Forums > General Industry > question for the MUAs

Model

theda

Posts: 21719

New York, New York, US

When doing make-up for print work, what distinguishes it from other make-up techniques. I know titanium dioxide and other sunscreans are typicall avoided because they bounce the flash a bit, but other than that, what techniques really differ?

May 13 05 10:10 am Link

Makeup Artist

Reese

Posts: 1136

Newport News, Virginia, US

GENERALLY SPEAKING:

Print/Commercial MU is lighter than Stage/Theater MU.  They use different brands as well (Ben Nye, Mehron...).

Most MUAs wish to maintain a very "natural" look to the Print/Commercial models. They use lighter easily blended cosmetics (MAC, Lancolm, Bobbie Brown...) 

Stage/Theater MU is heavy, thick - like plaster (no, not like plaster - more like ten layers of extra skin).

Print/Commercial work brings the subject very close to the discriminating eye, so the MU needs to be hardly noticible (unless one is doing avante garde).   

Stage/Theater/Showgirl MU needs to be heavy and more gaudy so that one can see it from a distance...

Then there are prosthetics...

Technique used is really sort of dependent o what the photographer and art director feel is appropriate. 

Fashion models usually have light MU - Glamour models have thick MU.

Anything in particular you wanted to know?

May 13 05 02:00 pm Link

Model

theda

Posts: 21719

New York, New York, US

Hmmm.. nothing pops out.  This goes back to a squabble I had with someone in which I basically stated that fashion and glamour make-up were not terribly difficult. He maintained that if I couldn't see the difference, it was only because I didn't know what to look for, but he couldn't tell me what to look for.

I actually started learning make-up for stage work and received some training a la drag queen ("Every contour has a shadow! Every shadow has a contour! Say it back or I'll beat you with this wire hanger!"). I'm working my way back to the natural look.

May 13 05 02:49 pm Link

Makeup Artist

Reese

Posts: 1136

Newport News, Virginia, US

Posted by theda: 
Hmmm.. nothing pops out.  This goes back to a squabble I had with someone in which I basically stated that fashion and glamour make-up were not terribly difficult. He maintained that if I couldn't see the difference, it was only because I didn't know what to look for, but he couldn't tell me what to look for.

I actually started learning make-up for stage work and received some training a la drag queen ("Every contour has a shadow! Every shadow has a contour! Say it back or I'll beat you with this wire hanger!"). I'm working my way back to the natural look.

Drag queens are the best for MU advice.

May 13 05 02:58 pm Link