Although my assessment wasn't my greatest achievement in the word, I can overall say I am really happy with the outcome of this project.
I feel like it's been a really good learning curve and has allowed me to see the hair industry in a different light, styling hair for a specific purpose an from a brief is entirely different to what I have been used to as a stylist. The commercial hairdressing world is a different ball game and I feel what we've been and will be doing at uni is more along the session styling route and it's been a breath of fresh air really.
I've learnt a lot of new skills and techniques along the way and I have also been able to improve on some existing skills. Hair-up is not my thing and I know that but I feel like I have achieved a lot in a small space of time and I feel a lot more confident when presented with an idea or a brief to work to.
Working with my partner, Lauren, was a really good experience for me as well and we had a really fun time doing this together. As a team we have been able to show each other new things and also add new ideas into our work, and if not that just being encouraging and a back up for one another.
We came to a few issues with each design but found a way to overcome it. With mine we used tongs to create rolls because it was too short, with Laurens we decided on rolling it rat due to the amount of hair I had to get up, so I think we did well to compromise and change our designs.
I would definitely make sure to practice with all the equipment first not to fall into the hole I encountered and not leave it last minute.
Period hair was a nice starting point for me because it's thrown everything you think you know out of the water. It's simply not an everyday look and it requires research, practice and new skills especially when creating something historically accurate.
This was important for me to broaden my perspectives and not just look at contemporary hair and modern techniques and it gave me the chance to branch out into something more creative and I really want to do more of it.
My self-confidence definitely got the better of me on assessment day but this is something for myself to work on and something I've discovered was due to the unknown.
It's not necessarily a bad thing though because I'm here to push myself further and getting knocked back a few times is part of learning and I've managed to embrace that and take less caution just because it may be something new or something I don't know or can't do well doesn't mean I can't do it.
December 01, 2015
Final Assessment, Evaluation
Assessment day.
[not a disclaimer]Without using it as any kind of excuse at all for the assessment on the day I was not in the right frame of mind at all. Unfortunately not something I could control, I was simply having a down day due to medical reasons, this aside I should still have been able to perform better than I did.
I was organised for the assessment, I had all the tools I needed to complete the look I was creating except the rats. I had previously used the rats supplied by the uni which were stuffed with tissue and I think due to miscommunication, neither of us had prepared any rats to use for the assessment. So before it was time, we both went out and bought a pair of tights and cotton wool.
Unfortunately because we didn't do a test run with the new rats we had made we didn't realise that cotton wool was a bad choice to stuff them with, it made them too firm inside and when it came to it the pins didn't go through. This was what ultimately nearly destroyed the entire finished product.
I can honestly only blame myself for now being totally prepared and I can hold my hands up.
Beginning the assessment I followed the instructions to a T even though we had practiced it numerous times, so I started with constructing the halo plait around the perimeter and that was all fine and neatly sectioned and I was happy with that so moving on to step two, I sectioned off the top and removed the piece I was curling for later, backcombed as usual and then the rat disaster struck.
The struggle I had was rolling the hair around the rats we had made, I don’t know whether these were bigger than the ones we had used before but I didn’t seem to be able to wrap the hair around them as I did in the practice sessions, and the rat was visible at either end.
I then got frustrated and tried this again and again which wasn’t a good idea because the more I did it the worse it got,
Even after following the instructions, which I didn’t need anyway after having practiced it enough already, I couldn’t get the shape right and it was uneven and just not working for me as it had done previously, then when it came to pinning the hair on the top the small pins wouldn’t go through and into the rat and this just caused chaos for me, the more I tried to force the pins in the more I was pulling out the shape I created.
I did manage to grip it into place but I wasn't happy with the shape after struggling with the pins. After three tries it would have to do, time was running out.
So I curled my left out section, tried to use that to disguise the parts of the rat that were on display and it sort of managed to look alright, then again when it came to pinning the curls round the top more struggle with the pins, so they have to go in a bit looser and more horizontally compromising the strength of the overall outcome.
All in all this was an utter shambles and I was not happy with myself at all. I went in after G'ing myself up with a good frame of mind and half way through I felt utterly defeated.
I knew that I knew what I was doing, I knew every step of the design to a T and It just didn’t happen for me on the day,
I definitely didn’t need more practice for the look, But I should have prepared and tested the rats before the assessment. I do simply think it was the rats we used because they didn’t work with the pins and I couldn’t get a firm shape in the hair which mean't, and being a perfectionist, I was not happy.
I know I can work under pressure and this is something I was used to but when the rats weren’t co-operating I totally lost focus and didn’t know how to overcome the problem instead I got more and more angry at myself even though I had Lauren supporting me and telling me it was okay and to relax.
So as well as all that I felt bad because I shouldn’t have put this stress onto my client when they are in the chair, I could tell she was feeling my stress and this isn’t something I do to a client. I can usually stay very calm, collected and professional and on this occasion I just did not manage to compose myself and in the professional world I don't think it's acceptable.
