I was recently honored to be privately tutored by the world famous makeup artist, Suzanne Patterson. To those in the know, Suzanne is about as skilled as a makeup artist can get. She is known for her work with the highest caliber HD technology and special effects. She currently is about to retire, and spends her time working with select HD clients, and the military for their combat casualty simulations.
Airbrush makeup is a micronized pigment, which is sprayed directly on the skin, much like spray tanning. The advantage to having airbrush foundation over traditional foundation, is that the coverage can be very sheer to completely opaque, and the micronized pigments lay evenly on the skin (great for those with scars, large pores, or fine lines). With traditional foundation application, on an HD monitor, the skin may look slightly streaked or a bit heavy. With airbrush foundation, the skin looks like beautiful perfect skin - not makeup. Airbrush makeup is very popular for brides, as it looks lovely and natural on video and in print, and it lasts all day. No really - all day, no matter what the conditions (wait for my post about my underwater bride!).
I took a 2 day privately taught course with Suzanne on HD makeup, specifically airbrush makeup, in Washington, DC. Her workshop is completely different than all the other airbrush courses offered - most are only a few hours long and are taught by the companies selling the airbrush equiptment. Those courses are basically "buy me" siminars where they teach about the different components of their brand of airbrush equiptment, and show you only the products their company sells.
Suzanne, however, teaches a heavy hands-on workshop. I learned all the ins and outs of the airbrush equiptment (several brands of guns, compressors, and parts) and got to try several different brands of airbrush makeup. She also spent hours on color and light theory and cosmetic chemistry. Being as how I barely made a C+ in high school chemistry, it was incredibly helpful to have someone show me first hand what ingredients can be mixed together, or thinned out. While I had read all about not mixing a silicone and a water based makeup, it was helpful to see first hand what happens if I were to do so (by the way, it basically turns to cottage cheese!).
At the end of the 2 day workshop, I felt prepared to choose the airbrush system that was right for my business needs. I did not feel at all pressured to buy one particular brand over another, but was able to look at all the different systems available to me. Did I want a large compressor, or a small portable one? Did I want a water-based makeup, or a silicone-based? What makeup colors were available in each line, and do they match well to actual skintones?
I chose to go with Graftobian's airbrush system, as I perform all my services on-location. The Graftobian compressor only weighs a few pounds, so it is easily portable to my client's choice of location. The airbrush makeup colors are formulated to exactly match skintones, from the most fair to the most dark, and come in all three undertones (warm, cool, and neutral). Most other foundations only come in two undertones - warm and cool, requiring the makeup artist to mix several colors together to achieve the correct match. With Graftobian's foundation, mixing won't be as necessary.
I've worked with my airbrush system on several photo shoots and brides, and everyone comments on how light the makeup feels, and how beautiful it looks on the skin. Most of my clients also say the cool mist application is very relaxing.
I'm very excited to be able to offer this high end service to my clients. I know they will appreciate the beautiful results as much as I do!
