Award Studio

Awesome Studio!
I worked with Amy as a model and found her super professional and talented.
The students were all happy and excited about the school and the energy was great.
She provided all of us with amazing pictures for our portfolio.
I definitely recommend her!

I had a great experience shooting with Amy. I came in to get headshots for the actor portion, but was invited back the next day to do the fashion shoot as well. The girls who were taking the class were very professional, and I walked away with a lot of usable shots for my book. I would definitely go back and shoot again!

One day I was browsing the internet for places to get new headshot, when I stumbled across Award Studio. I emailed Amy Ward and she booked me in for a shoot. You get multiple professional makeup artist working on you, and of course the amazing Amy photographs you. Can I just say that my first experience was so amazing, I have returned to the studio at least 3 times and I’m booked to come in in November again? First off, the makeup students have flown in from all over the country and they are soooo friendly. I can say I’ve made a bunch of really awesome friends over the past year and a half just from there. Every time I visit, the time spent there is full of laughter and love. A bunch of people from all over the country gathered in a room to practice what they love and building their portfolios. Of course at the end we take a group picture haha. Second of all, Amy is such an amazing soul, she tries to bring out your inner beauty while photographing you and all my shots with her have gotten really good feedback :) She has awesome «locations» behind her studio, some with graffiti and fences and brick walls and a bunch of other sceneries. What else do you need? Awesome photographer, awesome locations and awesome make up artists. What else do you need?

When deciding to move to L.A. from the East coast I knew that I would need to have an extra edge in pocket to get going once I landed in the wild west. I did some research and found the Award studio and met with Amy shortly after getting here. I was impressed and grateful for the time she took to meet with me.
After day one I knew this would be a great class. The HD Media Makeup Artistry course taught me so much. Not only about makeup, the in’s and out’s of how makeup shows on film but also the business itself. Amy was so detailed and prepared with the information to which she delivered. Amy has a great working history and has worked on all sides. Her knowledge is one to be envied. I have worked on sets and projects since and I am, thankfully, always given compliments as to how my makeup shows on camera. Anyone can apply makeup, even lovely makeup, but having the education I got from Award Studio was really what has keeps the calls coming in. The course is not just in how to apply but how to find work, how to conduct yourself and how to get going. I really would feel like a little fish in a big pond without the knowledge Amy shared. The classes are fun and informational. Small and personal, they give you the feeling that you are there to really learn and have fun all while being able to take away a great deal of knowledge and know how. I would recommend this course to anyone who is wanting to get into this business. The time spent with the airbrush machine was wonderful as there are so many that can do it but don’t do it well. Amy gives you the skills to do wonderful airbrush makeup and look outside of the box for a creative way to achieve looks. I could go on and on. I can’t say enough about how wonderful this course was.

Can I just say how AMAZING this course was! I learned so much in such a short time and walked away with a confidence that usually takes years of practice in the field to get. A couple weeks after finishing the course, I worked on a music video and the first time on a set wasn’t intimidating because I was so confident in my skills. Amy is a grey teacher and the fact that she has experience behind the camera as a MUA and a photographer helps since she can see our work and know how it will look on camera ensuring that the pics will be top notch. And she was right! The pictures blew me away! Now my confidence is even better because when she says that your portfolio will speak for itself, she’s telling the truth because it totally does! I HIGHLY recommend this school and its worth every penny! Thank you so much Amy!

