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Dick Smith, the Oscar-winning make up artist, has died aged 92.

After working for NBC in the years immediately after the Second World War as head of the Make Up Department, Smith, who passed away on July 30, became best known for his work on films such as Little Big Man, The Exorcist (and its sequel) and Scanners, although one of his earliest genre jobs was on the cult US soap opera Dark Shadows (as well as the movie spin-off House of Dark Shadows).

Colleague Rick Baker, mentored by Smith, noted that “There’s never going to be another Dick Smith. Dick is, without a doubt, the greatest makeup artist who’s ever going to live.” Smith was given an Honorary Academy Award in 2012 to mark his lifetime achievement in the field – the only make-up artist ever to be so honoured.