Split
Split was a commissioned project created for the band The Wild Hearts as part of a published album release. The brief centred around creating a dark demon inspired character that felt cinematic, aggressive and emotionally intense. I wanted the final makeup to sit somewhere between horror, fantasy and alternative music culture whilst still feeling believable and visually refined.
Design Approach
I approached the project by focusing on atmosphere and shadow rather than relying purely on horror tropes. I researched darker fantasy imagery and explored how exaggerated facial structure and tonal contrast could create a more intimidating character. Instead of creating something overly theatrical, I wanted the final look to feel grounded enough to exist naturally within album artwork and promotional imagery for a contemporary music release.
Application Approach
I built the final makeup using layered blackpigment work, aggressive contouring and texture based detailing to create depthacross the face. The application relied heavily on shadow placement toexaggerate structure and intensity. I also considered how the makeup wouldtranslate through photography and print, making sure the character retainedimpact within album artwork, promotional graphics and digital formats.
