The Art of Theatrical Make-up

"The Art of Theatrical Make-up" by Cavendish Morton, is an early 20th-century how-to book about makeup for the theater. The book teaches actors how to use makeup to change how they look so they can play different characters. It mixes stories from the author's own experience with clear instructions to teach a complete approach to makeup artistry and the actor’s understanding of a character. The book includes chapters about planning a character's look, putting on makeup, and the different kinds of makeup to use. Morton highlights how important it is to understand the physical look and the feelings of a character. He pushes actors to carefully study their characters and try out different looks on themselves to create a convincing part, and the images in the book show examples of how makeup can completely change someone's appearance for the stage. The book offers step-by-step instructions for techniques like changing the shape of facial features for simple makeovers to full character transformations. This book can be used as reference for actors, makeup artists, and anyone interested in theater, giving them a look into this complex and frequently overlooked art form.