MUA or Photoshop for fantasy skintones?

Question

I have a photoshoot upcoming which features fantasy characters who possess non-human skintones (like the characters in Hellboy). My question is... Am I better off having a make-up artist paint the models skin in red, blue etc... or should I simply photograph them without colored facepaint and try changing the skintones afterwards in Paint Shop/Photoshop?

Some will have prosthetics like spikes, horns etc. which will need to look "natural" anyway - i.e. blending into the head, arms etc.

But the skintones specifically- Is this still a job for a make-up artist?

Answer 1

Makeup artists are pros ... they know skin and all the products necessary to correctly make modifications on the structure of the face and other features.

The cost doing this post production may be the clincher for you.  I pay may retouch artist $150 per hour to make small modifications on peoples faces ... your project could take days to do after the fact.

Answer 2

It would probably be best to have the MUA at least give you a head start in the skin tone department. It doesn't have to necessarily be extreme. If you have some color there in the originals, you will have a better idea where to go if you think a little more Photoshop work is needed.  The best pics are ALWAYS the ones you don't have to manipulate.