Meet Tal Peleg, the Incredible Artist.As told to Alecia James Sunday, February 23, 2014
![]() If the objective of art is to amaze and astound, then Tal Peleg's work has utterly exemplified this premise with profound grace and dexterity. She has given new meaning to my doctrine that art is clearly "not limited to paper or canvas." Tal skillfully and tastefully creates artwork using her eyelid as the canvas with a variety of media where she passionately executes the challenge of allowing her eyelid to tell a compelling story. But what is even more fascinating is the level of detail and precision that she can accomplish in such a small area, coupled with her flawless application. She draws inspiration from childhood fairy tales, historical elements, music and films.
With a staggering number of over 40K Facebook fans and 37K Instagram followers, this Israeli artist is nothing short of a web sensation. When you carefully examine and study her work, you can understand why she continues to amaze her fans daily and why viewers marvel at her work as it is prominently featured on a number of popular websites like the Huffington Post to name a few. Get ready to be transformed to a world where princesses and sushi make cool eye art and where vibrant colors reign supreme on a delicate human canvas. Creative Ajay presents the incredible Tal Peleg!
How did your journey begin as a makeup artist? Why did you choose this art form?
I started to "play" with makeup when I was only a child and I loved doing makeup and photo shoots with my little sister as the model. When I was in high school, I participated in acting classes (since I wished to be an actress at that time), and I did the makeup looks for the other actors in the shows we did. That was one of my first experiences with professional makeup. I went to makeup school and completed 4 years study of visual communication. I had a hard time choosing my path--should I become a makeup artist or a designer? In my makeup looks I try to combine my love of art, design and makeup. Currently I work as a freelance makeup artist, and along with the more artistic makeup looks, I do a lot of bridal makeup. What differentiates your makeup style from those of other makeup artists?
My personal style comes from all the things that I love as well as my own private inspiration sources. In my makeup art, I try to do more than making girls look pretty--I try to tell a story, to express emotions and translate my own imagination and mind into the makeup art. The tagline of my website is “Be Bold, Be Alluring, Be Different.” You are a perfect embodiment of this statement. Were you always daring and not afraid of stepping outside the box?
Love this tagline! I believe I was always like this. I was always trying to push the limits and create something new and unique, and I keep on trying to. Your work is featured on Huffington Post, Daily Mail, Telegraph online and on a number of other popular sites. What kind of reaction do you get from viewers and fans when they are first introduced to your artistic world?
Mostly the reactions are very positive. People seem to love it and find it as a fun, colorful and a unique form of art, so most of the reactions are really nice and supportive. A lot of people are wondering how exactly I do it, what products I use and so on. On the other hand, there are sometimes people who don't understand makeup as a form of art, they think it's actually supposed to be wearable makeup and they find it confusing, so I have received some reactions such as "why?" (why not) or "This is too much makeup" (you don't say!). But overall, people really seem to enjoy it and they understand this as an art. There’s a great deal of intricacy and precision that is evident in your artwork, how difficult is it to achieve so much depth and detail in an area as small as the eyelid?
It's not easy, it takes time and patience, but this is a challenge and this is part of the fun in it. It also takes experience--in the beginning my looks were less detailed, and in time I was pushing my limits and challenging myself into doing more and more detailed and complicated eye-designs. You created a makeup look that was inspired by Edgar Allen Poe’s classic poem, “The Raven,” and I have to say that your interpretation is breathtaking, captivating and compelling. Why was it important for you to do a masterpiece like this? Were you deeply moved by his somber and melancholic state at the time?
Edgar Allan Poe is one of my favorite poets. I really love his dark, gothic, romantic and melancholic style, so I wanted to create an eye-art that would express the emotions and atmosphere in his poems (and also in his life). The themes of a lot of your makeup artwork are based on some popular childhood fairy tales. When I look at your creations, I feel like you are creatively retelling these beloved narratives. What kind of emotions and memories do these fairy tales evoke? Are you still a kid at heart? Yes, I'm always a kid at heart! I loved fairy tales as a child, and I keep on loving it till this day... I find a lot of magic, innocence and nostalgia in these stories, and I'm having so much fun illustrating them on the eye. Also, it's part of the challenge to make the eyelid tell a story. My readers are curious to know about some of the tools/special products that you use to help you achieve your unique designs and vibrant pictures.
I use ordinary eyeshadows, loose pigments, eyeliners and aqua-colors. Most of the times I mix and play with textures, like mixing loose eyeshadow with water or gel for example. I also use a magnifying mirror so I can see everything very clearly and can be precise with all the tiny details. Really precise brushes are a must of course! I use makeup brushes for these looks, but I also buy many of my brushes at art supply stores. To make these miniature illustrations I need the thinnest brushes that makeup brands usually do not provide. Do you have a favorite of all your works or is it like a parent being asked to choose a favorite child?
It really hard for me to choose.... as you said, it like picking a favorite child. I gave my heart into all of them. But if I have to, my favorite ones are probably the ones that express more emotions and that are more personal. My last (to date) eye-art was created in order to raise awareness to anti-bullying, and I was really happy with the result, since it turned out quite powerful I believe. I've received so many comments and private messages from people who told me that this piece made them cry, and they feel so touched by it, so I am proud of myself for touching people so much with makeup art...so this eye-art is definitely one of my favorites. Any advice for aspiring artists who may be afraid to take risks and step outside the box?
It may sound a bit cliché, but inspiration is everywhere--find the things that you find interesting in this world, and try to create your own artistic interpretation of it. Don't be afraid to step outside the box, or even to fail or make mistakes, that's part of the process. There is a quote I like by Jim Rohn that says "If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary." How will you ensure that your work will live on? Ever thought of a museum exhibit for your fascinating photos?
I would love to have my private exhibition one day! These days I'm also thinking about publishing a small coffee-table book for my art. Any last words you’d like to leave with us? Thank you so much for featuring me on your site! Where can we find you online and see even more incredible pictures?
Website - http://talp.co.il Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalPelegMakeUp Instagram - http://instagram.com/tal_peleg Twitter - https://twitter.com/Tal__Peleg DeviantArt - http://scarlet-moon1.deviantart.com/ Final ThoughtsAfter being captivated one night by an Instagram post that spelt "perfection" at best, I knew I had to find the makeup artist responsible for such incredible works of art. My curiosity later took me to Tal Peleg’s Instagram profile. I intensified my web search of this artistic phenom at which point I knew I had to reach out to her. If you understand how enchanted I am with fine makeup artistry, then you will see how astounded I am with her talent and just totally humbled that she accepted the invitation to be featured on CreativeAjay. When I examine the work of this exceptional artist, I see so much passion, so much intensity, so much soul, ingenuity, and absolute sublimity.
"I try to tell a story, to express emotions and translate my own imagination and mind into my makeup art." - Tal Peleg. It is time to bring those hidden imaginations to life. Regardless of the forms or types, free yourselves of the burden of limitation and let your gifts light up the world. And she is BOLD, ALLURING AND DIFFERENT.
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK
|
ABOUT CREATIVE AJAY
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK
FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM
|