Sitting or Standing?

I see pros and cons to both methods of painting and wanted to get some insight from others. I have only ever done face painting while sitting myself and having the child either perpendicular to me to paint a cheek or facing me for a full face. I have seen videos of the painters at Disney that are standing with the child in a bar height chair. I also was looking at some of your setups here and noticed both methods (by the chairs used). I suppose the nice thing about painting standing would be a need for only the one chair - but I am sure a person's knees and feet get tired after awhile. Sitting can cause back strain and requires two chairs but saves the feet and might be easier for the child to get in the chair since it would be lower. But then, standing would allow for better visibility to onlookers...

So what are your preferences and experiences?

I have a bad back and get much more sore when sitting then standing. I also like how I can move around to reach as needed when standing....especially when painting my "weak side". I like the look of standing, too - something about it feels more professional to me and it does call attention to what I am doing.

Kids are also excited to get in my tall director's chair and get to peek at my pretty supplies on the counter-height portable table I bring with me! The table is tall enough that younger kids can't see or reach anything on it which is another plus!

I wear Sketcher's Shape-Up's which help my legs and back during long gigs. HTH - everyone has different needs and preferences!

I think standing would be the better option in the long run. In fact, i've just gone out and bought myself a tall directors chair for the kids to sit on. I normally sit, and at the end of the day my back and shoulders start to hurt. I'm 5 10" and it's hard not to crouch and lean forward when a parent wants their 2 year old painted. After a whole day of doing that, it starts to add up. With standing, i'm hoping to avoid this and have the freedom to move and stretch and a little.

I too am thinking about standing more while painting. I also have a bad back, and leaning in while sitting hurts.
I wonder though how you deal with adults that get into your tall director's chair? Do you bring a smaller chair just for that purpose? My BIL is well over 6' tall and I can't imagine reaching him if he were sitting in a tall director's chair...?

And Sparklyone, please forgive me if I've already asked you on another thread, but what tall portable table do you use?

I walked all over D-Land with my family, in my Reef sandals. I could stand in those all day and be super happy!

I stand.
Sitting is actually harder on a body for long periods of time, medically speaking (not just on my body, it's bad for everyone) and sometimes we paint for hours on end. Personally, sitting hurts more. I'm tall (I'm 5'10" as well) so I have to lean over which puts pressure on my spine.

I agree with Sparkly that the kids like to get into the tall chair, and so do adults.

There is a freedom of movement with standing. We aren't in one place steadily, we are constantly moving. Switching sides and such. I like that mobility a lot.

I also agree that not only do I think it looks more professional but it allows others to really see what's going on. The standing and movement attracts attention which gets more people into the booth. I find that it has more of an entertainment value.

I still bring short chairs. When someone wants their leg or foot decorated, I sit in the chair and have them put their foot on my leg and this is sooooo much easier with them in a tall chair. Plus, when I want to take a sit break I can.

As for being hard on my legs and feet, I've not noticed that at all. I go barefoot or in flip flops most of the time. I also have these wild sneakers with zig-zag soles that offer a lot of cushion, should I need it, I haven't yet but it's nice just in case.

I think I sat for the 1st few gigs I ever had, and always ended up with a sore back, or numb buns! Waited for a larger gig, and my partner and I splurged on directors chairs. Works for big events and small parties. Like Lynnie, I wear flip flops or I have a couple pair od funky converse all stars in fun colors, and my feet are fine.

It took learning to use a tall chair to get me back into face painting. Way back when, we used to do the standard face to face sitting and it was a killer on not just the back, but the entire body. That's the way everyone did it then, and it just never occurred to me to do it differently.

So now I stand. I mean, there's no getting around a little pain and fatigue no matter how you do it. Even standing, you're gonna get a little sore if you do it for 8 hours at a stretch. If you do decide to switch to "stand and paint", back off getting all the newest cool/pretty stuff to put in your kit, and use that money instead to invest in a decent pair of shoes that will support you in the right way. It makes a world of difference.

Having said that, even though I stand, I still keep a stool handy. Sometimes it brings me to a better level with little kids that need to look down, and sometimes its just nice to give your feet a break. (They can stand and you can sit)

Also, big agreement on the deal with little kids and the big chair. They love it!

Standing works better for me as well. for all the reasons above.
I also sat for my first few gigs and very quickly realized that I rather stand.
that being said, you should do what YOU are most comfortable with.

Sitting is so painful for me. My last long gig lasted 6 hrs and I sat the whole time. It's was horrible on my back. I couldn't stand up straight for two days! Ack! When sitting, the kids seem so far away so I have to lean forward to reach them. The legs get in the way, both mine and the customers. I think a chair will eliminate that extra space

I just purchased a new medium sized directors chair and it should be here today. I'm short so I'm afraid the taller one would be too tall. We shall see.