I have really angered myself because I know this is something I can do, I can accept that some things simply don’t work or sometimes they just don’t go the way that they are planned but in this instance because I am a hairdresser, its my background and I do have a lot of skill in the area I was more annoyed that I didn’t get the outcome I wanted. I don't know if it was down to self- confidence as well because that's also something that can push me back a lot of the time.
All in all, the finished result did resemble what I had done before but I felt that I did it better in the practice sessions but it all turned out okay in the end, and the final photos I'm happy with, looking back on the session now, although I feel I could have performed better, I can still say I'm proud of my work and the skills I've used.
Blame it on the rat.
[not a disclaimer]Without using it as any kind of excuse at all for the assessment on the day I was not in the right frame of mind at all. Unfortunately not something I could control, I was simply having a down day due to medical reasons, this aside I should still have been able to perform better than I did.
I was organised for the assessment, I had all the tools I needed to complete the look I was creating except the rats. I had previously used the rats supplied by the uni which were stuffed with tissue and I think due to miscommunication, neither of us had prepared any rats to use for the assessment. So before it was time, we both went out and bought a pair of tights and cotton wool.
Unfortunately because we didn't do a test run with the new rats we had made we didn't realise that cotton wool was a bad choice to stuff them with, it made them too firm inside and when it came to it the pins didn't go through. This was what ultimately nearly destroyed the entire finished product.
I can honestly only blame myself for now being totally prepared and I can hold my hands up.
Beginning the assessment I followed the instructions to a T even though we had practiced it numerous times, so I started with constructing the halo plait around the perimeter and that was all fine and neatly sectioned and I was happy with that so moving on to step two, I sectioned off the top and removed the piece I was curling for later, backcombed as usual and then the rat disaster struck.
The struggle I had was rolling the hair around the rats we had made, I don’t know whether these were bigger than the ones we had used before but I didn’t seem to be able to wrap the hair around them as I did in the practice sessions, and the rat was visible at either end.
I then got frustrated and tried this again and again which wasn’t a good idea because the more I did it the worse it got,
Even after following the instructions, which I didn’t need anyway after having practiced it enough already, I couldn’t get the shape right and it was uneven and just not working for me as it had done previously, then when it came to pinning the hair on the top the small pins wouldn’t go through and into the rat and this just caused chaos for me, the more I tried to force the pins in the more I was pulling out the shape I created.
I did manage to grip it into place but I wasn't happy with the shape after struggling with the pins. After three tries it would have to do, time was running out.
So I curled my left out section, tried to use that to disguise the parts of the rat that were on display and it sort of managed to look alright, then again when it came to pinning the curls round the top more struggle with the pins, so they have to go in a bit looser and more horizontally compromising the strength of the overall outcome.
All in all this was an utter shambles and I was not happy with myself at all. I went in after G'ing myself up with a good frame of mind and half way through I felt utterly defeated.
I knew that I knew what I was doing, I knew every step of the design to a T and It just didn’t happen for me on the day,
I definitely didn’t need more practice for the look, But I should have prepared and tested the rats before the assessment. I do simply think it was the rats we used because they didn’t work with the pins and I couldn’t get a firm shape in the hair which mean't, and being a perfectionist, I was not happy.
I know I can work under pressure and this is something I was used to but when the rats weren’t co-operating I totally lost focus and didn’t know how to overcome the problem instead I got more and more angry at myself even though I had Lauren supporting me and telling me it was okay and to relax.
So as well as all that I felt bad because I shouldn’t have put this stress onto my client when they are in the chair, I could tell she was feeling my stress and this isn’t something I do to a client. I can usually stay very calm, collected and professional and on this occasion I just did not manage to compose myself and in the professional world I don't think it's acceptable.
I have really angered myself because I know this is something I can do, I can accept that some things simply don’t work or sometimes they just don’t go the way that they are planned but in this instance because I am a hairdresser, its my background and I do have a lot of skill in the area I was more annoyed that I didn’t get the outcome I wanted. I don't know if it was down to self- confidence as well because that's also something that can push me back a lot of the time.
All in all, the finished result did resemble what I had done before but I felt that I did it better in the practice sessions but it all turned out okay in the end, and the final photos I'm happy with, looking back on the session now, although I feel I could have performed better, I can still say I'm proud of my work and the skills I've used.
Blame it on the rat.
November 18, 2015
Final assessment plan - Partner
Lauren's Design
Intructions.
1 Begin by sectioning off two inches from around the hairline all the way around the head,
starting at the ear on one side, french plait the hair down to the nape and around to the other ear, the braid should be thicker here and across the front, plait looser to create a thicker effect, once at he starting position, plait the remaining hair and pin underneath the initial plait at the back of the head.
2 Take the top halo section of remaining hair and seperate into two even sections, leave one inch from the perimeter of both sides, then take the hair, backcomb at the roots for structure and then roll the rat from tips to roots and secure just underneath the parting, repeat on the other side, criss-crossing the pins to secure the rat and hair into place.
