Makeup may function as a mask, especially in Oriental theatre, where faces may be painted with elaborate colours and images that exaggerate and distort facial features. In Western theatre, makeup is used for two purposes: to emphasize and reinforce facial features that might otherwise be lost under bright lights or at a distance and to alter signs of age, skin tone, or nose shape. It is not easy to become a makeup artist. Make up artistry is the art of creating beauty, making different effects and new images. It means to be involved in great events of human lives, such as weddings, be always surrounded by beautiful and famous people, to attend fashion parties, as part of makeup jobs. If you think makeup artist is your dreams profession , then you have to undergo makeup education. There are lots of makeup artist schools that specialize in makeup education. Colleges of Beauty Therapy offer the courses of makeup or beauty therapy, teaching different kinds of makeup, such as theatrical, television etc. You will have to complete a full-time course in make-up to become a professional makeup artist. The duration and requirements differ pending makeup artist school. It`s preferable to take reputable makeup courses at a good makeup artist school, although it may involve more expenses. To become a professional artist you will have to possess such skills, as imagination, creative approach, excellent communication skills, as you will have to work with unpredictable people. You have to possess the sense of tact, either. Makeup education can be earned not only in makeup artist school. To get makeup education and complete courses in make up or Beauty Therapy is only the first step in becoming a professional artist. The most difficult is to find steady makeup jobs, gain good reputation and obtain solid work experience. You'll have to test yourself in differentent paces, such as an amateur theatre, for instance. Perhaps, at the beginning, you will have to work as a consultant for a cosmetics company, you will need to sell and advertise their new productions.You may work also at department store cosmetics' counters and apply and advertise makeup for customers. Maybe you will gain the experience doing makeup to your friends and neighbors in weddings, or in makeup artist school balls. You should be aware that majority of professional makeup artists are freelancers. They don`t have fulltime job and work on a contract basis. Usually makeup artists are employed on a piecetime basis for a single fashion show or a single film shooting session. On rare occasions these people work fulltime as makeup artists. You can find a professional makeup artist's job on TV or in films production, in fashion industry and runaway shows, in theatres, beauty saloons, hotels, magazines and in showbusiness . Makeup jobs can be demanding and rewarding at the same time. Sometimes you will have to wake up early in the morning for fashion shows and TV shooting, you will have to work indoors long hours or in nasty weather while making movies. Makeup education in makeup artist schools will make you part of big events, being surrounded by famous and interesting people. The job of makeup artist can be exciting and absorbing, especially if you are a creative person.