Becoming a professional make-up artist is an excellent opportunity for make-up lovers. The booming make-up industry opens up a wide range of job opportunities for both men and women across the globe. One can work on a television set, create such a realistic murder scene that the audience watching can feel the pain, creating the most horrific visual cuts and wounds.
From the theatre to the runway, make-up artists play such an important role in our everyday lives which has grown into a billion-dollar industry over the years. In this day and age, no bride would dare to walk down the aisle on her special day without being touched by the magic wand of a professional bridal make-up artist.
If you have the passion for self-expression on a live canvas and have a love for colour and cosmetics, this industry is DEFINITELY for you!
It is vital to learn theory and basic techniques first in order to create the perfect look, or even to specialize in a specific area. Some artists like the concept of working on a corpse and hence do freelance work at Funeral homes. Then there are others who are passionate about exploring with colours and art on the body, known as Body Art. There is a big hype around Body Art these days. These Make-up artists compete in big National and International competitions, quickly becoming known for their amazing work.
My personal favorite is transforming men into women. As a make-up artist you learn all about colour, lines, angles of the face and body, texture and knowledge about how different lighting can affect the result of the make-up. This understanding is the basis of every look.
To become a make-up artist, you need to undertake a professional Make-up course at one of our Beauty Therapy Institute Campuses across the continent. We offer the Bridal, Day and Night Make-up courses, which comprise of basic make-up applications such as Day and Evening Make-up looks, as well as make up applications for special occasions like weddings and matric farewells. It also includes an aspect of various make up looks across the ages, for example: Egyptian, Renaissance and the 50’s era…to name a few.
Once this course is completed, or if you wish to delve deeper form the outset, you could progress onto our Advanced Make up Course. In this course we also cover prosthetics, body art, wounds, ageing make-up and so much more!
We make use of only the best quality products in order to allow our students to have the freedom to be creative and ability to express themselves in the most spontaneous way. The choice is between Kyrolan and Alila professional brands.
Make-up artists pride themselves in their portfolios, because this is where they showcase their skills and the diversity of the make-up artistry that they offer. Updating your portfolio as hard copy photos and on your website and social media pages on a regular basis attracts a diversity of clientele and job opportunities.
Famous make-up artist, Jeffrey Star, with his signature pale skin and love for the colour pink, used the YouTube platform and is one of the first make-up artists to publicly use new brands and critique them. He made many enemies in the process, like Kim Kardashian and younger sister Kylie. Jeffrey Star has a portfolio that dates back to 2003 with the most cutting-edge make-up styles admired by many. Have a look.
Today, in a world where technology replaces almost all careers, the make-up artist thankfully never has to be concerned about this, as the human touch is a requirement for this service. We have our products intelligently produced, but we cannot apply it all by ourselves. Thus, a make-up artist will always be in great demand and is definitely a fantastically rewarding career choice!
Written by: Samantha van Sitters
Educator at Beauty Therapy Institute Somerset West
For further information on Beauty Therapy Institute and its campuses, please contact Merril Elvey on bti@beautytherapyinstitute.co.za.
www. beautytherapyinstitute.co.za