Training to Be a Make-up Artist
Being a make-up artist might mean that you end up working with famous celebrities who you might ordinarily pay to see and it can be a really exciting experience. If you are thinking about becoming a make-up artist, don’t think that it will be an easy ride into the world of fame and fortune, however. It does take a great deal of study, practice and hard work before you can graduate to a regular make-up artist’s job. The world of celebrity is only open to a select few who are considered masters of their trade and world renowned experts.
Rarely do we see famous make-up artists, but there has been a slow growing trend in TV shows where everyday people are ‘made over’ by a celebrity make-up artist and transformed into a model in front of our eyes. That level of expertise is hard to obtain without extensive practice, a great deal of guidance and maybe a little leg-up from a mentor or someone in ‘the know’.
It is possible of course, to achieve that level of status by getting in on the ground floor. Once you have completed your intermediate or expert course in beauty therapy you can begin by sending out your resume or CV to agencies. However, the school you pick may well have connections and affiliations with agencies who will view your work and maybe recommend you for an internship or job. Many beauty schools also have affiliations with TV, film and fashion companies who will offer temporary work placements for students to gain experience. Students of most good beauty schools will have to participate in a work experience program as part of their marks and to complete their final exams. The participating company, who assess the abilities of the students and mark them on skill, performance, interaction and creativity, decides the marks. Once they student passes that exam the company may even offer them a permanent job.
During training the student will learn how to professionally apply make-up for catwalk models and photo shoots. They will also learn the skills needed to achieve certain looks for certain occasion, including bridal make-up for weddings. The front covers of every fashion magazine has had a professional make-up artist in charge of making the model look perfect and to achieve that the artist will have passed every exam and worked many years to perfect their own skills.
The training can be a day workshop, a week intensive course, a month long intensive course or even a whole year in some cases. The more practice a student gets the better their skills can be honed. Finding the right beauty school to start a make up artist training course is key, so look around for the best you can find.