Highlight and Shadow for Stage Makeup Design: Theatre Foundations IV Session Design by Colin Anderson LEARNING OBJECTIVES Content Standards Utah Theatre Foundations IV: Standard 3 Objective 1a o Plan design ideas to accommodate all environments, situations, and characters in a dramatic presentation; i.e., from the viewpoint of set, costuming, lights, sound, make-up, and props. Utah Theatre Foundations IV: Standard 4 Objective 1a o Demonstrate script analysis (internal research); i.e., from the viewpoint of scriptwriter, actor, designer, and director. Utah Theatre Foundations IV: Standard 4 Objective 1b o Demonstrate historical and cultural analysis (external research); i.e., from the viewpoint of a scriptwriter, actor, designer, and director. Enduring Understandings Students will understand that designers use specialized makeup techniques (e.g. highlighting & shadowing) to create the illusion that characters have various facial features in order to clearly portray aspects of these characters to audiences. Key Knowledge Students will know that highlighting means applying a tint lighter than the foundation to create the illusion of reflected light, making a facial feature appear nearer to attract audience members' attention. Students will know that shadowing refers to applying a shade darker than the foundation to create the illusion of shadows cast by facial features, making a facial feature appear further away to deflect audience members' attention. Skills Students will be able to use highlights and shadows in character makeup designs to reveal particular character traits. ASSESSMENT Performance Tasks In small groups, students conduct script analysis regarding particular characters from A Christmas Carol and investigate the physical and social environment of early nineteenth-century England which they then share through in-class presentations in order to demonstrate their ability to conduct internal and external research from the viewpoint of a makeup designer. Students use the attached Makeup Design Template to draw a makeup design for their assigned character from A Christmas Carol, based on their internal and external research, in which they lightly shade the base to represent the foundation tone, indicate shadows by applying darker shading and using an eraser to reveal highlights in order to demonstrate their ability to use highlights and shadows in makeup designs that reveal particular character traits and to plan design ideas to accommodate all environments, situations, and characters in a dramatic presentation from the viewpoint of a makeup designer. Students will write a description of how and why makeup artist could use highlights and shadows when planning a design for a 50 year-old homeless character living on the streets of New York in the 1920s in order to demonstrate their understanding that designers use specialized makeup techniques (e.g. highlighting & shadowing) to create the illusion that characters have various facial features in order to clearly portray aspects of these characters to audiences. Other Assessments Students complete the attached "Character Analysis Worksheet" in which they detail specific traits of their assigned characters from A Christmas Carol in order to demonstrate their ability to conduct internal research from the perspective of a designer.
In a writing prompt, students describe what it means to use highlights and shadows in makeup, how and why makeup artists use these techniques, and what purpose they serve in terms of the audience in order to demonstrate their knowledge of shading and highlighting described in the learning objectives. Students complete a writing prompt defining and describing the techniques of highlights and shadows as well as why makeup artists use these techniques to demonstrate that they understand that makeup artists employ the techniques of highlights and shadows to create the illusion of facial features that communicate aspects of a character to the audience. MATERIALS NEEDED Teacher Materials Images of faces (real and with makeup) illustrating the effects of highlight and shadow (attached) Student Materials Modeling with Highlight and Shadow Handout (attached) Highlight and Shadow Guided Note-taking Sheet (attached) Social Consequences of Industrial Britain Handout (attached) o Palmer, R. R., Joel Colton, and Lloyd Kramer. A History of the Modern World, Chapter 11: Industries, Ideas, and the Struggle for Reform, 1815-1848. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007. Tenth Edition. Character Analysis Sheet (attached) Makeup Design Template (attached) Pencils and Erasers LEARNING PLAN PRE-SESSION Students should read and be familiar with a stage adaptation of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol o A royalty free adaptation is available for download at http://www.stageresources.info/carol/carol.html Day 1 Framing / Hook 1. Show students the attached images of real faces. a. Have students describe what they can see. i. What do you assume about these people? ii. What aspects of their faces give you insights into who they may be? iii. If these were characters onstage, how would you expect them to behave? What would you expect their personalities to be like? b. Have students speculate on how to simulate these facial features with makeup. i. How can you make someone s face appear wrinkled? ii. How do you make someone s face look plumper or gaunter? iii. How can you make someone s facial features look larger or smaller than they actually are? 2. Show students the attached images of the faces with makeup. a. Have students describe the makeup techniques they see, being sure they comment on the use of highlights and shadows. Process 3. Introduce Highlights and Shadows a. Pass out the Modeling with Highlight and Shadow Handout along with the Guided Note-taking Sheet. b. Give students the definition of highlights and shadows. i. Highlight A makeup technique done by applying a tint lighter than the foundation to create the illusion of reflected light. ii. Shadow A makeup technique done by applying a shade darker than the foundation to create the illusion of shadows cast by facial features. c. Have students discuss the properties of highlights and shadows. i. Encourage students to refer to the diagrams on the Highlight and Shadow Handout. ii. Guide students to the following points:
1. Highlights make a facial feature appear nearer and attract the viewer s attention. 2. Shadows make a facial feature appear farther away and avoid the viewer s attention. 3. Highlights and shadows work together to make the illusion of the makeup successful (i.e. A feature on which there is a highlight is also casting a shadow). 4. Changing the respective size of the highlights and shadows can make facial features appear larger or smaller (e.g. large shadows on the sides of the nose with a narrow highlight on top make the nose appear skinnier). d. Discuss using highlights and shadows to evoke specific character traits. i. Bring back the real images from the beginning of the lesson. ii. Ask students how they would recreate some of them using makeup. iii. Ask students what design choices a makeup artist might make for an old character. A character who is middle-aged? A plump character? A sickly character? 