Creature descriptions

Below are some quotes from Frankenstein that describe the Creature. 

" I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open"

"His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips."

"I was dependent on none and related to none. The path of my departure was free, and there was none to lament my annihilation. My person was hideous and my stature gigantic. What did this mean? Who was I? What was I? Whence did I come? What was my destination? These questions continually recurred. 

"Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed"

Victorian Beauty

When researching Victorian beauty ideals, the looks that were being described by various publications showed a very plain and neutral one. In contrast to the Elizabeth I who wore a lot of makeup, Queen Victoria wanted to refine the monarchy back and simplify the look. Although the natural look was what was 'typical' of the time, women still wore makeup but they had to keep it 'secret', especially as those who were seen wearing makeup (especially rouged lips and cheeks) were prostitutes or actors. According to 'The Artificial Face', the desired look for a Victorian woman was "She possessed the innocent face of a china doll, with a rosebud mouth, dimpled cheeks and small neat features framed by a demure hairstyle of ringlets" (Gunn, 1975)

The hairstyles that are typically shown of the Victorian era, feature a middle parting pulled back into a simple bun/chignon. Even though this is the typical hair we see from the Victorian era, the styles that were popular did adapt throughout the century to progress with fashion trends. One element that did seem to change was in the 1870s, where hair seemed to be a lot higher and more elegant (Harris, 2015). Much like the Elizabethans, the hair was adorned to make it even more interesting, using objects like; pearls, hats and headpieces. 


Research

• 2007, 22 and Kuchinsky, C. (2016) Beauty through the ages - the Victorians - the beauty biz - article. Available at: http://www.thebeautybiz.com/87/article/history/beauty-through-ages-victorians (Accessed: 27 January 2016).
• Gunn, F. (1975) The artificial face: A history of cosmetics. New York: Hippocrene Books.
• Marsh, M. (2014) The compacts and cosmetics: Beauty from Victorian times to the present day. United Kingdom: Pen & Sword Military.
• Victorian beauty (no date) Available at: http://www.angelfire.com/ok5/agw/ssjudybeauty.htm (Accessed: 27 January 2016).
• Weird Victorian beauty standards we thankfully don’t deal with today (2015) Available at: http://hellogiggles.com/victorian-beauty-standards/2/#read (Accessed: 27 January 2016).
• beautifulwithbrains (2010) Home. Available at: http://beautifulwithbrains.com/2010/08/06/beauty-in-the-victorian-age/ (Accessed: 27 January 2016).
• no date) Available at: http://www.xovain.com/makeup/victorian-era-beauty (Accessed: 27 January 2016).
• Harris, K. (2015) Victorian Hairstyles: A short history, in photos. Available at: http://www.whizzpast.com/victorian-hairstyles-a-short-history-in-photos/ (Accessed: 28 January 2016).

Ageing the skin using Latex

Products:

- Liquid Latex

- Acetone

- Old Age Stipple

- Illamasqua Powder

- Kryolan Concealer Palette

Tools:

- Powder Puff

- Stippling Sponge

- Baby Buds

- Hairdryer 

HEALTH AND SAFETY

- Always read labels on the products, if you feel there is something you could be allergic to, do an allergy test. If using on someone, always do an allergy test at least a week beforehand to see if you need to source another model. 

- If the person is allergic they will experience an itchy/burning sensation, and the area will become red. TAKE IT OFF IMMEDIATELY

- Cover over your Model

- DO NOT tip Latex down the sink, scoop it out onto some couch roll and throw in the bin.

- Get hair completely out of the way, you don't want it caught up in the product.

- Eyes have have to be closed until the products have dried.

- Always test the heat of the hairdryer on yourself before using it on your model.

Other things to note:

- Use a barrier cream/foam under all the products, moisturiser has a grease base to it and the latex won't stick to the skin as well with it. 

- Acetone is good for melting latex, it takes down the edges. 

- When applying product to the body, the skin is a varied colour so stippling with create a better effect- especially if used in layers. 

- Powder over the top to set the latex.

Process of ageing 

- Prep skin by applying barrier foam where you want to age (the places where they look most aged are crows feet or the forehead)

- Pour the latex into a bowl.

- Slightly softly stretch the skin.

- Use the orange stippling sponge, stipple the product on in a thin layer feathering out the edges. 

- Use the hairdryer on the coolest setting and dry until the latex has turned clear. 

- Whilst drying the skin, bring the skin  back together slightly together to create the look of wrinkles.

- Layer up the latex and repeat the process. 

