MUD Instructor Ashley Jackson (left) with hairstyling students

Three makeup training schools use cutting-edge curriculums to inspire their students.

Change is happening in the fascinating world of theatre makeup. Just a few years back, apprentice artists would go to a makeup-training program, learn an array of old-fashioned stagecraft techniques, graduate and create the same faces that had been seen in Broadway and regional shows for ages. Today, though, an explosion of fresh design concepts and application innovations have changed the game. A student can now develop skill sets encompassing the latest character, beauty and SFX looks, then use this knowledge proactively to achieve tremendous artistic professional success professionally. Here’s a closer look at three programs, each of which offers top-notch instruction by pioneering makeup pros.

Putting Students First
MUD (Makeup Designory) has blazed trails ever since its inception in 1997. The school's unique aim is to put students' needs first The result: MUD has grown from a cramped 800-foot classroom to lush campuses in both New York and Los Angeles, churning out alumni who are working on Broadway, around the country and in Europe.

At MUD, the classroom experience emphasizes hands-on work. After learning fundamental application skills via lecture, students begin executing techniques on their very first day of class.

"Our faculty has seen outdated makeup procedures in the industry," says Paul Thompson, MUD's director of education. "We decided we would give students what they actually needed in terms of the current skills that would get them jobs and change and adopt our teaching techniques as we need to."

A student airbrushes SFX makeup onto a model at MUD's L.A. school

Each instructor at MUD is an established makeup artist. This, according to Thompson, gives students a real advantage in observing successful work strategy. "They specialize based on what they are interested in pursuing career-wise," he explains. SFX classes are tremendously popular; other key components of the MUD program include hairstyling, a crucial skill rarely stressed to makeup students and an overall concentration on the importance of proper research theory.

What should a prospective MUD applicant bring to the table? “The most important quality I look for is desire," says Thompson. "I can teach any student how to do makeup, but that element of drive, that drive to want it, is what will set a successful student apart. When a potential student comes to me, that student is asking me to help make a dream come true—to achieve their dream of working as a makeup artist. Who am I to say that student can't achieve it?” Seeing his students apply themselves is Thompson's ultimate reward: "When I see a student finish our program, beat adversity and go on to a successful career, I love it!"

Joe Blasco teaching makeup technique in one of his school's classes

Practical Perfection
Joe Blasco’s reputation melds with his commitment to utilize and develop new artistry applications and share his expertise with the next generation. His program, the Joe Blasco Makeup Centers, established in 1976, with branches in both Hollywood, Calif. and Orlando, Fla., have produced many working artisans.

The program is particularly respected for its emphasis on practicality: Students are encouraged from the start to follow their mentor’s example when it comes to career initiative.

"Mr. Blasco began his career in his early twenties,” says Stacey Ferrari, the Orlando program's director." At the time, the makeup industry was dominated by just a handful of people, but as a budding artist, he pursued interviews and got work.”

Another important characteristic of the program is developing students' ability to work in a range of makeup styles.

"Mr. Blasco wanted to go a step beyond and offer a curriculum based on many different types of makeup training," Ferrari explains. Classes are offered in disciplines from natural beauty to old age, character, bald cap/hair work and more, plus instruction in the latest prosthetic and monster techniques.

Another unique aspect of the Joe Blasco program is its realistic emphasis on career difficulties. "Makeup is not for a moment easy," Ferrari stresses. "A job as a makeup artist means you probably won't have a set schedule, or time for family, kids or pets. You must be prepared for this kind of lifestyle. Everyone wants a guarantee that they'll get a job right after graduation, but I can't tell you that will happen.

"If a student wants it badly enough, they will do the things needed to succeed, however, that can mean taking a job that doesn't pay at first. We try to help through our e-mail program, which serves as a networking resource for former students."

Ferrari definitely sees the school's no-nonsense approach pay off: "I hear from students a week after graduation who already have their first jobs, and I'm always absolutely impressed!"

Models show off the looks from students at the School of Professional Makeup

Verve And Versatility
Makeup pro Rob Closs is well known for his diversity—he's as skilled at creating gorgeous airbrush effects as he is at hardcore bruised-and-bloody FX. Morphing makeup styles not only keeps life interesting—it’s the core message sent at Closs's training mecca, the School of Professional Makeup in Toronto. From the school's inception, Closs decided to blend educational disciplines.

“I started doing makeup in 1981, and eventually was drawn to teaching in the early '90s," Closs recalls. "Having taught facial design and technique at many different schools, I took the strengths of my different teaching experiences, the best of the best, and created our initial program in 1998." Closs approaches the role of a makeup artist from a number of fronts: designer, technician, interpreter of an artistic statement and businessperson. For example, his program stresses prosthetic work not simply from the perspective of straight-up latex craft, but from the need for an artist to communicate effectively with a crew, producer or director. Closs also likes infusing his curriculum with variety, plain and simple.

A special effects makeup design from the School of Professional Makeup

“I like to tweak the material I teach and grow the program continually,” he explains. Because the work is highly detailed, Closs looks for innately curious students.

“When a student asks, 'How does this institution differ from other makeup schools?' I know that student is prepared, and potentially, motivated,” he says. “In this industry, motivation is everything—it's all freelance work, and if you're lucky to land a job, it has to be because you're motivated to put yourself out there and know your work."

In the end, Closs wants his students to think on their feet—which he thinks is the key to any makeup artist's ultimate success:

"The industry's always changing, and you've always got to change to accommodate it."
 

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