ART by EXPRESSION
Leanna Hale
Story By KATIE CANALES | Photography by TIMOTHY DOUGLASS
O
n weekends, local makeup artist Leanna Hale is busy with
makeup assignments for her clients’ special events. Soft hues and
natural palettes are primarily used for the engagement photo shoots
and weddings. However, once or twice a month, Hale steps a little
more out of the box.
The artist, whose esthetician skills landed her a space at Sola
Salon in College Station, spends her time outside of massages and
waxing coordinating concept photo shoots showcasing her artistic
side. “It’s kind of more for me and my portfolio, and things that I can
do. But I’m pushing that more and more as I grow as an artist,” says
Hale.
Wedding season, March and April, is her busiest time of year,
when local brides flock to her for their big day makeup and hair. But
Halloween also brings her business when clients who wish to opt
for a more dramatic, character-like look come for her expertise. This
past All Hallows Eve brought 10 to 15 faces to paint.
While obtaining her esthetician’s license, Hale realized that
to stay inspired and updated, taking classes with the artists she
admired was the way to go. “I learned while I was doing that, that
if you really want to learn how to do something, find someone that
does it well, someone that you look up to, and you take a class from
them,” says Hale.
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Utilizing Facebook and personal connections to coordinate a
team for photo shoots, Hale selects models, photographers, and
hairstylists that best fit the mold of the concept she’s working on.
“As long as you’re giving to them something that they’re going to
enjoy, then it keeps them interested,” explains Hale. “You always
want someone doing something for you who’s interested.”
Last year, Hale completed a series titled Monster Girl that
featured character makeup, hair, and wardrobe resembling famous
female monsters throughout history and fiction. The starring
characters were the Bride of Frankenstein, a retro-interpretation of
the Bride of Frankenstein, “Pin-up Zombie,” and Cleopatra’s Mummy.
The Bride of Frankenstein, the first character she created with body
paint, took eight hours for Hale to complete.
“It definitely takes a lot more time,” says Hale. “This is a lot of
layering. There is applying prosthetics, then a base coat, then go
back and airbrush, and then doing the contours and everything.”
Hale uses airbrush makeup for clients and models across the
board, from weddings to the concept shoots. The tool operates much
like an airbrush paint system would, except foundation is loaded
into the brush. The foundation used with airbrush must be water or
silicon-based, and the paints can cost $10 to $12 a tube.
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