Freelancer: Cher Huang

"Freelancer" casts the spotlight on individuals working as freelance artists and designers in Shanghai. CreativeHunt talks to them about the creative and commercial climate for their work in the city, the challenges they face in their field, and upcoming projects.

Cher Huang is a Taiwanese freelance make-up and hair stylist working in Shanghai. A freelance artist since 2001, her work has appeared numerous times in Vogue China, Elle, and Maxim, and she has also worked with IVIVI creating instructional make-up application videos for the internet and Shanghai taxi cabs.

CreativeHunt talked to Cher about how she got into make-up, the creative and commercial climate for the industry in Shanghai, and her personal career highlights.

Maybe you could start with a personal background. Why make-up? Maybe you could also elaborate on your specific specialization in the field -- fashion, film, TV, all of the above?

Most of my work involves magazines, TV commercials, print ads, fashion catalogues, fashion shows, and events. I cover just about every aspect of fashion and the entertainment industry that requires make-up and hair styling.

I was born and raised in Taiwan. When I was a kid, I always enjoyed drawing with my color pencils in sketch books. Drawing has always been something that allowed me to express myself and I've always been fascinated by colors. I went to art school when I was 15 and that is when my creative journey started. After I graduated from art school, I interned at a hair salon for one year, and then I started assisting an established stylist in Taiwan.

My mom is a beautiful woman and she loves to dress up and wear make-up and she used to be a beauty consultant when she was younger. She always had a lot of make-up around the house and I liked to play with it and try it on. My father owned and ran a well-known Taiwanese record company so I saw a lot of singers and artists backstage. Also, my aunt was a famous traditional Taiwanese opera singer/actress. So, from a very young age, I was always surrounded by people from the entertainment industry... still remember i always loved seeing them dressed up in fashionable clothing and wearing make-up to enhance their beauty.

I think my interest in make-up artistry stems not only from the influences of my childhood, but also from my interest in art; applying make-up on a person is like painting or drawing -- creating an art piece. There are many similarities -- knowing what colors to chose, shadowing, contouring, understanding the lines you need to work with, etc. The difference is that applying make-up means my canvas is someone's face and not a piece of paper or fabric, so you really need to visualize the colors and lines that will enhance the person's features -- you need to know how to work with their face.



How long have you been a freelance make-up artist? What lead you into freelance work?

I have been a freelance makeup artist for about eight years. After I graduated from art school, I worked as an assistant and during that time, I contacted some of my favorite magazines in order to reach their make-up artists because I admired their work. It was through this that I met my mentor and I became her assistant. During the time I worked for my mentor, I learned about what it meant to be a freelance worker and the kind of lifestyle that comes with it.

I love my job and the freedom of being my own boss and making my own schedule. While the workday is long and tiring, its also stressful with focusing on all the details work, what you achieve at the end I feel is a great sense of achievement. It makes everything worth it and very fullfilling. Being a freelance artist allows me to have a variety of jobs and much more creative freedom than many others jobs in the industry.



What sorts of jobs/clients have you had in Shanghai?

I have worked for many international brands in cosmetics and skin care, such as Estee Lauder, Kanebo, Loreal, Avon, Lancome, Aupres, Clinique, Revlon, Shiseido, and Sofina ...

I have also worked for numerous fashion magazines like Vogue China, Elle, Maxim, Modern weekly, La Perle, Ming... as well as fashion catalogues for many Chinese and western fashion labels.

Apart from fashion, I work as a personal make-up artist for Elva Hsiao, a famous
female pop star in Asia. Sometimes we tour cities in China doing promotions, concerts, and TV appearances. I also work for many mainland Chinese actors, actresses and hostesses for their events or jobs. Doing fashion shows / brand events, TV shows and commercials.

Recently in Shanghai, I have been working on photo shoots for Avon, Vogue and Maxim



How do you promote yourself and your services in Shanghai?

In the beginning, I made a point of introducing myself to people in Shanghai. I would make appointments with different photographers, magazines, and companies, showing them my portfolio. I would do testing photo shoots with photographers. This not only helped me to promote myself, but it meant I was able to do something creative with different photographers and add more work to my portfolio.

Reputation is everything and photographers introduced many of the jobs I have had in Shanghai to me. Through my work environment, I meet new people all the time. From there, I let my work speak for itself and then the word got out.

As a make-up artist, you work behind the scenes most of the time and I used to be pretty serious and quiet at work. However, two years ago, I had the opportunity work with IVIVI. I made how-to videos about putting on make-up and these were broadcasted not only on the internet, but also on those mini screens in taxis around Shanghai. This put my name out there on a broader scale and it showed my work and brought me in front of the camera.



How would you describe the commercial climate for your services? Is business booming? Are you busy?

I feel generally positive about the commercial climate for my industry. Although I think during recent times there have been cutbacks in some areas, I am still keeping busy due to the variety of work I do.

Can you elaborate on a specific job that you were hired to do that you’re proud of? A resume highlight?

There are many. But, the first edition of Vogue China was probably one of the most memorable. I was very proud to get the job to work with a great team of inspirational designers, artists, and photographers at the top of their fields from all over Asia. They were very professional and friendly people. It was definitely a good experience I have had.



What are the biggest challenges about freelancing in Shanghai?

Shanghai is a big city and my industry is very competitive. I believe it will keep getting more and more competitive, because more and more people are coming here. Since it is an international city, you not only have to compete with local artists, but also with foreign artists. Another challenge is due to unstable market prices, which will take some time to stabilize. You have to be good to stand out above the rest...



What advice would you have to someone entering the field?

You have to be passionate about the job and very patient. The most important skill to have is to be able to observe and understand the clients, the way they work, what they want from the job, and what details are important to them. You need to gauge people's reactions, always stay calm and react fast to any situations that arise. You need to practice and practice, if you want to be good at the skills. A positive, confident approach is important as freelance work can be unstable and you need to build a good portfolio to develop a good reputation so that people want to work with you. Many jobs come through from your reputation alone.

Set up a clear goal for yourself, both for the long and short term. It will be hard in the beginning, you may fail and have some bad experiences, but you need to keep a positive attitude, learn from your mistakes and go step by step.

Finally, enjoy your work and, remember, first impressions are important... NEVER be late for a job or interview and, ALWAYS be prepared!