Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1992 - 56

Where he thought appropriate, he
accompanies the diagram with a small
sketch of the garmenr. This is parricularIy well done with vests. I cannot imagine
ever needing ro look elsewhere for a vest
style or rype.
Parr II covers jackets and coats of
many varieties, again including military
and clerical styles. The format in this and
the subsequenr three parrs repeats Parr I:
Author's Preface, Inrroducrion, special
instructions, if needed, and measuremenrs followed by the diagrams, sketches
and cuning insrructions. Parr III, being a
conrinuation more or less of Parr II, omits
the preface and inrroduces the cuning of
all types of overcoats, including those of
the military, livery servanrs, professional
robes and gowns and night wear.
Parr IV deals with ladies garmenrs
and in 44 pages includes not only a large
variel}' of items, bur explains "The Direct
Measure Method of Curting Ladies' Garmenrs." I have fond memories of developing some of the panerns in past years.
In parricular [ remember the Norfolk
jacket for Barbara's civilian suit in Major
Barbartl. As an unrrained, self-taught cutter, I was able ro easily follow the instructIOns.
Parr V, "Dealing with Various Methods of Curring," covers grading, the
cloth, rrimming, the make up, tryon,
alterations and even considers managemenr of the shop, marketing and cleaning. There are many useful recipes for
dealing with various fabrics and even one
for waterproofing. Being the thorough
teacher, he shows how ro estimate costs
and charges as well as giving a complete
set of rules for serring up a Clothing
Club.
It is clear from his writing, parricularIy in the prefaces and conclusions, that
Vincent was devoted to his work and
wanred ro instill that devotion in others.
Shep has made available ro the theatrical
profession a rreasure of period panern.
Not conrenr with just reproducing the
work, he has added an inrroducrion by
Betl}' Williams, a brief description of the
epoque and a fine inrroduction ro Mr.
Vincenr. He concludes the book with a
parr by parr detailed index of the patterns, systems and other data and then,
for good measure, dHOWS in a nine-page
addition of illustrations and descriptions
from period periodicals. As with the
Hopkins work, the quality of reproduction is excellenr, the large format making
it even more readable and pracrical.
-Zelma H. Weisfeld
Proftssor Ellierif/ls,
UniflersifJl ofMichigan
54

1992 SPRING

TD&T

The Face Is A Canvas: The Design
and Technique of Theatrical
Makeup
b,' Irene

Core~·.

:-;ew Orleans: Anchorage Press. 1990.309

pp.. color and B&\\' ill., 550.

From the momenr you thumb through
this quano-sized book and realize that it
is as beautiful as any "coffee-table" book
you have known ro the momenr you realize it is a carefully planned "practical
workbook ro be placed beneath the
makeup mirror," it is always a treat ro the
senses and inrellecr. I really don't know
roo many books that purporr ro be srudenr workbooks and are still exciting,
beautiful and practical. Irene Corey has
direcred her full measure of creativil}! and
experience inro making The Face is a
Call vas a fresh new approach to the process of understanding, conceprualizing,
design and applying theatrical makeup.
One of the principle beauties of this
book is that it goes beyond the "how ro
do it" approach of many other makeup
books. Corey rries ro remind us of the
imporrance of the human being in our
work: the human spirit and human experience equals characrerization ... "Faces
are absrracrs of our lives." "If people are
imponant, their faces are eminenrly
imponanr." The numerous phorographs
she includes in her text are impressive in
their evocative qualities as well as the
practical aspecrs of their detail for the
acror in search of an idea. Corey and
Archorage Press should also be complimented on their decision ro carefully
reproduce these fine-arrs quality phorographs in a large format and with careful anention ro the c1ariry of the reproduced image.
The Face is a Callvm does not srop at
being another pretry book on your shelf.
It is carefully planned ro lead the makeup
srudenr from the discovery of his or her
own face through the process of learning
how ro alter the look of our faces in order
ro create the illusion of age or character.
The aurhor carefully leads us through an
analysis of age that uses ''rhose characteristics which suggest where and how he
has lived," not JUSt a more convenrional
review of youth, middle and old age
characteristics.
\,(/hile the first twO chapters deal with
such prepararory processes as making
your own face chan, choosing makeup
materials and the developmenr of a collecrion of courses, the next five chapters
deal with learning how ro undersrand
and use the principles of color and value,

mixing and applying makeup and undersranding the human face as form. The
remaining six chapters deal with the
problems of corrective makeup, what ro
look for in a phorograph and how ro use
the information in painrings and phorographic images ro help style a makeup.
The concerns of period and makeup (the
ideal ofbeaury, or the "look" of a panicular period) and makeup stylization and
absrracrion from an and narure are also
discussed and illusuated. Each of the 13
chapters ends with a well developed and
otten annotated bibliography.
If you are inrerested in people, and
believe that thearre has a kinship ro the
human condition, an and narure, this
book will be a wonderful and often
inspiring, addition ro your library, If you
are inrerested in doing or teaching thearrical makeup, this book will not only
be a beautiful addition ro your library, it
will be pedagogically exciting, inventive
and sound workbook. Corey clearly
believes the maxim "a picrure is wonh a
thousand words." The more than 400
phorographs, line drawings, makeup
designs, transparent overlays, black and
white and color reproductions of anifacts
not only lend themselves ro a bener
understanding of the face as a mirror of
the person, they provide a methodically
organized srudy plan that leads us ro a
successful makeup. Corey's text is often
terse. It underscores the illusrrations, it
helps provide a process we can follow and
it helps us focus our way of seeing the
resources we must use ro be successful.
We are taught ro look and see, not just
read and listen. The Face is a Canvas is
well organized, uses effective pedagogical
techniques ro teach its poinr and is a
powerful teflection of the writer's
enabling concern for the beaury inherent
in all people.
While this is a book that speaks ro
the reader as makeup student, it is also a
book that can be amplified and redirected by a good teacher. It should become a
basic text for stage makeup courses. It
may even be useful for basic fine ans srudio and sculpting courses,
As we peruse this new makeup workbook, we must not be lulled into believing it is just another pretry book. It has a
srrong poinr of view, is carefully planned
and directed roward an overriding belief
that we should approach thearrical makeup as informed and enlightened anists
and that we can achieve success if we follow Corey's enabling plan.
-Leon Brauner
W~maw, Poland

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1992