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Master the Art of Special Effects Makeup & Prosthetics

Online Prosthetics & Special Effects Makeup Courses

LEARN PROFESSIONAL TECHNIQUES WITH BAFTA-WINNING ARTIST NEILL GORTON

Discover the art of prosthetics and special effects makeup with Gorton Studio’s extensive range of online courses. Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of special effects or looking to develop your existing skills, our courses provide practical demonstrations and expert guidance from one of the industry’s leading professionals.

With over 20 courses and more than 100 individual lessons covering everything from basic prosthetics techniques to advanced creature creation, you can develop your knowledge and explore new skills at your own pace, wherever you are in the world.

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WHO ARE OUR COURSES FOR?

Whether you’re a complete beginner, an aspiring makeup artist or an experienced professional, our online courses offer something for every stage of your creative journey.

If you’re simply fascinated by the special effects seen on screen, our beginner-friendly lessons provide an accessible introduction to prosthetics, helping you explore a new creative interest and develop practical skills from home.

For students and aspiring professionals, the courses offer an opportunity to strengthen existing knowledge, practise specialist techniques and develop the skills needed to produce more ambitious work. Experienced makeup artists and prosthetics professionals can explore more advanced processes, expand their technical knowledge and discover alternative approaches to familiar techniques.

With the flexibility to learn at your own pace, you can choose the courses and techniques most relevant to your interests, abilities and ambitions.

neill gorton applying prosthetics

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?

Our online courses cover a wide variety of techniques used to create the incredible characters, creatures and special effects seen in film, television and theatre.
From sculpting and mould making to prosthetic application, painting and animatronics, you’ll discover the processes behind bringing imaginative designs to life. Learn how to create realistic facial transformations, detailed creature masks, silicone prosthetics and lifelike display pieces through step-by-step demonstrations. Our online courses cover…

• Sculpting and character design: Creating detailed makeups, characters and creatures.
• Mould making and casting: Producing moulds and casting prosthetic pieces for repeated use.
• Prosthetic application: Applying prosthetic pieces to transform actors, simulate injuries and develop characters.
• Painting and finishing: Adding realistic skin colour, texture and finer details.
• Creature creation and animatronics: Creating creature effects, masks and moving mechanical features.

With courses suitable for newcomers, intermediate learners and advanced artists, there’s plenty to discover, whatever your experience level.

TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF OUR ONLINE COURSES

WHY CHOOSE GORTON STUDIO?

Our online courses are taught by award-winning prosthetics designer Neill Gorton, drawing on his extensive experience creating prosthetics, creatures and makeup effects for major film and television productions. Each lesson provides clear, practical demonstrations designed to make even complex techniques easier to understand and follow.

Unlike providers offering individual courses at separate prices, our subscription gives you access to the entire online learning library for just £18.99 per month. With over 100 lessons available, you can explore different techniques, revisit demonstrations and continue developing your skills without being restricted to a single subject.

New lessons are added to the subscription as they become available, and with no long-term commitment, you can cancel whenever you choose. It’s professional knowledge, accessible learning and an extensive collection of practical demonstrations, all in one place.

MORE ABOUT GORTON STUDIO

FROM THE WORKSHOP TO THE SCREEN

Behind Gorton Studio’s online courses is decades of experience creating some of the most recognisable prosthetics and special effects in film and television.

Neill Gorton is a multi-award-winning prosthetics designer whose career has included work on major productions such as Saving Private Ryan, From Hell and John Wick: Chapter 4, alongside television series including Foundation, Watchmen and Doctor Who.

He is particularly well known for his work on Doctor Who, designing the creatures and makeup effects that helped bring the show’s imaginative worlds to life following its return in 2005.

Through his professional work and teaching, Neill brings a wealth of industry knowledge to Gorton Studio, offering learners valuable insight into the techniques, materials and creative processes used behind the scenes.

ABOUT NEILL GORTON

AN INSIGHT INTO THE GORTON STUDIO EXPERIENCE

START YOUR LEARNING JOURNEY

From your first prosthetic creation to advanced special effects techniques, Gorton Studio’s online courses offer the freedom to learn, practise and explore at your own pace.

With access to over 20 courses and 100 individual lessons, you can discover the techniques behind professional prosthetics and special effects makeup, wherever your creativity takes you.

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FAQS

Yes, there is plenty of content for beginners. To find it, go to the BROWSE ALL COURSES page, set the SKILL LEVEL filter on the left to NEWCOMER, and the results will display all the courses designed for beginners.

As long as you want them to. The online courses, magazine library, and combined subscriptions are rolling monthly products that you can cancel at any time, and gift subscriptions are for the duration of your choice, paid for with a single, up-front payment.

No. There is no commitment, you can cancel your subscription at any time. When you cancel, your access to the content will remain available until the date your next payment is due, at which point it will cease, and that payment won’t be taken.

Yes, our checkout accepts international currencies.

Our payment platform is Stripe, which accepts most payment cards.

