Theatre Design & Technology - Feb 1972 - 28

Now move to the upper part of the forehead. Start with the fingertip at one side of
the head where the bone emerges from the
hairline. Shape it down, across the forehead,
and across the other side. Blend this shading in towards the center and add a prominent high point highlight. The forehead
should be shaded in the manner shown in
(Figure 12.)
Notice that those areas of the forehead
not shaped by the shadow become more
obvious and conspicuous, since they are
of a lighter base color. It's necessary to
subdue and minimize these areas by gently
shading them so that they give the illusion
of sinking to a point below the prominences.
The common practice of just painting
Iines across the forehead is false and unreal. Remember, it is only at an advanced
stage of old age that the skin of the forehead stretches sufficiently to create wrinkles
of its own while the forehead is in repose.
In less elderly faces, the wrinkles are
formed only when the eyebrows are lifted.

Fig. 10. In lower part of eye. two folds are createdone iust under eyeball and pouch below thaI.

Fig. 11. Lower and upper parts of eye are blended.

Fig. 14. First Jowl blended. Note that edges are not
too sharp.

Fig. 15. Blended carefully. Jowls are Irke two hanging
sacs.

Fig.

Fig. 18. Neck muscles are indicated with shadlllg.

Nose
The shape of the nose can be altered
considerably with paint alone. It may be
made to appear slimmer, wider, larger, or
shorter. For our purposes, in this natural
development of age, I suggest we simply
follow the natural shape of the nose. To do
so, apply the appropriate shadow with your
fingertip lightly along the natural edge of
the nose bridge. Avoid a sharp edge. Then,
blend this shadow down the side of the
nose and over the nostril to that point
where the nose joins the face, at which
point the shadow disappears and blends into the base (Figure 13).
Jowls
The jowls are more difficult to understand
than they are to paint. One of the most
common errors is to paint them like scallops, but they are actually hanging folds of
flesh, which frequently hang from and over
the jawbone, like sacks. Positioning these
folds is difficult and requires practice and
observation.
Working with a hand mirror in addition to
the regular mirror will help you in painting
jowls, so that you can see the painted effect in full profile. This way, you can be
sure of its success.
Put the shadow on your brush. Start the
first jowl, touching the chin wrinkle from
1/4" to 3 / B" up from the jaw. Carry the
paint down the jaw, shape a sag, and arch
it around on the jaw, and up towards the
cheek, again lifting it no more than from
1 4" or 3/B" above the jawbone. Blend
the paint up into the base with your fingertip, the heaviest application towards the
front. Apply the high point highlight and
blend it into the base.

17.

few folds are added down length of

wlIldplpe.

THEATER DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

FEBRUARY, 1972

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