Facial make up, unique art
Subashini Pathmanathan
Facial makeup is important, and a separate, art form for any
performing art. The role of facial make up play an important role in
cinema, teledrama, stage drama, dance drama, and different dance fields.
Any dance form whether it is classical, or folk, or ritual or
creativity or even fusion dance form the facial make up is a unique art,
for any dance. Even each classical dance form has its own selective and
unique style of facial make up. Even if it is traditional, or classical,
or folk or ritual or creativity, or fusion, without the help of the
makeup artiste it is quite hard for any individual to put the facial
makeup by their own.
Facial make up for any traditional classical dance is not an easy
task, as compared with other dance forms. For traditional classical
dance forms have their own defined, unique, and selective make up which
are adopted. For instance most of the Indian classical dance forms have
different types of facial make up.
Bharatha Natyam, Kuchupidi, Mohini Attam, and Odissi have almost
similar type of make up. Kathakali's facial make up is entirely
different, from other Indian classical dance forms.
Classical forms
Similarly the North Indian Classical dance form of Kathak's facial
make up is quite different as compared to the other Indian dances.
Kathak dance form adopts light make up, rather than other South Indian
dance forms. Like Kathak, the East Indian dance form Manipuri dance also
adopts light make up.
The entire Indian Classical dance forms are belonged to oriental
dance forms. In the Eastern Dance forms, the skin colour of the
personalities also changes from one another. Some are fair; some are
very fair and some are of whitish complexion. Some are yellowish
complexion, some are dark brown complexion, and some are light brown
colour complextion. Similarly some are very dark, and some are dark, and
some are of medium complexion. Hence according to the skin colour the
basic foundation is choosen.After the basic foundation is applied;
different combination of colours are selected and mixed up together to
brighten the skin colour for the need and necessity.
Meanwhile the shape of the face also differs from one another, and
the structure of the face also differs. Some have square shape faces,
some have round shape faces, some have long faces, and some have oval
shape faces. Even the shape of the mouth, the nose, the eyes, and the
eye brows also differ from individual to individual .Shapening the eyes,
by the black colour eyetex, and by the black eye brow pencil, are an
exceptional talent.
Some dancers with small eyes are difficult for the eye make up. For
them, sharpening the eye and making the eyes bigger is an importance for
the dance. Big eyes, which are very much needed to express the emotional
expressions in dance. In classical Indian dances, the eye shadows are
not used, likewise even pasting the eyelashes, for the classical dances
are not necessary or suitable.
Bharatha recitals
Such make up should not be used for the classical Bharatha Natyam
recitals. The eye make up is a very important aspect for the classical
dance.Eveybody's eye shape differs from one another. Hence shapening the
eye, according to the eye shape and face shape also differ from one
another. Similarly selecting and shapening the lip stick colour is a
unique and important art. Now a days some of the make up artistes use
the lip pencil to outline the lips. Outlining the lips by the lip pencil
for a classical dance recital, is not much needed or desired, because
many of times the pencil out line is visibly seen. Therefore it looks
ugly. Always bright red colour lip stick is selected for the classical
dance recitals, to brighten the face.
Earlier for the Bharatha Natyam recitals, the reddish blush and pink
colour rouge were applied for the cheeks. Such make up factors are
avoided now, because some times it makes the face look swollen, or makes
the jaw bones jutting out. That is why at the present era, the makeup
artistes avoid, maximum to use the rouge, and the blush for Bharatha
Natyam.
Similarly the nose shape also differs from one another, some are
having sharp nose, some have blunt nose, and some have long nose, for
whatever the nose shape is, the nose ornaments such as Pillaku, Nathu,
and Nose Studs cover the nose shape. Hence the nose shape is not
obviously seen, and it is covered by the nose ornaments.
Selecting Pottu for the face depends on the shape of the individual
face as well as the wish of the dancers. Some dancers like to have round
shape Pottu, and some dancers like to have long shape Pottu. Facial make
up for the small children are difficult as compared to the elder ones.
Eyebrows
Meanwhile the eyebrow shape also differs from one another. Not only
the eye brows differ from one another, but presently the youngsters,
shape their eye brows as they wish. Any how, the make up artistes try to
shape the eye brows according to the facial features of the individual.
Hence the facial makeup for the individuals in the Classical Bharatha
Natyam is a unique and excellent artistic skill. It is really
regrettable that the service rendered by the makeup artistes which are
very much needed for the dance field, and unfortunately their service is
not much recognized or taken into account by the present society. |
