Stage Makeup

As seen by the picture on the cover you are led to believe this is a book about face painting and make up for theater. When in fact, yes it’s about “stage” make up… how to use prosthetics, latex and gelatins, how to glue on facial hair, hair and wigs creating likenesses to people such as Woodrow Wilson and Mark Twain. I could almost handle some of the chapters if it were in color and a how to format. But it’s not. It is mainly just writing and a few black and white photos.

I am a film-maker out of Ohio. I used to use Tom Savini's Bizarro, Grande Illusions 1, Grande Illusions 2, and Dick Smith's Do-It-Yourself guides....BUT, after meeting Tom Savini and learning that he considers this book his "bible", I checked it out for myself. WOW! This is the book to get for anyone interested in stage make-up or special effects makeup. It IS a little pricey, but for the information and detail, it cannot be beat. I consider this a companion to the ones listed above. Get em all if you can, but make sure you OWN this one!!!!!

This is the bible of stage make-up. It has wonderful step-by-step pictures so you see the process. I loved the fact that there was no flowery language to complicate learning. It caters to the beginner and the professional. If you are serious about learning the trade, this is the investment to make. This was a recommended book for me in college and it helped give me an edge over my classmates. If you don't know where to start, or would like to brush up on your technique, this is a great resource.

For both the amateur and professional, alike, Richard Corson's "Stage Makeup" is an essential resource for both the makeup artist and the performer. In my 35 years of experience in the performance industry, I have found no other single resource that is so well illustrated and written. -Ed Thurber- Marlboro Theatrical Technology

A plethora of books exist which discuss the techniques of theatrical makeup; Corson's work is undeniably the best of them all. The first edition, published in the early 1940s, set the theatrical world on its ear. No more were performers advised that a faux wrinkle was effectively portrayed by a pencil line or that the physical characteristics of standard theatrical types--butler, old maid, Irishman, and so forth--were simple matters of formula. The book would be a must-have if it explained only technique; it is its insistence that every character is unique and the product of any number of internal and external influences that makes it superb--and the one essential volume for every actor's personal library. Highly recommended

Long considered the bible of theatrical makeup, the author takes you through the step by step processes of designing makeup from the script onwards. His color system is without peer, and is extremely useful to anyone trying to sort through all the products available. Lots of illustrations, photographs, show how it's all done. Regardless of your status, whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pro, this is the single best source of general makeup procedures to own. The price may seem a bit steep, but it's well worth it. Nowhere else will you find such information organized and compiled into a neat package. And Corson's a heck of a writer: his philosophy of makeup creation and what it means for the actor is itself worth the price of the book.