Then make it blue

‘If you see a tree as blue, then make it blue.’
– Paul Gauguin

ZOOT beauty editor Antonia Rosa and Luxembourg photographer Gilles Demarque de Rieux, who is known under the acronym GD2R, teamed up for a beauty make-up class featuring seven new models from the Lisbon-based Face Models agency. In her ‘curso de maquilhagem’, Antonia applied Maqpro Creamy Air colours with a brush, a sponge and her fingers on the models, depending on the texture and coverage she wanted. ZOOT spoke to Antonia and Gilles, who shared some insights into their respective make-up techniques and photography approaches.

Beauty editor Antonia Rosa using Maqpro Creamy air
Assisted by Federico Simão and Joana Lopes
Photography GD2R / www.gd2r.com using Leica
Models  Alexina • Carminda • Eliany Brito • Emilia Monteiro • Josiane Calabus • Laryssa • Lilia Sousa
at FACE Models

I’m obsessed with skin… whatever colour, the construction of one skin on top of another is fascinating. I wanted to give this experience to my students and demonstrate that there are few limits when make-up is used for fashion or even creative and art imagery.

– Antonia Rosa, ZOOT beauty editor

The idea was to create a semi-matte second skin. I love to push the creativity of the students, always creating challenges and experiences out of the box. I think that everyone expects that from my classes.

– Antonia Rosa

A few days after Antonia and I met for the first time, she sent me a mood board and asked if I’d be in. Shooting black and white in colour? That sounded like a dream, so I jumped in! Antonia is a fantastic being, an artist and a person of exception.

– Gilles Demarque de Rieux, photographer

I live my life in black and white, I see and shoot in black and white, and I dream in colour.

– GD2R

The way our body and mind function is so complex and a fascinating topic indeed. I am not colour blind, but my brain automatically transforms what I see into black and white and in ‘shades of light’ – not shades of grey.

– GD2R

This class was dedicated to Black skin. Very pigmented skin receives colors and light in a very different way [than light skin] so I always dedicate a whole class in my make-up course to Black skin and colour.

– Antonia Rosa

When shooting, I am constantly thinking of what film would best suit my vision or what filter I should use (yellow, orange, red, …) to get the exact atmosphere/contrast I want. I always go for available light, and I am utterly obsessed with getting the perfect lighting.

– GD2R

The tools used in skin make-up are only used according to the desired way the layer on the skin is supposed to appear and how thick the layer should be. With sponge and brush we can create greater coverage, with the fingers we aim for a thinner and more natural coverage.

– Antonia Rosa

There are no shades of grey in my life either. Things are either black or white, good or bad. It can sometimes be an issue, like Instagram auto-cropping. Cropping is such an awful word to me. Oh my god, I think I should daydream more often and open my eyes to this colourful world, like the other day with Antonia.

– GD2R