


It's important to be able to communicate well with different people to understand their goals clearly and provide needed feedback. Communication: A good part of a movie makeup artist's day requires working closely with models, actors, photographers and other clients or customers.Creativity: Movie makeup artists need to understand the different shapes and features of a face and body, and understand how to best highlight them or camouflage them, depending on the costume needs.Portfolio: It helps to have a portfolio of your previous work to show off the quality, creativity, and breadth of your work.To become a makeup effects artist, you'll want to have a basic understanding of chemistry as many of the pieces you develop will be quite technical. Watch a number of movies and see what a makeup artist did to achieve certain looks and experiment on your own. Hands-on experience: Experiment and familiarize yourself with the wide variety of products available.You might also consider taking a class in color theory which will help you to understand the basics of color. In Los Angeles and New York, there are numerous schools that offer make up for film and television classes which will not only help you learn the craft but will introduce you to others in the industry. It's not mandatory, but it gives you a solid educational foundation on which to continue building your career. Education: Cosmetology school is an important step toward becoming a makeup artist.

Many actors and actresses develop relationships with makeup artists and often request them by name at the beginning of a project. Their first gigs are usually on student films, low budget features or television which are the perfect training ground. Many makeup artists get their start by first working as assistants on a movie set or television show. Assistant work: Becoming a makeup artist is no easy task, especially depending on where you want to work.
