How to Create a Make Up Look for the Stage

Learn how to design a stage makeup plot for any character and show, break it down step by step, and apply it on a model. Together, we'll create Elsa Schraeder from The Sound of Music with a gothic theme to it.

Let gather our supplies we'll be needing to create the plots, step, and then model it on our actor.

Materials Needed:

Plot Map

Colour pencils

Journal

Final Plot map

When it comes to the first step it, you chose whether it can be written out step by step or drawn out with the supplies needed for the design or even both, but when it come to designing the actual plot have to follow some step so I do recommend writing your steps. When it come to writing "grab supplies" normally an actor would have their supplies ready in a packet, but if they don't. write out the supplies needed.(One Missing Step apply the falses). (:

To bring a character to life on stage or screen, makeup artists need more than just brushes and palettes—they need a makeup plot. A makeup plot is a detailed plan that outlines how each character should look, guiding the actor and artist in applying makeup consistently throughout a production. It includes notes on skin tone, facial features, special effects (like scars or aging), and any changes that happen over time in the story. With this plan in place, the actor can better visualize their transformation and ensure their makeup matches the character’s development, mood, and the overall aesthetic of the show.

Remember that the actor has a specific shade that's needed, so that's up to you whether you want to colour the shade in on the plot or leave it blank

As we can't show the gluing down of the eyebrows, we will use some colours to represent the concealer, highlight, and contour. Use colours that are close to similar to there according shade.

After setting the plot with the contouring aspect, we'll move on to the eyes and brows. We're first designing the brow, as we'll be needing the brow as a marking to where we can start plotting the eyeshadow, then add the eyeliner.

For the final step of designing the plots, you'll be doing the lips. Normally, the final step would be adding the injury, but if we don't have any injury, we just go to the lips as the final step before doing it on the model.