Spock's Blue Eye Shadow

[Dark Gilligan]

During TOS's run, Nimoy's makeup regimen as Spock included distinctly blue eye shadow. It added nicely to Spock's alien mystique and helped define Spock's "otherness". But none of the subsequent iterations of the character have included it. Even Nimoy himself no longer had that coloration in the movie era, and Spock looked all the more human because of it. Any ideas why that change was made?

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Maybe they thought it made him look bruised?

 

[Christopher]

The eye shadow was meant for the lower-resolution TV screens of the day, and was a holdover from the more theatrical, impressionistic makeup techniques of the early days of film and television. The intent was to make his eyes look more sunken and shaded; he wasn't meant to be literally wearing makeup. Naturally, therefore, the conceit was not carried over to more modern productions using subtler makeup techniques and shown on larger, high-definition screens.

 

[Frontis]

Maybe it was to show that Spock is much older than the rest of the crew

 

[F. King Daniel]

Spock brought it back for the undercover mission to Kronos in Into Darkness (thus retroactively making it makeup in-universe). I'm sure SNW will bust it out one day.

 

[Henoch]

The eye shadow was meant for the lower-resolution TV screens of the day, and was a holdover from the more theatrical, impressionistic makeup techniques of the early days of film and television. The intent was to make his eyes look more sunken and shaded; he wasn't meant to be literally wearing makeup. Naturally, therefore, the conceit was not carried over to more modern productions using subtler makeup techniques and shown on larger, high-definition screens.

Maybe another issue with makeup color, B&W TVs were still used for the majority of the viewing audience at the time. Blue makeup color would "look" different on the gray scale; I think blue represents red and red looks blacker or something like that. WandaVision documented the blue/red issue with Vision's skin color:

 

[Tenacity]

We've seen Vulcan women wear facial makeup, so maybe it's something Vulcan men do as a cultural thing.

 

[Christopher]

Maybe another issue with makeup color, B&W TVs were still used for the majority of the viewing audience at the time. Blue makeup color would "look" different on the gray scale; I think blue represents red and red looks blacker or something like that.

To an extent, yeah. TOS was designed to aggressively take advantage of the recent advent of color broadcasting, the patent for which was owned by NBC's parent company RCA; according to Inside Star Trek, TOS was cited in a survey as the main reason people bought color TVs in 1966 or '67, which was why NBC renewed it despite its poor ratings (because RCA's profits in color-TV sales outweighed NBC's losses). So it was definitely made with color TV in mind, hence the bright uniform colors and the vivid lighting gels used on the sets. On the other hand, the uniform colors and Spock's makeup color were chosen based partly on how they looked in black-and-white. Spock was originally conceived as red-skinned and devilish, but the red makeup looked like brownface in B&W.

 

[Dark Gilligan]

Thanks for the insight everyone. I do miss that aspect of Spock's onscreen depiction. I think it looks cool.

 

[Captain Jollydark]

During TOS's run, Nimoy's makeup regimen as Spock included distinctly blue eye shadow. It added nicely to Spock's alien mystique and helped define Spock's "otherness". But none of the subsequent iterations of the character have included it. Even Nimoy himself no longer had that coloration in the movie era, and Spock looked all the more human because of it. Any ideas why that change was made?

Because it was too fabulous!

 

[Richard S. Ta]

In universe, I suppose it could be explained as Spock going through an eye-shadow period.

Maybe it was fashionable for Vulcan’s at the time, or maybe Spock was just exploring alternate lifestyles.

To be fair as well, as far as TOS goes, then literally interpreted… everyone is caked in make-up!

 

[F. King Daniel]

This is very relevant to this thread

 

[Denise]

I have some photos of Nimoy's Spock from Star Trek III, IV, and VI, and the blue shaded makeup is there, though more subtle than it is in the 1960s series.

I bought the photos from Nimoy's personal collection via his and his granddaughter's ShopLLAP site.

 

[F. King Daniel]

 

[Christopher]

Ugh, can we please not have AI art on this forum? Even aside from all the moral objections to its use, it looks horrible. Why are Spock's middle and ring fingers fused together?

 

[F. King Daniel]

Ugh, can we please not have AI art on this forum? Even aside from all the moral objections to its use, it looks horrible. Why are Spock's middle and ring fingers fused together?

When I was a child, I drew the USS Enterprise. And I didn't ask Paramount's permission to do so. I'm also not putting a single person out of work with my shitpost, so grow up.

 

[Christopher]

When I was a child, I drew the USS Enterprise. And I didn't ask Paramount's permission to do so. I'm also not putting a single person out of work with my shitpost, so grow up.

If you want to actually draw something, be my guest. Using AI is not drawing, it's plagiarizing many other people's art. It's also horrible for the environment. And, again, it's ugly as hell.

 

[F. King Daniel]

If you want to actually draw something, be my guest. Using AI is not drawing, it's plagiarizing many other people's art. It's also horrible for the environment. And, again, it's ugly as hell.

I'm not calling it a drawing or art, it's a shitpost.

You're not a mod and thus do not get to tell me what I can or cannot post. Have a nice day

 

[Nerys Myk]

Spock preparing for his Twister Sister tribute band performance.

 

[1001001]

Ugh, can we please not have AI art on this forum? Even aside from all the moral objections to its use, it looks horrible. Why are Spock's middle and ring fingers fused together?

When I was a child, I drew the USS Enterprise. And I didn't ask Paramount's permission to do so. I'm also not putting a single person out of work with my shitpost, so grow up.

Okay, play nice you two.