- Once you're happy, use the Illamasqua powder to set. 

- In order to get rid of edges, use a baby bud with acetone to melt the edges into the skin.

The first lot of wrinkles I did

I thought that I needed to bring the latex closer to the
eye to make them look more realistic.

EXTRA:

- In order to make the skin look older, use D14/D15 in the Kryolan concealer palette, and take it under the eyes and down the nose. Also onto the forehead in order to create lines, dot the colour on and blend out. 

- In order to do dry skin, do the same technique of applying the latex and rub it with your finger to get  the dry look. 

To age the hands:

- Use the old age stipple instead of the latex, but use exactly the same technique.

- Old Age stipple will need colour adding to it. 

Ageing the hands

Reflection

I really enjoyed learning how to age the skin, it's definitely interesting to see the skin change in texture through the application of latex. I also found it really interesting as I have never done any special effects previously. 

Initially I didn't take the latex under the eye and close to the outer corner, so when I took the photos after I finished I thought that it looked a bit odd. Therefore I decided to go back in with the latex and applied a thinner layer closer to the eye. I think comparing the two photos that it definitely looks a lot better and flows with the rest of the skin. 

I think that my attempt at Ageing the hands doesn't look very effective on the hands, I think that it looks very fake. I think that I could've added some colour to it so that it blends in better with the rest of the skin on her hand. 

Moodboard

For our homework we had to create a moodboard about the novel and character that we chose. 

I chose Frankenstein and decided to focus in on the Creature, so I researched into different portrayals of the Creature in film and theatre to see how the appearance has changed and varied over the years. There is no typical look for the Creature in the portrayals, although some may exhibit similar features  (like Boris Karloff's Monster and Lon Chaney Jr's or Robert Di Nero's and Benedict Cumberbatch/Johnny Lee Miller's). Some portrayals make him look more like a Monster (as he is seen through the eyes of his creator Frankenstein), whereas some portray him to be more human-like in appearance just disfigured by scars. 

I also included some pictures of portrayals of Frankenstein and his female creation ('The Bride of Frankenstein') to show how they have also been portrayed. The Bride of Frankenstein is as popular as  Frankenstein's Monster in modern culture- especially as Halloween costumes. I thought that the two different makeup looks for the female characters were interesting as they are on completely different levels. Elsa Lancaster's portrayal was very glamorous and pristine, creating a 'perfect' companion for the Creature, but on the other hand Helena Bonham Carter's bride was disfigured and scarred- much like the makeup for the male counterpart. 

Bride of Frankenstein

In the novel, The Creature insists that Frankenstein make him a bride so that he can be happy. Frankenstein makes the trip to Scotland in order to fulfil his request, but at the last minute destroys the body of the woman he has made because he believes that the female could wreak even more havoc than her male counterpart. Even though she is destroyed in the book, she is featured in numerous film adaptations of the novel and is a popular Halloween costume.

Below is Elsa Lanchester as The Bride of Frankenstein, in the film of the same name which featured Boris Karloff's second portrayal of The Monster. 

February 2014 at chapter (2014) Available at: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/377669118723361435/ (Accessed: 19 January 2016).

This makeup is the typical look that we see for creating The Bride of Frankenstein in modern culture, especially the frizzed hair with white highlights on the side. In comparison to The Monster, The Bride is very pretty and looks as though she has minimal scarring - especially on her face. As the Bride was made because of the need of the male Monster, the way that she is made to look beautiful shows that her character is only there to look pretty for the male character. Furthermore the fact that she is so pretty in comparison, could be symbolic of the fact that the Monster doesn't even need to look good for her  but she does for him. Even her name shows that she is made solely for the males in the film, the use of 'of' makes her the property of both Frankenstein and the Monster.

Below is a look that MAC did in 2013 for Halloween, creating a Bride of Frankenstein. The entire look was done without using special effect makeup, just MAC products that are available to the wider public- as shown in the video below.

Panych, S. (2013) Oscar-Winning makeup artist scares up Halloween collection with M.A.C. Available at: http://www.allure.com/beauty-trends/blogs/daily-beauty-reporter/2013/10/rick-baker-collaborates-with-mac.html (Accessed: 19 January 2016).

MAC Cosmetics (2013) M∙A∙C Rick Baker - how to create the monster’s bride. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsfqJsv5w50 (Accessed: 19 January 2016).