I just finished my course at Award Studio and I had an absolutely amazing time. I didn’t know I could learn so much in just 7 days. Amy gets right to the point of the ins and outs of business, really just what we need to become a successful Media Makeup Artist. No frills, no fluff, just really meaningful and valuable knowledge. Not only does she teach you all the techniques and tricks, but even for those who feel nervous about applying makeup for the first time were feeling comfortable by the end of the class during our photo shoot sessions.
I’ve had previous experience applying makeup to people, but I felt that this experience has taken my skills to a new level. Amy really teaches you to have an eye for what is great makeup and also teaches you to train your «mind’s eye» to see what the camera will see and what other people may not catch. It’s interesting to see the dynamic of the class because the time frame seems really short, but to my surprise if you are really just thrown into the mix and just experience what it would be like on an actual shoot, it really is amazing how fast you can get accustomed to it.
I had so much fun coming up with concepts for the models and actually styling the shoot, this is probably something that students in beauty schools would be doing in their last weeks before they graduate, if even at all. It just shows you that it doesn’t take that long to learn, it’s just about getting out there and doing it, and by taking this course you can accomplish that without paying the tens of thousands of dollars to a beauty school that doesn’t guarantee you a great portfolio. And I have to say, I am extremely excited to see my photos because they are absolutely gorgeous.
Another aspect that I really appreciated is the fact that Amy is a photographer, so as we were shooting the models I could see in her eyes envisioning the next shot and how she was going to use colors in props and natural light to capture the most flawless photos. It makes such a difference having a photographer/​makeup artist as an instructor because they see what regular instructors don’t, not to mention just her artistic nature was so inspiring to be around.
Thank you Amy for your wonderful knowledge, I had a wonderful time learning from you, it’s been truly an inspiring and valuable experience.

I took this class in May on 2013. While I learned a few things I did not know about makeup application, honestly I did not receive the education I wanted for the amount I paid.
To actually learn anything practical and applicable to the industry today, after Award I went to a school in Costa Mesa, CA. It was the school I originally wanted to go to, but I didn’t want to travel the distance, pay the higher tuition, and take 12 weeks out of my life. That is why I thought Award was such a great idea. 1 week, close to home, and about ¹⁄₃ the cost of the other school. Looking back, I should have gone there first, since I wound up there anyway and out $ 4000 for Award studio.
Feel free to email me if you’d like more information on why you should not invest time nor money with Award Studio.

To add to my previous review, Amy keeps in touch with her students even after the end of the class, and provides opportunities for work when someone from the industry contacts her for a makeup artist. She has referred me for paying work, and I couldn’t be more thankful for the networking opportunities.

As a licensed cosmetologist and largely self-​taught makeup artist, I had long wanted to take a formal course in makeup artistry; after reviewing various makeup artistry schools in the greater Los Angeles area, I decided to attend the Award Makeup Studio. I was drawn to the idea of a course that covered a lot of ground in a short amount of time, had small numbers of students, and offered the opportunity to work on ‘real’ people rather than just professional models.
I found the course to be enjoyable, informative, and an all-​around great value. Ms. Ward was prompt, professional, and warm in her demeanor and demonstrated excellent knowledge of the material she teaches. While she was helpful, she allowed the students ample time to practice on their own rather than taking over their learning to a large degree, which truly is the best way to learn. After all, makeup is quickly and easily corrected if the desired result is not achieved immediately and learning to correct one’s own work is an incredibly useful job skill.
While not a lot of time was spent reviewing aspects such as the color map, a great deal of time was spent on aspects I consider to be more important such as facial shapes and bone structure, ‘period’ makeup, and discussion of lighting. Professional models will often look good in anything, so learning these skills on the types of people with whom most makeup artists work was an excellent learning experience. (*And in my opinion, the color map is a fine place to start but can be rather limiting when determining flattering looks for people.)
My favorite aspect of this course was the airbrush makeup portion. Within an hour, I had learned to create the appearance of naturally flawless skin on just about anyone. The course is worth it for the airbrush portion alone; airbrush makeup, when done properly, will not transfer, run, irritate the skin, or look like ‘makeup’ which makes it a popular choice for brides, prom-​going teens, and men wishing to break into modeling and television as well as anyone who just wishes to look naturally flawless in any situation.
Because of this course, I have not only nearly tripled my business as a private makeup artist but I also now work for a prominent cosmetics company and I have this course and Ms. Ward to thank for it! 10 stars for this course!!!

