Institute of Art Design + Technology Dún Laoghaire
Ireland’s campus for the Creative Industries
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Shauna Dowdall 

Design for Stage + Screen

Shauna Dowdall is a creative artist who specialized in Character Makeup Design. They primarily explore character design through prosthetic sculpting, molding and appliance. They have a fondness for portrait illustration through the mediums of paint and ink. Their design work collaborates realism with their love for fantasy characters and worlds. They have experience working with the the Irish National Opera, as a hair and makeup artist, working with RTE in the art department and model making department, and multiple Short Films as the hair and makeup artist. Their passion for character design has only grown stronger with this experience.

Character design and prosthetic makeup application for the character the Evil Queen from the Brother's Grimm, Little Snow-White (1812). Full face of a custom made silicone prosthetic.
Promotional Poster. This image is a poster designed for a film production of Little Snow-White. The image eludes to a more disturbing aspect of the tale, with the juxtaposition of the illustration of a floral boarder from the Brothers Grimm fairytale books.
Evil Queen. A strong character from the original 1812 tale. I have created these images to reflect the painted portraits of royalty at the time. The first image of the beautiful Queen as she is depicted, the second, a snippet of her descent into madness, as she lusts over what she believes to be Snow-Whites heart, that she then cooks and consumes, to finally be the most beautiful woman of the land.
Evil Queen, disguised as an old peddler woman selling lace, to fool Snow-White so as she can try to kill her. A full face silicone prosthetic to transform the queen to become unrecognizable.
Evil Queen, disguises herself for a second time after her last attempt at killing snow white was not a success. She disguises herself as an old peasant lady to entice Snow-White. Full face silicone prosthetic, facial hair and extensions installed.
Little Snow-White. The injury the child sustained from the queens attempt to kill her by tightening her corset so tight she stops breathing. A flat-plate silicone prosthetic.
Cinematic Shots. These images depict the Evil queen in two different disguises, lurking in the woods, waiting on Snow-White.
Minor Project A snippet from my minor project, Lysistrata. Lysistrata is a play where women take protest against the men of their town to stop them going to war. They do this by abstaining from sexual activities with their husbands, but make themselves irresistible to frustrate the men. Character Calonice, a strong women standing up for what she believes. Taking inspiration from the sea and seaweed for the artistic hair and makeup for film, alongside a dramatic collar I designed and crafted.
Lysistrata. Character Cinseas. A fisherman from rural Ireland, lusting over his wife. Skin damage and facial hair designed and applied.
Little Snow-White

The major project of the Character Makeup Design degree involved designing characters and their surroundings of a text of our choice. I decided on Little Snow-White, written by the Brothers Grimm, 1812. Little Snow-White is the original tale of the modern day Snow-White and the seven Dwarves. The original tale explores more disturbing themes that are peculiar to be included in a children tale. These themes such as cannibalism and medieval torture intrigued me to explore the design of the characters in the text. In Little Snow-White, Snow-White is only a child and the Queen, full of jealousy of the child, disguises herself three times to attempt to kill the girl. I am fascinated with prosthetic makeup that can transform a model into another person entirely, so this text fit perfectly into the challenge of turning one person into multiple. I have always been captivated by fairytales and the underlying tones and themes throughout that children may not notice, therefore I have thoroughly enjoyed designing my own vision of the characters and the world they live in.


The Glamorization of Serial Killers in Contemporary American Screen Media, Cultural Fascination

This thesis concerns itself with the representation of serial killers in modern television and the impact it has on society. I explored three American television programs where serial killers are the focus of the shows; Ryan Murphy's Monster: the Jeffery Dahmer Story (2022), Toland Kreiger's You (2018) and David Fincher's Mindhunter (2017). This study investigates the sudden surge in American TV programs which explore the lives of serial killers. This thesis queries the modern day portrayal of serial killers as human beings, that allows an audience to resonate with the emotions of the serial killer portrayed on screen, rather than monsters who destroy lives in reality. I delve into research behind the marketing of the shows in relation to the intimate connection it can give an audience with the killer depicted. I explore the directors imposed perspective of the serial killers on screen and how that can influence a relationship between the audience and the character. This thesis investigates the response through popular media to the programs, and how the glamorization of serial killers in contemporary screen media has effected modern society.

Character MakeUp Design
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