Makeup Tutors

Your training is in the safe but creative hands of our specially chosen tutors

Brushstroke make-up tutors are all high-achieving artists, many with major awards and nominations to their name.

Get In Touch

Makeup Tutors

Your training is in the safe but creative hands of our specially chosen tutors

Brushstroke make-up tutors are all high-achieving artists, many with major awards and nominations to their name.

Get In Touch

Our Tutors and Their Accomplishments

Our make-up tutors work across film, TV, stage, and fashion. Many of them are award-winning, all of them are accomplished artists in their own right. In their biographies, you’ll spot Hollywood blockbusters, international fashion shows, critically-acclaimed TV series, and long-running stage plays. This is a great indication of the teaching standard you can expect at Brushstroke. The international experience (and foreign language skills) of many of our make-up tutors means our students gain an even wider perspective of the entertainment industry.

Here are brief biographies of each tutor in alphabetical order within each specialist category:

make-up tutors 1 - Brushstroke

James Anda

Make-Up & Hair
(Fashion)

James is one of our make-up tutors who specialises in fashion. He travels between London and Mexico City combining his fashion work with teaching at Brushstroke and for Televisa San Angel.
More about James
A highly successful make-up and hair artist for over 25 years, James’ work most recently has been in the world of fashion. His work has featured in some of the top European magazines such as GUS, Elle, Vogue, Marie Claire, Vanity Fair, Pulp and Cosmopolitan. James has provided the make-up for the Paris fashion shows of Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent. He’s also designed the make-up for numerous international commercials such as Wella, Whirlpool 2000 and Powerade. By his own calculation, he’s worked with over 500 photographers!

Languages Spoken: English, Spanish and French

make-up tutors 2 - Brushstroke

        Bernhard                 Klinglmair

Make-Up
(Airbrush & Fashion)

Bernhard is one of our key airbrush, skin care and beauty make-up tutors. Though he has been working in fashion for many years, he has also used his considerable airbrushing techniques across film and TV.
More about Bernhard
Bernhard trained as an airbrush make-up artist in Los Angeles and has used the technique on all his work – film, TV, music and video. He has worked across pretty much every part of the fashion business: major shows in Milan and Paris for Jil Sander, Jean Paul Gaultier, Bogner and Yamamoto to brand work with Estee Lauder (Vienna and USA) and Prescriptive (Austria, Germany and Switzerland). Bernhard has also helped launch Shu Uemura in Munich, Stuttgart and Cologne. His magazine and brochure photoshoots include Cosmopolitan, Elle and Mercedes Benz as well as commercials for Telekom, Lexus and BMW. Bernhard has also worked in musicals and opera in Berlin and at the Bregenz Festivals in Austria.

Languages Spoken: English and German

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Toni Lee

Make-Up & Hair
(TV Drama & Historical)

Toni is a fully trained and highly skilled ‘all-rounder’ including hair. At Brushstroke, she works across all areas as one of our make-up tutors sharing her valuable experience based on 36 years in the business.
More about Toni
Trained in make-up at Central TV, Toni is also a qualified hairdresser. She specialises in TV drama (period and contemporary) such as Call the Midwife (series 4 to 6), Crimson fields, The Bill, Bad Education, Lewis, Inspector Wexford and Ruth Rendell Mysteries. Her film work includes Pirates of the Caribbean, War Horse and Rush.
make-up tutors 4 - Brushstroke

Barney Nikolic

Make-Up & Hair
(SFX & Prosthetics)

Barney teaches a wide range of subjects on all our courses, including special effects, prosthetics and wig making.
More about Barney
Nomination: 2016 Primetime Emmy Award (for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie or a Special) for Penny Dreadful

Nomination: 2015 Primetime Emmy Award (for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie or a Special) for Penny Dreadful (2014) 

Nomination: 2015 International Emmy Award (for outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie or a Special) for Penny Dreadful (2014) 

Barney has been working successfully as a professional make-up artist for the past 20 years. He was acting head make-up artist at the State Theatre, Hanover for 4 years then a freelance artist across Europe, creating special effects make-up and constructing masks for a wide range of projects. He lectures regularly at the international make-up artistry seminars held in Cologne, demonstrating his considerably SFX make-up skills. His film credits include Children of Men, Harry Potter (Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince, Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2), Thor: The Dark World and Penny Dreadful.