AMY WARD. she encourages lying to clients which is unethical and a terrible teaching method. i was promised an education and what i paid almost $ 4000 for was HORRIBLE photographs with FAKE models. not only did i pay the original tuition, but the first day of class we had to pay cash for everything or a bank check. now that i think about it, its VERY SHADY. the kit i paid for was supposedly worth $ 1000. after researching the brands, i found that the only chunk of money was for my airbrush machine and kit, which was roughly $ 400. the eyeliners, eyebrow pencils and few other products were listed as a $ 1. ARE YOU SERIOUS. i did not spent my hard earned money for an education to receive terrible makeup supplies.
the” education” Amy ward lists on her websites shows a detailed outline of what we will be learning. she promised to teach individual eyelash application (which we bought our own lashes), she didn’t teach us how to apply them. we played with the same 3 colors on every model for the eyes and contour. there was no use of color, yet she expected us to use it. we spent a lot of time drawing eyebrows with pencils on paper, airbrushing paper and listening to Amy drone on about her old modeling career. no offense but i didn’t pay someone this much money to listen to them talk about themselves, from 45 years ago. all the methods Amy taught were lead through example using magazine images she ripped out, or crowding around her little computer showing the class YouTube chanel runway videos which had or crowding around her little computer showing the class YouTube chanel runway videos which had nothing to do with what we needed to learn. she wasted our time with pointless exercise and little practice with makeup for our «photo shoot» days it was completely unorganized because Amy was late to class 30 minutes all 3 days. she blamed the students for not knowing what to do, but none of us were told how to conduct the day because she never told us! she made us watch videos instead of teaching us. Amy is a terrible amateur photographer and she shouldn’t be teaching anyone anything about makeup since she obviously has no clue what she is doing!
Amy sent 78 images to all the girls in our class. she said even if we didn’t work on the «model» we could still use the image. THIS IS UNETHICAL. people were at different skill levels and i REFUSE to lie to my clients. i can’t express my DISGUST over this woman an class! she NEVER showed us how to SANITZIE our brushes (no brush cleaner was even included in our kit). for one of the girls amy handed me USED eyelashes for the model, told me it was ok AND WANTED THEM BACK AFTER– this is the most DISGUSTING thing I’ve ever heard. don’t waste your money! she is the photographer, teacher, secretary etc. no one can be organized handling teaching 10 students all by themselves. your «portfolio» promised will look HORRIBLE, and you still will have no idea how to do makeup after. i can’t believe this woman hasn’t been investigated before for her business ethics and dissatisfactory course.

I would give 10 stars to the Award Studio! I enrolled in this school because of its efficiency, a wide range of information and an impressive professional portfolio for a very competitive price, considering the skills that I was able to build. The course far exceeded my expectations!
This makeup school gave me all the tools, knowledge and skills to become a successful professional makeup artist. The course structure was dynamic, efficient and balanced. I learned more about makeup and all the intricate tips and tricks of media makeup, which I could not learn in over 7 years of «self-​teaching» with books, tutorials and practicing on friends. We had 8 hour days (minus 1 lunch hour) filled with a rich amount of information, but I never felt overwhelmed, and definitely not bored.
Amy is a classy and graceful lady with the patience of a saint with students of all personalities and backgrounds. She is very knowledgeable and attentive. Being open to learn (and without a negative and petty attitude), I got all the help I needed from her! She inspired me to explore my creativity, at the same time keeping me within clear boundaries of the precise rules of media makeup. Also, the professional makeup case was great and comprehensive — with an airbrush gun, compressor, all necessary brushes and a range of products for all skin types and tones.
Most of all, I was genuinely impressed with Amy’s passion for artistic expression. I cannot emphasize enough how valuable it was for me to experience a «real world setting» at the end of the course. I am so grateful that Amy went out of her way to arrange for models to come to the studio for three professional photo shoots. I audited a few other LA makeup schools where students practice solely on their fellow classmates and end up with just a few «point and shoot» pictures in their portfolios at the end of a costly course. In contrast, Amy invited real models and used professional equipment (with all the bells and whistles). Her talent as an experienced photographer and contacts with a professional photo lab helped us create impressive customized portfolios. It was definitely beyond my expectations to have both editorial onsite and fashion location photos in my portfolio.
This turned out to be a really lengthy review, but Amy and her Award Studio deserve every single word of praise!

Award Studio is the best decision any aspiring Makeup Artist can make! Amy Ward provides everything one would need to become very successful in the industry. I attended Award Studio about a year ago and I immediately started working after completing the corse, with the knowledge, a fully stocked kit of top of the line products, and a very impressive portfolio, it was very easy to find jobs. Amy Ward is incredibly talented and one of the most inspiring people I have ever met in my life. Award Studio changed my life!