How To Be A Cat

Hello friends!

Since I was in the arena spectacular of CATS with Harvest Rain Theatre Company, I've wanted to do a makeup tutorial demonstrating how to transform into a cat...well the makeup part of your transformation. So let's jump right into it!

Start off by pulling your hair back and out of the way however you wish. If you plan on wearing a wig, perhaps style your hair into a braid or pin curls.

Then apply a moisturiser or primer so your makeup comes off easier rather than spending all night scrubbing your face red raw...

The makeup we used in this show was Kryolan Supracolour. It's a grease-based product that is easy to build up colour (it doesn't require much) however you will have to remember not to touch your face - it smudges quite easily. To apply the base, just use a sponge like the one pictured below, and for the details I just used a lipstick brush but obviously any brush with a small tip will do the job.




Apply the white first and apply quite a lot as you won't be able to add more later (it will get very messy!). Start at the centre of your forehead and draw a line down your nose, then bring it out to your "smile creases" (is that a thing?) to create a muzzle. Then draw a line across both eyes to your ears, and be sure to cover your eyebrows as well.




Now that's the white base done! Yes, you will look like a crazy person and it will get weirder in the next step... Also, just a heads up, your teeth will look extremely yellow (yay).

The next step is to add the brown (or whatever main colour you want to be) and complete the Braveheart look.



Derpface... This is what happens when you don't have a viewfinder :D














Then just blend the brown in so you don't have super sharp lines.



Then you can add eyebrows, eyeliner, and your nose. For the nose, be sure to keep the black on the underside of your nose - if you paint on the tip of your nose, you'll end up looking like a dog rather than a cat... 

It's best to try to create the lines with single long strokes. Be creative and make your own patterns! 

Another tip: for lines on the inside of your face, always draw them out from your nose. For lines on the outside edge of your face, draw them pointing towards your nose. Cats have more 'pointy' faces than humans, and this helps create that illusion.





Then I opted for adding spots to my muzzle and whiskers. To make the lips, draw a line down from your nose, create a triangle, and extend that shape to the end of your lips. Then you can create some personality by adding lines at the edge of your lips - down lines will create a sadder cat, and up lines will create a happier cat!
Next, go ahead and add any other features you want your cat to have. I decided to go for a striped effect. To achieve this, draw black lines in a triangle shape, pointing towards the nose. Then it's time to add white in these triangles and along the edges of the black lines you want ot stand out more. This really makes the lines pop! 









Then it really gets sexy! Time to add your wig cap! If you don't own one, they are super easy to make. Just find an old pair of stockings that you won't wear ever again, pop it over your head so it covers your hairline and the tips of your ears. Then tie a knot at the top and cut off the excess. Don't worry if it looks messy because it will all be hidden away!
Now it's finally time to pull your wig into position and secure with bobby pins! 


                                       
There you have it! You've become a cat! Now just to add the rest of your costume and practice embodying a cat :D 

I hope you enjoyed seeing this little tutorial I put together. I thought I should try something different and this will also ensure that I don't forget how to do this makeup - I'm sure it will come in handy again someday! Send me a photo if you try it out, I'd love to see it :) 

Toodle-pip!
Hxx

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