Languages Spoken: English and German

make-up tutors 5 - Brushstroke

Marella Shearer

Make-Up & Hair
(TV Drama & Historical)

Sadly, Marella passed away after losing her battle with cancer. She was an extremely talented and skilled make-up designer, winning awards for her work across film and TV. Marella worked as a tutor at Brushstroke for many years and was a wonderful influence on us all. We’ll miss her very much. Rest in peace Marella.

More about Marella
Winner: 2007 Royal TV Society (RTS) Craft and Design Award for Best Make-up Design for Marc of Cain

Winner: 2008 RTS Craft and Design Award for Best Make-up Design for House of Saddam

Nomination: 2009 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or Movie for House of Saddam and shared with our tutor Juliette Tomes

Nomination: 2009 BAFTA for Best Make-up and Hair Design for House of Saddam

Nomination: 2006 RTS Craft and Design Award for Best Make-up Design for Riot at the Rite

Marella Shearer was an award winning make-up designer who started her career in fashion working for Mary Quant and IPC magazines. She then became a make-up trainee at London Weekend TV (LWT), rising to designer, and working on a wide variety of comedy, variety and drama programmes. As a freelance designer, Marella was responsible for the make-up and hair on many different TV programmes, including: Mr Selfridge, Top Boy, Silk, Whitechapel, Marc of Cain, House of Saddam, Criminal Justice, Wuthering Heights, Drop the Dead Donkey, Vicar of Dibley, French & Saunders and Gimmie, Gimmie, Gimmie. Her work in films included: The Wedding Video, Blackwood and The Christmas Candle. She worked with many different actors including Ed Stoppard, Tom Hardy and Greg Wise.

make-up tutors 6 - Brushstroke

Catrin Thomas

Make-Up
(SFX & Prosthetics)

At Brushstroke, Catrin is one of our make-up tutors who focuses on SFX (as in ‘direct applied’). She also teaches the ‘business’ side of the make-up artist’s job, such as continuity. In addition to her teaching at Brushstroke, Catrin also works on ‘dailies’ across a variety of productions.
More about Catrin
Catrin Thomas started her career in 1989, following in the footsteps of her mother, BBC make-up designer, Marion Richards. A qualified hairdresser, she designs and teaches and has considerable experience of working on ‘continuous drama’. For example 15 months designing a series set in southern Spain; teaching a team of local people for their own soap opera in Almata, Kazakhstan; Channel 5’s Family Affairs (3 years); assisting and designing the medical drama Always and Everyone (4 years); head of department on ITV’s The Bill.
make-up tutors 7 - Brushstroke

Juliette Tomes

Make-Up & Hair
(TV Drama & Historical)

Juliette teaches make-up and hair at Brushstroke, particularly historical period and TV drama. As a freelance make-up and hair artist, she also works on contemporary productions, such as Mum, Mr Selfridge, and Drunk History.
More about Juliette
Nomination: 2009 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or Movie for House of Saddam and shared with our tutor Marella Shearer.

Juliette has been a make-up and hair artist for over 18 years, working on many British period and contemporary dramas with actors such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Anna Maxwell Martin and Tom Hardy. She also ‘specialises’ in TV sitcoms and comedy specials such as Alan Partridge, The Royal Family, Spaced and sketch shows including Mitchell and Webb, The Mighty Boosh and Drunk History.

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Adrian Rigby

Make-Up & Hair
(SFX & Prosthetics)

Adrian is a special effects make-up artist, well known at Brushstroke particularly for his masterclasses in working with bald caps.
More about Adrian
Apparently Adrian knew from a very early age that he wanted to be a make-up artist. His specific interest in SFX was prompted by his fascination for ‘monster movies’. Even in his early teens, Adrian was creating casualty simulations for 1st Aid training exercises with the St John’s Ambulance. Sheer dogged determination to have a career in make-up led to an invitation from Nick Dudman (legendary SFX make-up artist) to attend a course and then work on a Harry Potter film. More films followed: Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Thor: The Dark World, The Legend of Tarzan, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. TV includes: Law & Order UK, Whitechapel, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, Eastenders.
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Dan Frye

Make-Up (SFX and Prosthetics)

Dan Frye started his career in New York City doing makeup for Theatre and Film as a Key Makeup Artist/Prosthetic Makeup Artist.

