Congratulations. If you are reading this, your passion for makeup has taken you to the stage where you are seriously considering a proper education.
So far, you have probably learned a lot from Instagram and YouTube. These platforms are great for ideas, but they cannot replace a proper, professional education.
Professional makeup education teaches you all the fundamentals you must have to become a makeup artist who can create unique looks for your clients. Instagram and YouTube focus on demonstrating speedy tips to get a look.
At a professional level, the approach is different. When you acquire a solid knowledge base, you learn how to apply each technique perfectly, choosing each one to enhance your client’s features. The end result is a perfect application, tailored to realize your unique client’s unique desires. A professional is trained to understand the client’s needs and how to translate his or her dreams into reality.
Whether you want to apply makeup at a professional level or master your own personal application, a classic education can transform your passionate hobby into usable knowledge and even a successful career. Before deciding which educational path is right for you, you have to define your career goal. I am not suggesting that you cannot work in many different areas in makeup artistry, but you should know where you want to start so that you can tailor your education to help you reach your goal quickly. After that, you can branch into many other areas, adding more education and skills as you go.
First, let’s take a look at the makeup courses QC offers:
This is a true highly detailed master class that teaches you all the techniques of makeup artistry. After learning all these skills, you can apply them in a huge variety of real-world scenarios—celebrity, editorial, bridal, trend, advertising, special effects, etc. This approach gives you all the techniques while also preparing you for developing your career in the makeup business. The course includes a unit dedicated to showing you how to build your business from the ground up.
The Makeup Artistry course is ideal for the home artist who wants to improve their techniques for personal application. This course focuses on the fundamental techniques and combines the skills so that you’ll be able to develop excellent daytime, evening and mature applications.
The Pro Makeup Workshop teaches you the advanced techniques of the industry and is the ideal follow-up to the Master Makeup Artistry Course. You will add to, and further perfect your skills in a series of challenging applications including variations of the smoky eye, limelight makeup, designing for the runway, variations on bridal application, pin-up makeup, and makeup with glitter. This course focuses on your precision and takes your master makeup artistry skills to the next level.
In the Global Beauty Workshop, five master artists will teach you their skills of the trade so that you can drive your abilities to a whole new level. You will learn the techniques and insider secrets to working on every skin tone. You will learn specialty techniques including how to achieve smoldering smoky eyes, variations on contour and highlight, high concept editorial, media makeup, and magazine cover makeup. With over a century of combined experience and over 2,000 celebrities clients between them, these master teachers will challenge you to how to surpass your own expectations.
Airbrush is a highly sought-after technique and the secret to a flawless and invisible application. It is a favorite of celebrities, brides, film and television sets, and editorial productions. This advanced skill is an excellent way to broaden your skills and command a higher rate from your clientele.
The special effects makeup course covers all the techniques necessary for you to get an entry level position on a special effects makeup team. You will learn how to do applications for old age, bald caps, zombies, frostbite, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-degree burns. You’ll also be able to achieve the looks for character creations, prosthetic application, wounds, bruises, cuts, scrapes, scratches, and so much more.
This course teaches you the right techniques so that you can work with hair tools to create complete looks that perfectly complement your makeup applications. In addition to learning how to work with hot tools, you will learn to use curler sets, flat iron, and curling iron techniques. You will learn how to create updo’s, blowouts, perfect wedding styles, avant garde looks, and you’ll get the foundation necessary to create any look you can imagine.
This course gives you even more comprehensive skills. It teaches you the fundamentals of fashion including body shapes and types and how to work with them. You’ll learn how to use color, texture, pattern, shape, and placements to fully enhance a client’s features. You will also learn how to create dimension and texture in a look. You’ll know how to style brides, maternity, and mature clients to achieve their perfect look.
This course will teach you about the inner workings of the skin. You will learn how to identify skin types and conditions. You’ll learn how to use all the products and ingredients to enhance and protect the skin so that you make the most out of your makeup application. Your knowledge and skills will help bring about positive changes in your client’s skin. This course will equip you with the ability to control your makeup application’s finish and longevity so that you drastically improve your abilities and professionalism.
