All of our tutors here at La Make-Up are professional, working makeup artists. Moving along that path isn’t always easy but fun and excitement are guaranteed! We had Kym Menzies Foster here in Dublin last week talking about Airbrush Make-Up. She also gave our students some inspiration for the next step in their journey.
Kym, Celebrity Make-Up Artist, has been working in the business for 20 years so things have changed a lot since she started. But a good make-up artist still needs some key skills in spite of digital photography, airbrushing and the internet. You’ll wear different hats as your career progresses; this is some of the advice which Kym gave her students.
· Be creative. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes just make sure you learn from them.
· Be artistic but remember this is a competitive industry and you’ll need to work hard on your craft as well as having great ideas.
· Be tough. In the beginning you’ll get knocked back a lot. You need to have a thick skin and just keep on returning to the agencies.
· Be friendly. Make friends with photographers and other artists; learn from them.
· Know where you want to be. There are so many areas for a make-up artist to work; film, theatre, music, fashion, bridal. Try them all at the start and then commit to the industry you love!
· Develop your people skills. Clients can be nervous, can be demanding and you need to listen, be empathic and find solutions.
· Always be professional. Learn about your products and tools. Know what suits your clients. Deliver on time.
· Ask questions. Talk to the photographer and learn how light affects your work, listen to the designers to find out what’s in trend.
· Aim high! Kym says: ‘Anything is possible if you’re pursuing your dream.’
The right advice can really help someone starting out on their makeup adventure. As Kym said we can teach you so much but then you have to jump out in the world and take on the industry on your own terms.
If you think this sounds like a challenge you’re ready for then pop in and see us on Dame Street. Beginners could start at any level from Module 3 to leave us a professional make-up artist. Just because we are all going through tough times doesn’t mean we can’t dream!
A strength of our make-up programmes in LA Make-Up is the emphasis we place on real-life professional skills. Make-up is exciting and glamorous but it’s also a very competitive industry.
