Dick Smith, who was known as the "Godfather of Makeup," died at the age of 92. Dick Smith revolutionized movie makeup and make-up effects.

Rick Baker, who was Smith's protégé, broke the sad news on Twitter, saying "The master is gone. My friend and mentor Dick Smith is no longer with us. The world will not be the same."

Dick Smith was a legend in the field of special effects. He invented techniques, expanded on already-established techniques that had been used for years. Not only being in charge of how the character or scene would look on camera once it's been applied, but also helping guide in-camera movie trickery.

He started working in television as the first staff makeup man at NBC in 1945. He moved to feature films in 1962. Smith worked on film classics like "Taxi Driver," where he set the squibs for exploding bullets, made the hand that was blown off look so realistic and coordinated the blood and gore; "The Godfather," where he turned Marlon Brando into the Don in decline and look at the toll booth scene; "The Exorcist," which turned heads and stomachs alike; and "Amadeus," where he aged Tim Hulce and F. Murray Abraham 40 years in the course of a two-hour film.

Most of his best work you probably never even noticed. That was Dick Smith's genius. And he was generous with his knowledge, putting out book after book on how to do this at home.

In a January statement about Dick Smith, Makeup Artists Guild President Sue Cabral-Ebert said "Rarely have there been make-up artists with the legendary inventiveness, creativity and artistic excellence of Dick Smith. Dick's transparency and willingness to share the secrets of the craft have been the catalyst for young make-up artists all over the world to follow their imaginations and dreams."

In 2009, Smith's work in the makeup profession won him a special tribute from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts. He was given an honorary Academy Award in 2012.

Speaking to the Washington Post in 2017, in a quote I found on Fangoria, Smith said "The Exorcist' was really a turning point for makeup special effects. Dick showed that makeup wasn't just about making people look scary or old, but had many applications. He figured out a way to make the welts swell up on Linda's stomach, to make her head spin around, and he created the vomit scenes."

Rick Baker was born in 1922 in Larchmont, New York.