4. Conducting Research as a Makeup Designer a. Introduce the importance of basing makeup designs on script analysis (Internal Research) and the culture/time period the character comes from (External Research). i. Have students create a list of impacts that culture and time period can have on a character s physical appearance, focusing on aspects relevant to makeup. ii. The list should include features such as: 1. Fashion (cultural makeup, tattoos) 2. Health (sickness, eating habits) 3. Living conditions (cleanliness, living room) 4. Wealth (employment, money, property) 5. The effects of social or work conditions (injury, weariness, emotional well-being) b. Research Homework i. Pass out Social Consequences of Industrial Britain Handout and the Character Analysis Sheet. 1. Note: There are five versions of the Character Analysis Sheet with different characters on them. Each student needs only one. ii. Using the information on Industrial Britain (the period in which Charles Dickens lived and set many of his stories), the list on the board, and their knowledge of A Christmas Carol students will complete their Character Analysis Sheets. Day 2 5. Research Presentations a. Direct students to get into groups based on the character analysis they completed for homework. b. Give each group a few minutes to compare their work and prepare a unified character analysis. c. Each group shares with the class the completed Character Analysis for their given character. 6. Begin Drafting Designs a. Direct students back to their desks and pass out the Makeup Design Template. b. Instruct students to draw a makeup design for their A Christmas Carol character based on the notes, handouts, and analysis they have done. i. The drawings are to be done using only pencil. This is to practice working with highlight and shadow instead of color. ii. Students should lightly shade their Makeup Design Template with a pencil to represent the foundation tone. Shadows are drawn by shading more darkly with the pencil. Highlights are drawn by using the eraser to remove the foundation shading. c. Let students know they are not expected to complete their designs by the end of class. d. The instructor should check-in on students as they work. i. Remind students that they have to justify their design choices based on their external and internal research. e. In the last five minutes of class, students share their design (in whatever stage of completeness it may be) with their neighbor(s). Students provide feedback regarding their partner s design. i. At least two specific examples of elements of their partner s design that are working. ii. At least two specific suggestions regarding what they can do to improve the design.
Reflection 7. Homework a. Students will complete their Makeup Design as homework. b. Give students the following prompts to complete as homework: i. What does it mean to use highlights and shadows in makeup? Describe these techniques and explain why makeup artists use them. What purpose do they serve regarding the audience? ii. Describe how a makeup artist would use highlights and shadows when planning a design for a 50 year-old homeless character living on the streets of New York in the 1920s.
Highlights and Shadows in Makeup Design: Guided Note Taking Name: 1) What does highlighting mean in the field of stage makeup? 2) What does shadowing mean in the field of stage makeup? 3) What does the technique of highlighting accomplish? 4) What does the technique of shadowing accomplish? 5) Describe the process a makeup artist would use to make an actor s nose appear narrower than it really is using both highlights and shadows.
A Christmas Carol Character Analysis Name: Assigned Character: Ebenezer Scrooge In answering these questions, try to be as specific as possible. Also, include a description of how your answers can affect the physical appearance of the character. How old is this character? From what sort of background does this character come? Money? Employment? Social standing? Describe this character s living conditions. Is this character sick or injured? Have they been severely ill or injured in the past? How well does this character eat? Does this character have any distinctive markings or features on their face/neck/head? What are they? What expression can most commonly be found on this character s face? What is the weather like where the character lives during the story? Describe typical activities for this character. Other notes of importance.
A Christmas Carol Character Analysis Name: Assigned Character: Bob Cratchit In answering these questions, try to be as specific as possible. Also, include a description of how your answers can affect the physical appearance of the character. How old is this character? From what sort of background does this character come? Money? Employment? Social standing? Describe this character s living conditions. Is this character sick or injured? Have they been severely ill or injured in the past? How well does this character eat? Does this character have any distinctive markings or features on their face/neck/head? What are they? What expression can most commonly be found on this character s face? What is the weather like where the character lives during the story? Describe typical activities for this character. Other notes of importance.
A Christmas Carol Character Analysis Name: Assigned Character: Jacob Marley In answering these questions, try to be as specific as possible. Also, include a description of how your answers can affect the physical appearance of the character. How old is this character? From what sort of background does this character come? Money? Employment? Social standing? Describe this character s living conditions. Is this character sick or injured? Have they been severely ill or injured in the past? How well does this character eat? Does this character have any distinctive markings or features on their face/neck/head? What are they? What expression can most commonly be found on this character s face? What is the weather like where the character lives during the story? Describe typical activities for this character. Other notes of importance.
A Christmas Carol Character Analysis Name: Assigned Character: Mr. Fezziwig In answering these questions, try to be as specific as possible. Also, include a description of how your answers can affect the physical appearance of the character. How old is this character? From what sort of background does this character come? Money? Employment? Social standing? Describe this character s living conditions. Is this character sick or injured? Have they been severely ill or injured in the past? How well does this character eat? Does this character have any distinctive markings or features on their face/neck/head? What are they? What expression can most commonly be found on this character s face? What is the weather like where the character lives during the story? Describe typical activities for this character. Other notes of importance.
A Christmas Carol Character Analysis Name: Assigned Character: Tiny Tim In answering these questions, try to be as specific as possible. Also, include a description of how your answers can affect the physical appearance of the character. How old is this character? From what sort of background does this character come? Money? Employment? Social standing? Describe this character s living conditions. Is this character sick or injured? Have they been severely ill or injured in the past? How well does this character eat? Does this character have any distinctive markings or features on their face/neck/head? What are they? What expression can most commonly be found on this character s face? What is the weather like where the character lives during the story? Describe typical activities for this character. Other notes of importance.