and is made to not smudge. I use it occasionally in monster camp for runes and other small, defined shapes and patterns with great success. The way it is packaged makes for a very clean makeup process, as you have your brush and makeup conveniently secured in the same small tube. Even for a design the size of what you're planning shouldn't use too much of it.

Makeup: There are two types I would recommend for someone if they haven't used much makeup before. The first is Mehron Paradise (it's hypoallergenic). The reason I recommend this one is that it is easy to apply, cleans up well (unless you're going with red... then you'll be a lobster for a few days), and is relatively harmless for your skin (really anything you put on your skin is doing some harm though). This one makes for a pretty clean setup, especially if you're using brushes. Being a cake, this does need water to get it workable. I would recommend bringing a bottle of water for setup just in case you either don't have running water on site or someone else is using the bathroom. The second I'd recommend is actually Halloween store cream makeup. The brand I use is Backstage. Reasons: It's cheap, dries pretty quickly if you don't put huge amounts on, will stay on pretty much all weekend, and it's easily found. This one might be a little more messy to apply though, as it's sold in a tube.

Smearing: To stop the smearing, you have several options and thoughts to consider: Do you sleep on your side? If so, which side? Do you toss in your sleep? Do you want to do your makeup once and be done, or do you want to take the time in the morning to retouch/redo it? Do you habitually touch your face? Stop that. :p
The easiest, but definitely not cheapest way to not deal with smeared makeup is using airbrushed makeups. With the sharp edge you want, I'm not sure that is your best option. Setting Powder is another option. Translucent would be your best option here, and make sure to apply it with one of those fluffy makeup brushes. Works well from what I've heard, but I normally use option 3... Touch up when needed! I make a habit of not touching my face, and I check in on how my makeup is doing whenever I'm in my cabin or the bathroom. With the size and placement of your design, the only foreseeable threats to your makeup are smearing from sleeping, getting hit in the cheek, excessive sweating (some people just sweat a lot), and from you touching your face.

Cleanup: Another thing you want to think about is makeup cleanup. I carry baby wipes in my personal kit to start the process and for sites without running water (my main character is full makeup, main site is extremely basic... why do I punish myself like that?). I also keep an acne scrub (I like the apricot scrubs) for getting into the pores, and a bar of dove soap for final cleanups. Always bring your towel!

By the way, I don't think that is really a 'simple concept sketch'. It looks great!
 
Thank you so much for the detail you put into your post, this should help a lot. We actually have a costume shop in my area that has an entire wall devoted to face paints and my eyes kind of glazed over at the choices, this should make selection easier.

I shouldn't have to much trouble with smearing but since I'm trying for such sharp lines it's really important that it doesn't smudge too much (I'm also wearing a white hooded over tunic and getting face paint on that would be a huge pain!). I'll see if I can find a barrier spray somewhere as this sounds like my best bet. I actually sleep on my back and I don't toss a lot, I think I should be fine leaving it on all night on friday and saturday. I don't have skin problems, although it's been many years since I've done anything like this to my face so I guess time will tell on that one =/. Sweating shouldn't be an issue either, I'm getting ready to leave for Basic training in February so I've been working out heavily 6 days a week and I know that it takes a lot to make me break a sweat anymore, especially in the cold.

Thanks again for the advice!
 
Watch out for "clown makeup," most of it is grease paint and can stain/run/sweat off, and can be harsh on skin during the removal process.
 
That's true... Mehron makes what they call "clown white" and I think even a few other "clown" base colors. I've never used them but Lauren's right - beware the grease.

Mehron's Paradise cake makeup comes off easily, which is great for NPCs doing a million quick changes, maybe less so for a PC, particularly if you sweat a lot. Their Starblend has a bit better staying power.
 
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