More about Dan

After relocating to Los Angeles in 1988, he worked on films such as Terminator 2, Nightmare on Elm Street 5, Leprechaun and Ghostbusters 2 doing not only prosthetic work but also mould making and lab work.
After moving to London in 1993, he continued to work as a modelmaker, sculptor and prosthetic artist for films such as Shaun of the Dead, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Prometheus, Dark Shadows, Victor Frankenstein and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
In recent years, Dan has not only worked on projects such as Doctor Who and Game of Thrones but has taught prosthetic makeup effects in London and Belfast and makeup

make-up tutors 8 - Brushstroke

Max Payn

Make-Up (SFX and Prosthetics)

Max has worked in the TV, Film and Theatre industry for over 15 years. In that time, he has specialised not only in creature effects and makeup but has worked in costume, film making and has dabbled in animatronics and design.

More about Max

Max is an accomplished sculptor of both organic and hard-edged form. These skills have spanned makeup, creatures and costume and his most recent credits include; Men in Black: International, Spider-Man: Homecoming and Ammonite.

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Tanya Noor

Make-Up & Hair (Theatre)

Tanya has been working in the Make Up and Hair Industry for over 25 years.

More about Tanya

Tanya trained at London College of Fashion and has been an established Makeup Artist for over 25 years, working in tv, theatre, film, fashion and teaching. Currently Tanya is Head of Makeup at Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Londons West End. Tanya is a qualified academic professional makeup artist who teaches to Degree level. In conjunction with her busy career Tanya has also developed a range of set and kit bags.

Tanya has been an established Makeup Artist for over 25 years, working in tv, theatre, film, fashion and teaching. Currently Tanya is Head of Makeup at Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Londons West End. Tanya is a qualified academic professional makeup artist who teaches to Degree level. In conjunction with her busy career Tanya has also developed a range of set and kit bags called Get Set Go Bags. She has designed her wide range of set bags for the Makeup Industry which are available online and at Stockists in London, Europe and the USA.

In 2020 Danielle Shephard (2yr 2017-2019) joined the wig department at Phantom of the Opera and now works alongside Tanya and the team.

make-up tutors 8 - Brushstroke

Suzanne Nikolic

Make-Up & Hair (Wig Making Theatre)

 

 

Suzanne joins the team as a guest tutor, predominantly sharing her knowledge of traditional “postiche” techniques within the “wig-making” section of our courses.

More about Suzanne

Having retired from an extensive stage career as a classical ballet dancer in Germany, Suzanne went on to complete an internationally recognised make-up artistry degree at the State Theatre in Hanover, under the direction of Barney Nikolic – one of our own tutors at Brushstroke.

Having worked professionally within the make-up department at Hanover’s State Theatre, Suzanne went on to utilise her insight as a performing artist to join the make-up/hair department at one of Germany’s most prestigious Musical Theatre venues, “Theater des Westens” where she contributed to productions such as Les Miserables and The Three Musketeers.

On returning to the UK, Suzanne completed a degree in dance teaching, the pedagogic skills of which provide a valuable base for the tutoring she provides at Brushstroke.

Alongside her dance teaching, Suzanne remains involved within the make-up artistry industry offering stage make-up tutorials and contributing to Barney’s projects where her wig-making/hairstyling skills are required.

