MAKE-UP ART: A VIABLE CAREER PATH FOR UNDEREMPLOYED GRADUATE GHANAIAN ARTISTS

Abstract

This study tents to reveal that make-up art can be a lucrative avenue for undervalued Ghanaian graduate painters, demonstrating that the face or body can serve as a substrate for painters to generate income using skills acquired in academic painting programmes. Employing a qualitative single-case study design, the research used homogenous purposive and exponential non-discriminative snowball sampling to select ten participants who are Ghanaian make-up artists and painters who graduated with a painting degree over a decade ago. Primary data were gathered through interviews, audio recordings, observation, and photographs, supplemented by secondary sources, and analysed descriptively. Findings indicate high demand for make-up artistry, with practitioners unable to meet growing service needs, making the field highly lucrative. Experts from theatre, events, and multimedia industries (e.g., film directors, photographers) affirm the relevance of make-up artists across fashion, film, theatre, television, music videos, and commercials, while noting a scarcity of special effects make-up artists. Notably, individuals with strong drawing and painting skills excel in this niche. In contrast, most Ghanaian graduate painters work on inanimate supports like canvas and paper, which face low patronage in Ghana, resulting in unsold works, congestion, improper maintenance, and career abandonment due to frustration and financial constraints. Ironically, make-up art is in high demand locally. The study not only highlights this alternative avenue but also compares the tools, processes, design principles, and technicalities of make-up artistry with traditional painting, outlining striking similarities between the two fields.