AN AFTERNOON WITH... YOLANDA PIÑA

The Creative Alliance: You're Alberto Rodríguez's go-to makeup artist. How has your shared language evolved to make makeup a perfect extension of the atmosphere he seeks in each film?

- Yolanda: Well, the truth is that Alberto and I have developed a shared understanding, a positive one, over the years. It's true that we've been working together for more than 20 years, and eventually, you become one. His ideas are mine, mine are his, and sometimes it even gets to the point where he trusts my judgment and gives me free rein to create. It's true that everything always goes through him, but we've reached the point where we know what we want; in this case, I know what he wants, so it's wonderful and much easier.

The Sweat of "Marshland" : In this film, the weather is another character. How did you work with the sweat and fatigue on the faces of Raúl Arévalo and Javier Gutiérrez so that the viewer could feel that sticky, suffocating heat of the marshes?

- Yolanda: It wasn't just the sweat itself, as everyone knows, the glycerin, but it was about focusing a bit on making the skin transparent, so you could see the pores, so you could see that heat, that feeling of being overwhelmed, working a bit on the skin with textures, with different tones and that oily skin, which is what reflected a bit of the actors' feeling of being overwhelmed, the suffocating heat and so on.

The challenge of "Model 77" : Winning the Goya Award for this film was recognition of an impeccable historical recreation. How did you approach designing the prisoners' physical deterioration so that it felt real without becoming caricatured?

- Yolanda: The challenge of Modelo 77 was, well, like so many others, right? Every project is a new challenge. Here we were recreating a period, a period that many people know, because it was the 70s, the prison in Barcelona, ​​and well, recreating the actors was the most complicated part because they actually existed, so we didn't want to create caricatures; we had to work on something that reminded you a little of those prisoners without being completely untrue. With Javier , it was the most complicated because of the wig, but then it was everything else: the set design, the haircuts. We had a lot of preparation time, cutting hair, preparing beards, mustaches—it was a very beautiful, hard, but very beautiful job.

"The Plague" and the 16th Century: In a series of this magnitude, realism is extreme. What was the research process like to recreate the marks of the disease and the hygiene of the time in a way that would be believable to the modern eye?

- Yolanda: The plague, it's true that it was a significant challenge because we worked with so many actors, so many extras, during a rather complicated time in Seville... it was a disease that was a bit difficult to research, because when you do your research, it's true that the wealthy are the most documented; in the end, we're talking about the fact that the documents you find are paintings, and those who were actually depicted were people from the upper class, poor people were never portrayed. So, researching it was a bit complicated; it was all based on written material, a lot of reading, and also consulting with doctors and others who were more familiar with the subject. And then there was recreating the " buboes," the whole history of the disease, the atmosphere—there was so much poverty, so much filth because there was absolutely no hygiene. It was a pure and simple job of creating the atmosphere.

Alchemy and Textures: To achieve such realistic mud, grease, or weathered finishes, do you prefer industry-specific products or do you still rely on your own handcrafted mixtures to create unique textures?

- Yolanda: Yes , it's true that I, who have always painted, in oil, charcoal, watercolor..., love mixing, I love improvising, I love researching, I love inventing... It's true that there are some products already invented in the industry that help you for something quick, but when there's time, to create clay textures of anything, I love everything I find on hand and mixing until I find what I'm really looking for.

Invisibility in 8K: Often your job is to make it undetectable. What's the technical secret to retouching skin in high definition so that it looks like there's absolutely no product on it?

- Yolanda: The application of any type of foundation is very visible with 8K. It makes things finer, the touch-ups more subtle. Then you work on the foundations and the skin tones. I like you to see the skin's pores, the transparencies... All of that has evolved; there are better materials than before. Skin Illustrator®, alcohol-based makeup, which arrived here much later than in the US. I remember when I was there, I brought back palettes that weren't available in Spain, and I practically didn't know how to use them. Now, with the internet, everything is more accessible and makes it easier, but it's true that many things have changed.

Technological Evolution: You've experienced the transition to digital cinema. How has high-resolution technology affected your understanding of applying prosthetics and makeup backgrounds?

- Yolanda: For those of us who started with 35mm cameras, it was a bit complicated because the early ones even changed the skin tone, and you had to blend the skin to make it look normal. Then there was also the definition— I mean, the wigs, the tools, the foundations—all of that had to be handled with much, much more care than before, even though it had always been done. But it's true that the texture in films from back then is nothing like what you see now. In digital, absolutely everything is visible, so everything has to be much smoother, much more refined; you have to be much more careful with everything so that the trickery isn't noticeable.

The Chair Refuge: It's said that an actor finishes finding their character in front of your mirror. How do you use that time beforehand to help the actor "inhabit" the character's skin before filming?

- Yolanda: It's true that, as the question suggests, the actor's transformation ultimately takes place during the time spent in makeup, because that's where they truly become the character they're going to portray. That moment with us is a bit of a relaxation; it allows them to reveal the best aspects of the character, adding little details that the audience might not see, but which help them feel even closer to the character they're playing—small details, though.
Whether it's fingernails, scratches, little things that no one is really going to see, but he is seeing them, so it helps him, it helps him create his character and to feel closer to him.

360 Team Management: Leading departments in large-scale productions requires tact. What skill do you think is most necessary today to coordinate a makeup team in top-tier Spanish cinema?

- Yolanda: Well, for me, team management, in order to lead a large team in big or small productions, the most important thing is knowing how to communicate, knowing how to organize, and knowing where each person goes, what each one has that's most special, some special effects, others set design, others I don't know what... it's about knowing how to coordinate all the colleagues and knowing how to communicate, above all, knowing how to be present, knowing how to speak, having the gift of gab so that everything flows smoothly and there's a good atmosphere, and that makes everything much easier.

The Teacher's Advice: Looking at your career on IMDb, full of titles that are already classics, what would you say to makeup artists who dream of dedicating themselves to character design in high-level cinema?

- Yolanda: Don't give up, never throw in the towel. You have to be passionate, you have to love your work above all else.
And keep learning always. You can never say you know everything, it's a lie. I believe you can learn even from the intern. You have to be like a sponge and be open to new techniques, new advice from colleagues, to everything.

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Talking to Yolanda Piña is a reminder that cinema is built on details we often don't see, but that we feel deeply. Her rigor and respect for the craft make her an absolute reference point for any professional in the industry.

Thank you, Yolanda, for your generosity and for continuing to elevate the visual quality of our industry with every brushstroke.

We invite you to explore Yolanda's work through her social media: Instagram , Imdb .

See you at the next Makeup Artist shoot.