I've got two gigs on Saturday. Hoping I'll be able to stand and not be in pain the whole time! Totally taking some back pain meds.

I take 2 bar height stools and 2 folding chairs. I stand almost all of the time, except when I have a little bitty one that I have a hard time getting to look up, so I sit on the fold up and paint them from underneath. I can't really handle sitting like that. I am saving up for 2 director's chairs. I am only 5'1", so I wonder if the medium ones would work better for me too? I didn't realize there were 3 sizes!

Standing works better for me as well. I take a small fold-up stool that can slide out from or underneath my director chair as it doesn't have a good step-up for the little ones. I also have used it to stand on if a really tall person sits in the chair. Also while standing I can easier see what's going on all around me.

I usually sit and put my kids on a stool in front of me, almost between my legs. Then I can stand if I have a taller kiddo. But I haven't done anything more than 2-3 hours.

I have been sitting but just ordered a tall director's chair from Walmart. I am pretty excited, I am really short so I hope I can reach, I guess I will just bring a stool.

I take a tall directors chair plus 2 folding chairs. I stand when I have the client sit in the directors chair, but I use the folding chair when I see that the child is insecure with the big chair, I just have the parental unit sit in the folding chair and the kid can sit on their lap. Here too lives a lot of people with special needs, and they can't get into the tall chair making the folding chair the only option. I tryed sitting in a tall chair while the cient was in another one, but the space between them could not be comfortably crossed. There has been an occasion when the small youngster was so enthusitic about finging them selfs into my tall chair they almost fell thru the back Plus my tall chair has a 300lb maxium capasity, and if I think the chair may not withstand the strain, I just open the folding chair and announce, that my back is starting to hurt, so lets try painting with a different approach It works like a charm!

I've always sat, but am putting in an order for a director's chair today. I keep finding myself standing more and the soreness is getting to me.

Yeah... I'm bumping an old thread. I must have read this thread and others on the topic a dozen times.

Here's the thing... I would love it if I thought I could stand all day but I don't think I will be able to do it. I have a bad ankle (had surgery on it years ago and probably need to see if there is anything they can do for it now). I often wear a brace if I know I have to do a lot of walking and sometimes I end up using a cane. I even sometimes end up using a cane by the end of the day in my elementary classroom. My other problem is I am short (4'11'' on my Driver's License).

So after several months of on again off again google lust for various chairs and stools.. I finally decided to give a couple of items a try. I decided to get the VIP Earth Executive Director's Chair that so many of you have said you love. And... I found this:



on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0052PJF5E?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

It's not cheap but considering the prices of some of the stools and chairs I've looked at lately it is a bargain.

It folds up too! I've been eyeing saddlestools but they aren't exactly portable.

If it doesn't work for face painting, I'll give it to my dad for his art studio (he'll probably use when I am not hauling it around anyway).

I'll let you know if it works out. I'm considering getting a space at one of local flea markets (lots of families.... no fac painter there).

Hoo

I started standing, now I sit and prefer it way more. Less back pain and much faster for kid to get in and out.

Sitting... definitely sitting... I think I like the idea of standing... but I can't take it, lol... I get too sore! I don't have the feet for it (please note I do actually have feet).

BTW - although that chair looks awesome - it IS 20 lbs! they have a regular height one that is 16lbs, but that is still pretty heavy. Let us know how you like it though.

It's beautiful... I like the feet on it, it seems easy to stabilize on grass,etc.

I have been using a couple of tall chairs from Ikea without arms & although I enjoyed something new (& they were miraculously cheap...2 for $10 new, the day 2 older chairs went down) & will undoubtedly use them upon occasion, I found that having a chair with arms works best for me in helping the guest sit more still....did my last gig on a windy, misty day and there was no place for shivery people to hold themselves steady...

My chair/stool thingy... arrived yesterday. No it's not exactly light weight but it's solid as a rock. The seat just hooks onto the frame.. no need to tighten anything. The seat shifts just a little if you move around but nothing too drastic. You can adjust the tilt of the seat (but it's a little time consuming and it's not something you would do often).

It's definitely not designed for you to lean back on.. you could probably attach a lumbar pillow or cushion if you absolutely had to do it.

I almost ordered one that had a swivel seat feature. It would have been a little more expensive but that wasn't the deal breaker. It would have been much longer on delivery and I would have had to pay for shipping (I have Amazon Prime and the one I got was available for free shipping).

I think it will work out for me. My Earth Chair director's chair also came and I know it will be fine for kids but if I get a tall adult I'll probably have them sit on the stool and I'll have to stand. Oh the joys of being a short people!

We'll see! Dad and I are doing the flea market thing. We're setting up tomorrow. I don't really expect to be hugely busy at all but hopefully I'll get a few things going. I"m expecting my dad to be much busier with airbrushed auto tags and such.