Costume Design and Makeup

Functions of Costume Design:
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Indicate gender and reflect age
•
Reflect a character’s psychology
•
Establish social and economic
status
•
Identify occupation or lifestyle
•
Establish or clarify character
relationships
•
Establish the relative importance
of characters
•
Establish time and place
Costume Design

Functions of Costume Design,
cont’:
•
Reflect mood and atmosphere
•
Establish a particular style
•
Reflect a formalized convention
•
Alter and actor’s appearance
•
Enhance or impede movement
•
Underline development of the
dramatic action
•
Create both variety and unity
The Costume Designer’s Skills

The Costume Designer is:
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Fashion Designer
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Visual Artist
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Tailor
•
Seamstress
•
Social and Cultural Historian
•
Art Historian
•
Actor
Working Plans and Procedures

The design process varies, but
generally includes:
• Preliminary Designs
•
•
Final Designs
•
•
Sketches of each character
Color renderings
Working Drawings
•
•
•
•
Sketches from various angles
Fabric swatches
Color chart
Dressing Lists
Realizing the Designs

Costumes may be:
• Borrowed
•
•
•
Rented
•
•
•
Must settle for what is available
May make only minimal alterations
Same conditions as for borrowed, as well as the
costumes may arrive just before dress rehearsals
Pulled from stock
Made
Realizing the Designs

Standard Procedures:
1.
Measurements taken of
all of the actors
2.
Materials purchased
3.
Patterns draped, flat
patterned, and drafted
4.
First fitting
5.
Final fitting
6.
Distressing, trim, and
other finishing work
Makeup

Traditionally considered the actors’ responsibility

The Costume Designer conceives the makeup design

Professional actors generally apply their own makeup
based on the designs
Makeup

Functions of Makeup:
•
Characterizes
•
Aids expression
•
Restores color and form diminishes by stage
lighting
•
Indicative of performance style
Makeup

The Makeup Plot:
•
Serves as a guide for applying makeup
•
Serves as a check on how makeup of each character
relates to others
•
A chart records basic information
•
Actor’s face may be sketched to show how to apply
the makeup correctly
Types of Makeup

4 categories of Painted
Makeup:
•
Age groups
•
Straight or character
makeup
•
Racial or ethnic types
•
Special painted effects
Types of Makeup

3-Dimensional Makeup:
•
Prosthetic appliances
•
Facial hair and wigs