As someone whose makeup bag is filled to the brim with lipsticks, I'm always amazed at the power of a simple swipe. Lipsticks can instantly transform you and make you feel basically like a walking work of art. That's especially true for Alexis Fraser, who takes lipsticks to an actual canvas to create her impressive portraits.
Fraser, aka @Lipstick_Lex, uses lipstick — yes lipstick — to create her paintings and prints, which can take anywhere from several hours to several weeks, depending on the size and intricacy.
Fraser is a trained artist who was inspired to use lipsticks as a medium when she was encouraged to depict Marilyn Monroe in a new way. "I was challenged by a client to create a larger than life portrait of Marilyn Monroe but in a non-traditional medium," Fraser told Revelist via email. "The catch however, was that the medium/technique needed to correlate with Marilyn!"
"My top four brands I enjoy working with the most are MAC Cosmetics, NYX Cosmetics, [Kat Von D] Beauty and Urban Decay. Their quality is excellent [and] their color palettes are incredible," she said.
Fraser started as a traditional oil painter who focused on portraiture realism, according to her website. Despite switching to a new medium, she's found some similarities between oil pastels and lipstick.
"When I paint and draw directly with the lipstick, the pigments blend and glide similar to working with oil pastels," she said. "I've gone through a lot of trial and error testing which types of lipsticks perform the best. Matt[e] lipsticks are the most difficult as they dry quickly and don't allow for much blending and manipulation, [while] the creamier lipsticks glide like butter!"
She's also used to working with high-quality materials, so switching to lipsticks (which we know can get pricey) wasn't too much of a jump.
Fraser reassured me that one lipstick can actually go a long way.
"Surprisingly, a single tube of lipstick can last pretty long! When I paint/draw directly onto the canvas with the lipstick, it eats away at the tube pretty quickly," she said. "However, when I apply the lipstick to my lips to repeatedly kiss the canvas, the tube will last through quite a few paintings."
Now she creates really amazing wildlife paintings and prints, such as this one made using MAC, Kat Von D, Urban Decay, and Younique lipsticks.
"Today, my subject matter is based on the natural beauty found in my Florida coast surroundings and the happiness and warmth folks feel when they soak up those tropic vibes!" Fraser explained.
But what Fraser wants most is for her work to positively affect others.
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