what are some good things for me to get involved in makeup art

In order to become an excellent Makeup Artist, you have to gain both knowledge and experience. The easiest thing to do is go on YouTube and look up other artists and their tutorials. Critique them. Learn from them. Apply what you learn on yourself and others. The more you study and practice, the better you'll become. If you'd like to do it as a career, you do not have to go to school, but it is highly suggested. Independent Makeup Artists have a hard time finding steady higher paying jobs because they "lack" the education credentials to back up their skill. This does not mean you can't succeed as an IMA, but credentials will help. Keep a portfolio of before and after photos even when you are still learning because they can be used to show your development and your artistic skills.

Hi Kennedy

Good advice already, but something you might enjoy now is to get involved with some theatre groups. If there are any plays being put on at your school, there is always a need for someone to help with the make-up of the people on stage. So, talk to the drama teacher at your school. In my experience, drama teachers are pretty savvy about all aspects of theatrical productions, so I'm sure they will have some ideas. If your school does not have a drama department, check around to see if you have any community theaters that put on plays or musicals.

However, you're pretty young, and some places might not take you seriously, so don't be surprised; usually summer drama internships are for older students in high school or college. In the meantime, if you are really interested in a career in make-up and special effects, be sure to take art and drama classes.

In an art classes you will learn all about colors and how to mix them, how to make them "work" for special effects; you will improve your hand/eye coordination through drawing, and you'll learn about about 3-D design, which is experience you need for working on a human face/head, which is essentially a 3-D object.

In drama classes, you'll gain experience about what happens in all aspects of the theatre. I always remember when the drama teacher at one of the schools I taught at gave her lesson on make-up and special effects with make-up. The kids in her class would go around school looking very weird or scary or glamorous, depending on what kind of make-up treatment they were given by other students. If you are interested in the extreme end of make-up, like they do for movies, check out the show Face-Off on the Syfy channel. Very interesting!

Keep up with the latest make-up trends in fashion by reading fashion magazines, going on Instagram and looking for Youtube tutorials. I don't know if your parents let you wear make-up now, but you might talk them into allowing you to practice at home with some make-up products, but promise not to wear them out of the house.

Good luck!