Becoming a successful makeup artist requires the development of a number of key skills. They can all be developed over time with practice and persistence. Let's have a look at three of the key skills in more detail: flexibility, paying attention to detail and having a steady hand.

Flexibility

As a makeup artist you might be working in a number of situations: a fashion show, a tv studio, a hotel, a conference centre, a client's home, a ladies bathroom, and even a tiny area in the corner of a room somewhere. In addition, unless you are working in a salon or shop with set hours you're unlikely to have a fixed work schedule. A job may require being on set by 6 am in the morning or even earlier and may not end until late that night. The hours can be long and lot of time is spent waiting around, once the initial makeup is applied, to do touchups.

The ability to be flexible and 'go with the flow' is essential to your success as a makeup artist. You're not the 'prima donna' but part of the support staff and as such are expected to do your job. Do a good job but without compaining. You want to develop a reputation for your professional San Francisco wedding makeup artist but also for being easy to work with and flexible about your working conditions. If not you're unlikely to get the jobs you dream about!

Attention to Detail

Attention to detail is a must for successful makeup artists. In a number of situations you'll be asked to recreate the same look. As a wedding makeup artist you create the look in the first appointment and are expected to recreate it exactly the same on the day of the wedding. In a tv studio or on a film set continuity is vital to the success of the movie. Scenes may be shot days apart and the makeup is expected to look exactly the same at all times.

Its a good idea to take photos and write detailed notes to remind yourself of what the outcome is supposed to be each time you recreate a look.

A Steady Hand

I often think of makeup artistry as being like the work of an artist. The only difference being that you paint on a face rather than on a canvas. It's wonderful to have the opportunity to be expressive and creative in your line of work.

To be successful at applying makeup its key to have a steady hand. Practice,practice practice until you get it right consistently. Practice leads to a Successful Outcome.