Sculptoning: how the technique can create volumes with colour

Davines debuted its Sculpture Prints collection on Tuesday evening, showcasing how the sculptoning technique, (a freehand toning technique) can refresh your technique and approach to hair colour. Tom Connell, Davines Hair Art Director, wanted to create a new artistic concept using hair as a valuable raw material on which hairdressers can sculpt volumes freehand using different shades of blonde.

What Is The Sculptoning Technique?

Instead of lightening, the technique involves creating darker sections in strategic spots of the head. Like contouring for make-up, Sculptoning for blonde hair uses darker shades to sculpt and enhance the look.  Eyes and cheekbones are highlighted, better balancing the facial features. Colour is applied by the hairdresser with freehand strokes in the areas to be enhanced, thus making every look unique and tailor-made. In the premiered video, Tom Connell and Ashleigh Hodges demoed the technique on two models, with the mission of creating a blonde that would perfectly suit each model; if they were born blonde, these would be the shades they would have. One the first model, they strategically applied toner to frame the face and highlight her fringe, and on the second model they tied her hair into a ponytail, before applying toner freehand to sections through the lengths. “I started to look at the way people were applying toners in the past, and the toner is one of the most, if not the most important part of the lightening process. The toner is the final thing that is going to give you that reflect and engagement,” said Tom. “So I’ve always found it odd that a lot of that is done as the backwash when their head is back, it’s almost applied like a shampoo. So I though why not be more accurate with the toner and think of the hair like a sculpture?” Ashleigh added: “We want to make people think outside of the box. To get hairdressers to think about the whole shape and create this idea of painting on the hair.”