Is there Money in the Air? Airbrush Investing 101

Pashur Airbrushing
Have you been considering buying an airbrush system, then you look at the price tag and you just about faint? Or have you been doing research and you feel lost in a sea of products? Well hopefully I can help you to decide if there is money in the air for you or if you should stick to your paint brushes.

“Airbrushing is no doubt awesome”

With one airbrush you can paint a mural, paint nails, spray tattoos, decorate a cake, tan a body, paint a car, paint a body, paint a face, and the list goes on. The main difference between painting a cake and painting a person, is the type of paint you will use. So on a big scale, airbrushing is versatile and can be extremely practical. On the flip side, the one thing you will need to consider before investing in any system is that Airbrushing involves using and taking care of equipment.

Airbrush equipment requires maintenance, setup, and take down. When we face paint we open and close our kits and can be set up in 5 minutes. After your gig you go home and clean your brushes and sponges and leave your kit until you need it again. With airbrushing, you will need to clean, unassemble your guns and blast caps, and store them where they won’t rust or get ruined. Airbrush equipment is just that, equipment. You will need airbrush guns, hoses, bottles and blast caps, an air source (either a compressor or CO2 thank), a manifold, paint/ink and a set up. Silly Farm Supplies carries a wide variety of airbrush supplies and equipment.

It takes me about 20 minutes to set up and 20 minutes takes down when I am doing an airbrush job. The thought of equipment scares some people. When I first started airbrushing and my guns clogged and my CO2 tank froze, I was almost in tears. Once you learn the basics of equipment, then airbrushing is like riding a bike.

Glori with Airbrush Tattoo

I live in sunny south Florida and our summers are miserably hot. The face painting business dies off during the summer because face paint sweats right off. I started airbrushing because, depending on the paint you are using, tattoos can be waterproof. They are a great sell for adults, teens, and for water events. I also find that they are excellent for breaking into the Quince and Bar/Bat Mitzvah market. Teens aren’t always into face painting, but they love tattoos. I also charge more for Airbrush Tattoos because they involve more set up and maintenance.

So if you ask my professional opinion, Yes I think airbrushing is worth it. You can do more volume and you don’t have to be a skilled artist to airbrush because it involves stencils instead of free hand ability. However, It will only be rewarding if you are willing to invest the time in learning maintenance, troubleshooting, and willing to clean your equipment after each use. Otherwise, I can almost guarantee you will get frustrated and I will see your system for sale on craigslist.

“What do I need to get started and what’s the difference between brands and guns?”

I will cover the basics of airbrushing and in my next blog article I will go further into airbrush brands, and break down the differences between CO2 Tanks and a Compressor.

Lymari Airbrushing

If you are planning on offering just black or single color tattoos then you can start off small with one gun and a small compressor. If you are a color junkie like myself then you will want to consider starting off with multiple guns so you can offer variety. As a rule of thumb you will want one gun per color. As the paint flows through your airbrush, paint remains inside the barrel, and if you are switching colors you will need to clean out the paint before you change colors. You can do this by spraying alcohol through the gun in between colors, but cleaning guns in between colors can be time consuming and if you are doing a tattoo with three colors, it’s not easy to clean colors and still hold the stencil in place. If you are using multiple guns then you will need a larger air source, either a compressor or CO2 tank, and you will need a manifold so you can run several airbrush guns simultaneously.

I know it seems like a lot, but it’s not. Once you get the gist of it, it’s quite simple. Having multiple guns means you can run several colors and you can work faster. You cannot just lay your airbrushes on a table like we do with face paints, they will slip off, the hoses will tangle, and generally cause more frustration. You will need some sort of holster or case to hold your supplies into place. Silly Farm Supplies carries several cases and holsters for airbrushing.

When considering airbrush compressors, you will want a compressor that has an automatic shut off control and one that is light weight. Some of the compressors you can purchase at a hardware store are loud and the motor continuously runs. You want to look for a quiet, lightweight compressor, and preferably one made for airbrushing. Silly Farm Supplies carries several airbrush compressors, all made by top brands and exclusively for airbrushing.

