small Halloween dilemma... what would you do?

I have numerous requests for custom Halloween faces. I am very open to having appointments for people to come to my house to be painted. However, it is really stressing me out!

Here is why: I am a decent painter, but since I have only been doing this for 3 months, I have a limited repertoire, and limited confidence. I also cannot fly by the seat of my paints at all! I have to practice, practice, practice! So if someone comes to me and requests a zombie on the day of, and I do not have a good one under my belt I will freak out.

Here is my idea: I will take appointments ahead of time, as long as they tell me in advance what they would like. I will be honest and say that I like to practice my designs ahead of time. Then, I will practice each design before they come (I don't mind, I need practice anyway), and if I am really stuck and think something looks awful, I can always come here and ask for advice on how to improve that face, eh?

Is this what you would do? Any other ideas? I am half tempted to just "sit out" this Halloween since I am newer and less confident. But it would be nice to make people happy, too

Also, what should I charge? $10? $15? Most faces should take between 10-15 minutes, I imagine. I am not in it for the money - for this Halloween. (Next Halloween, $20 per face or so!).

Thanks my friends,
Barbie

Okay- find your inner confidence because you are an amazing and natural painter.
That said.......make people book an appointment time slot. That way no one is standing around or walking around your house while you are busy. When they book the appt. tell them that you need to know what they want painted. This way you can make sure you have all the supplies for them. No ned to tell them that you need practice. This would discourage me if I was getting painted by someone.
Once you have the design they want and a time slot filled, you give them a price.
I am charging $10 for a full face (not too much detail) and $20 for say a zombie with the prosthetics and blood. (You can make the slashes and gashes ahead of time then apply to whomever wanted them.) Get some fake blood. It flows better then face paint when natirally warmed by the skin. And looks pretty real.
I have 3 bookings so far.
3:00 Chucky the doll (with prosthetics and blaad $20)
3:30 - zombie (same package as above $20)
4:00 gene simmons $10

Make sure you space the appointments apart so you have enough time to do them. Offer your profile pic on here. That is also amazing. What little boy wouldn;t want to be a robot?
Have fun with it.

Keep us posted and let us know how it went.

I plan on talking pics since I am at home and donlt have to worry about losing my camera.

I totally agree with glitterfly.
Don't tell them you need to practice. Just think it to yourself!

I am taking appointments and letting people know that I'll fill in the blanks with walk-ins, but you don't have to do that. I'm planning to set up on my front porch so I have an overhang if it's raining, but I don't have a bunch of people inside my house.

I'm charging $5 for small things (like princess crowns and snakes), $8 for full face designs (spiderman, ironman, puppies, etc.)... I have one guy who wants Avatar for both his face and his hands and I told him $10.... I'm guessing he has some kind of suit for the body part since he didn't ask for that. Do what you are comfortable with. I'm charging my usual pay per face rates (when I'm not paying a fortune for a booth).

Oh thank you friends. My confidence needed that little boost. And yes, you guys are brilliant - I will not let them know I need practice, but that I need to know what they would like, in order to have the proper supplies.

I KNEW I could count on you to help me. THANK YOU@@@@@@!!!!!!!
Barbie

or tell them you need to know so you can do research for special requests

I had a guy call and make an appt. for a voodoo witch doctor. I told him he needed to google and find me an image of what he had in mind and he did so and everything will be fine

I think your robot design is great too! When they book with you, I would ask what they are wanting ahead of time. You can price individually. I do that...if someone wants a vampire face then I charge them a different rate then someone who might want a bloody scar, or a little girl who wants some flowers on her face. I agree that I would not tell them you want to practice. Your work is great...I also like to the idea of a picture for something that they really want. Maybe they could even send you a link to the photo?

Give yourself enough time in between time slots to feel comfortable with your work. You can set your own pace. It will be lots of fun. I have no clue who some bands are...so, sometimes I have to ask. If I don't know a character or something then I ask for a picture. I feel that I can paint almost anything from a photo, but do what is best for you...you have free artistic reign over whatever you want your zombie face to look like.