Yes, you can view the courses and digital magazines on phones, mobile devices, and computers. The magazine reader has full-screen viewer mode, pinch-screen zoom functionality and page-swiping for smaller, handheld screens.

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TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT OUR STUDENTS AND CUSTOMERS SAY

DON'T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT

ONLINE COURSES

“I am definitely very happy with my subscription and grateful to have easy access to online affordable learning. The videos are super clear, easy to understand, great camera angles, we can see in detail what is being done, and your explanations cover all your hand moves and great hints. And the download transcripts are brilliant and to be able to print them and go back to them whenever needed. These videos and transcripts are excellent.”

PROSTHETICS MAGAZINE

“It’s the single best publication that focuses on prosthetic makeup. Every issue is a knockout.”

MASTER’S DEGREE

“I wanted to thank you for all the support and help throughout this amazing academic year. The immense amount of knowledge I gathered this year is unparalleled and I am extremely grateful for this opportunity.”

ACADEMIC SUPPORT

“SFX pioneers don’t come more experienced or diverse than Neill Gorton. Not only is his experience in the SFX industry as comprehensive as it gets, but his clear passion for sharing his experience, talent and common-sense approach is a rare and gracious one.”

DICK SMITH: THE GODFATHER OF MAKEUP

“If you haven’t already ordered it do so now and quickly. The complete history in text, photo and anecdote of one of the greatest Makeup Artists to ever live. A Superlative work.”

ONLINE COURSES

“All my prosthetics skills and knowledge are due to the Gorton Studio Online Courses. They were so resourceful…my skills have improved a lot, which has strengthened my work portfolio, and I am getting hired on great projects. All credit to Neill Gorton and the knowledge he has shared in his online classes.”

PROSTHETICS MAGAZINE

“Best mag on earth!”

MASTER’S DEGREE

“Brad and Neill, I wanted to let you both know that you have absolutely changed my life – coming onto this course was the best decision I’ve ever made. You have both been an endless source of inspiration throughout the year, while de-mystifying processes I never thought I would learn… my brain has exploded with new ideas, and I feel like I finally have direction. I am a huge advocate of you both & the course and your work. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

ONLINE COURSES

“I have recently purchased access to your online courses. I wish to thank you for providing these videos. These have been the best I have seen online and are such an asset to me and fantastic value. I’ve never reached out to an online provider to compliment them, so this just shows how impressed I am!”

PROSTHETICS MAGAZINE

“A must read. Best magazine in the trade, hands down!”

MASTER’S DEGREE

“Neill and Brad, I have just been reflecting upon the last year and how amazing the opportunity to study with you was…thank you. It has been a pleasure to have studied under you, and I have taken away so much from the year. Both of you were fantastic tutors, and always so patient!”

ACADEMIC SUPPORT

“Neill Gorton and his amazing team came up with a prosthetics module for us and the students always engage with every aspect of it. Gorton Studio instils the highest technical, creative and professional standards.”

DICK SMITH: THE GODFATHER OF MAKEUP

“No one has contributed more to the art of movie makeup and makeup effects than the Godfather of makeup Dick Smith. This book takes an in depth look at his career, his extensive technical innovations, and why he still inspires generations of professional makeup artists all over the world. For anyone interested in movie makeup this book is a must have.”

ONLINE COURSES

“These courses are fantastic! For someone who is new to prosthetics Neill provides a clear path from idea to final product. It’s great to have online prosthetics courses based in the UK, as the materials are far easier to obtain.”

PROSTHETICS MAGAZINE

“This magazine is beyond what I hoped it would include, from hints and tips to life stories.”

MASTER’S DEGREE

“Coming onto the Prosthetics MA has been a really positive experience, it’s allowed me to refocus my career prospects towards something I’ve always wanted to get into! My best takeaways from the course are the friends and connections I have made and learned from throughout the year and hope to work with in the future in industry.”

ONLINE COURSES

“Love the new service Neill!!! I’ve been watching the online lessons and like your magazine articles, I learn more each time I watch and read. Greetings from the USA.”

PROSTHETICS MAGAZINE

“Love this magazine, it has many helpful articles and tutorials!”

MASTER’S DEGREE

“My time on the MA Prosthetic Effects course was fantastic, and throughout the year and its three projects I was able to build a diverse portfolio and develop the skills and knowledge necessary to pursue a career in the effects industry. Coming from BA(Hons) Film, the course and its tutors enabled me to turn my interests into reality and gave me the confidence I needed to achieve my personal and academic goals. I would recommend the course to anyone who would like to do the same.”

ACADEMIC SUPPORT

“Neill is an outstanding teacher; he took us through the important areas we needed to know about, including the importance of understating the materials. He is a fountain of knowledge and gave us so many tips on all aspects of the industry. He really built our confidence and gave us an excellent foundation to work from.”

DICK SMITH: THE GODFATHER OF MAKEUP

“Outstanding service, great book, highly recommend.”