Fluo colors
ExceptioNailBeauty - Summer 2008
As surprising as this may sound, fluorescent colors are abundantly seen in nature and they seem to appear where light is threatened to be extinguished or about to crop up. For example, in the ocean depths, an implacable darkness constrains creatures to bedeck themselves with mainly cool fluo colors beginning with luminous azure blue to very bright lime greens. At dawn and dusk, precisely when the rays of the sun hover above the horizon, the sky’s shades bear colors such as sparkling yellows to blazing purples. It creates a tension between night and day where luminescent colors appear.
In fantasy make-up, the phosphorescence works exactly the same as white, it brings light and produces flamboyant make-up; contrast and intensity are the anticipated results. Fluo colors are not an obligation but, their integration certainly contributes in preserving the initial brightness of the drawing. Skin asborbs product throughout the hours, slowly robbing color acuteness and eventually become dull. By adding one or two fluorescent colors, the striking make-up colors resist much better.
The uses for fluo colors are plentiful. They can be used as is or even combined with regular hues creating a totally new palette. Here are a few recipies.
Regardless what mauve you work with, making it luminous remains a difficult task because, in my opinion, make-up companies still have not achieved to removing the dark and obscure quality of violet. The solution will consist in adding a bit of fluo pink and the mauve will light up from this fuchsia which shows up at dusk after a hot summer day. With fluo red however, the violet will heat up and take on vitality which is more dramatic, whereas the primary red will tend to darken with use, but can be revived with a touch of fluo orange. Also, mixing phosphorescent colors with white provide a range of incandescent pastels.
Nocturnal Body Art
Body art with fluorescent colors provides a high tension effect, as well as creating a fascinating expression thanks to the specificity of the paint’s vividness and tone. It is as if a strange and new world is revealed within a blink of an eye. This practise offers a completely different style to which I’ve named Nocturnal Body Art. Painting a full body with fluo colors represents quite the challenge because the profusion of light created by the phosphorescence compromises the achievement of shapes; the 3D volume needs shade to stand out. The make-up artist must create his masterpiece with a new perception. Just painting won’t suffice, the artist will have to visualize the painting by remaining conscious of the overall impact that the color scheme will have including the brush strokes once the black light is turned on. The artist’s attention will oscillate between painting his model under white light and verifiying the result under the black light. With the objective of making the image a little more carnal, the artist will add darker fluo hues such as green or blue. For the finishing touches, the artist will trace contrast lines that will make the drawing pop out against the black. The definition that black brings will remain crucial in the nocturnal body art especially for the body painting which is detined to parade in full light.
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