Production line Face Painting.

Ok.
So it's not ideal. Ideally we do 10-15 kids an hour. But today I did 40+ in my first hour and next week I'll have to do it again. And it actually wasn't that bad. So I thought I'd share a few tips on how I made it work.
Basically I am hired by my local ski resort as their face painter. Generally that means I set up as usual and paint a line of kids at a rate or 10-20(max) an hour. Once a week I will be painting their ski kids for lunch and again in the arvo before the flare run. This is when it is about quantity.

The paint doesn't last long as they put goggles/beanies on it or face plant in the snow so there is no point getting too detailed. It is more to give the kids distraction for an hour after lunch. In the past the ski instructors have done it. And the kids were often in tears cause they hated their designs. Now they have hired me. So here's what I did.
1. Choose 4 super quick boy designs and 4 quick girl designs numbered group 1-8
2. Set up my kit while the kids were having lunch.
3. Worked my way around the lunch tables and got kids to choose their designs then put a number on their hand
4. After lunch they put a movie on and the instructors sent me a group at a time. That way I did all the 1's (snow princess) the all the 2's (flower fairies) etc. So there was no faffing around choosing, getting brushes/colours etc sorted. It was literally a production line.

The kids were stoked. The instructors were stoked as they didn't have to do it and I was stoked as I got my season pass today and I managed to pull off some really nice designs whilst under the pump.

Now before going in to this I made them aware that the designs would be very basic. I know the resort know my usual work because they have hired me for a few normal jobs before and I have belly painted staff there and painted many of the staff's kids. I actually surprised myself with how easy it was to make it look ok - swoosh swoosh with a rainbow cake and a few starbursts and that's 5 kids with rainbows done in the time it would take one instructor to paint a blob that would make a kid cry. I've attached 2 pics to show designs. Basic, yes. But if you ever HAVE to do a lot of kids in a short time then these tactics helped me.

I would never tell a client I could paint this many in an hour -I'm sticking to my 10-20kids per hour as that is realistic for a nice design. But just to put it out there that it is possible.

(this is my little man - he doesn't sit still long so so if i can paint it on him then it passes the quick face test)


I did this one without the blended/sponged base so just the flowers, leaves dots and swirls. Took about a minute or two. Ambah has a youtube for this design that I saw the other day and it made my day!

Love the colours on the flowers design, specially gold. Quick and beautiful!

so the painting took an hour, how long did all the prep take with getting them to choose and stuff? good job... I'm always really tired after marathon painting.

Great job ,I don't think I would be up for a challenge like that!
Your little guy is soooo cute!

I'm thinking of doing something like this for a family-style birthday party. She says "20 kids" but I know as soon as I start painting the whole family is going to want something. I think, since I'm newer, the most I can do is 30 in 1.5 hours.

I've shown her sketches of simple (but cool) designs that I can do within the theme. I told her that I could only do those designs but would let people choose colors within the designs.

I was thinking of handing her 30 carnival type tickets and letting her hand them out as to control who gets painted (kids first) and then when the tickets run out, I'm done painting. I'm also worried about neighborhood kids appearing out of nowhere because it's going to be at a public park near apartment houses.

Thanks for sharing your experience, it helps me not be so intimidated when I'm facing a large group. Do you think the tickets will work or maybe numbers? I thought it might be good so that kids could play while they were waiting.

D.

I have done the sticky paper bracelets for private events in public spaces. Gave them to mom and said, make sure that only the children who are with your party get these, they are the only ones who will get face painting and balloons. 30 is still quite a bit for 1.5 hrs, especially if you are new. I can paint 15 to 20 full faces in an hour, but I paint pretty fast. Unless of course, they know that it will be only super basic stuff?

I don't think I could handle 30 in an hour and a half- certainly not allowing color choices. Sometimes, I will ask if there is anyone else who would like the same design and do them at the same time (like JBM did with her # system- only not at all organized!) It really does save huge amounts of time. It's just that organized part that gets me!

what a great idea

ooo im emailing this thread ot myself as memo! great idea!!! awesome job and i bet they were still adorable! that snowbear is on my level! lol im not very detailed yet thanks sooo much for sharing!

The theme is rock star so I made designs that were easier shapes like a star with long teardrop streamers, large star over their eye, goth eyes, bandana with eye liner, lighting bolt, swirly eyes, etc. so the shapes are simple and they can choose a base color.

