EPISODE #9
This week: getting personal with Rob Povey, fashion and advertising makeup artist who seeks inspiration from the arts, environment, and subcultures.
Makeup artists inspire and find inspiration in the world around them. Models are live billboards advertising products, setting trends, evoking feelings, and creating a sense a desire/need critical for a brand to be successful. Makeup artists are the magicians working tirelessly behind the scenes to transform the models to fit the client brief.
So much in our industry is learnt from each other. Growing up as a CIS boy with a mum and sister who didn’t wear makeup, Rob wishes growing up there was a platform like TMI where artists could find out all this industry info to help our careers.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
MAKEUP AND HUMAN CONNECTION.
As makeup artists we crave human connection. One of the biggest challenges of the Covid lockdown experience was missing people, and
missing hugs! Hugging your friend, your grandma, your hairdresser – this physical expression of gratitude is something we do quite regularly.
Sure, we work with models regularly, but they’re used to getting their hair and makeup done. It’s when you work with personal clients that the real connection emerges. These type of jobs are almost like therapy sessions, you’re really helping them see themselves in a whole new light.
“Human Connection. That’s the thing I always come back to, is that I am an introvert through and through, but I really crave human connection. So I love that my job allows that.”
MAKEUP AND STORYTELLING.
Every time you do makeup on a client, you’re helping shape their narrative. The story they’re telling in that exact moment – whether it’s for a test shoot, a live shoot, on set, the runway, your makeup will set the tone (literally 😉).
Rob loves storytelling through makeup and what makes his particular makeup skills quite special, is that he marries products to the skin exceptionally well. Drawn to unconventional beauty, Rob brings a unique perspective to the industry – highly focused on the story behind every client.
“I like things that come from darkness and weirdness, and makeup is a very emotional experience for me. Makeup is less about how preachy something is, it’s more about how it makes you feel and what it tells you.
Rob Povey
”MAKEUP, TESTING & PUBLISHED WORK.
So what’s the big deal about testing and getting your work published? Well, testing is a great way to build your portfolio, learn new skills and practice new looks. Unless you have a chuck bass inheritance, testing and assisting will be your foot in the door to collaborate with other makeup artists, hairstylists and photographers on a series of images that will be mutually beneficial to all artists’ portfolios.
Pushing yourself to do test shoots (paid and unpaid) and meeting new people, gives you the competitive advantage to getting your work published. Having your work published gives you exposure to potentially meet new clients and bring awareness to your name. Being selective about which publications you want your work associated with is important too – just like having quality work in your portfolio, it says something about the artist you are and what can be expected from you.
“I didn’t just start freelancing with a long client list and exceptional look book. It took time, the first couple of years freelancing I couldn’t support myself and pay for all my bills from doing makeup alone – I’m happy to be honest about that, because transparency is so important… just keep preserving and testing and building your portfolio.”
Rob Povey