By Ilea Wakelin Continue reading

By Ilea Wakelin Continue reading
What good is a face painter that’s not prepared? Of course your face painting supplies (such as paints, brushes, and glitter) are already something you may have already considered and purchased, but what about hardware and non painting items? Are you prepared for the unexpected at your next gig? Caitlin from Cait’s Paints has been kind enough to put together a hardware checklist that every painter might find themselves needing.
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Head on over to Artist Alley to see the rest of the face painters checklist in it’s entirety! Thank you Caitlin!
The Tattooed Lady is back with some helpful tips & tricks for your next face painting gig! Have you ever arrived to an event only to realize you forgot your face painting stencils? Check out Léa’s unique fix for this dilemma.
Fortunately for Léa, missing her star shaped stencil wasn’t the end of the world. Realizing she had star shaped stickers, she improvised and was able to discover a new use out of those otherwise ordinary stickers.
Applying the sticker to the area where the stencil would have gone, Léa was able to create a negative star design using her new sticker stencil! A negative design is one without paint and where only skin is making up the area of the design.
Incorporating this newly found face painting skill, Léa has put together a tutorial on her reverse stencil technique! Head on over to The Tattooed Lady’s blog to watch the full tutorial and expand your face painting tricks!
[button type=”ambitious_button” url=”http://www.thetattooedlady.ca/blog/reverse-stencil-face-painting-with-stickers” target=”” ]Read more & Watch the Tutorial[/button]
As I travel the world I get to meet the best of the best tackle tarts. Tackle tarts are paint hoarders that must have and buy everything related to face painting. I love tackle tarts because they keep Silly Farm in business, however I hate to see things go to waste. Some of you have so much paint that you couldn’t use it in two lifetimes. Then I meet painters that have a hodge podge of this and that, and they are still trying to find the perfect kit and set up.
The perfect kit does not exist, nor does the perfect brand. You will have to kiss a few paint frogs in order to find the products that transform your art into a Picasso or you can read my list of 20 Must haves for painters and hopefully I can save you money and time kissing those frogs!
If I missed anything on my list, send us an email or leave a comment below! Happy Painting !
I run Cait’s Paints, which offers an array of services by multiple artists. But me, personally? I introduce myself as a body painter. Women are my favorite canvas; adapting my work over so many curves and shapes presents a challenge with a never-ending array of possibilities. I truly find cause for celebration in the grace and strength of the human form.
However, not everyone is as gung-ho about nudity: Many models don’t feel comfortable having someone intimately painting their lady-bits, few magazines are keen on publishing nudity, and posting anything “offensive” onto sites like Facebook could get your page shut down pretty quickly. What now?
There are multiple options available for covering genitals: seamless thongs, G-strings, strapless panties, ProShields, Zombie Skin, medical tape, and probably a few more creative options I haven’t heard yet. It all comes down to your personal preference and budget.
My preferred canvas is a topless model wearing nude-colored thong underwear. I’m open to putting pasties on my models (should the model or venue require it) but finding good pasties has not been nearly as treacherous as my quest for the “Perfect Thong”:
Cotton thongs absorbed too much paint, making it time consuming and difficult to paint details. I felt that g-strings “pinched” my models hips. Victoria’s Secret seamless thongs were okay, but I wasn’t willing to shell out and extra $12 in kit expenses.
Then I found La Senza “Barely There” thongs, and something miraculous happened; The thong melted effortlessly into my designs, and painting the fabric was a breeze. My models have found them comfortable and flattering. They even offer a more conservative version, the “Brazilian“.
I had found my Dream Thong, but the price was still hefty…until I found a Dream Retailer as well! Braonsale offers La Senza’s panties for less that $5, with FREE SHIPPING! They also send me a coupon with each of my orders. Just typing this gets my heart racing! As artists, our kits easily contain hundreds or thousands of dollars in supplies; Knowing that thongs are no longer a major expense is a huge relief.
I hope you all enjoy this new find as much as I have. Stock up, but leave some for me!
– Caitlin
This article is a submission from Artist Alley. Click here to view it on Artist Alley.
When you’re just getting your business started, the onslaught of expenses can be staggering. After all, it takes money to make money – right? Definitely…but sometimes the best things in life are FREE!
Getting Started
Every new business needs a website, which I found to be one of my most daunting tasks. Web designers are expensive, and it’s easy to get taken advantage of when you don’t know much about web development. Check out our last article about websites and you’ll be well on your way to getting started for free, with minimal technical knowledge.