3 With the one inch sections, curl the ends using a large tong and leave to cool, then take the section and smooth over the top of the now padded hair, gripping it at the midlengths around the underside of the rat toward the parting where the rat is gripped into place. This hair provides a smooth section to place over the top and because of the length and leaves around 4 inches of curls.
Make sure to leave a section at the back for plaiting.
4. Place the curls at random, spreading them around over the padded hair. Use the small section at te back to plait and sit over the parting area to cover any visible grips, bring this to the front of the padding and bring it back in a 'u' shape to create a teardrop at the front above the halo plait.
5 Spray the hair to hold and add the pins with pearls attached around the halo plait and between the halo plait and padding at random, add them down the center of the hair as well to accentuate the parting between the padding.
Tools-
Pin tail comb
Backbrushing brush
Rats
Pins/grips
Tongs/curlers
Hairspray
Decorative pins.
Practice 2 - Partners design
I began again with the halo plait around the head and this time I made it fatter than previously by pulling some of the sections out a little bit which seperated it slightly. We both liked how this looked because it added a slightly modern twist into it which was the boho messy braiding look that's been popular recently.
The next task was to get two even structures on top of the hair, as we said before we were going to heighten the design by adding rats.
I began by initially putting all the hair into the rats and rolling them up but because we didn’t add any texture through crimping it looked a little bit boring and still needed the curls on top.
I then let the hair down again and curled it all, to then roll back up and planned to use the ends to place over the structure.
I tried to roll the hair into the rat, somehow, without the ends being inside because I wanted to use the curls on the ends and this just didn’t work.
Change of plan, I left out just one inch section from the outside, rolled the rest into the rat and secured by criss-crossing the pins into one another.
The hair left out was just the right length as well that I could take it over the padded hair and pin just on the underside, leaving around 4 inches in length of curled hair that I could then place over the top.
After thinking it through properly this was a better way to do it and make sure I had a secure shape on top. Although I had less curls to work with on top, this didn’t matter because the overall outcome was a lot neater.
I struggled at first with the volume of hair and managing to get it all neatly into the rat, as it wasn’t crimped as well it had to be really neat and smooth so this was a challenge for me as well as working out the simplest way to really secure all the hair and make sure it wasn’t going to move.
Practicing with longer hair and a rat is something that I need to do more as working on the Katie head there is a lot less hair to wrap.
From this I also realised I really needed to practice my French plaiting to make sure it was neat, in terms of sectioning and even throughout.
From this we can create a plan of action to follow for the assessment, which I will be able to use methodically to create the final design.
The overall look I was extremely happy with and it all worked out well considering there were some factors to chop and change.
I feel now I have a good idea of what to use and the steps I need to take to create the look.I think the design change was a good idea to save time on curling due to the amount of hair and I'm feeling confident for the final assessment.
The next task was to get two even structures on top of the hair, as we said before we were going to heighten the design by adding rats.
I began by initially putting all the hair into the rats and rolling them up but because we didn’t add any texture through crimping it looked a little bit boring and still needed the curls on top.
I then let the hair down again and curled it all, to then roll back up and planned to use the ends to place over the structure.
I tried to roll the hair into the rat, somehow, without the ends being inside because I wanted to use the curls on the ends and this just didn’t work.
Change of plan, I left out just one inch section from the outside, rolled the rest into the rat and secured by criss-crossing the pins into one another.
The hair left out was just the right length as well that I could take it over the padded hair and pin just on the underside, leaving around 4 inches in length of curled hair that I could then place over the top.
After thinking it through properly this was a better way to do it and make sure I had a secure shape on top. Although I had less curls to work with on top, this didn’t matter because the overall outcome was a lot neater.
I struggled at first with the volume of hair and managing to get it all neatly into the rat, as it wasn’t crimped as well it had to be really neat and smooth so this was a challenge for me as well as working out the simplest way to really secure all the hair and make sure it wasn’t going to move.
Practicing with longer hair and a rat is something that I need to do more as working on the Katie head there is a lot less hair to wrap.
From this I also realised I really needed to practice my French plaiting to make sure it was neat, in terms of sectioning and even throughout.
From this we can create a plan of action to follow for the assessment, which I will be able to use methodically to create the final design.
The overall look I was extremely happy with and it all worked out well considering there were some factors to chop and change.
I feel now I have a good idea of what to use and the steps I need to take to create the look.
November 16, 2015
Final Assessment Plan - Mine
Ross' Design
Tools -
Crimpers
Tongs
Hairspray
Tail comb
Clips
Grips/Pins
Aqua Palette
Instructions.
1 Begin by crimping the hair all over in small sections. Hairspraying the section beforehand.
2 Isolate 4 small sections on the crown and plait for later.
3 Use the large tongs and beginning at the front of the head from the parting to ears on both sides. Create 3 sausages each side and grip into place, this is the starting point for the rest of the hairstyle to follow.
