Courses Offered at the AMUA

In this course, you will learn key lessons in the business side of freelancing, including contracts, taxes, networking, and finding work. You will also gain insights on building websites and effective marketing on social media.

Character Design 101 teaches foundational principles of design and informs students’ perspective as an artist. In this course, students will learn to approach the world and their work from the viewpoint of a designer. By moving from tenets of design in art and functional design of objects, a foundation will be laid for seeing design in the everyday. This groundwork informs an artist’s ability to translate the written word into realized characters whose appearance translates the nuances of their life to the viewer. In teaching the logistical needs of production work and introducing the realities of collaborative design, Character Design 101 provides students with the tools necessary to begin their work at AMUA from an informed perspective.

History of Makeup at the AMUA offers a holistic view on the history of how humans have been adorning themselves for the last 50,000 or so years. We will be exploring how and why people have decorated their bodies, and how that has evolved due to technology and social change. This class offers an in-depth study of each historical period and culture from an interdisciplinary perspective. We will examine how body adornment constructs identity, class, race and gender all over the world and throughout time. We will study how hairstyling, makeup, body modification and hygiene are inextricably linked and essential to expressing “humanness.”

Introduction to Costuming at the AMUA is a foundational course intended to broaden an artist’s skill set to better prepare for jobs that may require light costume and wardrobe work. Versatility is key to employability! By becoming more well rounded artists, students will be in a position to say “yes” to a broader range of work. A team mentality is valued and goes far toward building professional relationships that thrive for decades. In nonunion work, especially live performance and music video work, being a part of the team often means being able to support a wide variety of needs. No prerequisites.

In Introduction to Drawing at the AMUA, we will be utilizing the formal principles of design to learn how to draw. The first half of the semester, we will use only black, gray and white; and in the second, we will begin to use color. This class will focus on Still Life and lighting, Perspective, and how to work from a grid, in order to produce high quality images with minimal native talent.

Introduction to Sculpting at the AMUA provides students with a vital, strong base knowledge and skill set they can build on in their future SFX courses. This course concentrates on the development of sculptural techniques and a thorough understanding of the tools of the trade, from different clay mediums to individual tool use and manipulation. By the conclusion of this course, students will have the core skills necessary to allow individual creative expression through the three-dimensional form.

Photography for the Make Up Artist teaches foundational knowledge for more successful collaboration with photographers and fosters the skills needed for artists to capture their own work effectively. Students will have access to AMUA’s professional studio equipment to explore and learn a myriad of skills to highlight their work to its fullest. Whether that be making the most of their phone camera or learning the ropes of a shooting with a DSLR, students will learn to see from a photographer’s perspective so that they are better able to complement that as a makeup artist moving forward. Students will learn to better create for photography, to become a better photographer, and to work more effectively with professional photographers!

Our Makeup Artistry course will focus on foundational makeup skills with an emphasis on manipulation of makeup application for different media, the application and contextualization of period and character makeups, as well as proper sanitary and hygiene procedures.

Advanced Makeup Artistry at the AMUA will focus on refining all aspects of a student’s professional makeup artistry. Additional techniques will be introduced as students progress through the character creation projects that will connect each of the courses taught in the other disciplines. The focus of this course will be to distill each student’s makeup application process to its best and most efficient. 

Prerequisite: Makeup Artistry 

Introduction to Special Effects Makeup at the AMUA is designed to prepare students for basic SFX work at an HD level. Students will create both two and three dimensional out-of-the-kit SFX makeups as well as learning how to build and prepare custom 3D transfers. These skills are invaluable for work in the entertainment industry, whether that be independent films, theatrical productions, or haunted house attractions. 

Special Effects Makeup at the AMUA is designed to prepare students to effectively design and create human based characters. These characters will be realized using two-dimensional painting techniques and sculpted prosthetics. Students will make their own prosthetics from start to finish including mold creation and casting, always utilizing current industry standard materials. These skills can be adapted to careers in the entertainment industry, including theatre, film, or television, or specialized for the medical industry or private business sector.

Special Effects Makeup at the AMUA is designed to prepare students to effectively design and create human based characters. These characters will be realized using two-dimensional painting techniques and sculpted prosthetics. Students will make their own prosthetics from start to finish including mold creation and casting, always utilizing current industry standard materials. These skills can be adapted to careers in the entertainment industry, including theatre, film, or television, or specialized for the medical industry or private business sector.

Prerequisite: Special Effects Makeup 

Introduction to Wig Making & Styling at the AMUA will introduce students to the basic uses of  commercial wigs and the skills necessary to utilize them, from their handling to simple period wig styling. Students will also learn the core foundational skill of wig making as they learn to ventilate by building and styling facial hair.  

This course is designed for the beginner wigmaker and stylist who would like to learn the basics of working with wigs. This introductory experience is aimed at providing students with the necessary tools to accept work that requires basic familiarity with wigs, whether that be in small local theaters or independent films and music videos. 

Wig Making & Styling at the AMUA is a 20-week course in which students will be introduced to the foundational skills of wig making as well as a brief introduction into specialty hair work including laying hair and fur. Students will not only learn to style wigs and facial hair but to build them from the ground up. These skills can be adapted to careers in the entertainment industry, including theatre, film, or television, or specialized for the medical industry or private business sector. 

Advanced Wig Making & Styling (301) at the AMUA is a continuation of Wig Making & Styling (201) with a concentration on learning the finest wig making techniques. Students will learn to build traditional wig foundations as well as how to construct full lace foundations and fully hand tied wigs. The breadth of these approaches enables students to move forward in their careers knowing how to curate and adapt their wig builds for the project at hand. Styling skills will also be furthered from WIG 201 with a strong emphasis on period accurate wig styling throughout the centuries. These skills can be adapted to careers in the entertainment industry, including theatre, film, or television, or specialized for the medical industry or private business sector. 

Prerequisite: Wig Making & Styling