STYLING
In the 1840s and 1850s, women's gowns developed wide puffed sleeves. Dresses were simple and pale. Realistic flower trimming was used on dresses. Petticoats, corsets, chemises were worn under gowns.There was a big difference in day and evening wear. Day dresses would be made up of a solid bodice and evening gowns were low cut and would be worn with a shawl across the shoulders. 

DRESS DESIGN 

Looking at a variety of different garments from the Victorian era I have sketched a dress design inspired by the popular styles worn by the upper classes during the period. I've included a full skirt created from layered petticoats  with add flounced layers of material and bow detailing. I really like the 'off the shoulder' style which would show off the top of the chest and shoulders. Garments where lavish and extravagant  I feel I have captured this well in this sketch. 

To develop my ideas and designs I feel it is essential to produce imagery using a variety of different media. I have used the paintings I looked at previously for inspiration, combining elements from the portraits with my own ideas. 

After undertaking my initial research I have decided to develop my character Estella at the point in the novel just before she moves to Paris. There is a specific scene I will be creating her image for; her styling and hair and makeup is key in this scene. Before she moves she sees Pip again. Although her cold exterior is still 

strong, there is a glimpse of her heart underneath the pretentious character she appears to be. 

The portrait I've created represents my final ideas for Estella. Dressing her in blue gives of a youthful appeal and was a popular color worn by the wealthy during the Victorian era. I feel it is essential for her to be adorned with pearls as these were a symbol of purity and innocence. Purity was an incredibly attractive trait to have. 

This painting was done as a present for my brother and was originally a tattoo design. Although I feel it is relevant to this project as roses where often used as hair accessories during the Victorian era. I am considering adding roses to Estella's hair as they will add color and detail. Red roses symbolize love, and the bright red petals would bring out her pure white complexion. 

ESTELLA TEST HAIR

Although in most of the interpretations of Estella I have previously researched her hair would have been worn up in a detailed bun I feel it is important to experiment with different styles to represent my character. I created this hair style inspire by the portrait; The letter, by William Maw Egley. 

My model Emma has a natural curl to her hair. Using a large barreled curling wand I was able to replicate the tight barrel curls seen in the painting. Many women would have used rags to created sculptured curls like the ones seen here. I really like the youthful feel to the style, it is much softer and feminine than the up do's I have     previously experimented with. 

TEST HAIR 

As part of my character development it it essential to experiment with different hair based on the classic styles worn by Victorian women. The hair was very extravagant, and like in the Elizabethan era big hair represented power and class. Upper class women would often wear there hair up in tight buns with structured curls pinned across their crown to add detail and texture. Flowers would also often to added to enhance the look. This would create a feminine and elegant style. 

QUEEN LOUISA OF THE BELGIANS 

This image is taken from a book demonstrates a popular Victorian hair style, much like the ones I created above. The textured hair contrasts strongly against her pale youthful skin. This is an important element I want to capture within my interpretation of Estella. Queen Louisa has lace material draped over the back of her bun, this is an elegant and sophisticated hair accessoryworn by the upper classes.

 

I found this image on Pintrest, it is a water color painting of a young Victorian woman at the opera. I feel this image is a strong representation of the image of a woman of youth and wealth during this era. There are very clear differences between the classes during this time. Upper class society would have beautiful clothing and almost a perfect appearance. Unlike today, woman would rarely be seen to be wearing makeup as it was something only associated with prostitutes and stage women. This painting demonstrates the ideal complexion of a young girl during the Victorian era; her natural beauty shines through with no added makeup. Pale skin was desired as this was a sign that they would not be outside working. 

KEY FEATURES: Pale flawless skin, rosie cheeks, natural swept back hair, dainty pearl necklace, fur detailing, white gloves, pink lips. 

The letter, by William Maw Egley 

This painting also caught my eye. It also shows a young Victorian woman but represents her is a completely different way. Her jewelry and clothing show her wealth an social status. When styling my final interpretation it is essential for me to consider the accessories I use and what they represent. Her pearl earring symbolizes innocence and purity. It was very important for a woman to stay innocent before she was married, and even though the girl in the painting is wearing a wedding ring the pearl shows that she is still a virgin.

I really like the flowers that are in her hair, they add color and femininity to the look and contrast really well against her soft red hair. I feel this image can also be linked with Estella's character as she is incredibly beautiful and young.

Creating bruises

One of the last scenes in the story 'Great Expectations' shows Estella in a state of despair  after marrying a man she thought would treat her right she soon finds herself the victim of domestic violence. During our practical session we where taught how to create simple bruising and scratching.

I felt it was important to gather images of real bruises to use as a guide when creating my own. It is easy to want to completely cover the eye area in black but a real bruise is built up of many colors which differ depending how old the bruise is.

I started by genitally applying a thin layer of purple from my Kryolan bruise wheel. Blending the colour outwards aloud for the bruising to look more realistic. To complete the look I built up more layers of purple, red, green and brown tones. I feel the bruises created look effective and realistic. To create the scratches i simple pulled a stipple sponge across my supra colour palette mixing purple and red, then softly scraping the sponge across areas of the skin with no pressure. I am happy with how the scratch was applied to the forehead but i feel the one on the lower side of the face is to heavy. This takes away from the realist outcome I wanted to produce.    

