Running away with the circus!

Something we would all like to do! Well I’m one very lucky person who has done just that and what a circus it turned out to be. With our classes this week, we looked at the make-up designs of Cirque Du Soliel, how the show is put together and travels around the world. After deciding on our designs, we went to task to recreate these fantastic make-ups, with some hair work to complete the looks - we were ready for show time.

We then had to do some research into what period we wanted to recreate for “period make-up into a high fashion look”. It was quite difficult to decide on the concept, but each student in the end created a make-up and hairstyle to be proud. A stylish photo for their portfolio followed, a visual record of their work - the key to getting work in the industry. The students body of images are starting to come together very well indeed.
Hair with Warren was revision time - wash, blow-dry, straighten and curl. It was a great day with lots of fine-tuning with our hair equipment.

The end of the week and term saw the students’ hand in their paper mache masks, 1st assignment and the exams both written and practical. Now it’s off on holidays for 2 weeks. Or is it! With heaps happening in the M.E.G workshop, the students will be coming in to help and learn more about foam latex runs and mould-making.

Make-up Classes go back in time!

We have had some great testimonials from our fellow make-up artists! They love the studio/workshop, our Make-up Master Classes, blog, and the work the students were producing. It is always gratifying hearing this back from your fellow artists, as we have put so much time and care into setting this all up to the best it can be.

This week the students explored the art of make-up for the 1920’s and 1940’s. Then the tricky skill of hand laying real and crepe hair, as well as working with lace hairpieces.

With our wigs preset for the 1920’s, we started off just doing the make-ups without models. It is a very intricate make-up style and not as simple as it looks. 1920’s proved a lot of fun and the short ‘bob’ hairstyles made the picture complete.
Then it was off to the great 1940’s with eyelashes, bright red lips and traditional classic brow shapes, creating a stunning beauty. Also a great opportunity to show off some good hair work and preset wigs.











A fantastic job done by all!

In art class we were exploring textures, so off outside to find leaves and rocks that we could study, feel, and take pencil rubbings of them. The students did a texture exercise using paint and then proceeded to do a make-up using the different textures discovered.

Laying of real hair with Katherine Brown on Thursday was fun and very interesting. We decided to do this as an exercise as this was what Katherine and the other Australian make-up artists were doing in Prague on ”Prince Caspian” for the Faun make-ups. She also showed the students how to apply and blend a lace front beard. Techniques like applying crepe hair and using heated tongs to create a natural look were also explored. Paramount was showing the students how to make it look real on camera, and not just look like crepe hair stuck on.
To finish this week off the students were back in the workshop helping Nick and Paul with some foam runs and doing more advanced work with their prosthetic sculptures.

M.E.G Make-up Course in Sydney continues to rise!

The week started with the students creating body art from their designs and then on to application of make-up/hair for the 1950’s and 1980’s.
On Tuesday, the very talented make-up artist Katherine Brown came in to teach the body art class. Thanks so much to all the dancers who gave their time; Kirby, Sheena, Tessa, Amarli and Ellen. It was great to see how having dancers as models, just brought the make-up to life, and we also had a great deal of fun and laughter. Katherine pulled together a great look on Kirby, while demonstrating the different techniques. Seeing the students producing such great work was inspiring to Kath and myself. They should be proud of the effort they put into their designs and final looks. They did stay to finish their work so it was a very long day….. but that’s the industry and their first time working under real pressure.

















We were still on a high for Wednesday hair class with Warren. Thanks again to our models Ashley, Kirby, Emma and Sarah. First we had to recreate the 1950’s. Our models looked like “house wives and poster girls”. With hair, make-up and clothes they all looked fantastic. Back into the make-up chair and wow 1980’s! Hair and make-up with clothes completing the look. The pressure and time frame was most important but our models left wearing our hair and make-up designs. What a buzz! Thanks to Warren again for inspiring the class so much.

On Thursday we spent the morning at AFTRS (Film & TV School) looking around their new facilities at Moore Park. Very impressive! AFTRS would like us to become involved in their productions later in the year, which is such a good experience for the students.

An enjoyable, creative week and the students just keep getting better!

Researching Films. White Bases. Paper Mache Masks

The students this week had to do their researching of films to recreate a make-up look they chose. It was not easy as they had make-up for film periods of the 1800’s and Queen Elizabeth 1.











During last weeks hair lesson they all preset their wigs and made sure that they had a costume to wear. They had to also follow their research photos of the look they had selected, and match as close as possible. For the short amount of time that we have had, and also that the boys had never picked up a make-up brush or used make-up before - the results was excellent. Also they were using a white grease base, which at times is difficult for any professional make-up artist.

In art class they did composition, which describes the arrangement of the elements of art or design, in an artwork. Using the principles of design, they then went back to the white base, this time using Aqua colours, to get used to the technique before they do their body art next week.











To finish off the week it was their last class day working on the paper mache masks – they are looking fantastic. They also spent time in the studio workshop to continue with their sculptures.

Standby and More Make-ups

It’s amazing how quickly the weeks are passing by and it’s been great to see the students evolve as artists. This week we had the fabulous Viv Mepham guest lecturing on how to conduct yourself on set and what to put in that standby kit for correct maintenance of your make-up and hair.

And most importantly how to create a no make-up look. Thanks to Corrine, an actress friend, for coming in and giving us her time. It was great to work with someone who knows what do in front of a camera.

From the no make-up look it was off to Egypt, where we had to create a traditional Egyptian character film look - all looking very dark and now able to go mad with the gold eyeshadow.

Warren showed the students how to wash and blow dry our actresses hair, then a quick make-up so that when they left the studio they felt and looked great.

To finish off the week the students worked on their paper mache masks and off into the studio workshop to continue with their sculptures.

CATS & Sculpting

The workload hit a high as students had to have their wigs pre-set and costumes prepared for their make-ups. The make-up classes this week were all about theatre, so after completing basic make-up for males & females, the students researched to create a character from the musical 'Cats'. The make-up process excited the students, again working with all the different products and foundations to achieve the look they required.

The make-ups took several hours to apply, as they also had to pre-set the hair under the wig caps so that the 'Cats' wigs would sit correctly. We had a very creative and inspiring day... oh and heaps of laughs as they all turned into CATS!




































In art class the students started looking at what they would need for their body art make-ups in three weeks. They also started their paper mache masks. They will have a couple of weeks to finish them completely and to paint them to their chosen design.

To finish off the week the students spent extra time in the MEG workshop learning prosthetic sculpture techniques to start the process of creating their three dimensional prosthetic character.

The DOP and the Make-up Artist

This week we were treated to a fantastic lesson with seasoned Director of Photography Franc Biffone. Students became more aware of the importance of good clean make-up and hair style. A camera was set up and everyone was able to view the HD monitors to first see our model without make-up, and then with make-up applied and hair styled. Lit the correct way, the students were able to see the difference that good make-up accomplishes.

It was a great learning curve for everyone. It was a fun day that went very quickly, with the students having their first real experience of doing 'Stand-by', and communicating with a DOP as a make-up artist would.