Seven, 7, seven – Oscars for makeup artist, Rick Baker. This one for The Wolfman.
I took Special Effects Makeup (SFX) training and have done a few FX. But, SFX is a lot like cooking, neither of which I enjoy. Each requires – just the right ingredients, at just the right time, cooked just long enough, and then if all goes as planned, the big reveal! It takes a love for chemistry to make a cake or a wolfman. To create a masterpiece, you can’t just throw in all of the ingredients and hope it comes out all right. I find both cooking and SFX to be tedious, time consuming, a lot of waiting and requires that I am on my feet just that much longer. I find that making people beautiful rather than monstrous is not only quicker, but more enjoyable. To accomplish beauty makeup you must employ an eye for symmetry, color, structure and style. For me, to hear, “Wow, I love my makeup.” or, “Thanks for getting rid of my double chin.” is my reward.
To be sure, on the part of the artist or the chef, there is always a breathy ‘sigh’ when it is all over. And I salute Mr. Baker and his pioneering efforts in the world of SFX for the makeup industry. He has brought us all a special recognition and our craft is respected for all the right reasons. Cheers to Oscar number seven Mr. Baker, and hopes for number eight.
Image courtesy of Makeup Magazine
