One of the most important things you will need to do after graduating from a makeup school is to start building a solid portfolio

Your portfolio is how clients will find you and how you’ll start earning money.  Before you jump into creating elaborate highly creative makeup looks you’ll need to focus on how you intend to make money as a freelance mobile makeup artist.  You’ll also have to decide the type of clients you want to attract in order to make that money.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Here’s the biggest mistake new #makeupartists make!” quote=”Not having a clear focus on who your market is as a makeup artist is by the far the biggest mistake most new makeup artists make.”]

Enter Into The Market Quickly by Identifying Your Niche Market

Many makeup artists find that it can take years before they realize that they have been producing images that won’t earn them money in their niche market.

So how do you ensure this doesn’t happen to you?

Easy.  Before you start *testing with photographers or snapping pictures of makeup you’ve done on your friends, think about how you’ll earn money as a makeup artist. For example, your goal could be to work with private clientele such as brides and to run a successful mobile beauty business.  If this is how you choose to make a living as a makeup artist then you will need to focus on creating beautiful bridal makeup images.

Let’s say you choose to be a makeup artist who specializes in working exclusively on advertising campaigns.  If this is your dream, you’ll need to understand the steps involved in order to work on large ad campaigns.  In most major cities to get this type of work you will need to be agency represented.  Agency representation often take years to obtain but the earlier you understand the kind of images they expect to see from you the faster you can start building a revenue earning portfolio.

Don’t Make The Mistake Of Thinking You Can Do It All

Don’t be a Jack of all trades and a master of none.  

In all likelihood you love all aspects of makeup artistry and believe you can do it all.  The reality is if you want to run a successful business and earn good money, you can’t do it all.  You will need to specialize in 1 or 2 areas.  No single makeup artist works in every area of the business.  Each area of makeup artistry is like a unique animal with specific rules and regulations.

Part of Your Business Strategy Should be Determining Which Area’s of the Industry You Should Target to Make $$

You want to earn money right?  Of course you do!  Then pick 1 or 2 areas of the industry that you want to target.  Whether it’s bridal, commercial, TV, Film or SFX.  Research the successful makeup artists you would like to emulate and see how their portfolio is displayed.  See what images they promote and how they market those images for success.

Note:  Emulating isn’t copying or stealing!  Let others who have succeeded be your inspiration only.  The best way to successfully build your business is to create your own stunning portfolio using your own creativity.

Networking With The Right People Early On

I’ve always been a bit of an impatient person by nature.  So while I was still in makeup school learning the basics I decided to start contacting photographers whose work I liked.  I asked if they would like to meet for a coffee to discuss potentially testing together.  Most just ignored me. 🙁  But a few didn’t!  I was determined to start developing business relationships early on and I didn’t let a few bad seeds discourage me.  In my previous corporate life I learned it wasn’t always what you knew but who you knew that opened doors.

Do you recall in my introduction to this series that I mentioned my goal was to make money at what I love doing?

Well, in the beginning I knew I had to have a killer portfolio or I’d go broke fast.  I also knew from my research that the Toronto bridal market loved makeup artists who could produce fast, clean, natural makeup looks.  Remember that my dream was to earn money doing what I loved and I wanted to build a rewarding business at the same time.  So I began looking for others who would be able to help me create those type of images.  Images that would bring clients and ultimately make me money!

I began to understand early on that I was an asset to others who were also looking to build their portfolio with revenue worthy images.

Over time, I created little teams that grew into larger teams.  By the time I had graduated makeup school and networked successfully for about 6 months, I had some solid connections with several wedding and commercial photographers.  I also met and tested with newly graduated fashion designers who are in fact today, quite successful! 🙂

Through my initial networking I was referred to other makeup artists who I assisted.

They were far more advanced than I was at the time but I didn’t let that intimidate me.  I was paid but very little.  I wasn’t there to earn money.  I was there to learn.  I soaked up every ounce of learning I could and boy did I learn!  I watched how successful makeup artists worked, I studied their makeup kits and did anything they asked of me.  I let my ego take a back seat in order to learn from those who knew more than I did at the time.  And it paid off, big time!

[clickToTweet tweet=”Ambitious people notice other ambitious people who are motivated and want to succeed.” quote=”Ambitious people notice other ambitious people who are motivated and want to succeed.” theme=”style6″]

Before long I was testing with a variety of photographers, models and fashion stylists on a regular basis. Every time I worked on a collaborative project I pushed myself to do better.  I kept creating more and more revenue earning images and continued to develop my ‘niche market’ even further.

Pay Your Dues As They Say

When you’re testing you aren’t earning money as a freelance makeup artist.  This is the time you are investing in your business, investing in your future.  If you don’t have the time to test you can’t make a serious long term living as a freelance makeup artist.  If you’re working full time right now find the time to test outside of your regular working hours.  Note: If building a successful mobile makeup business was easy everyone would be doing it.

Vicki’s tip:  Stick with online portfolios!  Paper portfolios are rarely used any longer.

Word of caution:  

Testing is a collaboration where everyone in the team has the same goal which is to develop a portfolio that leads to paid work. When you’re “testing” no one is being paid.  If anyone in your team is being paid, you need to walk away from that collaboration because that means it’s an actual JOB.  These scoundrels will tell you to work for free for “future paid opportunities.”  It’s a lie.  No one who works for free on a job while others are being paid will suddenly find they are appreciated and have paid assignments offered to them in the future.  It won’t happen.

How I Initially Created My Portfolio:

• I researched those makeup artists who were earning money in the bridal industry in Toronto.
• In addition, I focused on those who were in the same niche that I wanted to be in (aka: clean natural makeup looks)
• As a result, I was able to develop a portfolio that demonstrated my best work concentrating on brides with natural pretty makeup looks.

Personal note and tip:  at the time I published my first website well over a decade ago I didn’t have any real brides to display.  What I did have were those ‘bridal type images’ that I had worked on with my testing teams.  I used those images initially and in no time at all I was able to start displaying my real brides.

*testing means working for free with others collaboratively with the ultimate goal of displaying your work online and as part of your portfolio.

Finally, here are some sites to help you test and network for free:

http://www.modelmayhem.com/

https://www.starnow.ca/

What are you goals as a freelance makeup artist?  What challenges are you facing?  Let me know in the comment section below.