Estella's character comes across very differently throughout the book. At the begining you see a very young inocent girl who is being trained to become a strong independant woman that is cold hearted and independant. From a young age she is strongly influenced by her mother; Miss Havisham who is determind to ensure Estella does not end up being treated the same as she was by men. This drawing represents Estella just before she goes to Paris to have further finishing. She kisses Pip goodbye and this is a hint that deep down her character is caring and not the cold hearted young woman she appears to be. I have tried to capture her youthful flawless complexion and represent a classic hair style that would have been worn by many women during this period. The bow in her hair adds details and style to the look.

1829 Josef Stieler, Nanette Heine
This image has been taken from 'Facing Beauty, painted women & cosmetics' by Aileen Ribeiro 
Although this painting was created a few years before the Victorian period I think the young girl shown in the picture could be related to Estella's character. Her facial expression is very stern and hard, just how Estella had been taught to be.
The hair styling; in tight pinned ringlets was a classic style demonstrated by a lot of women around this time. Her dark hair contrasts against her skin creating a really young, youthful complexion. She is not wearing any makeup yet her lips and cheeks still look rosy. Blushing is a symbol of innocence I feel this is an essential aspect of Estella's character. At moments during the book Estella's hard exterior drops like when she kisses Pip on the cheek. I would really like to focus on this particular aspect of her character. From a young age she has been trained to be a certain way, but during these moments of laps you are able to see the real Estella shining through.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS - Estella

Great Expectations has been reproduced as a film many times since it was first published and a lot of different designers have represented Estella in a variety of ways. I feel the TV series created by the BBC has visualized her character very effectively, the transition between young girl and young adult is seamless. You can really see the development of her through the styling and design used to communicate her character visually. Estella has been coached from a young age to have a very hard exterior and to hate men. Although she is very tough I feel you are still able to see the innocence behind her character through the use of soft romantic hair styling, with dainty accessories and a natural complexion.Even when she is seen later on in the film these aspects are still shown, she looks young and fresh until the end where its clear her personality has been broken by her husband who beats her.     

In this sketch I have shown my initial visual impression of Estella. When creating a character it is essential not to recreate something which has previously been made. I feel my drawing demonstrates Estella's character after she has moved to Paris. Her hair is sweep back off her face in a soft roll that frames the face. She would have the rest of her hair tied into a bun which was very typical of the time. 

Workshop with Kate Bennton 

During our first week doing this project we were lucky enough to have BBC makeup and hair artist Kate Bennton in to do a workshop with us. This allowed us to really get a feel for the period looks we would be creating. Kate has worked for the BBC for over 30 years and has a lot of in depth knowledge and experience working in the industry of TV and film.

Her demonstration included wig application. For me this was really interesting. I hadn't previously had the opportunity to handle a real lace blocked wig. Seeing how it was applied gave me a good insight into how artists work in industry. Kate had loads of tricks and tips to give us. Seeing which products she works with will also help me in the future when creating different looks.

After showing us how to apply a wig properly to HD standard she them gave us a demo using old age stipple. An amazing product that effectively creates realistic wrinkles on the skin. This technique is perfect to incorporate with Miss Havisham's look.

As well as giving us practical demonstrations Kate also brought her continuity folders that she uses on set. Inside are hundreds of images from sets that she has worked on. These folders are used to ensure continuity through out a production so that they look correct in each scene. 

Below is one of Kate's nose prosthetic's. Although I've handled these before she gave us alot of information on how they are made and also how they'd be applied to a specific client. She also brought a range of scar and skin prosthetic's. We could include something similar to effectively replicate Miss Shavian's rash on her hand caused by excessive itching.   

To really help get me started I've dug out a pile of books from our library filled with information on Victorian fashion, from both lower, middle and upper class. It is really interesting looking at the difference between the classes during the Victorian era, it was vast to say the least.

Upper class women where very often extravagant with what they wore. My sketch to the right shows the typical fashion of an upper class woman during this time. The skirt with many flounces was very typical of the early 1850's. Its shape would be maintained by a multiplicity of petticoats.

Both Estella and Miss Havisham where of the upper class and their wealth is clear through out the text. I really like the idea of a lace bonnet, I feel this creates a sense of innocence and youth.

mood board

Creating a digital visual mood board has allowed me to bring a range of different Victorian image together taken from both books and the internet in order to create a research source which I will refer to as inspiration when developing my own designs. The board helps create a feel for the project creating an atmosphere and demonstrating typical images from the Victorian era. I will use these images as a starting point, further researching images that I find stand and relate to my initial ideas for both characters; Estella and Miss Havisham .

To start my research I feel it is essential to get a strong idea of the way women would style themselves during the Victoria era when 'Great Expectations' was set. I must also consider the differences in social class when developing my ideas as there was a clear difference between the upper and lower classes both in aesthetics and demeanor. 

This particular project will allow me to develop my ability to translate text into visual representations of a character and their personality. The book 'Great Expectations' has been taken from text to film many times before and it is essential that I create my own original ideas. It is important for me to focus on the original text in order to get a strong grasp on each character, although watching visions on the film and TV series will allow me to see how other make-up artist's and designers have interpreted the book.

Image 'Great Expectations' novel cover  
Currently studying for a make-up and hair design degree at Solent university this blog will be used to visual communicate my research and ideas through out my newest design project 'What the Dickens'. The project is based on the themes and ideas from the classic story by Charles Dickens; Great expectations. Researching and developing my own ideas I will create interpretations on two of the main characters: Miss Havisham and her adopted daughter Estela.

I have never developed a project using a blog before but I am exited to learn how I can develop my own work through this type of media. This page will be used as an online diary to record all my ideas and inspirations.