Instructor Profile: Karrieann Sillay

“Patience, dedication and perseverance are a must in anything you do.”

Karrieann Sillay has been an instructor at Make-Up Designory’s Burbank campus since March 2007. In each of her classes, she strives to create an environment that is both regimented and fun, teaching students the value of working hard and remaining open to new ideas and inspiration.

It’s an approach honed through more than a decade working as a professional make-up artist in film, television and music videos. Ms. Sillay’s credits include films like We Are Marshall, Revenge of the Nerds (2006), The Crow: Wicked Prayer, Rollerball (2002), Heavens Fall, Slaughter Studios, Ghost Soldiers, Gacy, Elvis (CBS), and Five Fingers. She has also worked on television and music video assignments such as House of Payne, Meet the Browns, Jack of All Trades, Matrix Direct, Limp Bizkit (Eat You Alive), and Sinisstar, and with prominent actors and musicians like Anthony Mackie, Burt Reynolds, Laurence Fishburne, Ryan Phillipe, Dennis Hopper, Billy Zane, Bill Paxton, Thora Birch, LL Cool J, Rebecca Romijn, Tara Reid, David Boreanaz, Courtney Love, Limp Bizkit, Henry Rollins, LeeLee Sobieski, Colm Meaney, Adam and Daniel Baldwin, Macy Gray, and Rockets to Ruin.

Today Ms. Sillay teaches the Beauty 101, Airbrush, SPMFX (Special Make-up Effects) 201 and 301 courses, sharing her expertise in both the fundamentals and the finer points of beauty make-up, airbrush techniques, and special effects make-up, from character design and application to prosthetic construction. She also provides students with critical insights about business conduct, teaching them how to create realistic effects within a client’s budget and timeframe, how to behave on set, and the value that a professional demeanor plays in procuring future assignments.

In her free time, Ms. Sillay enjoys cooking, gardening, reading, drawing, painting, and spending time outdoors with her family and dogs. She also gains inspiration by sharing her passion for make-up with others, and observing the accomplishments that come from hard work. She advises aspiring make-up artists to stay positive and focused, adding, “Nothing in life is guaranteed. Work extremely hard every day, keep yourself open to any and all possibilities, and keep your head up.”