Makeup Classes and Schools

I get many letters from men and women wanting to begin a career as a makeup artist, but none write which type of makeup artistry they seek. So here is a breakdown to help you decide which schools would be the best for you. This is a competitive business and more and more schools are opening up in LA and New York, which then brings in more makeup artists for few jobs.

There are several types of makeup artistry.

Basic makeup is salon and department store counter. To work in a salon, you'll need to go to a beauty school in your state and receive a cosmetologist license. If you move, you'll have to re-apply for your license within the state you reside. You will also be required to do wedding and special occasion makeup which you'll need to take a few 1 day classes to understand long wearing makeup, and some lighting and photography basics.

If you get a job at a department store, (no license required) you have the advantage of getting training with the makeup artists for which brand you are going to sell. However, you have to 'sell' the makeup, which means you many times are at the mercy of the counter manager who wants you to sell people everything you put on them, whether they need that item or not.

To be an excellent makeup artist, you must keep up your education of technique and product usage. You can also at this point volunteer to work at fashion shows. If it's photography you are interested in, find photography students and models who are just starting out who you can "test" with. This means, money doesn't change hands. You all work for free to build up your portfolio. You are learning as you go. When you get enough in your portfolio, then take it to either a talent agent, or working photographers for their feedback. If they feel you have talent and your work is looking professional, then find boutiques, etc, who will hire you for NO PAY so you can get "tear sheets" of your work. That means, pages torn or cut out of magazines or newspaper that you have worked on. Once you have that, you can begin to charge for your work. However, you cannot charge what the more experienced people charge yet. So start at maybe $100-$150 for commercial clients and $30-$40 for model head shots. Eventually, with experience, you can get a professional rate.

Makeup for the media is fashion, television, commercials, rock videos, industrial videos (corporate) film and print. Makeup artists will work with entertainers, models, actors, company CEO's, and dignitaries. This type of makeup requires the knowledge of light and shadow, makeup formulations for the right media, color, balance and technique for each type of media. Also, you will be more employable if you also do hair for commercials, rock videos, industrial (corporate videos) and print work. Money at this point is $250 - $600 a job depending on the city you live in and what the going rates are for makeup/hair people. Again, you will get more jobs and make more money if you also do hair. For film work, you'll usually do makeup only, but not at first. At first, work on any student film, independent, ANYTHING you can. Work for no/low money until you are good at what you do. And you will be expected to do character work, read and breakdown a script, and have a working knowledge of all the film type paperwork that you'll get thrown at you from the production company that hires you. This takes learning from either film school, or makeup school film classes. In film, you will be paid by the week or project, unless you are a "day player" and then you will be paid by the day usually between $18 and $30 per hour.

Special effects makeup requires knowledge of sculpture, chemicals, latex prosthetics, possibly computer graphics. Schooling is usually required, you will work in a "shop or lab" type environment and on a movie set if you are lucky to get to apply the prosthetic appliances. Remember there are only a portion of films shot with effects, so work will be fun but sporadic.

Theater makeup artistry including Opera requires knowledge of making characters large on stage so that the audience in the upper balcony can still see the performer's expressions. Many colleges teach theater makeup so you can at least get a feel for this type of makeup. It will probably include aging, bald caps, making a face mask and sculpting prosthetic appliances.

Don't forget about Mortuary makeup. It can be a loving experience for the grieving families. Check with mortuaries and mortuary schools. Some require certification, some don't.

For Private lessons from various makeup artists around the country:Makeuplessons.com 

Private lessons with Davida in Colorado

* The Makeup Room offers this list as a guide only and does not endorse any particular school. It is up to the student to get all information about a school or class and make a decision for themselves based on program, instructors and price.

Schools:

Fred Segal Beauty

Westmore Academy

Joe Blasco

Make-up Designory

Empire Academy

Cinema Make-up School

Studio Makeup Academy


Greasepaint

Tobi Britton, the makeup shop

Dick Smith

Temptu Airbrush Cosmetics- NY and traveling classes

Kett Airbrush - NY and traveling classes

Outrageous Compulsive Cosmetics- NY and traveling classes

Dinair Airbrush Makeup System-LA and traveling classes

The Makeup Room - Colorado

Airmakeup Inc. Catherine Scarengille

Schools and Workshops for airbrush as well as others

Make-Up Designory (MUD)
Burbank, CA and New York, NY
www.mud.edu

Westmore Academy of Cosmetic Arts
Burbank, CA
www.westmoreacademy.com

Boca Beauty Academy
Boca Raton, FL
www.bocabeautyacademy.com

Cosmix School of Makeup Artistry
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
www.cosmixinc.com

Last Looks Makeup Academy
www.lastlooksmakeup.com

Virginia Makeup School
www.virginiamakeupschool.com

School of Professional Makeup
Toronto, ON, Canada
www.promakeupart.com

MakeGroup
Moscow, Russia
www.mosmake.ru

Alexandrio School
Thessaloniki, Greece
www.alexandrio.gr   

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