Professional Make Up and Hair

Overview:

This training programme (without academically structured term times, which would otherwise make the course a one-year duration) ensures that the teaching is constant and uninterrupted although the course that starts in the autumn does cross the Christmas break. We believe that a minimum of term breaks is important to retain concentration.

Brushstroke makes sure that students produce good portfolio evidence on all work, and we also try to find work placements for them. It is well known that Brushstroke require all tutors to be active in the industry and do not employ retired make-up artists to teach on any course. This obviously means that all training is current and applicable.

Introduction to the course and a make up artists roll within the industry

Students cover various make-up techniques for television, film and theatre environments. Working with different lighting gels and how to achieve what is expected in studio and on location.

Basic Make Up

Understanding different facial features, applying basic make up for television and film. How to work with different products, textures, choosing the right products to use.

Working with hair

Basic hair work is covered, as it is a very important part of a make up artist's role this includes Velcro and Carmen rollering, blow drying and generally building confidence in handling all types of hair.

Period Make Up and Hair work

This includes, 20's through to 60's, and 16th through to 19th century.

Wigs and Hair pieces

Working with both hair lace and acrylic wigs from our extensive wig department, blocking, maintaining, dressing into various styles and fitting. Students also learn how to attach hairpieces such as switches, clusters and backfalls.

Make-up techniques for crowd scenes and supporting artists

Students cover ways of applying make-up on supporting artists and for crowd scenes. Dirtying down (peasant's)-including teeth, fingernails and hair. How to work fast in certain situations when working on crowds and how to maintain hygiene. It is so important that students learn many different make-up techniques for television and cinema, such as make-up required for close-ups, mid- shots, and distance shots.

Theatre Make-up

Students learn different theatre make-up techniques, especially over distance that is also acceptable for the front row. This includes Geisha, Pantomime dame, Basic make-up (Cinderella), Ageing, wounds, body make-up and exaggerated beard lines, making face-lifts. How to put different hair lengths up in a stocking, bandage or net, and disguise a microphone in a wig. Quick changes within the theatre are explained in full, this includes how one would work on a plot, in the dark and working around costume changes. Safety in the theatre is covered.

Facial Hair

If your artist requires a beard or stubble for a close up shot, you would be required to apply a facial hairpiece, or lay on hair. All students learn how fit moustaches, sideburns, beards, dress them and maintain them. Straightening hair, mixing and laying it on is also covered.

Latex Ageing and applying make-up

Students learn the techniques of ageing someone in gradual stages including greying of hair, suitable for a close-up. Before applying latex to the skin all must learn the safety aspects and patch tests must be carried out. The making up of latex is also covered.

Camouflage and Body Make-up

Camouflaging birthmarks, tattoos, underwear strap marks, balancing skin tones, such as arms, shoulders, legs and nervous rash.

Make-up Special Effects

Students learn, 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree burns, bruising and the reaction of the skin to different types of implements and injuries, working out position, density and colour of bruise. Discoloration of skin due to cause of death, garrotting, slit throats, bullet holes, stitches, slit wrists, sick, whip lashes, blisters, drug addict, grazes, psoriasis, sweat, and tears. Working with gelatine, film blood, wax and gums.

1 Week Wig Making

This section of the course students learn the skills of wig fittings, measuring, making a moustache, side burns, eye lashes, weave ringlets and learn how to make a foundation for a hair peace. This section of the course gives the students a great insight to all the hard work that is involved within making and maintaining hair lace pieces and understanding the value of them. Some of our students have gone into this line of work full time and others just use these skills if needed. For example; knotting a few grey hairs around the hairline to age your artist. Although this would only be used in an emergency. Normally one would already have a suitable wig made.

SCRIPTS, MAKE-UP AND HAIR SCENARIOUS, C.V'S AND ANCILLARY INFORMATION

Being a Make-up artist doesn't just mean putting make-up on, there is a lot more involved, so students cover:

* Schedules, call times, continuity within a scene, continuity changes within a scene, continuity break downs, understanding the list of characters from a story board, budgeting, insurance, invoicing and tax..
* Projects are allocated and students are expected to research a character by visiting different places to obtain evidence to produce in a folder.
* Scenarios are allocated where students are asked to follow the story lines and transform their fellow students into particular characters, within certain time limits.
* Students also use this month to organise business cards, C.V.'s and how one approaches companies and individuals to obtain work.

