Painting or photograph?

Whilst studying Art A-level, I was intrigued by the idea of people covering or embellishing details in their face using makeup. I wanted to exaggerate this by physically painting onto people’s faces. At first using only small amounts of paint, patterns or colour to embellish certain parts of the face – eyes, mouth, and cheekbones. I used this together with specific lighting to cover or reveal certain aspects of the subject thus creating an emphasis in the photographs. I also used a similar style completely covering the face and/or body with paint, resulting in the subject looking similar to a painting. These photographs can confuse the viewer by tricking the mind – covering important details in the face that are essential in making it look real.