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Make-up Artists: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook

Submitted by: paula

Job Overview Performances on stage and on cameras will look less lively if the artists are not well prepared visually. The directors and managers of these artists make sure that they look good and appropriate to every event, performance and scenes at all times. This is why they hire and seek the help of the makeup artists. Makeup artists prepare performers, actors, models and the like for their performances on stage and before the camera. They take time to know the theme and motif so that every work that they do to their clients will best suit the scenario. as such they review the scripts, and consult with the directors and the producers as well as the technicians to plan with or design makeup effects for each of the individual character. They apply makeups, prosthetics ans well as build and style hair and wigs. There are many others who are adept in creating special make up effects for uncanny characters.

Education, Knowledge and Trainings Required

If you wish to establish a career in becoming a makeup artist someday, take classes in photography, arts, painting, drawing and the like as early as high school. These subjects will provide you a very good background and will prepare you adequately for the soon to be career. There are several paths to take to get to the desired career. There are many others who finished high school without any training in doing artistic make up yet have the talent to do so. The portfolio to be resented will be the basis of their employment. However, for a more formal training, vocation schools offer short courses in cosmetology and make-up artistry which will hone the skills of the aspiring artist to the area they want to pursue.

Skills and Abilities

As makeup artists, they should be versatile with their styles as well as flexible with their time. Artistic skills and the wide use of imagination are necessary. Interpersonal skills and good communication skills are needed to be able to relate well with the directors and the producers and be able to put the members of the cast at ease.

Duties

The duty of the makeup artists depends on the project that they are working with. The style of make up depends on the theme of the project.

Because of this, they first review the project, the scripts and consult with the directors and the producers on how they want the performers to look. After the assessment, they start off planning for schedule, materials and other needs of the project. They may do either a natural make up so as to cover the undesirable effects of harsh lighting to the faces of the artists, or special make up effects to those casts representing weird and unusual characters. They may also make use of some prosthesis

Earnings and Job Outlook

The salary of a makeup artist depends on the following factors: the state or location of the employer, the size of the employer, the caliber of the makeup artist and the working experience, as well as the presence of side lines or clients to take care of outside the place of employment. Some of them do freelance jobs and work for different clients in the performing arts industry. This way, their salaries are not fixed and can be unlimited depending on their ability to market themselves and their established reputation. The range of salary starts off from 13,000 U.S. dollars to 23,000 US. dollars per annum. Others may earn up to infinity or around 69,000 U.S. dollars and over. The job outlook is also good and is expected to move faster than the average for the other professions. 

Paula Hiz is a researcher and a human resource specialist who helps newly graduates, job applicants and post graduate professionals be aware of their job opportunities and available trainings for skills and practice upgrading.

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