A portfolio is every makeup artist’s best calling card. It can mean success and make your reputation. This course will give you hands-on knowledge and the skills necessary to take stunning photos that are portfolio-ready. You’ll use the practical techniques you mastered in your previous training combined with the benefit of personalized feedback from your celebrity makeup artist tutor. You’ll know how to achieve a stunning portfolio and will leave this course with amazing images that will help you to land wonderful makeup jobs.
Now, let’s move on to the different career paths you can take and which course you should take.
Becoming a freelance makeup artist is one of the most popular career paths for new makeup artists. As a freelance makeup artist, you will open yourself up to a whole variety of career opportunities, including working with brides and private clients. You will also be able to fully control your own schedule. To set yourself ahead of the competition, having a diverse and in-depth education is a must.
Start with the Master Makeup Artistry Course to perfect the skills necessary to be a professional artist. Follow up with advanced courses like Pro Makeup Workshop and Global Beauty to take your skills even further. You’ll add new techniques to your portfolio and perfect your artistry and artistic voice. Skincare, Airbrush Makeup, and Portfolio Development will have you ready to work with any client in any situation and arm you with an amazing professional portfolio.
Makeup Brand Representative & Working at Spas and Salons
Working at a makeup counter or in a direct-to-client setting requires you to be a very knowledgeable makeup artist. You have to be prepared to answer a multitude of questions about skin and makeup while knowing an extraordinary number of techniques that will prepare you to work on a global palette.
The Master Makeup Artistry Course is an essential starting point. I would recommend following it with the Pro Makeup Workshop, Skin Care, and the Global Beauty Workshop to ensure that you have all the techniques necessary to work on all the varying features and skin tones you may encounter. You should also be prepared to recommend skin type/condition products that are ingredient-appropriate for them. Skin knowledge is essential for success in these areas. The Portfolio Development Course will help you build your portfolio with high-quality shoots. This can help you land your dream job.
Television, Film and Theater
To work in the television, film, and theater industry requires a diverse and solid education in beauty and special effects makeup. The Master Makeup Artistry Course and Special FX Course will put you on the right track, arming you with all the essential skills to step into the industry. Follow up these courses with the Pro Makeup Workshop and the Global Beauty Workshop. Here, you’ll perfect your skills and be well prepared to work on a global palette. The workshop will also challenge you with additional units dedicated to film/television and media makeup.
Hair styling is also an excellent course to consider if this area is of high interest to you. Most non-union and smaller film and television productions cannot afford separate hair and makeup teams, so they often look for artists skilled in both areas.
Runways, Photo Shoots, and Editorials
A career concentrating on the runway, photo shoots, catalog, and editorial is fast-paced and exciting, so you need to be prepared with a solid, comprehensive education. The Master Makeup Artistry Course and Pro Makeup Workshop are the essential first steps.
The more advanced Global Beauty Workshop will take your skills and abilities further, while the Fashion Styling Course will teach you the fundamental concepts of fashion. Your understanding of fashion will help you to create the looks that will complement the vision the designers, stylists, and creative teams want to achieve. Hair styling skills will also be a great asset in editorial, advertising, and catalog work. It is very common for the creative team to hire an artist who can do both hair and makeup. The added skills will help to land you the jobs you want and allow you to command a higher day rate.
You don’t know yet…
If you have no idea yet what area you want to work in, the Master Makeup Artistry Course will set you on the right path. It teaches you all the fundamental skills of makeup artistry while teaching you to put them to practice in units dedicated to all of the areas an artist might work—bridal, runway, editorial, advertising, celebrity, trend, mature, theater, film, etc. This in-depth course will help you choose your career path by getting your skills up to par and immersing you in a wide variety of real-world scenarios.
If you’re already a makeup artist…
If you are already a makeup artist, then you have several options depending on your career goals. If it has been a while since you have worked, you may wish to consider the Master Makeup Artistry Course to brush up on the basics, super-charge your creativity and learn new techniques.
Any of the advanced courses collection will help you to fine-tune your abilities and fill gaps in your current training. First, take the course that is most interesting or appealing to you. Check your local market too. If there are no Special FX artists working in the area, you could take that course and fill the gap.
No matter what area of makeup artistry you want to work in, more training is always an asset. As a professional artist, you should always be learning, innovating and practicing to keep your creative wheels greased. Makeup is a highly competitive field and it takes highly trained people to land the coveted makeup jobs. The more you learn and the more you put that knowledge into practice, the more prepared and qualified you will be to succeed in the world of beauty.
