Best tips for speedy holiday painting

I know I can count on you guys for the best tips and design help.

I booked a large holiday party where they are expecting several hundred kids. I have another painter coming with me and estimated 20-30 kids per hour, per painter, at our fastest. I also let them know we would be using a combination of stencils and brushwork.

So, what are your fastest and still cute designs? Especially in need of boy ideas. What tips can you offer?

I did make a holiday split with green, white and red as well as shades of silver and blue.

I have done lots of Christmas parties like that. One of the most simple and quickest was a simple rudolph. A red nose, antlers, and some detail around the outside corners of the eye. Sometimes I would add red glitter to the nose. Cheek snowflakes and stars were always popular too. I think it was very professional of you to inform the client about what you planned to do. Good communication = repeat business.

Oooh. I need this too! I'll be watching this thread and adding to it. I have a corporate Holiday Party with over 150 kids and a winter event at the Children's Museum both on the 1st weekend in December.

I did make note that the snowman made from a pouncer/mop looks pretty quick. I'm also going to be doing some eye designs with holly and poinsettias and I'm going to attempt to make my own vynl stencils (snowflakes, etc)

maybe this will give you some ideas

I have the Holly Arty Cake & it's awesome. It makes quick poinsettia & holly.

I also have an arty cake that's 1/2 white & 1/2 red. I take a 1/2" flat brush & make short strokes to make a quick candycane or I use it to make ribbon.

Make a split cake with white, light blue, dark blue for a snow butterfly.

I need to paint all these & get pics as all my old Christmas designs are on a dead computer.

I found these from old challenges:

http://www.facepaintforum.com/november-challenge-f29/nov-dec-challenge-post-your-goodies-here-please-t207.htm

http://www.facepaintforum.com/holiday-challenge-f46/post-submissions-here-t1362.htm

I did this one last year - it was very quick...
For boys I think Xmas limits them a bit...
I would consider doing boys designs with a Xmas twist maybe?
I did these really quickly on this boy at Mc Happy Day he just kept coming back for more! I was thinking you could do the snake in green and red... Xmas snake (lol) and a green and red bandanner with holly on the pirate, maybe some jingle bells.... and do the tattoo style in Christmas silhouettes?
Oh and the grinch is pretty popular with the boys!

Probably doesn't help you very much.... I'll be watching this thread for boy inspiration myself!

Get yourself a Christmas rainbow cake from the shop or of course make your own and maybe a metallix white, baby blue, dark blue cake for winter scenes. I saw a cool snow flake today made from only dots(paypal) and thought that looked really cool and easy(will post pick later).

-Metina

Ooh, Metina, that would be great! For some reason snowflakes stump me, haha.

Also, I'm working on quickie holiday designs right now, too - I'll try get some posted.

(I started adding "Kristal can paint approximately 12-15 people per hour, depending on design. Please book your time accordingly" to my invoices. [Or "can paint and twist for 15 per 2 hours" etc, depending on event.] I would rather say that and end up doing 17/hour than say 15-20 and do 13/hr, you know? Plus if they want me for 2 hours and there's 100 kids - no way can I get them done and I let them know that - but I don't use stencils either, so you've already got an edge )

Tash what is that awesome brown on your rudolph??

Sorry - I'm not sure of the name, it's in the paradise metallic pallet - so it would be the copper or bronze more likely.

Vi (Sparkling Faces) has some cute stuff:
http://www.sparklingfaces.net/images/Portfolio/Reindeer2.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKwL6ggI5CY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq4a3zcjtn4

Great designs and ideas guys!
I am thinking of offering the following:

Snowman
Fairy
Snow Princess
Reindeer

I need to add a few more.
Now to think what else. It will have to be limited for speeds sake.
Last year for boys I think I slapped a santa hat on every boy design.....santa snake, santa scorpion, etc.

And I think if we omit some of the outlining that will speed things up.
We are going to use a poster with just the names of the designs, no pictures. That way kids won't be expecting us both to replicate exactly.

I am going to order the snowflake stencil so those will be quick. Painting snowflakes takes me longer than I would like, if I want them to look good and I know with an event like this, every second will count.

Perry and Tash, those are great. I'm going to practice on my son's cub scout den at their Christmas party. Some of them have girl siblings they are bringing too. Can't wait!

I bought a snowflake stencil set from Hobby Lobby. It works great and it was just $1.99. They are the right size for cheek art and foreheads.

How about ...
penguin, polar bear, Christmas tree, stocking, ornament, candy cane, candy cane princess, holly princess, poinsettia princess.

If it's a "Holiday" party instead of a "Christmas" party how about a menorah, and/or dradel?

I bought a set of clear stamps from Michael's on sale. They are adorable winter and Christmas stamps. I'm not sure if I'll be able to use them effectively, but I'm going to practice today.

Terina wrote:I bought a snowflake stencil set from Hobby Lobby. It works great and it was just $1.99. They are the right size for cheek art and foreheads.

I ran out to Michaels, no Hobby Lobby here. Looking for some holiday stencils and another Donna Dewberry flat brush.
Wouldn't you know, they didn't have either one! Our store no longer carries Donna Dewberry anything!

Guess I have to order online.....

Here are some Holiday faces I came up with. Sorry so big. I keep forgetting to resize them...

here are a few crappy doodles I was doing on my best guy friends back last night... The I have to really do them nice and take pics, but in the mean time you can get some ideas from the crappy doodles...lol

Tanya, that mistletoe design is the sweetest!!

Tanya and Suzy, I love these designs!

The mistletoe is too cute and I really like the Noel! Simple, yet looks really nice.
Thanks for all the great ideas.

Suzy, I love the inspiration. I tried the Christmas tree with my new Paradise metallic pallette and the green stained my skin! It's been 2 days and it's still there. Any advice? Thanks

try a sugar scrub... Or something exfoliating. I have also heard like an olive oil works as well

Almost all greens stain on my arms, so I put a thick layer of lotion over top and let it sit for about an hour. Then I go back and wash again. That works for me.