4 Create sausages around the head and grip into place following your bottom two rolls, work from the front around the sides until you reach the other roll at the opposite side, blend the sections together to create a continuous roll. Repeat this for the second one that wraps round the head.
5. The top two should just go backward until you reach the crown.
6 Take the plaits created on top and cross them over each other and secure to create a 'crown' like structure and spray to finish, add gold Aqua colour to the plaits to add to the 'crown' effect.
Tools -
Crimpers
Tongs
Hairspray
Tail comb
Clips
Grips/Pins
Aqua Palette
Instructions.
1 Begin by crimping the hair all over in small sections. Hairspraying the section beforehand.
2 Isolate 4 small sections on the crown and plait for later.
3 Use the large tongs and beginning at the front of the head from the parting to ears on both sides. Create 3 sausages each side and grip into place, this is the starting point for the rest of the hairstyle to follow.
4 Create sausages around the head and grip into place following your bottom two rolls, work from the front around the sides until you reach the other roll at the opposite side, blend the sections together to create a continuous roll. Repeat this for the second one that wraps round the head.
5. The top two should just go backward until you reach the crown.
6 Take the plaits created on top and cross them over each other and secure to create a 'crown' like structure and spray to finish, add gold Aqua colour to the plaits to add to the 'crown' effect.
November 12, 2015
Practice 2 - My design
Second practice session.
I reviewed the last time we did my design on my hair and discussed how we could improve it. I changed my design so that it removes some of the hair into plaits which would then be used to create a ‘crown’ shape at the top and also reduced the amount of hair that needed crimping and rolling making the time of the look quicker and the stress on my partner a little bit less.
We began this time by isolating the crown area and creating four small plaits then we proceeded as before to crimp the hair, this time we added a little bit of hairspray before crimping to ensure a nice neat finish and also reducing the amount of fluffiness as the hair stuck together more and retained the texture better.
When we went onto creating the barrel rolls instead of free handing it we tried using the large tong to create the sausage shape for us and this was definitely a better idea, the hair after being on the tong was then the exact shape we wanted it to be and again, from the heat and a little more hairspray the shape held and less hair was able to be missed.
This was also better for my design because the tong ensures all the rolls would be the same diameter and this helped with the symmetry of the final hairstyle.
With minimal effort the rolls could be put into placed and pinned with a lot more ease.
Another struggle that came to light was that my hair is so short on the sides that the outer grips did not have anything to grip to, as we had another two weeks until the final assessment I decided that I would leave the sides to grow out a bit and then this would make sure, even if just slightly, that there was more hair to secure to.
The plaits on the crown were then pinned into place and we managed to criss-cross them over themselves to create the ‘crown’ on top of the head and I think this small addition to the style changed it completely and added something interesting.
We didn’t do it on this occasion but for the final assessment we will use Aqua colour in gold to paint the hair.
I reviewed the last time we did my design on my hair and discussed how we could improve it. I changed my design so that it removes some of the hair into plaits which would then be used to create a ‘crown’ shape at the top and also reduced the amount of hair that needed crimping and rolling making the time of the look quicker and the stress on my partner a little bit less.
We began this time by isolating the crown area and creating four small plaits then we proceeded as before to crimp the hair, this time we added a little bit of hairspray before crimping to ensure a nice neat finish and also reducing the amount of fluffiness as the hair stuck together more and retained the texture better.
When we went onto creating the barrel rolls instead of free handing it we tried using the large tong to create the sausage shape for us and this was definitely a better idea, the hair after being on the tong was then the exact shape we wanted it to be and again, from the heat and a little more hairspray the shape held and less hair was able to be missed.
This was also better for my design because the tong ensures all the rolls would be the same diameter and this helped with the symmetry of the final hairstyle.
With minimal effort the rolls could be put into placed and pinned with a lot more ease.
Another struggle that came to light was that my hair is so short on the sides that the outer grips did not have anything to grip to, as we had another two weeks until the final assessment I decided that I would leave the sides to grow out a bit and then this would make sure, even if just slightly, that there was more hair to secure to.
The plaits on the crown were then pinned into place and we managed to criss-cross them over themselves to create the ‘crown’ on top of the head and I think this small addition to the style changed it completely and added something interesting.
We didn’t do it on this occasion but for the final assessment we will use Aqua colour in gold to paint the hair.
Changes to my design
Changes to my final design.
I decided that after the first practice session the hair needed something adding into it, I kept the overall design but decided to add in a 'crown' on the crown area made out of plaits.
This is way of adding in decoration but it's simply made out of the hair.
The plan then is to paint it gold with Aqua colour
November 10, 2015
Photoshoot hair - crimped updo
I recently did a photoshoot with another course member and for this I was involved in the hair for the shoot.
The first brief from the photoshoot was a simple sleek curled up do which i found quite easy to do, the model had naturally curly hair so I used some simple techniques of backcombing around the perimeter for height and pinned it all sparodically into the middle creating as I went along. for these kinds of hair ups i find going with the flow and easier way to do it, I had a reference picture to follow but I had the general idea anyway and I always like to put my own take on things.