“Typically airbrush face and body artists use two kinds of paint”

Water based make up or alcohol based tattoo ink. Ink is waterproof and make up is not, since it is water based. For airbrush face painting I suggest make up, for tattoos I recommend ink. Ink has alcohol in it, so I avoid using it on the face as it can be hard to get off, especially for children. Make up is very similar to our face paint, the difference is it’s in the liquid form and typically contains a little bit of silicone to make it dry faster.

Top feed or bottle feed brushes? Both serve a purpose, so ask yourself are you looking to do volume or will you be doing make up/ body painting. If you are going to be doing a day of tattoos it makes sense to have a bottle feed airbrush because you will have to reload the brush faster. So, having a bottom feed brush really is beneficial when you are doing airbrush tanning, airbrush tattoos, large areas of body art, or airbrush face painting then you will most likely use a bottom feed brush. For airbrush make up, fine details, t shirts, cake decorating, and nails you will like using a top feed brush because you can use minimal amount of paint at a time.

To sum it up, airbrushing can be a great addition to your services. You can expand into new avenues of business, you can save money by tanning yourself, and you can put your teenager or spouse to work as an airbrush artist because you don’t have to be a Picasso to be able to airbrush. If you need more info please feel free to contact me anytime at Heather@sillyfarm.com. My next blog will discuss the different brands and pricing of airbrushes and the pro’s and con’s of compressors and CO2 tanks.
Happy Painting! -Silly Heather

Heather Airbrushing

Resources:
Silly Farm Supplies carries a wide variety of airbrush supplies and equipment, you can find all of our airbrush items here.
FabaTV offers online classes for everything face and body art. Take an intro to airbrush class from a experienced professional right fom the comfort of your own home.

Contracts, Cancellations, and Common Courtesy

The birthday and event business is consistently inconsistent. No matter what day of the year it is, someone will always be celebrating a birthday, a company will always be hosting an event, and our services will always be in demand. The inconsistent part is that; children will always get sick, people will always stay on the hunt for the best price, and the weather doesn’t always cooperate.

How do you handle the bustle and boom?
awesome business

Whenever someone calls to book me, I have my agent write up a contract once they agree to the price and time. We then email them a contract and require a deposit that holds their spot and balance due on day of event. The deposit is refundable if the gig is cancelled 1 week prior to event. Having this contract and deposit in order, is a safety net for me so I don’t miss possible gigs and guarantees me at least the deposit in the event someone cancels.
Cancellations stink, but they are part of life and making the customer feel bad is unprofessional and will almost certainly cost you more business. When a customer calls to cancel, I try to start off by creating and suggesting a positive outcome.

Scenario 1:
Me: I’m sorry to hear that Holly isn’t feeling well, I hope she feels better so that we can make her birthday bigger and better soon.
Birthday mom: I don’t know when I will be able to reschedule, there is so much going on and I have to call everyone to cancel the party…
Me: It’s OK, I am here to make things easy, may I suggest a class party at Holly’s school or I can look at my schedule and see if next weekend is open if you want to reschedule. Don’t worry about me today, just worry about making Holly feel better and call me if any plans change.
When you set the tone of the conversation, you can almost always diffuse and salvage the event. If someone is calling to negotiate price and dangle a cancellation because they found someone cheaper here is another scenario to help you keep calm and not slap them through the phone.

Scenario 2
Client: I spoke to Jingles and she only charges $35 per hour so why do you charge $125 per hour.

Me: An educated consumer is the best client. I am sorry that I do not know Jingles. I can tell you that my prices are set because I pride myself on being professional and giving the best experience to guests at your party. I am on time, I carry insurance, I ONLY use kid friendly paints, and I am a great face painter. If price is a major factor in booking this event, I understand. I would love the opportunity to show you how having me at your party is well worth my fee.

Client: Well can you give me a little break?

