Keeping calm and using common sense is often overlooked in make-up artistry…
As a make-up artist you have to be ready for any creative challenge. You learn on the job and there is so much your make-up schools don’t and can’t teach you. Being calm and confident and using common sense is most of the time what you need to use on most jobs.
A job a few years ago was incredibly challenging and enjoyable. On each tricky job, you grow as an artist and it makes you feel good. You understand your tools more, your products, your strengths and weaknesses etc.
My brief was to make the male model look like a mannequin.
The initial reaction is always a bit fearful and you can wobble a bit. ‘They never taught me this at make-up school’ often pops up in our heads. Ha! Get used to it. Schools, academies cannot teach you everything, but they can instil basic principles to ensure any job you take doesn’t scare you.
The first thing I did was do research. I went and studied mannequins, put together some refs and showed the client and photographer and they made comments on what was put in front of them. Obviously it helps if they cast someone who aids the brief and it helps 100% if the photographer and creative team are all working and helping each other.
I loved doing this job as the model was fantastic and was able to position his body as a mannequin would have done. We lightened and contoured his skin and also gave it a shine so the lights would shine on it and give it a plastic look and feel. Hair was gelled down and styled to resemble a wig/hair piece and his eyes had contacts in to make him look less human.
It worked well because everyone worked together.
My hero products on that day were baby oil and my Kryolan palettes. Simple, affordable, effective,
Be ready for anything!