The second brief and second look we were given was a 'Tim Burton' style look, so to change the hair we used crimping all over to get a good frizz to the hair and the colour was perfect for the look as well and we both said, although this wan't for out project, this would have been perfect for the Elizabethans.
There wasn't really a plan for this second look again so I took it upon myself and with some help, backcombed the hair all over to create good height and texture to the look and then we went asymmetric with it, I literally got one side of the hair, lifted the top up and pinned the bottom half under, on the other side the hair was left very big but allowed to drop and go more natural.
I really enjoyed my time on this shoot, it was however really stressful because there wasn't a definite plan to what we were doing, this is down to us as makeup and hair artists to ask for details but also down to the organiser of the photoshoot who should have given us more specific details.
The organiser of the shoot had a very vague idea of what she wanted and I think as someone in control of the end result regarding the hair and makeup I made some good decisions and interpreted it well enough.
The end result was good and the looks we created were 'perfect' according to the photographer so although I think organisation wasn't good at all in this case it did actually all turn out the way we wanted.
I enjoyed being able to use the new skills and techniques in a different environment as well outside of the lesson time and on something completely off track from the project.
The first brief from the photoshoot was a simple sleek curled up do which i found quite easy to do, the model had naturally curly hair so I used some simple techniques of backcombing around the perimeter for height and pinned it all sparodically into the middle creating as I went along. for these kinds of hair ups i find going with the flow and easier way to do it, I had a reference picture to follow but I had the general idea anyway and I always like to put my own take on things.
The second brief and second look we were given was a 'Tim Burton' style look, so to change the hair we used crimping all over to get a good frizz to the hair and the colour was perfect for the look as well and we both said, although this wan't for out project, this would have been perfect for the Elizabethans.
There wasn't really a plan for this second look again so I took it upon myself and with some help, backcombed the hair all over to create good height and texture to the look and then we went asymmetric with it, I literally got one side of the hair, lifted the top up and pinned the bottom half under, on the other side the hair was left very big but allowed to drop and go more natural.
I really enjoyed my time on this shoot, it was however really stressful because there wasn't a definite plan to what we were doing, this is down to us as makeup and hair artists to ask for details but also down to the organiser of the photoshoot who should have given us more specific details.
The organiser of the shoot had a very vague idea of what she wanted and I think as someone in control of the end result regarding the hair and makeup I made some good decisions and interpreted it well enough.
The end result was good and the looks we created were 'perfect' according to the photographer so although I think organisation wasn't good at all in this case it did actually all turn out the way we wanted.
I enjoyed being able to use the new skills and techniques in a different environment as well outside of the lesson time and on something completely off track from the project.
Practice 1 - My design
Practicing my design with Lauren.
The first practice sessions went okay I think, I explained my basic ideas to Lauren who would be doing my hair and it gave her time to get used to my hair as well and how she was going to work on it.
We began by crimping my hair and then backcombing it to make it more textured for the design I was thinking of.
As on my design there were a lot of barrel rolls involved this is mainly what we practiced by seeing how tightly we could do them and the easiest way to secure the into my hair which is quite short, it was a little bit fiddly to do but it did work.
We got a better result from crimping smaller sections to begin with and then blending them together with backcombing before rolling into a sausage shapes around the head.
We decided that 6 rolls could be achieved, three on each side at the front which created a nice effect at the hairline and the take these over and around the head before meeting at the crown area and the back of the head.
I liked the overall result and he shape we created but I felt I still needed to add something extra to it as it was still a little bit simple.
We also need to find a way to make the barrel rolls more defined after crimping, retaining the crimped texture but ensuring the least amount of flyaways and a neater result.
This might be through the use of products, using different tools or trying some more techniques.
November 07, 2015
Practice 1 - Partners design,
First practice of my partners design.
Lauren showed me her design ideas for her hair assessment and I really liked the design.
It was similar to what we’d been doing and it would give me a good chance to use a variety of skills.
She incorporated plaiting for the perimeter and wanted two large structures on top using rats to make a heart shape.
Lauren has very long and very thick hair so I knew there would be some things I would need to do to simplify it for myself and be able to get all the hair into an updo, as this would be heavy and risk falling out.
I began by looking at the plait to begin with which she wanted it to go across the forehead from one side to the other and we decided together that to get a lot of the hair out of the way the plait could be really thick and also we could do a halo plait, which would go from one ear, around the back of the head and meet back the same point. I used a good two inches of hair from the hairline all around to create the plait and as I went along by the time I reached the forehead the plait had the thickness we wanted from all the hair added into it though French plaiting.
I then went onto create the shape on the top of the design which was hard to do because of the length and thickness of the hair, I curled all the hair which took a long time which is why only half the style got completed.
