The Many Faces of Johnnie Walton
A common theme throughout art history is the love and devotion to the medium. We all have our own quirks and preferences as artists! Some paint with oil, some paint with watercolors, but some have made artistic medium a bit more personal. Johnnie Walton decided that the canvas must be her own face. What drives a person to hit this kind of note? What is the reasoning behind a young artist dedicating herself to this artform? Join us to explore this and other topics with Johnnie Walton!
Johnnie is pictured here doing a collage of Evil Bubble releases from August!!
EB: How did you get interested in makeup?
JW: I got my start with Special Effects Makeup in fourth grade, actually! It’s quite funny; my
sister and I really wanted to win this Halloween Costume Contest, so we grabbed some toilet
paper, Elmer’s Glue, paints, and ketchup and created the best zombie look possible for a ten year
old and her slightly older sibling. My true start to makeup came in sophomore year of high
school, though, when I began doing Halloween makeup to make a bit of cash in the fall. Since
then, I have focused on less gory makeup looks and now focus on music inspired pieces!
EB: Do you follow other makeup artists for inspiration? Who are some of your influences as far
as makeup?
JW: One of my makeup idols is Dana Marie Artistry! Her work is incredible, and I’ve been
following her for years. I try to be as supportive of other makeup artists as possible, whether big
or small, to keep that tight-knit feeling in the makeup community.
EB: What inspired you to do makeup based on album covers?
JW: My album cover art started during the citywide lockdown earlier this year! One of my
friends had been begging me to do makeup inspired by Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon
(original, right?) and after this look, I was hooked on the concept. After a few months of fun, I
realized I had the opportunity to profit off this, so I started doing makeup on other people to
forge deeper connections between them and their favorite albums, as well as marketing towards
bands to help them promote their music.
EB: What made you want to use your face as a canvas?
JW: The first time I wore Special Effects Makeup, I found a certain level of comfort with my
own image, a feeling that I would do anything to experience again. Using my face as a canvas
allowed me to transform myself into something beautiful, something separate from myself, and it
made the reveal of the art more dramatic and satisfying than anything would be on paper.
EB: What are some of your favorite album covers?
JW: I love all of Red Hot Chili Peppers album covers! I’ve done three of them so far, and
each one is so intricate and completely matches the music. I always listen to the album while I
paint it, so it’s important for there to be some alignment between the two!
EB: What kind of projects do you see yourself working on with people? What kind of things
have you done before?
JW: My makeup works tend to fall into three categories: promotional content, just-for-fun,
and makeup on other people. The promotional content runs through my business, JWSFX, and
focuses on musicians and music related events! I’ve created content to advertise new releases,
special events, and social media platforms. When I have time, I like to do makeup just for fun,
too! This is typically when I fall into my horror makeup or any makeup for artists that are a bit
out of my current reach, just to gain social media attention. Then, I also do local bookings to do
makeup on other people, especially around Halloween.
EB: What kind of materials do you use?
JW: Shockingly, most of my looks are done with acrylic and cream paints! I don’t have a ton
of money to invest in makeup supplies, so I’ve taught myself to work with lower quality
materials and still produce great products!
EB: In addition to makeup, do you have any other artistic hobbies?
In addition to makeup, I also write poetry, sometimes inspired by things I discover about
myself or others through my makeup. I don’t consider myself an artistic person, though perhaps I
should!
EB: Tell us about your website.
JW: My website has been up and running for about a month now, and it serves as a platform
for artists interested in my services as well as a community spot for the makeup and music
world! I run a blog there covering everything from social issues in the makeup community to
makeup tips and even marketing tips too. My blog is updated once or twice weekly, and my
makeup portfolio is also available there.
EB: What can we expect to see from you in the future?
I have a few big looks coming up that I am super excited to collaborate with some artists
on! In addition, I have a lot planned for the Halloween Season, so be sure to check in @jwsfx on
Instagram and Facebook to stay updated. I plan to continue to scale my business to work with
more bands and help liven up the music industry and set the precedent for SFX makeup in the
music world.
Click here to visit Johnnie's website!!!