Barbie, you're the best 3 month old I've ever seen! You'll do great at it!

I am booking also. I will give people 15 minute slots, but are actually setting 30 minutes aside. This will make it possible to have breaks in between. I'm charging $15 and up depending on the complexity of the design.
I'm also have Mehron Barrier spray on hand & will use it on adults & teens. Not kids as it stings the eyes a bit.

Barbie you have GOT to look at your avatar! THAT is professional work my friend. You just do what was suggested above and DONT book more than you can hndle at a time.

You! ROCK!

Does it make any of you nervous having clients come to your home? I'm sure you'll have someone else in the house with you, but it would just make me a little uncomfortable.

I've done Halloween appointments at my home for years. Not a problem... yes, I was a bit concerned the first time but is it fine. My mom's upstairs (of course, in other years she wasn't disabled but she does have the phone!)

Usually the clients come in pairs or groups so there is always more than one person, often they are overlapping appointments so don't know each other.

I book in 30 minute segments BUT as I said, they come in groups so I just keep painting... and once someone is here they call their friends who then come over, some bring a friend who wasn't part of the booking who then decides to get painted too, and on it goes....

It is a VERY profitable night!

I charge $25 for adult faces, extra for SFX (blood, etc), $10 for kids under 12, $20 for 13-17 years.

Last year I was painting until about 11:30 p.m.

And don't worry about the designs... I find that most want relatively basic, well known stuff (zombies, the Joker, elegant masks) and many bring a printout of something they saw on YouTube which can be slightly annoying to me as they then start to say I want this, BUT, can you make this part this colour and extend this line this far...

If you have a laptop... have it on and handy, then if someone stumps you do a quick google!

And don't worry... I think you're ready for it!

thank you!

I'm more concerned in keeping my house presentable when clients come. I'll get all nice & organized, leave for the day & come home to a disaster. I feel like I'll be showing a house for sale.

How do you get the clients to start booking dates? I have an ad on Craigs list & have posted it several times on facebook, but no "bites".

Honestly... the bookings tend to come less than two weeks in advance, MOST of them call the day before... But, since I have set aside the day/block of time in the day to be painting at home it isn't an issue. I'm here, if they come they come...

And who cares what the house looks like?? Remember it is Halloween - you have a poltergiest!! Luckily I have a basement studio - they come in the front door and straight downstairs!

What everyone else said...

Plus... definitely paint with confidence! You can do this and it will be fantastic! Self-consciousness shows up in your work, so just go for it! And have fun!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

I completely understand... I am stressing over a birthday/ Halloween party for 12 little boys. I am terrified as to what they will request. As I'm still learning and boy designs seem to be my hardest to accomplish. I've got the batman/ Spiderman down. But what are they going to come up with???? Scary....

Barbie are you booking adults or kids?
Anytime I take a personal booking wether they come to me or I go to them I charge hourly - but I have only done this with adults and they usually have firneds or partners that want to be painted too.... Then again it takes me a good hour to turn an adult into a really convincing zombie.... maybe half an hour if I only do the face.. no neck chest and hands/arms. I wouldn't do an adult for less then $50 unless I'm set up at the house the party is at and then I'd paint them for around $20 each considering it's not a private booking. That usualy doesn't include prosthetic's as these take time and or money.
I ask clients to send me pics of what they are looking for... they usually do.
On my first adult haunted house gig - I had never painted a zombie or vampire before - I just figured I could.... and I did.... when I look back at the pics - I wasn't impressed.... but they were blown away and re-hired me for another gig.
A little faith in yourself can go a long way.
Good luck!

*Sighhh* Im in Love with this Forum! <333333 .....i know its early..but im a new at this..and i REALLY want to do something like this for halloween..getting ALOT of ideas from here! Thank You!!