 

VTCT Hairdressing and Barbering Tutors

make-up tutors 8 - Brushstroke

Rachel Bartlett

Cutting & Styling

Rachel is a session hair stylist known for her braiding and avant garde work. As well as tutoring at Brushstroke, she works for magazines such as Moon and Layered Online.
More about Rachel
Rachel  works out of renowned hair salon, Taylor Taylor, in Shoreditch. She is Toni & Guy trained (as an art director and educator at the Academy) and a finalist in the 2016 Avant Garde category of the British Hairdressing Awards. Rachel is also a regular at London Fashion Week working for designers such as Henry Holland, Giles Deacon, Paul Costello and Jasper Conran.
make-up tutors 9 - Brushstroke

Richard Jones

Hairdressing & Barbering

Richard owns Shortcuts Barbers in East Preston and is a key tutor on our 1 Year Hairdressing and Barbering course.
More about Richard
Richard trained as a hairdresser and barber at Barnfield College (Luton) and holds both teaching and assessor qualifications. He has worked in several salons as well as forging a career as a lecturer and presenter. As he says, “I have been involved in the hairdressing industry for 30 years, from business, management and training, to motivation and constant learning.”
make-up tutors 10 - Brushstroke

Michela Olivieri

Cutting & Styling

Michela Olivieri is an international hairstylist, colour technician and assessor. Toni & Guy trained, Michela has worked as an artistic director and educator at their London Academy.
More about Michela
Michela is a regular hairstylist for the London, Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks and styles hair on photoshoots, music videos and catwalk shows. As a colour specialist, Michela works closely with top brands, L’Oreal and Wella.

Languages Spoken: English and Italian

make-up tutors 11 - Brushstroke

Milo Sabariz

Hairdressing & Barbering

Milo is Toni & Guy trained and has worked for around 20 years in the hairdressing industry. He also comes from a family of hairdressers.
More about Milo
Earlier in his career, Milo worked on numerous fashion shows. His focus now is working with the main international hair companies, on editorial, catwalk, and international education. He also works as a hairstylist on TV.

Languages Spoken: English, Italian, Spanish and Catalan

make-up tutors 8 - Brushstroke

 Sarah Rose Ashbourn

Hair & Make-up 

Sarah Rose has been working in the Make Up and Hair Industry for the past 10 years. 

More about Sarah

She first qualified as a Hairdresser and then progressed into Make Up. Sarah Rose has worked on a variety of TV Programmes including Childrens TV, Light Entertainment, Contemporary and Period Drama as well as Live Sport and Current Affairs Programmes.

make-up tutors 8 - Brushstroke

Sam Aylott

Hairdressing, Styling & Colouring

Sam has worked in the hairdressing industry for over 25 years, working in award-winning London salon and theatres and as an international stylist in Doha, Qatar. 

More about Sam

Sam has been teaching hairdressing for 20 years in private and state training centers specialising in all aspects of colour, cutting, styling and avante garde looks, with an in depth knowledge of the science of hairdressing and works with top brands including Wella and Loreal.

make-up tutors 8 - Brushstroke

Michelle Garande

Afro Caribbean & Avant Garde Hair

Michelle Garande is a Zimbabwean born and West London raised Hair educator who specialises in Afro and Multi-textured hair.

More about Michelle

Michelle’s creative side grew through taking part in hair competitions from 2013 where she has won 5 Awards for Avant Garde styling and 3 Awards for Braid Stylist of the Year, she has done and still does photographic work that has been featured in hair magazines such Black Beauty and Hair magazine and Black Hair magazine.

Michelle was a finalist in the Loreal Color Trophy competition, Afro Catwalk Look Award in 2015 and 2016 as part of the Afrotherapy Salon Creative Team. Michelle officially became a Goldwell Certified Master Colourists in 2015 adding to the list of areas she specialises in becoming the salons’ color specialist.

Michelle worked on a color column doing client Color Makeovers for Black Beauty and Hair Magazine for 3 years, alongside Afrotherapy Salon Creative Director Harriet Cudjoe.

Michelle has been providing educational training for the last 4 years. In January 2020 Michelle officially launched Michelle Garande Education, providing educational training in Afro and Multi-textured hair for both European and Afro hair.

The transition from salon stylist to hair educator was a natural progression for Michelle as she has a great love for teaching and seeing others gain knowledge, skills, and experience that will help build their own careers and go to the next level.