In the Kenneth Branagh version of Frankenstein, he tries to reanimate Elizabeth after The Creature kills her on their wedding night. The transformation into the female creature makes her look a lot like  the male creature, and more realistic in terms of stitching together body parts to make another body. The use of the visible stitching makes her look disfigured, and so much like The Creature so that they almost look like their own species, and the product of Frankenstein. 

Davies, J. (2005) Horror makeups | Frankensteins’s brides | Helena Bonham Carter in ‘Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein’. Available at: http://www.themakeupgallery.info/horror/bride/frankhbc.htm
 (Accessed: 19 January 2016).

What is Gothic Horror?

Gothic Horror originates from Gothic Literature, with 'The Castle of Otranto' by  Horace Walpole being regarded as the first ever Gothic Novel, with the subtitle to his novel being 'A Gothic Story' (The origins of the Gothic, no date). After the publication of this, the Gothic genre became its own. 

Typical features of Gothic novels are; the supernatural (or at least the prospect of something supernatural happening), castles, mystery, a damsel in distress or wild landscapes/weather episodes (Elements of the Gothic novel, no date)

'Northanger Abbey' by Jane Austen is an example of a novel that can be seen to be Gothic due to the number of typical Gothic devices that are used - however taking those away it just becomes a typical novel about a girl finding a husband. The way in which Jane Austen uses the Gothic devices almost creates a comic and parody effect, and thus makes the main character Catherine look rather foolish as a result. One example of this is Catherine's interpretation of why General Tilney does not display a portrait of his late wife; "A portrait - very like- of a departed wife, not valued by her husband! - He must have been dreadfully cruel to her!" ((Austen, 1992)p132) Her interpretation of General Tilney not displaying a portrait of his wife must be that he had something to do with her death- especially because she died suddenly- which Henry Tilney disregards as foolishness. "What have you been judging from? Remember the country and the age in which we live. Remember that we are English, that we are Christians. Consult your own understanding, your own sense of the probable, your own observation of what is passing around you - Does our education prepare us for such atrocities? Do our laws connive at them?" ((Austen, 1992) p144). Henry's reaction just shows that Catherine's reading of Gothic novels is causing her to over think and apply the situations that happen in Gothic Novels to real life- when in reality there is no foul play. By having her main protagonist be this foolish, it highlights how inconceivable the typical elements of Gothic novels are when applied to normal life. 

These Gothic novels were the starting point for the genre to develop with time, and for films to eventually be made of the same genre. The novels that are the most famous for being adapted into or inspiring film versions are Dracula and Frankenstein, with multiple versions being released over the years. In modern society however, horror films have changed the typical premise from monsters and the unknown to being more about psychological thrillers and twisting normal elements of everyday society. Nowadays horror is more accessible to the public so writers need to find different ways to shock and scare the audiences, even going as far to use typical Gothic elements to make parody films to 'poke fun' at the genre. Some film companies however still go back to the great Gothic novels and create another adaptation - which is most likely a twist of the original plot to make it 'different' to the others we have all seen. 

'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley

Mary Godwin came up with the idea for Frankenstein one night whilst staying with Lord Byron and Percy Shelley in Geneva. As those in his company were authors, Lord Byron suggested a ghost writing contest to pass the time, and thus Mary Shelley came up with the idea for Frankenstein. Initially the contest was only supposed to be of a short story, but Percy Shelley convinced her to adapt it into a full novel. When Frankenstein was originally published there was no name connected to it, which caused much speculation as to whether the book was actually written by Mary Shelley. 

The title of the book 'Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus', is one of the first things that the reader sees when they open the book. This implants the idea of 'playing God' into the mind of the reader from the outset of the novel, and also creates a link between the character of Frankenstein and Prometheus, thus causing the reader's opinion to already be a negative one. The myth of Prometheus tells the story of how Prometheus stole fire from the Gods, but by taking this power he was punished by being chained to a rock and having his liver pecked out by an eagle by day and have it grow back by night. Having Frankenstein tied to this myth from the outset foreshadows the eventual actions and fate of the titular character. 

The novel deals with numerous themes, each of which have a significant place within the plot. The themes which stand out the most to me are; women/mothers - or more specifically the lack of them in the novel-the lack of mothers in the plot is the key theme that brings the Creature to life, along with Frankenstein's need to 'play God'. The absence of a mother is seen to be the reason behind the violent behaviour of the Creature, and as to why Frankenstein decided on creating him in the first place due to his want to re-animate life after his mother's death. Another important theme is death; with the Creature being made from death and also causing death to those around him, which is also a symmetry with Frankenstein's life. The final theme I found to be important was sexuality. This theme does connect with the theme of mothers and how Frankenstein wanted to make a life without the need for a woman. He also makes excuses to not marry Elizabeth right away, and finds ways to not include her where he does include Henry Clerval- which could be him avoiding his sexuality and trying to fit in with the society in the novel. 