Me: What I can do is include an extra half hour at no charge, or I can include glitter tattoos. (Only offer this if you are comfortable with and can afford to extend these offerings)

As a rule of thumb, I don’t rely on basic common courtesy in business. Steve Jobs’s biography pretty much confirmed my rule of thumb. Everyone they interviewed said Steve Jobs was crude, narcissistic, and would step over you if you were lying on the side of the street. Common courtesy is a dying form, because business is about you. So, don’t rely on your customers to think of you first or to consider your schedule when they are going through something. I always call a day before the event, to confirm any details and ensure I am still on. I don’t wait for the customer to call me in panic mode day of, if something happens to arise. As a birthday mom myself, the last thing on your mind is calling the entertainer especially if something chaotic is going on.
Protect yourself, your business, and have peace of mind when booking events. Send a contract, don’t fight over price or cancellations, and plan ahead. Be proactive and call the customer, ask if there is anything you can do to make the event the best it can be. Business isn’t easy, but planning and putting procedures into place will improve the outcome.

Happy Painting! -Silly Heather

PIN-Ch me! I’m addicted

Eight years ago I embarked on the journey of entrepreneurship. I worked in football while I studied in college and I knew I never wanted to work for anyone after that. I love this business and I love watching us grow. But with growth, you will experience growing pains. I started off with just my mother and my aunt (and that was hard enough!) but now I manage 25 employees and it can become stressful. I try to treat all my employees as I would like to be treated and sometimes my Starbucks fix just doesn’t fix my mood. So, I look for ways to vent without totally bitching everyone out.

My newest stress relieving addiction is Pinterest. If you haven’t heard of Pinterest you are missing out on a soothing world of aesthetic goodness. Pinterest is website of pictures, where you organize pictures (that typically link to blogs) by your interests. Pinterest is my getaway, because every time I log in I find an image that inspires, motivates, and typically changes my mood.

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The website is simple, you see a picture you like, you pin it to a board so you can always reference it later. Pinetrest is full of amazing recipes, motivational quotes, fascinating pictures, and DIY ideas that bring a smile to your face. The other great part about Pinterest is you can add your own images. Are you proud of a picture you painted? Do you want to share your artwork with the world? Pinterest is the way to do it. You can add your image and it will randomly appear on someone’s picture feed. Then that person can pin your picture and the more pins your image gets, the better linked your content will be and if your picture is from your blog or website, all that traffic is pointing back to you. Pinterest is reviving blogs and helping create a natural link to your site. This is great for marketing and great when you want to escape into a visual paradise.

If you are just getting started on Pinterest look me up and follow me at heatherg28. Since I am addicted, you will get lots of updates of all the cool things I have found and pinned! Pinterest is cheaper and more fulfilling than Starbucks and its ZERO calories! I encourage each of you to find a happy place where you can escape the madness of an artists life and take a few minutes every day to creatively unwind. Pinterest is my getaway… I’d love to hear about yours.

  Happy Painting! -Silly Heather

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Duct Tape Friendly Painters

A marketing term we used to use in my marketing 101 class was product extension. Product extension is a tactic used to rejuvenate a product image or find new ways to sell products. Arm and Hammer is the king of product extension. You can use Arm and Hammer to clean your floors, make your own detergent, keep the odor from building in your fridge and the list goes on!
Duct Tape IdeasThe newest front runner of the product extension game is duct tape. The marketing geniuses at the Duck Duct tape company have revamped their line and introduced colorful duct tape. I think they created it with us artists in mind. The duct tape craze is sweeping the world. There are blogs and over 10,000 pins on pintrest about duct tape DIY crafts.

The new duct tape colors are awesome for creating and dressing up all things face and body art. Below is a kit embellished with colorful duct tape. The kit started off as a wooden box, but my talented artist friend and mentor Donna Hollinshead decided painting it would take too long so she got crafty and duct-tapified her kit. The results were amazing and waterproof!
Duct Tape for the Face PainterDuct Tape for Face PaintersScribbles Face Painting Duct Tape Case

Adding duct tape to your face painting supplies will not only keep others from taking them (because you will know which are yours) but they also add style, a funky flair, and can be a fast and affordable way to make your stuff unique.

As I was browsing on Pintrest I also found an awesome duct tape display idea. If you are just getting started or need an affordable way to create a display board then this is such a cool way. Take a box of Ziploc bags and your favorite duct tape and lay them flat and start taping the front together and make sure to leave the back open.
Duct Tape Face Painting Display Board
You can slip in and out the pictures you want to use and you will also have a fast, easy, lightweight display board for under $12!

