Theatrical makeup will help give an actor the real look of their character.
Theatrical productions are associated with a variety of characters, each of which needs to be portrayed to the audience through words and appearance. Costumes and makeup can help an actor convey to the audience, especially the ones in the back row, how the character's personality is really meant to be perceived as it was intended by the playwright. Hence, applying theatrical makeup is not the same as applying every day makeup for every day wear, and requires that you keep certain things in mind.
Instructions
1. Use a foundation to cover your face completely and hide blemishes, as well as to set the tone for the character's skin color. If you are a character from a sunny area, perhaps you want to use a foundation color that matches a tan. Similarly, if you are portraying a ghost, use a white foundation.
2. Apply enough eyeliner around the eye to make it seem large to the audience. Wear fake eyelashes, or apply mascara to real eyelashes to enhance the look. If you are choosing fake lashes, pick ones that are the same color as your natural lashes.
3. Use a lipliner around your natural lips to make them seem larger to the audience. Add lipstick as precisely as possible, giving your lip a perfect shape. Use bold colors, unless they are completely out of character for the part you are playing. Use lip gloss over the lipstick to add shine.
4. Limit the amount of blush you apply. Many actors and actresses tend to over-apply blush in an effort to exaggerate their facial features, but all it really serves to do is make their face look red and flushed. Apply blush only to the apples of the cheek. Smile when you apply blush so you can see exactly where the apples of the cheek are. The cheek apples will be at the height of your cheekbone. Brush the blush back towards your temples. Do not bring blush down into the center of your cheek where actors are prone to get red from hot lighting on stage.
5. Apply eyshadow that will make the eye stand out. Black is not suggested as this will blend with your eyeliner and make your eye seem too big to be natural. Using brightly-colored eyeshadow with glitter or shimmer will catch the stage lighting and reflect naturally to add sparkle to your character's eyes.
