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How to Do Stage Makeup for Acting

Stage makeup is different from any other kind of makeup because it needs to stand out through the stage lights in order for the audience to see the facial features. Each facial feature must be accentuated or it will be awash in the lighting, and each actor's face will look like it is without any definition. Stage makeup can take a while to complete because of the extensive application required for all areas.

Things You'll Need

  • Foundation
  • Brush
  • Eyeliner
  • Highlights
  • Powder
  • Bruise wheels
  • Makeup sponge
  • Stipple sponge
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Instructions

    • 1

      Apply the foundation with a sponge to the face to help reduce face shine that can reflect lights. The foundation can also cover blemishes and scars. Go over your face several times with the foundation so that the makeup blends together.

    • 2

      Draw a line with dark makeup from the bridge of your nose to where your nostril begins. Shade in the area between the line to the bottom of your nose. Put a small line in the crease of your nostrils, and rub it in with the sponge or your finger.

    • 3

      Shade in the cheekbones with a brush by drawing a single line along the base. Blend the makeup in with a sponge or your finger until it is a shadow.

    • 4

      Dab red from the bruise wheel around the area you are bruising with the makeup sponge. Blend the color into the skin with the back of the sponge. Dab the stipple sponge into the blue and dab it onto the bruise area. Mix in the yellow and green with the makeup sponge and dab it onto the edges of the bruise.

    • 5

      Create wrinkles by asking the person who is having the makeup put on to scrunch his face. Draw on the lines with eye liner. Have the subject raise his eyes, and then draw on the lines that are on his forehead. Draw under the jaw line and around the nostrils and edges of the mouth. Highlight the area around the lines with a flesh tone. Powder the area that you highlighted.

Stage Acting

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