This technical and fun course is for anyone who’s interested in creating special make up effects for theatre performances and TV.
You’ll learn how to create special effects make up and practice applying prosthetics effectively; you can have little or no previous make up experience and still achieve realistic results.
Create life-like ageing, wounds, bruising, burns, scars and even delve into fantasy make up for zombies and creatures.
It’s ideal if you are considering further studies and wish to start your portfolio with a unique and innovative special effect and make up design project.
On this course, you’ll design and create a character, producing a make up look that could be used in a scene on stage or screen.
Looking at anatomy of the face; from bones and muscles to analysing the structure of the skin, you’ll start the course by designing and making a flat sculpture of a casualty, injury, or fantasy facial feature.
Using your sculpture, you’ll make a mould and a prosthetic and get practical hands-on experience applying gelatine your prosthetic on the body.
Observing professional artists’ work, you’ll learn about the process they go through in the development of a design; from initial sketches to a finished look.
During the course you will:
• create a sculpture to make into a prosthetic that reflects your individual interests
• understand the importance of industry health and safety guidelines
• learn the difference between special effects and prosthetic make up
• consider how to create a believable make up design; whether based in reality or fantasy
• work in 3D to create a model, mould and prosthetic
• complete contextual research on contemporary artists working in the industry
• work in pairs to practice applying your prosthetic to another face.
You’ll explore some of the many areas that special effects and make up artists cover including research, drawing, model making and prosthetic application.
What will you gain?
By the end of the course you’ll have the basic professional and technical techniques to successfully create special effects makeup for theatre and TV projects.
You’ll also leave with experience of working with various industry prosthetic materials and using a variety of different character makeup techniques, with lots of images to add to your portfolio.
Level: Open to all
Entry requirement: You should have an enthusiasm for make up and special effects and an interest in developing your creative and technical skills.
Where you’ll learn: You will be based in the School of Art and Design on the City Campus.
You’ll find bright studio and workshop spaces to develop your ideas and create exciting work.
You’ll also have access to our library to use outside of your short course; whilst you can’t reserve or take away books, you are welcome to use them as a resource for research and referencing.
Tutor Profile: April Green is a qualified make up artist with over 25 years of industry experience.
She’s worked on films, theatre productions and photoshoots with a passion for special effects.
April designed a professional face chart that shows make up artists all skin tones and sold by make up suppliers in London.
April has been a teacher for over 18 years in Make Up Artistry and Prosthetics.
Need accommodation?
If you’re aged 16 or 17 then you can stay unaccompanied with agreement from a parent/guardian.
Doing your Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award?
This course can count as your Gold DofE Residential.
DofE participants must book both the course and accommodation on campus for this to count towards your Gold Award.