Guest Lecturers

make-up tutors 12 - Brushstroke

Jana Carboni

Make-Up
(Beauty, Ageing & Prosthetics)

Jana started out working with some of the most talented Italian make-up designers, on international movies such as The Legend of 1900, Titus, Proof of Life, Gangs of New York, The Motorcycle Diaries, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
More about Jana
As a more senior make-up artist, Jana’s film work includes Casanova, Apocalypto, The Last Legion, Agora, Centurion, Prometheus, Romeo & Juliet, Exodus: Gods and Kings, The Martian and The Great Wall. She has worked with film stars like Sienna Miller, Kate Mara, Mackenzie Davis, Michael Fassbender, Christiane Bale and, most recently, Matt Damon. A complete make-up artist with a strong knowledge of beauty make-up, aging and prosthetics effects, Jana shares her secrets and skills of creating the perfect technique. For example, ‘laying on of hair’, a technique she used for Matt Damon’s character in The Martian.

Languages Spoken: English and Italian

Zainab Jaye

Zainab Jaye

Make-up & Hair (TV & Fashion)

Zainab is an experienced Makeup artist working in TV. She specialises in Makeup and Hair for darker skin tones. 

More about Zainab

Zainab’s lectures bring in-depth knowledge and understanding of the vast differences in skin colour, texture, and tone. She provides students with the tools and confidence to apply to make up for models of deeper skin tones. Zainab is a regular on many Live TV productions and brings much of this experience and knowledge into her lectures.

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Dennis Penkov

Make-Up & Hair
(SFX & Prosthetics)

Dennis is an experienced and very skilled special effects make-up artist and he always brings valuable insight when he lectures at Brushstroke.
More about Dennis
Nomination: 2016 Primetime Emmy Award (for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie or a Special) for Penny Dreadful

After a barber’s apprentice, Dennis completed his training as a make-up artist at the Theater des Westens in 1994. Since then, he has been a freelance special effects make-up artist. Theatre work in Berlin, Schwerin and at the Salzburg Festival followed then 6 years at the Babelsberg film studio. His TV and film credits include: Otto (the disaster film), Little Vampire, The Tunnel, OP calls Dr. Bruckner, Mr Nobody and Penny Dreadful. In 2003, he founded Skinart Make-up FX Academy, where he runs workshops and coaches in SFX make-up.

Languages Spoken: English and German

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Tina Earnshaw

Make-Up & Hair
(Film)

Tina is a regular and welcome guest lecturer giving tips and general insights into the industry. Tina started as a junior at the Max Factor salon in Bond Street, a favourite destination for big stars to get their make-up done. She went on to have long-standing relationship with Max Factor, working on commercials, posters and press for the brand worldwide.
More about Tina
Nomination: 1998 OSCAR (for the Best Make-Up) for Titanic

Nomination: 1998 BAFTA (for the Best Make-Up and Hair) for Titanic

At the young age of 21, Tina qualified as a make-up and hair designer with the BBC, just as the introduction of colour TV was creating a real need for more trained make-up artists. During the 70s, 80s and 90s, she worked as a freelance artist on fashion shoots and the top TV commercials during their peak period. A successful film career followed starting with Merchant Ivory and going on to include Titanic, Prometheus, Marney and Me, Mama Mia. Spiderman (2 and 3), The Talented Mr Ripley, Shakespeare in Love, Sliding Doors and Emma and, most recently The Martian. Tina regularly works with some of the biggest stars in the business – Cate Blanchett, Rachel Weisz, Matt Damon and Brad Pitt. She has developed her own line of make-up brushes, each one designed to do a particular job with absolute precision, and we’re delighted to offer them for sale to our students.

Careers

Fashion

Working in fashion as a make-up artist includes shows, photoshoots, online and in print.

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SFX Prosthetics

Wounds, scars, bald caps and prosthetics – welcome to the world of special effects make-up.

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Film, TV & Stage

There are endless options for makeup artists working in film and TV, from Sci-fi movie sets, to West End shows and soaps.

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Working With Celebrities

Working with celebrities means keeping their makeup and hair looking as it should – on and off-set.

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Makeup Artist Roles

There’s a range of makeup artist roles to chose from. From film and TV to stage, theater and photographic shoots – which one fits you?

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