The plan for next time is to use a rat which will reduce the amount of hair to curl and also get it neatly out of the way into a higher structure, this will also help the overall look of the design. I will then only have one section to curl and place over the top as well.
The practice went really well and I really enjoyed creating something from a design, It was interesting to try and work out the best way to go about certain parts.
I feel next time we practice it I'll have a better idea of how to re structure the top and I will practice with rats in the meantime.
Lauren showed me her design ideas for her hair assessment and I really liked the design.
It was similar to what we’d been doing and it would give me a good chance to use a variety of skills.
She incorporated plaiting for the perimeter and wanted two large structures on top using rats to make a heart shape.
Lauren has very long and very thick hair so I knew there would be some things I would need to do to simplify it for myself and be able to get all the hair into an updo, as this would be heavy and risk falling out.
I began by looking at the plait to begin with which she wanted it to go across the forehead from one side to the other and we decided together that to get a lot of the hair out of the way the plait could be really thick and also we could do a halo plait, which would go from one ear, around the back of the head and meet back the same point. I used a good two inches of hair from the hairline all around to create the plait and as I went along by the time I reached the forehead the plait had the thickness we wanted from all the hair added into it though French plaiting.
I then went onto create the shape on the top of the design which was hard to do because of the length and thickness of the hair, I curled all the hair which took a long time which is why only half the style got completed.
The plan for next time is to use a rat which will reduce the amount of hair to curl and also get it neatly out of the way into a higher structure, this will also help the overall look of the design. I will then only have one section to curl and place over the top as well.
The practice went really well and I really enjoyed creating something from a design, It was interesting to try and work out the best way to go about certain parts.
I feel next time we practice it I'll have a better idea of how to re structure the top and I will practice with rats in the meantime.
November 06, 2015
Design 3, Given to my partner
Design 3.
This design is inspired by the pin curls at the front of the hair on a lot of portraits and the ring shapes that line along the front, I thought with added height into a barrel roll this would look like a crown sat on the front of the hair, especially if the hair was coloured possibly gold.
Then plaiting down the center to seperate the style into two on top, but making the sides meet up and the back creating a semicircle around the head. Again crimped before rolling to add texture.
As I'm limited with hair to use with it being so short and shaved high up I've tried to include some different looks but I feel they are quite similar..
I have chosen the third design to use and give to my partner and I think we will be able to adapt it further when we find the best way to do it.
I like the effect of this one at the hair line more and it's a bit more interesting.
Two final designs
Design 1
I based this look on an image I saw which is on my inspiration blog post.
The hair would be crimped all over and then with a rat underneath or just with backcombing made into one large quiff and taken back. Like what my partner did in the practice session previously.
I then decided to make it more interesting I could add some plaits from the front and place them over the top.
The issue with this design is that my hair isn't long enough to get a plait to run right over, once plaited it will be quite short.
Design 2
For this design I took inspiration from how the hair lines of Elizabethan styles, especially the wigs are shorter at the front and then almost look like rolls which then work into the height on top, I wondered what it would look like if it was tiered over the top of the head in neat crimped rolls.
This design is inspired by the pin curls at the front of the hair on a lot of portraits and the ring shapes that line along the front, I thought with added height into a barrel roll this would look like a crown sat on the front of the hair, especially if the hair was coloured possibly gold.
Then plaiting down the center to seperate the style into two on top, but making the sides meet up and the back creating a semicircle around the head. Again crimped before rolling to add texture.
As I'm limited with hair to use with it being so short and shaved high up I've tried to include some different looks but I feel they are quite similar..
I have chosen the third design to use and give to my partner and I i
November 05, 2015
Jill Eliana Haley
Jill Eliana Haley is a make-up and wig artist/ technician I found when researching for inspirational images.
She specialises in wig building for stage and film including lace fronts and custom built foundations and she also works as a freelance makeup artist.
On her website she has a project based on the Elizabethan era and this was really interesting to look at because its really similar to what we've been doing. I like the fact that I've found something that relates what we're learning on the course and in this project to future careers and the outside world.
She specialises in wig building for stage and film including lace fronts and custom built foundations and she also works as a freelance makeup artist.
On her website she has a project based on the Elizabethan era and this was really interesting to look at because its really similar to what we've been doing. I like the fact that I've found something that relates what we're learning on the course and in this project to future careers and the outside world.
You can see her research images at the top of the page and then she goes on to show how she's created a wig and styles it in two different ways to show two types of Elizabethan character, the noble woman with blocked out hairline and the bedtime/night look.
I enjoyed looking at the images she's included of the styling process of the wig as well and how she's achieved the look. Although we are not doing wig work at the moment I loved seeing this.
Link to her page - http://jillelainahaley.com/index/#/elizabethan-era/
ref
HALEY. J.E., date unknown. Elizabethan era [online] [viewed on 5th nov 2015] Available from: http://jillelainahaley.com/index/#/elizabethan-era/
I enjoyed looking at the images she's included of the styling process of the wig as well and how she's achieved the look. Although we are not doing wig work at the moment I loved seeing this.