Business cards are an absolute essential for networking; you never know where you’ll be when someone asks for your information. Pulling out a stylish business card looks much more professional than scrambling to jot down your number on some scrap paper you found in your purse. Vista Print and Zazzle both offer free business cards, with plenty of design templates to choose from.
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If your business involves selling merchandise, check out the United States Postal Service‘s array of free shipping supplies. You can “purchase” your supplies online, and have it shipped right to your door.
Education & Designs
The education process is endless. You may have already “learned” your trade, but keeping up with the latest trends and techniques takes some serious dedication. While I recommend saving up for workshops and conventions, it’s understandably expensive. Keep your skills fresh between classes by dabbling around on Youtube; there’s tutorials for everything from cheek art to prosthetics, henna, and more. Some of the biggest names in face & body art keep active channels, full of advice and tutorials.
Check out Silly Heather and Jinny for starts!
Business Consulting
Even with all of the right supplies and talent, a small business can fizzle out if you’re not prepared for the management end of things. SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) is a nonprofit consulting service for entrepreneurs to help you build your business from a solid foundation. In addition to their free business counseling services, they host low cost workshops and webinars.
Managing your money and resources from the start will afford you more success in the long run. Fancy business cards and high end websites are great, but pace yourself! Grow your business thoughtfully; every penny matters.
Wishing you all so much success,
Caitlin St. Angelo
With the ease and availability of search engines, the World Wide Web has become a cornerstone directory of information. And you – as an upstanding professional artist – should be on it! People want to know about you before they promise you money: They want to read about you, find great reviews, and scope you out a little bit before allowing you into their homes.
Now, I am not the most tech savvy person. My initial foray into website building was long, laborious, and fraught with disappointments. Hiring a reliable web developer on a budget seemed impossible, so I joined the ranks of DIY’ers (Do-It-Yourself’ers). Here are some of my favorite website building resources and tools – designed specifically for the tech-illiterate!
Most of these allow you to build your website for free, only charging you if you choose to upgrade to a higher package. Freebies are great for the nonexistent budget of a budding entrepreneur…however, I have found that upgrading to a paying package has been well worth the professional appeal it offers.
Remember that a website reflects you and your business; You might be a fun, lighthearted person, but an unkempt or unprofessional looking website can derail your efforts to be take seriously. Here’s some things your website should include:
From there you can always expand. Adding additional pages, comment widgets, interactive Google maps, or payment integration, is much easier than you’d think! Look at the design and layout of other successful websites for some inspiration. FABAIC, WolfeFX, Kryolan, and Mehron all fit the bill.
Happy Painting!
-Caitlin St. Angelo
All logos are intellectual rights and trademark of their respective owners.
Figuring out how to store, transport, and organize my ever-expanding kit has been an ongoing endeavor since I first started. I tried everything from scrap booking totes to a folding crate on wheels, luggage sets and train cases. Nothing I tried seemed to offer the right combination of organization, size, ease of transport, cost, and durability.
Until I found the Stanley Fat Max Mobile Work Station. That’s right…a tool box. I wish I could take credit, but my makeup artist friend Elizabeth deserves all the fame for this incredible find. Let’s have a look at the official specs:
“That’s all well and good, but what does it mean for me?”
Four tiers of storage goodness with varying organizational options:
The oversized lower bin fits large items (paint pallets), the part bins organize small items (business cards, pots of glitter), and the tool box fits medium sized items (baby wipes, sponges). Another bonus that isn’t mentioned in the official specs – the walls of the part bins are removable! You can easily slide these babies out and customize the size of the compartments to suit your needs.
Easy to clean interior & exterior:
“Durable Structural Foam” is fancy-talk for thick black plastic. Ever spilled glitter in your kit, or break a powder pallet? The smooth, rigid compartments wipe down easily, with the baby wipes you probably already have stored in there.
Maneuverability and ease of transport:
With a retractable handle and heavy-duty wheels, this thing treks easily up driveways, across fields, and down streets. It rolls around with you like a large piece of luggage, but remains stable through grass & rocks.
Heavy duty everything:
Think about it, this was designed for big burly men who like tools. It was built to store heavy things, and take a beating at construction sites, get covered in sawdust & dirt, then get tossed back into a pickup truck. Everything from the wheels to the snap-front-locks is rugged, and built to last.
Cheap Cheap Cheap Cheap:
I was able to find professional makeup cases online, with comparable size & organizational options, retailing from $150-$900. The Stanley Fat Max was about $80, a fraction of the cost. I bought mine at Home Depot, Elizabeth bought hers at Lowes. There is also a smaller version for about $40.
