Hao Shouchen Mask Collection

Author: Chief Editor: Beijing Opera School
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1996-11-01
Features: Fragments: Generally, face paintings exaggerate the image by widening the forehead and deeply coloring the upper part of the face, extending into the hairline three or four fingers. However, Cao Cao's face painting narrows the forehead, only extending into the hairline. There is even a distinction in this painting method: the young Cao Cao (as in The Capture and Release of Cao) is painted close to the hairline. The elderly Cao Cao (as in Battle of Wancheng and Long Ban Slope, wearing a dragon robe and a black beard) is painted about one finger lower than the young Cao Cao. The declining Cao Cao (as in Battle of Yangping Pass with Five Severed Mountains) is painted even lower than the elderly Cao Cao. Peking Opera actors call the wide forehead painting "heroic and majestic," while the narrow forehead painting is called "low head, calculating." This creation of character through face painting is described by the saying "A man with a high head and a woman with a low head—difficult to contend," which portrays Cao Cao as a formidable opponent. Some also argue that this painting style gives the image a scholarly air, which is quite reasonable. Since the water-white face often features drooping brows and narrowed eyes, without raised, alert ones, the forehead does not need to be widened.
Painting Method—Cao Cao's face painting varies greatly in style across different schools. I adopt the following techniques and procedures:
I. Finger Rubbing Base
First, dip a water brush in thin white powder and lightly dot it on the forehead, eyelids, cheeks, and bridge of the nose. Use the middle and index fingers of the right hand to gently rub and spread the powder evenly over the entire face. Pay special attention to rubbing the eyelids, nose wings, and cheeks, as these areas tend to accumulate grease. The purpose of this base layer is to remove facial grease, making it easier to paint. If there is grease in any part, the applied color may bleed, resulting in patches of gray or unevenness. Therefore, the powder should be extremely thin and the rubbing should be minimal.
II. Brush Painting
1. Applying White Face
Dip the water brush in white powder and apply it.
(a) (Applying White Face)
First, use slightly thicker white powder to start from below the hairline and apply it to the forehead. Note that all face paintings extend above the hairline to exaggerate the image, but the water-white face starts applying white powder below the actual hairline to convey elegance and depict the calculating nature of the "low head." Also, for plays like The Capture and Release of Cao, where Cao Cao is portrayed as young, the application should be close to the hairline. For plays like Battle of Wancheng, Long Ban Slope, and The Peach Blossom Spring, where Cao Cao is elderly (wearing a dragon robe and a black beard), the application should be about one finger lower, as these belong to the elderly Cao Cao type. After applying the forehead, dip the brush in thick white powder and apply it to the nose. Then, switch to slightly thicker white powder to apply to the eyes and the sides near the ears. Use extremely thin white powder for the cheeks and face. Finally, use slightly thicker white powder for the upper lip and cheeks. Below the lower lip, leave the chin unpainted, as Cao Cao's black full beard can cover it, and it also prevents the color from smudging the beard.
Note on White Powder Color Thickness:
- Forehead: Apply slightly thick but not overly so. If too thick, it may crack and fall off when dry, or sweat may cause it to blur, leaving visible reddish creases.
- Nose: Apply thicker, as sweat from singing and acting tends to accumulate here. The thickness should be such that sweat beads float on the powder without revealing the skin color underneath.
- Cheeks: Apply extremely thin to highlight the natural skin tone. Avoid making it look like a powdery wall, as this would obscure facial expressions and make the face appear lifeless.
2. Drawing Eyebrows
Switch to a black brush and draw two long, sword-like straight eyebrows, slightly shorter than the real eyebrows, starting just below the actual eyebrows and extending to the temples. Slightly lift the brush as you draw upward toward the temples. The eyebrows should be slightly thick, as even though Cao Cao is said to have thin eyebrows, making them too thin would make the face look weak. Thicker eyebrows add to his heroic and imposing aura. The reason for starting slightly below the actual eyebrows is to broaden the nose bridge, maintaining balance in the exaggerated image.
3. Applying Red to the Forehead
Dip the middle fingertip of the right hand in water, then lightly apply a touch of vermilion red below the center of the forehead, slightly below the eyebrows. The size should be about the size of a fingertip. This red serves three purposes:
1. To mark the position of the diagonal bat pattern.
2. To add a touch of red to the white face, drawing attention to the forehead.
3. To create a sense of relief between the cheekbones and the forehead, as the cheekbones are painted with thin powder.
4. Thickening Eyebrows
The black eyebrows are now slightly dry. Under stage lighting, the black paint contains glue, which may leave a shiny, unnatural sheen on the skin. To remedy this, dip the middle fingertip of the right hand in soot and lightly coat the eyebrows, creating "thick eyebrows." The thickness should be thicker in the middle and thinner at the ends, giving the eyebrows a fluffy, dark appearance. If the left eyebrow is difficult to reach with the right hand, use the left hand instead.
5. Drawing Eyebrow Contours
With the black brush, draw a small triangular shape above the outer corner of the eye, then extend it along the upper and lower eyelids outward. The goal is to create a slight black edge when the eye is closed. For the young Cao Cao, extend the line toward the outer corner of the ear, slightly upward. For the elderly Cao Cao, draw it straight. The finer the brushwork, the better. When the line passes over the temple, pause the brush to thicken the line slightly, then lift it to create a slight, blurred tip. This pause enhances the visibility of the eye contour from a distance. The resulting eye shape will be twice the length of the real eye. When drawing the eye contours, use the outer corner of the ear as a reference to ensure symmetry. After completing the eye contours, quickly add two fish-tail wrinkles below the outer corners of the eyes to convey a smiling, slightly wrinkled expression.
6. Drawing Expression Lines
When drawing the gray and black expression lines with charcoal and ink, I always start with slightly thicker gray lines as the base, then overlay finer black ink lines, leaving a small gray edge or tip to create a sense of depth for distant viewers.
(a) Drawing Diagonal Bat Pattern on Forehead
Draw this pattern above the red mark. The five strokes of the bat pattern relate to the expression of the eyebrows, so use a heavier hand to ensure visibility from a distance. The lines should resemble wrinkled flesh, not stiff or uniform. Use bold, unrefined strokes with visible brushwork. The middle stroke should be slightly longer and finer, while the top and bottom strokes should be shorter and heavier. Both the start and end of the strokes should be sharp, with the middle slightly fuller but not perfectly even. The horizontal stroke across the middle is formed by connecting small dots. The two top dots should be strong and decisive, drawn in one go without reworking. The entire pattern resembles a flying bat, with the two dots acting as eyes. After drawing, it's best to check the effect in a mirror. Frown slightly to ensure the expression is clear and not obscured by flesh folds. The reason for using a diagonal bat pattern instead of a vertical one is that the vertical pattern, when wrinkled, tends to blend with the natural flesh folds.