Link to her page - http://jillelainahaley.com/index/#/elizabethan-era/
ref
HALEY. J.E., date unknown. Elizabethan era [online] [viewed on 5th nov 2015] Available from: http://jillelainahaley.com/index/#/elizabethan-era/
Design Ideas
Because my hair is so short at the sides and the back I can't incorporate any kind of bun into my design so the inspiration I have been looking at are the shorter styles and the more top heavy ones, I want to be able to get a few plaits in there so my partner can show some different skills.
The easiest of my designs would be the one that is crimped and taken back into a very large quiff but this doesn't allow for any other techniques except crimping and backcombing really.
Some of the inspiration I have been looking at to add something else into my design are;
 |
| [1] |
This was the first style I saw that would have been achievable on my own hair, apart from the sides being plaited they simply would be shaved as it is. But it would be possible to crimp the top and style into this shape either using backcombing or padding. I think this is a little bit boring tough and wouldn't really be using enough of the skills we've learnt.
 |
| [2] |
Again this shape could be easily achieved with my hair but I still feel it needs something extra.
 |
| [3] |
Looking more into the shapes within the hair and came across this image that I like which has made me interested in how rolls could be used in my design.
I wouldn't get the height but I like the effect it's creating and would make the design a but more intricate to have some seperate sections to it whilst still retaining height and texture.
 |
| [4] |
In this Image Queen Elizabeth's hair appears to be all made up of small barrel curls rather than what usually looks like pin curls in the other portraits, this is quite unusual so I'd definitely like to look at using this in my design.
I'm not sure if I would want them placed similarly to hers in this portrait or more like the image above but this is something I can look into further when practicing.
Rather than the large rolls in the image above the smaller ones like in this portrait would work better I think for my length hair.
Ref.
[1] BROWN .N. date unknown. Braided updo [digital image] [Accessed on 4th nov 2015] Available from: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/1e/d9/4a/1ed94a7aee1635186aa3e7f70796953d.jpg
[2] PINTEREST., date unknown. Futuristic elizabethan [digital image] [Accessed on 4th nov 2015] Available from: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c4/1d/af/c41daf284b9d13de4291ab67f1f9d64e.jpg
[3] PINTEREST., date unknown. Avant garde elizabethan [digital image] [Accessed on 4th nov 2015] Available from: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c2/2e/00/c22e00d0e7b26426220d3d9c22951d99.jpg
[4] ANON., Early 17th century. Queen Elizabeth I. [digital image] [Accessed on 4th nov 2015] Available from: http://images.npg.org.uk/264_325/8/2/mw02082.jpg
[2] PINTEREST., date unknown. Futuristic elizabethan [digital image] [Accessed on 4th nov 2015] Available from: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c4/1d/af/c41daf284b9d13de4291ab67f1f9d64e.jpg
[3] PINTEREST., date unknown. Avant garde elizabethan [digital image] [Accessed on 4th nov 2015] Available from: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c2/2e/00/c22e00d0e7b26426220d3d9c22951d99.jpg
[4] ANON., Early 17th century. Queen Elizabeth I. [digital image] [Accessed on 4th nov 2015] Available from: http://images.npg.org.uk/264_325/8/2/mw02082.jpg
October 28, 2015
Technical - Being the model.
It was a strange task for my partner do do the same with my hair as it is very short and the bun at the back couldn't be achieved, however I thought my partner did well and created the round and frizzed effect.
I was quite comfortable with being the model, my hair is the same condition as my partners, i.e. being bleached so I let her know and we used less heat so I was happy about that and that my partner took it into account.
From the other side it was strange to go from asking questions to answering them in the same way and also communicating as a model and not a stylist. I find it particularly hard to not comment and allow someone to do their own design. I was a little bit of a backseat driver but I have to commend my partner for making sure I didn't interfere and I didn't mind at all being reminded not to do this.
I thought she did really well and i was pleased with the outcome, we both actually walked home with our designs still in place.
I also took the opportunity to have some fun with my partner and take a few selfies whilst the transformation was happening, I think this helped my partner be more at ease because it was the first time she had done anyone's hair and was a bit nervous so to make sure she was feeling okay about it and not stress too much.
Communication and camaraderie is important between model and stylist to keep each other at ease and it relieves any tension you may have too.
I was quite comfortable with being the model, my hair is the same condition as my partners, i.e. being bleached so I let her know and we used less heat so I was happy about that and that my partner took it into account.
From the other side it was strange to go from asking questions to answering them in the same way and also communicating as a model and not a stylist. I find it particularly hard to not comment and allow someone to do their own design. I was a little bit of a backseat driver but I have to commend my partner for making sure I didn't interfere and I didn't mind at all being reminded not to do this.
I thought she did really well and i was pleased with the outcome, we both actually walked home with our designs still in place.
