A century of colour

Jayson Gray

“Wigs, wefts and powdered noses – exactly what springs to mind when you think of any kind of period drama setting. For me that was my newest and latest challenge; creating nuance and seamless tone that’s real and authentic looking.

The task itself was to create and deliver a colour palette that fitted the setting in question – 17th century Russian aristocracy to be exact! A period in time full of opulence, grace, grandeur and excessiveness. Hair around that period was very ‘coiffured’ and the idea of any type of colour being applied was not yet in existence.

My job was to colour the heads of some of the main characters involved in the project and then blend specific wefts, stems and even eyebrows to the same recipes.

We started with colour matching and finding the right formula(s)  that will marry the two together and create the right periodic blends. Eyebrows needed attention too, as the fashion around that time was very natural brows and ‘heavy set’. Powdered hairlines came in much later, so brown, auburn, and golden blondes were much in favour when it came to excessive taste.

Getting all the different aspects to match up and look the same is the real test! The elements need to be cohesive, look real and be robust on set. There’s no room for error. This line of work is so enjoyable and challenging, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Thankfully everything is working well and everyone is happy (with me). Watch this space – big coloured hair is on the way!”