If you’re a creative person, passionate about art, colour, and beauty, you might be drawn to the idea of becoming a makeup artist. This is an incredibly rewarding and creatively stimulating career path that can take you all over the world (and even to other planets if you specialize in digital effects!).
Fortunately, with the right education and training, you can launch yourself into a vibrant career. Acquiring a makeup artist certification puts you on track for success.
Makeup Artist Training and Education
Certified makeup artists undergo specialized training in a diploma course or certificate program. There, you acquire professional knowledge and techniques essential to your future career. You refine your skills, build a strong foundation, and make valuable industry connections under expert guidance.
Upon graduation, you can proudly say you are a fully certified and trained makeup artist. This significantly boosts your credibility and will help you land your first professional makeup artistry job.
Before all that can happen, however, you need to choose a makeup artistry program. There are many courses from many different schools available. Some will set you on a path to industry greatness, while others leave much to be desired. Consequently, you must do your research beforehand.
First, you must consider the school and program’s reputation. Are they known for their excellent teachers and comprehensive course curriculum? Are their graduates sought after in the industry?
At CMU (College of Makeup Art & Design), we have prepared more than 5000 artists for exciting careers in film, television, fashion, theatre, and special effects. A fantastic makeup school provides the foundation for a successful career, so choose carefully.
Makeup Artist Certifications: Diploma Courses
Explore CMU’s specialized diploma programs! Each is designed to provide aspiring makeup artists with the skills and confidence to succeed in their fields. Our programs have successfully launched graduates into thriving careers all over the world.
Complete Makeup Artist
Our comprehensive Complete Makeup Artist Program equips graduates with versatile skills and wide-ranging expertise. Consequently, it is the most popular program at CMU.
With this intensive diploma course, aspiring makeup artists can learn everything they need to know to work in a variety of industries. It’s taught by award-winning instructors in an intimate classroom setting, ensuring that every student receives attentive guidance.
Areas of Focus:
- Fashion and editorial makeup
- Bridal and special event makeup
- Prosthetics design and application
- Film and TV special effects makeup
- Creature design
- Theatrical and live event makeup
Course duration: 35 weeks (full-time)
Comprehensive Makeup Artist
Next is our Comprehensive Makeup Artist Program. This unique course is a six-month intensive program. It focuses on the fashion, special events, film and television, and theatre industries.
Students learn makeup application and hairstyling from award-winning makeup artists in a highly creative environment. The makeup artist training is hands-on, so you graduate with a diverse skill set and the confidence to launch your career.
Areas of Focus:
- Fashion and editorial makeup
- Bridal and special event makeup
- Film and TV special effects makeup
- Theatrical and live event makeup
Course duration: 29 weeks (full-time)
Global Makeup Artist
The Global Makeup Artist Program is perfect for aspiring artists who dream of working on set with talented actors, models, and performers. Entrepreneurial minds itching to launch their own creative businesses will also resonate with this course. A 23-week program, the Global Makeup Artist course provides hands-on training in a state-of-the-art facility.
Areas of Focus:
- Fashion and editorial makeup
- Bridal and special event makeup
- Film and TV special effects makeup
- Theatrical and live event makeup
Course duration: 23 weeks (full-time)
Digital Makeup Effects Artist
This course allows you to dive headfirst into the newest and most rapidly growing field in the makeup industry. CMU’s Digital Makeup Effects Artist Program: Creature and Character Design equip you with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed.
We prepare our graduates for rewarding careers in all areas of digital effects makeup artistry. You’ll learn everything from digital and practical creature design to Photoshop and ZBrush digital sculpting from industry professionals and master sculptors at our beautiful downtown Toronto campus. This program is truly one of a kind.
Areas of Focus:
- Digital sculpting for TV and film production
- Post-production editing and SFX design
- CGI design and production
- Toy prototype design
- Photo editing
- Character and asset design for video game production
Course duration: 17 weeks (full-time)
Total Fashion Makeup Artist
For those wanting to focus on the fashion industry, the Total Fashion Makeup Artist Program will teach you everything you need to know. Through this 12-week program, you’ll gain the skills to create remarkable hair and makeup looks. We also show you how to build a portfolio that will help launch your career in the fashion industry.
Areas of Focus:
- Personal or client-based makeup artistry
- Bridal makeup artistry
- Commercial and editorial makeup artistry
- Special event or red carpet makeup artistry
Course duration: 12 weeks (full-time)
Makeup Certificate Programs
Fashion Photographic Makeup Artist
CMU’s Fashion Photographic Makeup Artist Program provides you with the foundation for a career in makeup artistry. You learn the essential tools, cosmetic knowledge, and specialized techniques required for professional fashion photography makeup application. Additionally, this course explores colour theory and skin analysis so that you can design and execute stunning makeup looks.
Areas of Focus:
- Personal or client-based makeup artistry
- Bridal makeup artistry
- Commercial and editorial makeup artistry
- Special event or red carpet makeup artistry
Course duration: 7 weeks (full-time)
Photographic and Studio Hairstyling
If hair is your passion, then this is the course for you. Our four-week intensive hairstyling certificate program teaches a diverse skill set. You learn how to work quickly, efficiently, and professionally. In addition to learning the secrets behind stunning hair looks, we ensure you know proper etiquette, appearance, communication, and sanitization.
Areas of Focus:
- Personal or client-based hairstyling
- Bridal and special event hairstyling
- Fashion and editorial hairstyling
- Red carpet hairstyling
Course duration: 4 weeks (full-time)
Creature Design
Lastly, the Creature Design Certificate Program is an intensive deep dive into designing and creating original character concepts. It focuses on SFX makeup training, including special effects sculpting. You’ll graduate with the confidence and ability to build projects for a film or television production, animation studio, museum installation, or theatrical production.
Areas of Focus:
- Digital sculpting for TV and film production
- Character and set design for video game production
- Toy prototype design
Course duration: 6 weeks (full-time)
Choose CMU for Your Makeup Artist Certification
A successful and exciting career in makeup artistry begins at CMU. Our comprehensive diploma courses and certificate programs prepare aspiring makeup artists with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in their chosen fields. Furthermore, our intimate classrooms and award-winning instructors ensure that every student flourishes.
We are the only makeup school that offers courses in all eight disciplines of makeup artistry: fashion, hairstyling, film and television, theatre, prosthetics, creature and character design, digital sculpting, and ZBrush.
To learn more about our makeup artist certification and diploma courses, call CMU at 416-968-6739 or contact us here.
