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Postiche: Beards

Ruskai, M and Lowery, A. (2010) Wig Making and Styling. England: Focal Press, p 56

Gimli, Lord of the Rings. (2002) [online image] available from: http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/gimli/images/11402579/title/gimli-screencap [accessed: October 15th 2014]

Rules for postiche beards:

 

  • Direction is crucial. Hairs under the chin and jawline show could forwards and outward instead of down. Without consideration of direction, the beard won't sit right or look realistic

  • A beard is never made up of just one colour and should have about 3-4 different shades running through it

  • Like moustaches, a beard is single knotted hairs. However, hair should not be knotted in every hole as the beard would look too thick. The density and volume of the beard will come when the beard is dresses. The hairs should be knotted in every 5th row, and every 4th hole

  • A beard and moustache should never be knotted toegther in the same piece of lace. This is because if you applied a piece with a beard and moustache to an actor, they wouldn't be able to articulate properly as the lace would inhibit their mouth function.

 

A character famous for his hair, is Gimli from Lord of the Rings. He not only has a postiche beard but also a moustache, eyebrows and a matching wig. Although facial postiche is mostly done with human hair to create a more realistic effect, I think because of the rough texture and thick appearance of Gimlis beard, it might be made out of Yak hair. Of course, it could also be treated and dressed human hair, but I think for a fantasy creature, such as a dwarf, that Yak hair would also be appropriate. Although subtle, you can also still see that a blend of colours has been used to create the overall shade of his hair. 

 

 

Making the Template

A beard template is very similar to a moustache template. The clingfilm is held around the face, under the nose, at the back of the head. The clingfilm is covered in sellotape to form tp the shape of the face. The beard is then drawn in with sharpie and another layer of sellotape is put on to ensure the pattern doesn't rub off. The measurements that need to be taken for a moustache template are: 

  • from the top of the sideburn to the jaw bone (8 inches)

  • from that point of the jaw bone to the chin centre (10 inches)

  • from the underside of the lip down to the addams apple, pressed to the skin, not holding the tape taught (12 inches)

After the template is finished, any excess clingfilm is trimmed off and it is transferred to a block....

NOTE: the beard under the lip typically forms a 'W' shape

(how a template should look when attacthed to a block) 

My Template

Ruskai, M and Lowery, A. (2010) Wig Making and Styling. England: Focal Press, p 57 and 58

 

Whipping and Darts

"Pin the lace securely around the sideburn ad jaw area. Most of the escess lace will end up gathered under the chin. Make pleasts on either side of the center. Try to make your pleats as symmetrical as possible - if one is significantly bigger than the other, it may mean that you have pulled the lace off grain. You may need to make two, four or even six total pleats in order to flatten the extra lace. Sew these pleats securely by using your ventilating hook and invisible thread"

Examples of some of the postiche pieces from Harry Potter

1st dart practise with black thread, as it shows up easier and is therefore better for a first attempt. Invisible thread is used for proper postiche pieces, as it can't be seen under the hair. It is however, still not completely matte, so must be kept under the chin, just in case it reflects any shine. 

2nd dart practise done in invisible thread. I think both of my attempts are quite good because they both look quite neat, the loops are small and the pleats stayed secure after i removed the pins. 

  • You can secure the template to a malleable or wooden block. This can either be a head or chin block, but as chin blocks are most restrictive, we used wooden head blocks. 

  • Attatch the template with sellotape at the bottom and stuff it from the top. You can use tissue, cotton wool, kitchen roll, etc. Just make sure whatever you use isn't damp

  • When working with the block, make sure the towel is completely covering the cradle to protect the foundation

  • Once you've stuffed the template completely, tape over the rest of it so its completely secured to the block

  • Then take the lace and place it against the template portrait way up, so that when it comes to knotting you are able to knot straight down.It must reach from ear to ear and lie flat

  • Block the lace at the ears and where the nose would be. Turn the block points outwards for tension

  • Then block in the jaw points

  • Then pin straight under the chin where the top of the neck would be

  • Then fold and pin in the darts; always fold the darts downwards towards the center so that they fall below the chin. The nylon thread is shiny and must not reflect. 

  • Split the darts into two smaller triangles rather than one big one if possible

  • We used tutu netting instead of real lace to practise, as the holes are bigger and its cheaper 

 

I found it quite difficult to know where to pin the lace initially onto the block. After a little practise of folding the darts, it became apparent how to fold them into 2 instead of 1, although I found it quite difficult to keep the top of the dart from reaching over the chin onto the face. Angleing the block to start knotting the darts down took a little practise aswell, and I found the excess lace got in the way, until I pinned it out of the way. After the first one I found it quite quick and easy.

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