I also took the opportunity to have some fun with my partner and take a few selfies whilst the transformation was happening, I think this helped my partner be more at ease because it was the first time she had done anyone's hair and was a bit nervous so to make sure she was feeling okay about it and not stress too much.
Communication and camaraderie is important between model and stylist to keep each other at ease and it relieves any tension you may have too.
October 22, 2015
Technical - Live Model technique practice.
For this practical we had to recreate an Elizabethan style using the techniques we've learnt on a live model, The brief of the Elizabethan look was that the front must be curled or frizzed and the back must be a bun either plaited or twisted. I chose to go with a heart shape using rats and a plaited bun at the back of the hair, I added a small roll at the front of the hair just to add something extra to the look.
I began with a consultation on my Model's hair because it's very different to working on the Katie head, you can get away with certain things on your block that you cant otherwise on a real person so it's important to take care of them whilst styling. Health and safety is a big issue.
Heated styling equipment can really cause some nasty burns so getting close to the roots without burning your model is tricky especially with steam from the hair and even burning the hair itself, the block head has chemically treated hair and can withstand a lot more heat than natural hair it's important to gauge the thickness and density of your models hair and also the condition. In my case my model had heavily bleached hair and it was fairly fine, but thick.
This caused me to work in smaller sections with less heat to make sure I didn't have to keep too much heat on the hair at any one time to create the effect I wanted.
I began by sectioning the hair that I did't need out of the way, so from the middle of the head to the back of the ears on both sides and clipped the back away and crimped horizontally from the ears up to the parting on both sides.
I then sectioned again leaving myself an inch at the front to create a roll across the forehead and an inch of crimped hair I could use to wrap over my rat.
I then plaited a small section underneath where my rat was going to sit and secured it into place with grips.
I brushed out the hair covering the rat and slightly backcombed for texture before distributing it over the rat and gripping into place. I now have my heart shape.
The hair at the front I left in more of the crimped texture and created small sausages from one temple to the other and blended these together to create one roll across the forehead.
At the back of the hair I took one more small section of hair and crimped this and clipped it away to use later to lay over the top of the bun.
I plaited the remaining hair and twisted into place to create the plaited bun at the back which I preferred to the sleek one because the rest of the style was very textured and felt it needed more at the back.
I then took the crimped sections I left out earlier and placed them around the top of the bun just to again add more texture over the back of the hair and secured the ends around the underneath of my bun to hide any grips.
I began with a consultation on my Model's hair because it's very different to working on the Katie head, you can get away with certain things on your block that you cant otherwise on a real person so it's important to take care of them whilst styling. Health and safety is a big issue.
Heated styling equipment can really cause some nasty burns so getting close to the roots without burning your model is tricky especially with steam from the hair and even burning the hair itself, the block head has chemically treated hair and can withstand a lot more heat than natural hair it's important to gauge the thickness and density of your models hair and also the condition. In my case my model had heavily bleached hair and it was fairly fine, but thick.
This caused me to work in smaller sections with less heat to make sure I didn't have to keep too much heat on the hair at any one time to create the effect I wanted.
I began by sectioning the hair that I did't need out of the way, so from the middle of the head to the back of the ears on both sides and clipped the back away and crimped horizontally from the ears up to the parting on both sides.
I then plaited a small section underneath where my rat was going to sit and secured it into place with grips.
The hair at the front I left in more of the crimped texture and created small sausages from one temple to the other and blended these together to create one roll across the forehead.
At the back of the hair I took one more small section of hair and crimped this and clipped it away to use later to lay over the top of the bun.
I plaited the remaining hair and twisted into place to create the plaited bun at the back which I preferred to the sleek one because the rest of the style was very textured and felt it needed more at the back.
I then took the crimped sections I left out earlier and placed them around the top of the bun just to again add more texture over the back of the hair and secured the ends around the underneath of my bun to hide any grips.
I really enjoyed creating this look and feel I had good control over what I wanted from beginning to end, I didn't find I had any huge problems with any aspect of the technical side of it in terms of using styling tools and backcombing etc. What I need to practice is moulding the crimped hair, because it has so much texture I did find myself with a lot of flyaways due to the crimping shortening the length of my models hair slightly, I simply used hairspray to keep these down but even in the final images you can see a few strays that still haven't been tamed.
I think time wise I did okay, I managed to finish the look within the time given of an hour and half. Preperation takes a lot of the time up as crimping is time consuming, keeping small sections helps with this because you don't have to heat as much hair at once and can move swiftly to the next section.
Working on real hair was a lot better than the katie head, I feel like I had a lot more control over it and as well you get feedback from the model so you can always check if they are okay with what you are doing.
I think time wise I did okay, I managed to finish the look within the time given of an hour and half. Preperation takes a lot of the time up as crimping is time consuming, keeping small sections helps with this because you don't have to heat as much hair at once and can move swiftly to the next section.
Working on real hair was a lot better than the katie head, I feel like I had a lot more control over it and as well you get feedback from the model so you can always check if they are okay with what you are doing.
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