A studio manager often speaks to the class for the day on all aspects of the industry and a make-up artist's role within it. This includes seeing make-ups on camera. Subject to studio availability. Students can also use this time to practice any make-ups they wish to re-do.

FOUR WEEKS PROSTHETICS SPECIAL EFFECTS

Students on this part of the course learn the safety aspects of special effects, face casting, sculpting, foam runs, preparing moulds, application of make-up, making and fitting bald caps. Our special effects lecturer who has worked on many well-known productions, is extremely creative and tries to make sure that all students achieve what they have designed or sketched (you do not need to be an artist).

Other special effect courses try to encourage students to stick to small prosthetic pieces such as ears and noses as they as easier to teach, whereas, our classes are designed to bring out the artistic side of student giving them the opportunity not only to make small pieces but larger too (see the Gallery).

Before this month takes place, our S.F.X lecturer speaks to all students individually to help and guide them with their thoughts and ideas in order for Brushstroke to provide additional materials, if needed.

THREE MONTHS HIGH FASHION AND CATWALK MAKE-UP INCLUDING HAIR

Students learn:

* Make-up for editorial, cover shots, inside magazines
* Fashion spreads hair and make-up
* Beauty make-up, both simple and extreme
* Co-ordination with hair
* Catwalk make-up with the use of strong shapes and colours, with body art from simple to strong sexy make-ups.
* Make-up for black and white editorial
* Portrait Make-up and hair, and different shapes of Make-up for catalogues, editorial, Catwalk shows
* Portrait and grooming for men.

Students learn how to understand the face, how one would decide on specific looks for what is required in the Fashion world. Learning what you as a fashion make-up artist should understand, when studying this particular make-up artistry. Researching people and famous portraits, and recreating the "look", learning to be creative and adventurous with colours and learning to know what works.

Hair is a very important factor too, it always completes the make-up and one should be capable of coping with both elements in Fashion, Catwalk, Commercials etc.

Students also cover hands on;

* Classic Make-up for photographic sessions and working with hair.
* Stylised Make-up and hair for periods 1910 to 2007.
* Accentuated styles created by working with Carmens, perm rods, tongs, hair up and down.
* Cat shape black eyes with sexy hair styles, the use of different colours and stylised eye shapes.
* Smoky round black eyes with hair up.
* Catwalk make-ups.
* How to research make-ups for different seasons for what is required in the fashion houses.
* Working on lips, colour, shading, lip lines, highlighting, balancing and accentuating.
* Blending eye colour, different eye shapes and accentuating bone structure.
* Working with eyelashes.

When students have reached the level of accomplishing all techniques taught so far, the Fashion lecturer expects "full looks" to be produced such as:

* Catwalk
* Natural
* Period
* Photographic
* Sexy looks

Being absolutely 100% perfect when applying Fashion make-up is a must. Students must learn to take criticism to enable themselves to learn if they want to succeed and have good portfolio evidence - like our tutor who works world wide for well known fashion houses. The same applies to Commercials for those who wish to enter that area.

HDTV

Students learn make up techniques for High Definition Television sensitivity for camera.

HAIR CUTTING

Hair cutting includes sectioning 2/4/6/9, cutting one length also with shape, cutting a bob, long layers, basic layers, graduation, styling, blow drying long and short with vent, round and Denman brushes. graduation, tapering, scissors over comb, texturing, splicing, razoring, clipper work with guard and free hand.

Students also cover first aid and sterilisation.

HAIR EXTENTIONS

Students learn how to apply a full head of professional hair extensions (which last three months). Students are not obliged to have this done on their own hair.

AIRBRUSHING

Airbrushing is another way of applying make-up, some established make-up artists like this method, others do not. Although one may not need to use this technique all the time, it is still good to learn and see the effects. Examples of airbrushing can be foundations, eyes, cheeks and tattooing.