Different Portrayals of The Creature over the years

I wanted to look at different portrayals of Frankenstein's Creature/Monster in popular culture over the years, and how each portrayal is different. 

Boris Karloff - Frankenstein (1931), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Son of Frankenstein (1939)

(no date) Available at:
http://cp91279.biography.com/Boris-Karloff_Frankenstein_HD_768x432-16x9.jpg
(Accessed: 1 January 2016).

Boris Karloff's portrayal of Frankenstein's Monster is one of the most iconic, he reprised the role twice after the initial portrayal in 1931. The makeup that was used to create the face of the Monster, is what we typically associate with Frankenstein's Monster- with the typical attributes being; the bolts in the neck, the black hair and square-shaped face.
I looked at typical costumes of Frankenstein's monster, and below are the images that I found, which show the similar attributes to Boris Karloff's portrayal of the Monster.

Amazon (2015) Children’s Frankenstein monster costume large age 10-12.
 Available at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Childrens-Frankenstein-Monster-costume-Large/dp/B009GEFTXY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451910827&sr=8-1&keywords=frankenstein+costume
(Accessed: 4 January 2016).

Amazon (2014) Smiffy’s Toon studio Frankenstein costume - medium.
Available at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Smiffys-Toon-Studio-Frankenstein-Costume/dp/B003DS0VQE/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1451910827&sr=8-7&keywords=frankenstein+costume
(Accessed: 4 January 2016).

Peter Boyle - Young Frankenstein (1974)

Happy 40th, Young Frankenstein! (no date)
Available at: http://robofists-revenge.tumblr.com/post/105298707858/happy-40th-young-frankenstein
(Accessed: 4 January 2016).

There seems to be influence from Boris Karloff's Frankenstein in the look for Peter Boyle's Monster. This portrayal of the Monster could have influence from Karloff because it is a somewhat parody film, playing on some stereotypical elements in Frankenstein and making it comical - like Frankenstein showing off the Monster and turning it into a musical performance. 

Gene Wilder - Young Frankenstein (1974) - Puttin’ on the Ritz (2014)

 Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1FLZPFI3jc (

Accessed: 4 January 2016).

Robert De Niro- Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994)

Peitzman, L. (no date) Ranking Frankenstein’s monsters by Hotness.
Available at: http://www.buzzfeed.com/louispeitzman/ranking-frankensteins-monsters-by-hotness#.hhxVDKnv6z
(Accessed: 4 January 2016).

Kenneth Branagh's Frankenstein includes Robert De Niro as the Monster. His portrayal looks a lot more realistic to previous, with his face being disfigured to look like it has been sewn together from different body parts. I think this is a good portrayal of the Monster because he does look like an actual human, rather than something just made in a lab. 

Benedict Cumberbatch & Johnny Lee Miller - National Theatre production of Frankenstein (2011)

NT encore: Frankenstein (Benedict Cumberbatch as creature) (no date)
Available at: http://www.fact.co.uk/nt-encore-frankenstein-benedict-cumberbatch-as-creature
(Accessed: 4 January 2016).

Planet, T. D. (2013) THEATER | NT live brings Danny Boyle’s ‘Frankenstein’ to life at the Guthrie theater - twin cities daily planet.
Available at: http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/frankenstein-danny-boyle-national-theatre-live-review/
(Accessed: 4 January 2016).

For this production of Frankenstein, both Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller alternated playing the role of Frankenstein and the Monster. This seemed to symbolise how Frankenstein and the Monster are branches of the same person. The makeup to transform them into the Monster seems to have similarities with Robert De Niro's portrayal, but the disfigurement is a lot less- this could be to make them look more like a human, and their creator, rather than an experiment. 

Frankenstein - The Creature

After reading 'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley, I wanted to focus on the Creature as he was the character that I found the most interesting in the novel. I thought that he was quite a complex character with multiple layers about him, with different elements affecting the way he is perceived by the reader. 

