Career Options: Makeup Artistry - Dawn Weidauer

Make-up artist Dawn Weidauer is an expert in makeup for film and photography. If you’re thinking of becoming a make-up artist, you’ll want to watch this. Dawn shares insights on what it takes to get started, traits of people who excel in the industry, and what you need to do to succeed. Dawn’s formal make-up artistry training helped equip her with the knowledge and confidence necessary to succeed.

To learn more about a career in makeup artistry, check out the video or read the transcript below.

Career Options: Makeup Artistry Transcript

What I enjoy most about my job is really connecting with people. I meet people that I otherwise probably wouldn’t meet and I’m in their space and we get to talk, at least just for a few minutes. And I honestly, I enjoy that it’s different every time I work.

Make-up artistry is just something that’s always interested me. I mostly do projects having to do with film or photography and I work with models, actors, TV personalities, and everyday people.

I think it’s really important as a make-up artist to stay current with what’s fresh and new. Perhaps that’s magazines and books or classes.

I have a college degree in communications and I went to a media make-up artistry school for my make-up training.

Make-up artists are really independent contractors and it’s more realistic when you’re starting to know that it will just be a part-time job probably for a little while as you grow your experience and your contacts.

A lot of people get started in make-up artistry by going to a school or possibly working at a cosmetics counter. I know in my experience that people that are positive and that are team-players and are helpful and kind are more successful than perhaps those that aren’t.

I kind of laugh ’cause the make-up artist ends up being the mom on set. I do make-up, I often style hair and wardrobe style also, and then I’m the one with safety pins and band-aids and a little bit of everything in my kit to take care of people on set.

My formal training in make-up artistry really gave me a lot of confidence that I knew what I was doing, that I had been trained in the specific areas of make-up artistry that are important for photography or film. It gave me a good base of knowledge as well as the confidence. I wouldn’t be where I am right now without my education.

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