Beard application.

As part of our assignment we have to create a tramp look so part of our hairdressing module we had to apply a beard to the face using crepe hair. We applied the hair with matte spirit gum so there wouldn't be a shine seen through the beard as this would make it look unnatural.

 These are the tools I used to start creating the beard. Beards are never one colour so I mixed black, grey and ginger together as most of my research showed most people have ginger in their beards. My tramp will be aged but also with stress and the environmental factors a homeless tramp will be going quite grey.

 Bit by bit I put more hair together and seperated it to make sure all the colours blended and there wasn't a big clump of one colour to make it look fake.

 This is after I have used the majority of the crepe hair and have a reasonable size of hair to create the beard. As you can see it is blended together with colours.

Then we sectioned it into 4 clumps that would be used on different parts of the face and so they are workable sizes. Then we went onto the application.

This skin has to be clean and dry with no sign of oil so that the beard can stick to the spirit gum propely. Then start from under the chin waiting for the spirit gum to get tacky and then holding the hair in place with a tail of a comb of brush.

These are images of my progression throughout the application. There is a way the beard has to placed to make it look natural. It first has to start at the bottom and work your way to the top and be in a certain direction.

This was how the application finished. After this stage you can cut it into a shape. I chose to give it the shortest of trims that didn't make a difference as I really liked my outcome and thought it looked shabby and old. I twisted the moustache to give it it's shape and that is definately my favourite part.

I enjoyed the application and thought it was good fun just a lengthy process. It is also messy and sticky but that's where all the fun lies.
I did like how my beard turned out and thought it was a good attempt for my first. It does get a bit stressful especially when the hair doesn't want to stick or the spirit gum dries up when you are taking to long to get a section of crepe hair to apply.
For my first attempt and never doing anything like this before there's not a lot I didn't like about my beard. I just think I need to improve on my timings and maybe try out different styles when I next have a go at the application.
Maybe I need to be more careful with the removal as it does get messy and the bond off is an oily product that does like to drip everywhere so it is a good tip to gown the model(which you should always do) and also to hold tissue on the face when taking off the beard. I found out this is also a lengthy process and an itchy one too with the beard rubbing on the face.
But all good fun nonetheless.