The Stanley Fat Max Workstation has two major drawbacks:
It’s not pretty:
It only comes in one color, and it’s not decorative or polished looking. Understandable; I don’t think Stanley’s target market cares about color-coordinating. Elizabeth spruced hers up with fancy duct tape.
It’s hefty, in every sense of the word:
Large and filled to the brim with supplies, it’s not easy to lift into my car, or haul up stairs. Fortunately, there are handles on the sides if you need some leverage. I’m no Hulk, and Elizabeth is a skinny-minny, but we’ve made it work. Lift from your legs!
Finally, a kit as tough as you are!
-Caitlin
In the US it is customary to tip at a restaurant after your meal, tip the delivery driver when they bring hot pizza to your door, or when someone performs a service worthy of a little something extra. As entertainers, that go above and beyond to “make the party” and bring smiles to kids faces, we often get overlooked in the tip department.
How do you politely remind your customers that your service is tip worthy?
I remember working a gig where I showed up one hour early by accident. Since I was already there and I could see from the parking lot that kids were getting restless, I decided to offer my services early and make the party parents happy. I painted non-stop for three hours. I painted arms, toes, heads and even one girl wanted her nails painted. I was busy! After the party was over, I packed my things and I could hear the husband and wife arguing about my tip. The wife asked the husband for $30 and the husband said “No way I’m giving her a tip. We paid her $300 to be here, that’s a big enough tip!”. The birthday mom came to me embarrassed, not because she knew I overheard, but because she felt embarrassed that her husband was a jerk! She apologized that she had no cash to tip me and that she would mail it to my office. I explained that a good referral was tip enough and I thanked her for having me. That wonderful lady did end up mailing me a $50 tip, I’m sure without her husband knowing. The point of my story was that no matter how hard we work or how superior the service we provide is, we have to remember that a tip is completely optional and each customer will have their opinion about it.
When I send out a contract, on the bottom line I include a note that says, “We strive for excellent service and to give you the best event possible. The greatest tip you can give is a referral to a friend, but if you still wish to tip your painter it is very much appreciated.”
If you want to keep it simple you can put on the last line “Tipping your painter is 100% optional”. That line is almost a hidden message and plants the seed of information in the clients brain without sounding pushy.
No matter how you phrase it, it’s best not to take the tipping process personal. I never attend a gig thinking I’ll get a tip, so when I receive one it’s like icing on the cake!
Putting out a tip jar is also another grey area. When I am hired by a client to do a large event where I am getting paid my full rate I never out out a tip jar. If someone offers a tip I accept and place them out of clear sight. I do not want my client to feel as if I am double dipping. When I am hired at a discount rate, or when I am working for free I build it into my contract that I am able to put out a tip jar. Before you bring your tip jar along, I suggest asking the client if they are comfortable with it.
My last tip for the day. Beyond looking and expecting a tip, focus on doing your best work so that each person at the event spreads the word about you or asks for a business card. Word of mouth travels miles longer than a $20 tip. Some of my cheapest, biggest headache-type clients have referred me to thousands of dollars of business.
Remember customer satisfaction is great, customer loyalty is priceless.
Happy painting my friends!
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!
The 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!
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.
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
When I first began face painting I would sit and paint the kids. They would either sit on another chair in front of me or stand. Sitting not only hurt my buns but I also started getting a hunch back from hovering over the kids. Then one day someone introduced me to the director’s chair. It was heaven, I no longer painted as Quasimodo and I felt better on the job. Soon after training myself to paint standing up, I realized my back wasn’t hurting as much but my feet started to scream for HELP!
So I invested in 2 crucial items; a pair of crocs and a gel mat. I had been on the “I hate crocs†bandwagon for a long time but after receiving them as a gift, wearing them, and LOVING them for long jobs I invested in another pair.[clear]
Crocs come in several styles, and really bright colors. Crocs are excellent for face painters. [clear]
The other thing I invested in is a gel mat. Gel mats are used in barbershops, kitchens, and they are also known as anti fatigue mats. Sometimes it can be a pain to bring with me, but when I am doing a long gig, I will haul it. The gel mat creates a cushion beneath my crocs and it really adds support on my back.[clear]
I love my director’s chair, but I find that parents expect me to lift their children into my chair. The lifting of the kids along with the long hours of standing can really hurt your back, so having a gel mat and good shoes can be a life saver.
On a final note, if you are not the crocs type of person, I found some really super cool, sequin sneakers that not only look professional with my bedazzled Face Artist shirts, but they are comfortable too. I added a gel insert from Dr Scholls and now I can paint all day and feel good after the job ends. [clear]
Happy Painting!
-Silly Heather