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Drag Contouring

Half Man Half Drag

Drag Makeup in Fashion Editorial.

RYAN BURKE is a Photographer, Make Up, & Visual Artist. The self-portraits he creates express a perspective on human styling that does not rely on conventional clothing, hair, makeup or accessories but rather an aesthetic derived from the use of unusual materials and makeup to create otherworldly personas.

The makeup he creates is very smilar to that of drag yet the construction of the image focusing on the art of the image. The three pictures above are examples of how the art of drag makeup can be incorporated into fashion editiorial images.

Image references: RyanBurkePhotography. (n.d). Self. [online] Available from: http://www.ryanburkephotography.com/self/ [Accessed 23 February 2015].

New York-based photographer Leland Bobbé has put together a fascinating series of portraits that examine the idea of gender fluidity by showing New York City drag queens in half-drag. The series is called “Half-Drag … A Different Kind of Beauty” and has earned Bobbé several awards and exhibitions, along with some well-deserved press attention.

The photographs are really interesting to see the makeup work that has been created because often seeing a full face of drag makeup it is difficult to envision the face without it as the makeup often acts as a mask.

Reference: DL Cade. (2013) Half-Drag Portraits Show the Before & After Transformations of NYC Drag Queens. [online] Available from: http://petapixel.com/2013/10/12/half-drag-photos-show-transformations-nyc-drag-queens/. [Accessed 20 February 2015].

The video shown above is a full length tutorial on how to achieve the drag makeup shown. The artist uses kryolan TV sticks to create the contouring, highlighting and foundation colour. The TV sticks are a very thick product used by alot of drag queens to achieve a really full coverage. illyconDropMUA. (2014). DRAG QUEEN MAKE UP - Blonde Venus. [online] Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBLleSsFlnQ. [Accessed 23 February 2015].

The second video is another makeup by the same artist to recreate a drag makeup based on the italian flag. In this video the makeup artist uses the kryolan TV sticks again and actually uses greaseppaint on the eyes to create the intensified colour blended with eyeshadow. In both videos a lace wig is worn to emphasise the look.

SillyconDropMUA. (2014). DRAG QUEEN MAKE UP - Italian Flag. [online]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj2GO9sg_CA. [Accessed 24 February 2015].

Above is the finished makeup look, the model looks significantly different.

Reference: JC Camarillo (2013). Drag Makeup Tutorial (Highlighting, Contouring and Foundation). [online]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AlVqDj3nyQ. [Accessed 24 February 2015].

This picture is after the blusher and shimmer highlight have been applied and it is clear there is a huge difference in the face shape compared to the first photo.

Here the makeup is being blended with powder and blusher is being applied.

Here the makeup is beginning to be blended together.

Like the highlight another layer of contour has been applied under the cheekbone to darken the shadow even more.

Another layer of highlight has been applied here on the cheekbones and along the jawline.

A warm mid tone is applied over the majority of the face then a beauty blender is used to merge the colours together.

A liquid contour is applied in areas like the forhead under the cheek bones and down the nose to add depth to the face this is applied over the highlight slightly,

The highlight is next blended into block like shapes on the face as shown above.

This is a youtube tutorial on how to contour for drag makeup. He starts by using a cream highlighter on the areas the light hit the face.