Product extension isn’t exclusive to just household products. Start thinking about yourself and your business and how you can capitalize from product extension. You offer face painting services and you know a lot of cheerleaders, cheerleaders love to perform and love glitter eyes. You can do that! Extend yourself into new arenas and watch yourself grow to new levels.

Happy Painting! -Silly Heather

Does your Display Board meet the cut?

Every time I am teaching I get asked, “Do you bring a display board with you?”. When I first started painting I made a beautiful board with color pictures. I had laminated each picture and created a masterpiece board! About 5 parties in, I lost my board. I am a forgetful person and sadly I loose a lot. After that I was too distressed to make another. So I started offering children their choices and let them be surprised. Part of me didn’t like the board because then I got bored. I felt restricted to only painting what the customers saw and I never got to try new designs. At the same time it helped me plan my time better because I knew how long each design took to execute. So I started thinking to board or not to board?
Pocket Chart

If you are just getting started or enjoy carrying a display board I wanted to share with you a cool, inexpensive way to create a versatile board. I found this Pocket Chart at one of my favorite stores.

It’s lightweight , colorful and the pockets are great for displaying my work. The best part about this board is that you can change out the pictures depending on the event. And this way it keeps us from getting bored. So if you are doing a princess party, then you can display only girls images, if you are doing a animal themed party you can display just animals and so on….I display my company info and the tag line on the middle square so it’s easy to find my card and see my info. The middle piece says Face Art by Hunny B or Silly Heather my number and Yes! I’d love to paint at your next event. take my card and I look forward to seeing you soon! This board is a great alternative to vinyl printed signs, because they can be very limiting. Once they are printed they can not be changed out. So you either have to buy several banners or just stick to your board.

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I also like to remind the customers that each design can be changed and kids can choose their favorite colors. So under each image I write… Pick your favorite colors and let me create a work of art!

Remember, looking like a professional doesn’t have to cost you a million dollars. Good pictures, a great attitude, and professional service will pave the road to financial success.

Happy painting! -Silly Heather

FREE Bonus Downloads
Download these three, full-page and full-color designs to use in your face painting display board, courtesy of Silly Farm Supplies.

To Download these images please copy paste the following links in your browser, right-click on image and select ‘save-as’.
Image 1: http://www.fabablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/displayboard-design1.jpg
Image 2: http://www.fabablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/displayboard-design2.jpg
Image 3: http://www.fabablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/displayboard-design3.jpg

Help Yourself by Getting Help

In 2004, I was fresh out of college and had this crazy passion to sell face paint and supplies. When I first bought Silly Farm Supplies, I was operating on almost no budget. I used every penny I’d ever had, including taking a loan from my family to turn my dream into a reality. I have been working since I was 10 years old, when I used to go with my aunt and help her face paint. When I was 14 I started working at Chuckie Cheese. Working came natural to me, but owning my own business was a whole new ball game.

Right after I got Silly Farm, I was so excited and took pride in wearing all the hats in my new business. I would come into Silly Farm every day and jump at the chance to answer the phone, answered every email, ran to pack every box, and would strap the packages to my back and personally walk them to the post office. After a year of working 90 hours a week, and wearing every hat I possibly could, I realized it was time to help myself by getting help.

A lot of business people are penny wise and dollar foolish. They fear if they hire someone to help that they will loose money. Instead they should be thinking how hiring someone can be the best business move they can make. When I hired Cristi to handle all the shipping, I freed up my afternoons to answer more emails, film my youtube face painting videos, and answer more calls. Immediately, Cristi paid for herself.

If you are serious about taking your business to the next level, start by making a list of your best qualities.
Are you a better painter than business person? Do you hate sending contracts and discussing pricing? Do you prefer the behind the scenes of party planning? Do you love doing taxes (yeah right) or being a bookkeeper? Once you answer these questions then make a list of the things you hate doing, your last favorite part about doing business. Read your answers out loud, and then ask yourself am I ready to get serious and help myself to becoming the best business person I can be?

