there are all types of things, first do research on materials and get good at sculpting. green stuff is a good material

I took a class in it in college. You might want to check the local universities. They'd probably require you to take stage makeup first (mine did), but you'd get your first aging techniques in it.

Anyone know of a workshop or seminar (one day or other short-term) that covers fx in the SF Bay Area?? I know that Kryolan does some classes, but I don't think any are for fx makeup.

Here's the standard list of books and such:

STAGE MAKE-UP
by Richard Corson

Techniques of Three-Dimensional Makeup
by Lee Baygan

Technique of the Professional Makeup Artist
by Vincent J-R Kehoe

Grande Illusions - The Art and Technique of Special Make-up Effects
by Tom Savini

The Prop Builder's Molding & Casting Handbook
by Thurston James

Modelling and Sculpting Animals
by Edouard Lanteri

... any books or images on sculpting and anatomy you can find. Obviously the internet is a great resource!

Videos:

Mark Alfrey's Prosthetic Make-Up for Beginers - DVD
Mark Alfrey's Sculpting Movie Monsters - DVD
Mark Alfrey's Sculpting the Human Head - DVD
Mark Alfrey's Standard Molds and Castings
Mark Alfrey’s Ultimate Lifecasting Video - DVD
MovieFX Magazine - Special Effects Master Class Vol. 1 - DVD
MovieFX Magazine - Special Effects Master Class Vol. 2 - DVD

Best of luck.

T

I'd recommend Dick Smith's "Do-It-Yourself Monster Make-Up Handbook" to get started on the very basics. As an amateur, I've found it helpful, especially with the simple history of SPFX makeup, where to purchase materials cheaply, and the step-by-step guides to basic effects that can come in handy for many projects.

Have fun!

Many have listed the books out there... there are also some schools.

But the most important thing to do, is get some make up and start doing make up. Get a feel for the materials.

www.monstermakers.com has pretty much all the books, videos, and DVDs you could want... and they also sell pretty much all the supplies you need to do FX make up.

Although, I would recommend you find a local source for mold making materials like hydrocal or ultracal, because shipping them isn't cheap at all.