The Creature is shown to be quite a submissive character, although he does have moments of violence where he is in control, his entire narrative is controlled by Frankenstein- which is symbolic of his entire existence. He is never given his own voice. Although he does technically 'speak', his entire narrative is told through Frankenstein's voice. This is shown through the structure of the novel with Frankenstein recalling his story, and encounters with the Creature, to Robert Walton. As there is a triadic framing structure to the novel (a story within a story, within a story, within a story) this could be why the Creature is written to speak with such eloquent language. "I will mut the glaw of death, until it be satiated with the blood of your remaining friends"1 This is an example of some of the type of the language that both Frankenstein and the Creature use throughout the novel. "Abhorred monster! Fiend thou are! The tortures of hell are too mild a vengeance for thy crimes."2  The language used by both characters is very melodramatic, to show their anger and disgust at each other. 

The polysyllabic lexis that is used seems to be very advanced for the Creature, who is still only a few months old at this place in the novel, Shelley's use of the complex lexis could be her showing the reader that Frankenstein has almost hijacked the Creature's words in his retelling of the story to Walton. This could be seen as symbolic of Frankenstein asserting the power that he seems to think he has, as 'The Modern Prometheus', over the Creature. He is the one who brought him into the world by 'playing God', so it could be interpreted that the Creature's words are meaningless in the mind of Frankenstein, thus causing the Creature to lose the little identity he has been given so far in the novel. 

The similarity in their speech could also be Shelley writing the Creature as the personification of Frankenstein's 'darker side' or even that they are the same person just personifying different aspects of the character, almost like Jekyll and Hyde. As the Creature was the result of Frankenstein 'playing God' and bearing a child without the need of a woman to be present, his 'Hyde' personality is coming back to haunt him in the form of the Creature that he made - making his demons haunt him fully. Frankenstein even resorts to calling the Creature "Demon" on multiple occasions throughout the novel, which could be Shelley emphasising the consequence of Frankenstein's actions to 'play God'. 

The Creature could also be seen as a feminist addition to the novel, showing the place of women in society, as he was created without the need of a female- so the turmoil that follows could be seen to be as a result of the lack of a feminine presence in his life. In the process of creating the Creature, references to women and the process of labour are mentioned; "After so much time spent in painful labour, to arrive at once at the summit of my desires was the gratifying consummation of my toils"3 The connection of "painful labour" to the act of giving birth, places Frankenstein as both the mother and father of the Creature- making the female redundant and submissive. Even before the "labour", the language that Shelley uses creates the male gender as being dominant and the female being submissive. "They penetrate into the recesses of nature, and show how she works in her hiding places"4 The personification of nature as a female, makes the male scientists the active participants dominating the action. The verb "penetrate" gives a very violent image to the reader, almost of sexual assault, which is further emphasised by Shelley's use of "hiding places". By adding this image of sexual assault in before the 'birth' of the Creature, it installs in the mind of the reader that the female in this novel is submissive and unnecessary to the men. Negative connotations are also brought in after the Creature's birth, in Frankenstein's dream; "but as I imprinted the first kiss on her lips, they became livid with the hue of death..."5. Frankenstein immediately dreams of Elizabeth after the introduction of the Creature into the novel, but instead of visions of beauty he is faced with the vision of death. This negative image could be Shelley showing the future of that character, as a result of what he has created- so the Creature himself is representative of the death of Frankenstein's loved ones. 

The physical appearance of the Creature is described by Shelley throughout the novel, piecing together a picture of how he looks to the reader. "I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open"6 "His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips"7 Both descriptions of the Creature are said through the perspective of Frankenstein, which creates a sense of awe along with disgust. There are lots of comparative features about the Creature that stand out, the colour of the "yellow" of his eyes and skin against the "whiteness" of his teeth being one. The yellow bringing the connotation of death and sallow skin, whereas the white brings the idea of cleanliness and perfection as a concept to the character- creating a contrast between the death the Creature is born from and the life he has been given. Furthermore the use of "lustrous" creates the image of luxury and something that is desirable, against the typical image that we as readers usually picture when we think of the Creature. The Creature also offers up his own 'opinion' about his appearance in the novel; "...I became fully convinced that I was in reality the monster that I am..." 8. The Creature views himself as a monster as he is different to those around him, like Agatha and Felix. However this opinion could be influenced by the fact that his narrative is being retold by Frankenstein to Walton, so that opinion could be changed by this. 

References

1 - (Shelley, 1818) Page 77, lines 22-23

2 - (Shelley, 1818), Page 77, lines 24-25

3- (Shelley, 1818), Page 42, lines 2-4

4- (Shelley, 1818), Page 38, lines 22-23

5- (Shelley, 1818), Page 46, lines 3-5

6- (Shelley, 1818), Page 45, line 17

7- (Shelley, 1818), Page 45, lines 22-27

8 -(Shelley, 1818),  Page 88, line 24