How to Become a Makeup Artist

Posted by Anonymous , 9/4/2007 Tags:BecomeMakeupArtist
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How to Become a Makeup Artist

Introduction

Makeup artists play a key role in creating the look for the actors on stage, television and film. When the make up artist has mastered the craft fully, he or she has entered a legendary field that is rewarding artistically and financially. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Steps

1

Step One

Study make up applications for theater, film and television. You can go to your local library and rent a book or DVD.
2

Step Two

Peruse your local telephone book to find a list of theaters, television and film production companies. Start with community theaters and independent production companies.
3

Step Three

Call the community theaters and independent production companies. Tell them you are studying to be a make up artist. Volunteer for a play or production to build your credits. Ask if you can meet with them for an interview.
4

Step Four

Prepare for the interview. Bring a resume. If you have performed in any of the arts, acting, dancing or stagecraft, add that to your resume.
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Step Five

Get to know the cast and crew. Hand out business cards if someone asks you for one. Be helpful. Demonstrate that you want to work. Be available day and night. Be ready to work long hours.
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Step Six

Arrive early for work. If asked to arrive at 7:30 A.M., arrive at 7:15 A.M. Get to know the crew and network for future work.
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Step Seven

Learn as you go and always pay attention. Find out who your immediate boss is. Listen and do as you are told. If you do not do as you are told, you may be asked to leave.
8

Step Eight

Keep a great attitude. You have made it. The work is hard with long hours, but you meet talented actors and crew. You are working in one of the most creative fields.
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How to become a makeup artist

Introduction

Did you quarantine your baby sister in your room, armed only with your mom's Estee Lauder dark-brown base, fire-engine red lipstick and a polaroid camera? And after said kidnapping, did you produce a heavily-painted 3 year old and a collection of creepy but arty pictures featuring your kid sister with a sudden tan, bright lips and a blank look on her face?
Either you have no idea what I'm talking about, or you know it all too well.
If your answer is the latter--you're a natural artiste!
If you want to convert your fervent desire into making the world a more beautiful place, try these career-building, insider-secrets:

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Steps

1

Step One

Even though retail is one of the most thankless and tiring ways to make a buck, it's also one of the best ways to start learning how the cosmetic industry works. Get yourself working as a counter manager or artist for a department store makeup line. You'll learn invaluable information about how to collaborate with your co-workers, work with limited stock and deal with pesky, irritated women shoppers who expect miracles from your brush.
2

Step Two

After proving you're a valued employee, try and secure a regional makeup artist position. This will mean you'll be one of a group of featured artists who usually travel within a two or three state radius, to work department store or boutique events. In this case, you'll have appointments lined up and you'll usually have a sales goal which will seem scarily high. This is a great way to deal with a frenetic pace and high pressure.
3

Step Three

After developing confidence from your wild success as a travelling artist, you'll have the scrap and skills to try your hand at freelance media work. You'll probably have to work on a few projects for free, but after building up enough credits, you'll be able to present a professional portfolio to potential employers.
4

Step Four

Work on as many indy films as possible--if you're lucky enough to get paid, it will probably be roughly $100 a day for the most amount of work you will EVER do. But not only will you learn how a set is run, you'll potentially meet actors who will take you to the TV shows they're on, or even suggest you for other movies they're lined up for.
5

Step Five

The key ingredient to being a successful makeup artist is likeability. There are so many ancient, pissed-off old fogies who are crotchety and just plain mean. If you bounce in with a fresh face and fun attitude, people will immediately flock to you. Actors spend a lot of time with hair, makeup and wardrobe people--they want someone who listens to them, make them feel beautiful, and puts them in a good mood to be on camera.
6

Step Six

Be fun and friendly, but also remember that you're working. Actors will feel close to you very quickly, but remember that you're in a service position. You're there to make them camera-ready physically and emotionally, but too much fraternizing can shift the power balance and lead to complications.
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Step Seven

Get in good with the 1st and 2nd AD's. They are basically the immediate bosses of a set--if they like you, your life will be so much easier.
8

Step Eight

Also try and get along with the hair and wardrobe departments--many times they're a bunch of crazy BETCHES, but you'll be spending at least 12 hours a day with those people, so try to make it fun.
9

Step Nine

The hours for a feature film are monstrous. You'll feel like you want to die on day three. But after day six, you'll get into the swing of it. Take cat naps during set-lunch and dinner by closing your eyes in the dark somewhere. Also remember that a movie is a finite period of time--and usually, you'll be sad when it ends. And when I say sad, I mean you'll sleep for 34 hours without even a trip to go pee.
10

Step Ten

Click to enlarge
After the cast/crew wrap party, you'll cry uncontrollably and feel like Dorothy at the end of The Wizard of OZ--but guess what? It's just a function of the set dynamic. The guy you thought you were wildly in love with, the girl who was your bosom buddy--they fade from your memory. BUT. You should certainly stay in touch and network with the peeps (actors and production) you met on the set--you'll want them to recommend you for future work.

Overall Tips & Warnings

  • Even if you're apprenticing, and certainly if you've been hired as key makeup for a project, be as efficient and prepared as possible. Bring tissues, q-tips, spray bottles of water, brush cleaner, bobby pins, double stick tape, safety pins, lip balm, eye drops and whatever else you can think of. Actors will assume that you have this stuff--they won't be impressed when you do, but they will be disappointed when you don't. Leave them feeling like you are the go-to person on set.
  • This is a scary, cut-throat world. Directors are usually nightmares who suggest things like: "Yeaaaaa. Just make her more tan. But in a pale way. You know?" The best personality to have is a thick-skinned, yes-man, water-off-a-duck's-back, single-minded, workaholic perfectionist. Don't go into this business if you can't roll with punches and deal with criticism, judgment, cattiness and ego. It's dog-eat-dog. But it's unbelievably fun.
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