Grad student scores cash through hobby and class

Zade Patterson sports his “Beauty and the Beast” makeup interpretation. Photo provided by Zade PattersonBy Monica Kreber
kreberm@mytjnow.com

Winthrop 2011 graduate Zade Patterson has been paid to apply stage make-up for people for different events.

The task, he said, has been given to him “multiple, multiple” times – particularly Zombie makeup at Halloween.

“It’s a very cool thing to have under a belt for quick cash sometimes,” he said.

Patterson learned such makeup techniques from a class he took while at Winthrop – a theatre class that can be taken by theatre majors and minors. He said the class is usually required for the theatre majors, but it is mostly used as an elective for others.

Patterson said the class challenges students with the basics and then goes on into more intricate techniques.

“It starts with working with shading and how it changes on a person over time (aging),” he said, “then going into basic make-up of highlights on the face, then into imitating faces of animals and other styles (clowns).”

Part of the class requires focusing on and reading facial expressions – depending on the design you want, Patterson said (for example: students learn to tell the difference between how to make an “always sad-faced” clown or “always happy” clown).

“For facial expression in general, its more about what muscles are used in the face and how to draw to heighten those muscles,” he said.

Patterson said he took the class to help “hone” his hobby – as well as assist him with his drawing ability with caricatures.

“I always loved doing animal face paint when I was really little,” he said.

Patterson also said he would encourage other theatre students to take the class.

“Unfortunately, only theatre minors and majors can take it,” he said. “ But…if you, the person, can see yourself doing something of the sort in their future to definitely take advantage of the opportunity.”

For the cash aspect, Patterson found the class to be overall helpful.

“[It’s] all about being in the right place with the right skills,” he said.