I told her that I was going to limit the guests to those designs but she was thrilled because the facepainter they hired for another birthday was "nothing like you can do." The only thing was she wanted her daughter to have a unique design....but she doesn't want her face painted. Argggh. So I showed her Pashur's pixie glitter fairy and she liked that...so birthday girl will get a glitter tattoo and be different.

Perry, I love the idea about the paper bracelets...it would make me look really pro. Can I get them from Zurchers or Partyland?

D.

never heard of either of those, but I've seen them at a couple different party stores.

@Perry the prep probably took about 10 mins. I was very strict. Went to kids. Read the designs. Made them choose, painted their group number on their hand, luckily they were all seated at the lunch table so it was just a matter of making my way around both tables. When they got up from lunch it was up to their ski instructors to get the kids to me in group numbers.

@ Colden I would worry about 30 kids in an hour and a half at a birthday party situation, especially if you are still new to events. That means 3 mins per kid with no gap for faffing around, loading/changing brushes etc. And as a new business it is all about showcasing your skills - if you do rally good work at a parties you are almost certain to get follow on bookings from that. I only did this for the resort because they have booked me enough times to know my usual standard.

In ski school they do everything production line - now you all come in, now you all take of gloves, eat, toilet, sunscreen so the kids are in that production line mode of being told what to do and are ok with that. And as facepainting is a bonus they were happy with whatever. But there was no variation AT ALL. I had to be very strict about that. As soon as one kids broke rank it would've opened the floodgates for special requests. Most of the designs were brush only so I didn't have to worry about loading sponges.

Personally I find birthdays the hardest. They are the most chaotic. Kids are sugared up. Don't want to line up. Don't want to choose from designs offfered. Or want EXACTLY what their friend has (ummwhich one was your friend and where are they now?). Whilst I will do tickets and numbers at festivals (so if there is an hour wait they can go see a band and come back) at parties if you want it you line up.

Is there any way you can get her to book you for 2 hours?

Well, when she told me twenty "kids" initially I said "I can do up to 10 full faces in an hour" so we would have to do two hours. She was hemming and hawing and so I said (which I shouldn't have volunteered) If I do quick designs then I can get more people in but we'd only have 3 or 4 designs to choose from.

I do have a little advantage in that I'm taking my daughter too and she can lay in the design and then I can switch her and do the line work and finishing touches (sorry, forgot to mention that.)

I guess I'm just so worried about even GETTING my first gigs that I'm going overboard to make them happy. I'm not going to cut my rate though...already had a call like that...it's pretty reasonable as it is.

We'll see how it goes. I am a little paranoid about starting the "special request" effect. Husband had good advice. He said "Don't tell them "no, I won't do that"...tell them, "I can make you a lightning bolt!"

Denise

what you say is "today, we're doing these designs because there are so many kids and mom wanted me done so soon, but if you have me come to your party.."

Perry Noia wrote:what you say is "today, we're doing these designs because there are so many kids and mom wanted me done so soon, but if you have me come to your party.."

Hahaha - that's exactly what I say! Passing the buck much? lmao

Words of wisdom & experience.

D.

great idea!

Denise, you can definitely get those wristbands at Zurchers (<---LINK) They're $4.97 for 100 of them.
I've gotten them there before

Thanks stacia...I'll check it out today.

D.

Oh that's good, my dear! You surely have quick painting hands! lol I learned a lot from this post and genuinely speaking I appreciate and like the designs you put on kids. It suit on their ages! Very good! Keep up the good work!

I've learned a ton from this thread, too! THanks so much, everyone!

Btw your little boy is soooo adorable! Love the amber teething beads, my kids have worn them, too!

40 in an hour! Amazing!

That sounds SO organized - great idea for a large group.

Sparklyone wrote:I've learned a ton from this thread, too! THanks so much, everyone!

Btw your little boy is soooo adorable! Love the amber teething beads, my kids have worn them, too!

Thanks Sprarklyone. It's funny he SUCH a little boy - dresses like one, acts like one, ALWAYS has a car or truck in hand when we leave the house and yet people still ask if he's a girl cause he has the beads on. Like duh! He has such a hard time with teething (2yr old molars are Killing me!) that we keep it on.

I don't miss those teething days! *hugs* Do you have homeopathic teething tablets available? Those combined w/the amber saved my sanity!

The beads look perfectly masculine on him, too. He's cleary a mini-man and such a handsome one at that!

Riana - brilliant !!!! what a great plan of attack! Thank you and I will keep it in mind if I ever have such an opportunity!