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Updated on: Monday, February 13, 2012

Not all actors or models are born with flawless skin or perfectly chiselled looks, but professional make-up can transform the girl-next-door into the proverbial swan.

TV and film make-up is quite different from fashion or party make-up. And being somewhat heavier , film make-up is different from TV make-up. Depending on whether it is a period film or horror flick you may have to use wigs, false teeth, highlights and shadow make-up for each character - maintaining the continuity shoot after shoot. If it is a thriller, materials like foam latex and gelatine are used to change the shape of the face or create lifelike scars and wounds.

Professional make-up artists research and minutely plan the make-up required for each production. The medium video - still or film - also determines the kind of make-up to be done. Makeup for the ramp is different from that for TV, and that for TV is quite different from that for films.

Although a traditional male stronghold, the number of women make-up artists in the Indian film industry is steadily rising - as in every other hitherto male-dominated field, which is a refreshing change. Besides a steady hand, speed as well as stamina to stay on your feet for long hours, imagination and appreciation of the human form are the prerequisites of a successful make-up artist.

To learn the ropes, I suggest you go for a professional course that focuses on how the camera perceives the face under different kinds of lighting. A good course in media make-up that combines both theory and practical demonstration from a reputed beauty school will help you in understanding the basics.

Incidentally, even FTII, Pune, offers course in film make-up. After that, interning under a professional makeup artist will give you the necessary confidence and hands-on experience to make your mark in the industry.

Here are some courses you could look at in and around Delhi: NIFT (www.niftindia.com) Pearl Academy of Fashion (in collaboration with London College of Fashion) (www.pearlacademy.com) Lakme Academy (www.lakmetrainingacademy.com), New Delhi VLCC Institute (www.vlccinstitute.com) Women's World International (Shahnaz Hussain's ) Lambency Chrysalis Academy of Beauty, Hair and Spa, Noida (www.lambencychrysalis.com)

Times of India

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