At what size festival do you need another painter?

I ask as I have never worked with or met another face painter since I have been face painting. (the Pashur workshop should change that) But at what size festival In your experience would you say another painter is required? Have an expected 50 000 festival a 40 000 festival next year and –apparently a 60 000 festival next year. At what number would you say, you need another painter?

ment to say 50 000 in 6 weeks - tis late I'm tierd been painting all day -appologies

Any time your line will be consistently longer than 5 people, would be my suggestion...It's more fun, less stress and everybody works!

I have to take iron pills or I can pass out and you have to eat something before you can take one. I always have my Daughter painting with me so we can have breaks. Figure how many you do an hour and how many hours in the event. If the numbers leaves more than you can paint you need help. We do an event just before Halloween it's 3 hours and last year they only hired 2 painters and we still had 30 or more in line at the 3 hour mark. This year we have 3 painters and their paying us more so it should go smoother.

What Ann said....... The only way to find that out is to give it a go the first year.

It really depends on your area. I have done a fair for the past few years with 1 million people in 12 days...I had a second painter the first year, but we both sat around half the time, so now, I work my booth alone, so does the one other face painter there at the other end of the grounds. Makes for long hours, but the area is depressed and the fee to be there is so high that you need every penny to cover it.
I have another one, with only a couple thousand people, that I really needed another painter at...so...again, you never know until you try it.
My advice is to try it on your own, but see if anyone is able to come in for the second day if you find that it is a huge hit and the demand is there. If not, just do your best, and plan differently for next year.

Good questions elantaura...
I had a couple of festivals now where the line has been way too long,, I work well under pressure, but over a long amount of time it is hard..esp when you need to pee.. I had one lady get annoyed and gave me some business advice to get some stencils and a helper..mmm Well I did as best I could and aways made sure that my best faces were leavn my tent.
When I got home I started thinking about what she said..Firstly for those specific events I am going to raise my prices..which are $3 cheek, $5 half
$7 and $10 designs..I thought I would charge an extra dollar on each,,which will make a nice difference at the end of the day too.. But I have a question 2..Perhaps gamezgirl..you may be able to help me.. I would like to train someone to come and help me at these events..My concern is that if they do faces that are not as tidy as mine..would that affect my business...I have worked really hard this year...But I understand that they need practise to get up to par..Do I charge a cheaper rate for my apprentice? Or even just get her really good at just $# and $5 designs.. I just dont know how to do this right,, but I need to make the jump very soon.Any advise would be appreciated

Had a bit of a theory based on other threads that I may as there are 50 000 expected in one day assuming that 0.5% want to be painted that is still 250 faces of which I can't possibly do. (I have 8 hours)
the guy I am sharing with - an amusment hire guy has mechanical rides etc. Has worked with face painters alot has just lost his due to going more in to birthdays etc

he said it will be closer to 400 to 500 from what he has seen, and suggested to go solo mark up full faces and offer a lot of $3 cheek art, monster eye (1/4 face) designs. as I will make more money that way.

This is My first major festival of this size. But I have been told that next year 6 months away I will need another face painter, for a similar sized festival (twice by different people- neither him)
I am also the only face painter at this event. the amusment hire guy used his sway, secured that for me to convince me to come along. I have done events, but not festivals.
So I am very confused about festivals now? Thanks for the advise

Any hints of tips?

If this festival is big and you are working alone there is no way I would mark up the full face and only charge $3 for cheeks, you will do them all day and be exhausted. We just did the Bob Evans Farm Festival, it is our local big thing. They have only had $1 stuff in the past and the people were just horrible swamped. I made my prices $5,$8,$10 and then $2 extra for a few gems. People were more than glad to pay it and at times I felt, we could have went higher because of the amount of people. I never do anything for less than $5. But that is just me.

I honestly have no idea, what to do?? and am intimidated by the prospect of it all!!

If you have someone that can paint with you, just to put you at ease, do it. If you see after this fest that it wasn't necessary, just go it alone next year. You will have fun and have someone to talk too. Set your price where you are comfortable. That is what is important. I worried so long before this past fest and I had a blast! In our down time me and the other painter had such a great time laughing together and just helping each other. You can do it, just relax and have a good time.

freedspirit- If the other painter is comparable to you..within reason..people won't notice. My very first painting gig EVER was with an extremely talented artist for one of her biggest clients. Looking back...the stuff I painted was HORRIBLE to where I am now...but it was beyond what the average mom could do, and the children were thrilled. They don;t see what we see. There is always one in every crowd who may complain, but they are not worth the worry because so many more are happy to be painted. I would never take a brand new painter to a huge PPF event, but this is a great opportunity to work for those charities that always call us. I clear it with them first, but use the events that can't normally afford my rate, to get the new painters feet wet. And, you both need to be prepared for people to choose to wait for the next available spot in your chair, or even hers...and don;t take it personally. I worked along side one of the best painters in Canada, she is AMAZING. I expected to stand around alot and have people refuse my chair, but it didn;t happen and for some reason, there were even kids who didn't want to go to her when their turn was next, they wanted me. So..it happens. You can't have different prices for the same designs in the same booth. A cat is a cat and it is the same price for both of you.

I've PM'ed you....

Thanks gamezgirl,, Rome was'nt built in a day huh! Slowly but surely we will get there..