If you are nervous consider partnering with someone you know, such as a friend or family member. My Mom is a perfect example of how I did. She is one of the most brilliant business women I know and she is also the least artistically inclined person I know. She thrives off of numbers, organization, and accounting gives her her kicks. If you have seen my desk before you know organization is not my strong suit, but because I was willing to accept my weaknesses and embrace her strengths we have built a business I am proud of.

The 2012 Face and Body Art International Convention offers a marketing and business track and it’s a perfect opportunity to enlist a partner and get them trained. If 2012 is going to be the year you take your business to the next level, then stop putting it off and make the investment in getting help.

If you ever need advice, or have business related questions I am always happy to help. You can email me or call me at Silly Farm mon – fri. Thank you again for following my blog and I wish you nothing but success in 2012!

Leave a comment below and tell us how many of the hats you wear in your business and how you manage it.
-Silly Heather

Free Face Painting Classes on FabaTV.com

Grab your paint, pop some corn and pull up a chair to get ready for a free face painting class on FabaTV.com!
You might of seen her on YouTube and watched her face painting designs, Lisa Joy Young will be on FabaTV LIVE this February! Tune in to FabaTV LIVE on February 15, 2012 starting at 8:00PM EST for this free class!

Lisa will be teaching her Beautiful Birds class, where you will learn how to create bold and beautiful bird designs that boys and girls will love. She will show you different techniques on how to bring feathers and wings to life in a simple way.

FabaTV is your online classroom for everything face and body art. With a FabaTV Subscription you can watch an unlimited amount of classes and paint with international artists right from the comfort of your own home. With new classes released every month there is always something new to learn on FabaTV! Classes can be paused and re-winded so you never miss a beat! Subscribe to FabaTV today and start your 24/7 learning!

Are You a Winger or a Rocker?

How well prepared do you show up for a job, competition, photo shoot or to teach a class? Do you arrive at a gig or an event ready to wing it or ready to rock it?  If you want to rock the body painting, succeed in business, be recognized as a great teacher or get that perfect image to immortalize your work, remember that it is YOU who creates this moment and that it takes preparation to experience it.

Don't Wing it, Be Prepared

First we must commit to prepare our minds and our skills by learning all we can by observation, studying and practicing our art forms. The amazing truth is that the more prepared we are, the “luckier” we get because preparation gives us confidence. Our success in anything we attempt will depend on how soon and how carefully we prepare.

Want clients to tip you? Arrive self contained and prepared to do your best with a tip jar clearly visible. Want a chance at winning the competition? Start thinking ahead of time about your design, accessories and prepare to win by practicing till you get it right? Want the image of your work to be priceless? Prepare with this in mind. Do not leave it up to the model or the photographer to think on the spot of the best ways to capture your work.  Prepare some ideas of your own.  Is your goal to be in demand as an instructor? Show up to your class prepared with an outline and well rehearsed in what you are going to share. Follow the proud motto of the Scouts and BE PREPARED. Success depends on it.

2011 Face and Body Art International Convention Body Painting Winner Andrea O’Donnell

2011 FABAIC Body Painting Winner Andrea O'Donnell

Article by Marcela Murad

The Business of Body Painting

It took Davinci 4 years to complete the Mona Lisa, which is about 30 inches by 15 inches. An average body painting, which is more than double in size of the Mona Lisa, usually takes 3-5 hours. Body Painting is still relatively new in the US, and knowing what to charge is still a very grey area for most painters. I get a lot of calls about what to charge, what you can expect to charge, and what the artists is supposed to include in their fee.

In my professional opinion, body painting has yet to become a profitable business unless you charge a nominal fee, or you have an endless supply of free paint. I have a very dear friend who is a professional body painter in Costa Rica, and an extraordinary businessman.

Rodrigo Piedra has mastered the art of booking body painting, and he has learned how to price his work and seek out clientele that can afford it. His fee is high, his work is quality, and he doesn’t compromise on the price. When he plans a body painting he includes the design fees, costs of materials, pre and post production, his team, and professional results. Because his fees are higher than average, he does less volume than some artists body painting at nightclubs and festivals. His approach to body painting is realistic and should be considered if you want to enter the body painting industry.
Body Painting by Rodrigo Piedra

Cost Vs. Time:
It takes about 3 oz to cover a full body with airbrush make up and 3 oz of paint ranges from $15-$35 depending on the brand. If you add nipple and bottom covers, adhesive, gems, other embellishments, and time to paint the actual design you could easily spend over $100 in just materials. If it takes you 3 -4 hours to paint the model, then you would need to charge over $500 to just cover your materials and time. Not many companies or agents have the budget to pay over $500 per model.

There are other ways to offer affordable body painting. Our great friend Nix Herrera, who was just recently on the Syfy channel series Face Off, is an amazing body painter and is regularly booked at nightclubs, resorts, and private functions. He is comfortable with his designs, incorporates his airbrush for faster base work, and in many cases does not cover the entire body. This speeds up his work, and allows his the time to be more detailed on other areas. Nix has also built up a closet of paint that he can expense over several jobs. If you have to purchase specific paint per job, this is where the costly part comes into consideration.

Body Art by Nix Herrera

The best way to start gauging your body painting earning potential is to make a list of designs you are comfortable with offering, how long it takes you to create that design, and doing an inventory on your face and body art supplies. Then you can lay out a plan of what you are selling and the cost associated. Otherwise you will be spinning your wheels and stressing over spilled paint and empty pockets!

Take classes from the professionals themselves! Rodrigo Piedra and Nix Herrera are on Face and Body Art Television! Visit Rodrigo’s profile page or Nix’s profile page and learn body art from the professionals!

My Sweet Valentine – A Face Painting Tutorial

Everyone’s favorite love holiday is coming up. Whether you prefer to love it or hate, it’s not just for the adults. Valentines day is popular with kids and we’re going to show you a quick teddy bear/angel design that they will love.
Here’s a quick face painting tutorial video on valentine designs by Silly Heather with her favorite model, Lia.

My Sweet Valentine – Teddy Bear Angel Design
My sweet valentine - face painting design

I hope you enjoyed the video! Check out her YouTube channel to see more of Silly Heathers face painting videos and don’t forget to subscribe!

Products used in the video are listed at the end and are available from Silly Farm Supplies.

Picture Perfect – Selling Your Canvas

I once had an argument with a fellow body painter about painting overweight models.  He felt overweight models ruined the image and that it was impossible to capture a great body painting on an over-sized canvas. I argued that art was subjective and that anything can be transformed into a work of art. That argument was sensitive to me because I have always been conscious of my body,  not that I want to be a body painting model, but I was bothered by the idea that the model makes the image.

Fast forward 6 years later. I am eating my words. I still don’t believe that body painting is only reserved for the super skinny, but I am a believer that a good model will ultimately sell your art for top value. I am still a little shaky and nervous when I body paint. The only thing that usually calms my nerves is when I paint a model I know. They set me at ease and let me be creative without being impatient or judgmental. Their attitude helps me be creative and that’s when I feel I produce my best work. I remember doing a job where the models were in a rush, they were antsy, and didn’t want paint on their faces. That was hands down one of my worst gigs, and the worst part was that several pics were taken that day so my name was attached to half ass work. Needless to say that didn’t help me garner new jobs.

Picture Perfect Group ShotNow on the flip side, when you have a model that is fun, patient, and can bring your art to life, that is a winning combination. I work with two models that always know how to bring out the best in my work. Many of you have witnessed little Lia grow through my youtube face painting videos and tutorials, her smile and charismatic personality makes my artwork that much better!  My other model of choice is Lia’s mom and my best friend for over 20 years, Glori. I have painted her 20 + times. She is a great model because she is photogenic, fun and her smile lights up the camera. A good body painting can take up to 8 hours and sometimes longer, so capturing a fantastic image is crucial.
Lia's RosesHeather painting Glori
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Picture Perfect KidsWhether you are creating a portfolio or need images for your website, don’t go for just any model. Go for the model that will sell your services with a bang! Choose a canvas that will make your artwork stand out and make it come alive. Finding a great model is like finding a needle in haystack, but it can be done. Otherwise you are doing yourself a disservice.

Happy Painting! -Silly Heather

 

Below I have embedded my YouTube channel for easy viewing. Hope you check out my face painting videos and subscribe! Enjoy!

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