300 kids in 3.5 hours

Just painted the biggest event of my career thus far, the 2012 MONSTER JAM! 36,000 people filled the Carrier Dome last night, and my partner and I painted an estimated (by the event director) 300 of them! Thankfully, we cut ourselves some tire tread stencils the night before and they were the most popular request. Second most popular request was Grave Digger, and third was a butterfly. It was completely CONSTANT painting with zero time to even take a breath, my kit is absolutely trashed, I am exhausted, but we DIDN'T SINK!! We totally ROCKED that crowd. We collectively made 100 bucks in tips alone, and four very stuffed business card holders were empty by the time we were done.
I still have my painting buzz from last night! Yay BLISS!

Wow, congrats!!!

Congratulations! Love that painting buzz!

You go, girl!

Nothing like that adrenaline buzz! Congratulations!!!

Melody, aren't you proud of yourself? You DID it... w/o falling on your face (yuk-yuk) AND you got your business card out there, along w/your good disposition & your talent! Good for you! BTW, I just painted about 30 peopke, lots of masks & full faces, in 2.5 Hrs & thought THAT was "something". Boy, did you put that in perspective.

Forgot to ask, but how did you make your own "Tread stencils"?

good job! that's about 1 min per kid!! granted the estimate could have been a little bit off, but it made for a happy event coordinator it would seem

Congrats!

We did that here in Roch in January for 3 nights in a row. I hope you ride the feeling for weeks!

Congrats again!

WOW!!! Congrats! Melody I'm so happy to hear this! I'm doing Monster Jam on Saturday!
Mind if I ask how you did Grave Digger? How many designs did you offer? I'm a little nervous after reading your post *LOL*...The organizer tried to tell me that all face painters they hire can do a full monster mask in 30 seconds....I laughed before I could stop myself. I've got a decent one I can do in about 2 minutes or so....but 30 seconds?!?! Maybe a single eye...
Anyway...any advice?

Thanks for the congrats everyone! I am so proud, I was so scared on the way in that I almost puked in my partner's car. We totally pulled it off!!! I feel pretty awesome.

Pat, I googled tire tread", found one I liked, printed it and put a piece of clear plastic over it (this was from a folder I found in the office supply store but my partner used those plastic page dividers that go in binders and stuff). We followed the pattern and cut it with my trusty Martha Stewart electric heat tool.

Stacia, i cant say im really sure HOW i did Grave Digger...we had made a stencil but it sucked so we ended up hand painting them. I just painted the truck body in lime green and dragged some purple down over it... big tires... mud kicking up behind it... It was really more the *indication* of Grave Digger than and actual painting of him, if that makes any sense. They loved it though.

Erin - yeah we estimated about a minute per kid

300 faces??!! Whoa, Sister! Ya'll were hustling!! lol. Congrats on Rockin' it!

Well.... 300 faces, TWO painters, so I really only painted 150.,

That's less than one minute for kid! You rock! (I was going to ask if you could take any pic but I guess you couldn't )

I WISH I could have

*SCREAMS*

Just got email from Monster Jam asking me to please book them in for next year!!! We did it! We are going back!!!


Also, someone emailed me this.

Of COURSE the one photo I get sent to me is the one where the tire tread came out all smeared and lousy. I LOVE that the kid wanted rainbow under it, the parents supported it, and dad got a matching one! Love this family! I hope they win my contest!

That's freakin awesome!!! I'm working on my board right now, trying to come up with my grave digger option....but 1 minute . I couldn't sleep last night thinking about your post and pace. I got up at 3 AM and made a purple and green one stroke cake...but I have to be careful or it muddles into brown....I was so out of it I wasn't thinking about it muddling. I'm thinking about redoing it and adding a strip of sliver in between.

BTW I hope they get you into surgery soon

Look at that proud dad! Love that pic!

Stacia, whats your mailing address? I will send you my monster truck stencil. I didn't love it, but it DOES work, and you are welcome to it. PM me either here or facebook and I will get it in the mail tomorrow morning!

You're awesome woman! Thank you!

Ok so seriously critique this...don't spare my feelings I'm not delicate. I can handle real criticism....I don't like the flames so much (looks like a jester hat to me) but for speeds sake I need to keep it simple....what can I change to make it look better...and still be fast?

I dont love the flames, try wiggling the brush more for a more "ripply" stroke if that makes any sense. Maybe round out the top more instead of having it flat, and I think this would be a great fast design!! Remember though, once you paint a full face at something like this, everyone is gonna ask for one.

Ooh ooh or even go around the skull design with the Grave Digger cake you made (love that by the way). YES! Do that! Make a normal skull (no flames) and edge it in Grave Digger colors. SOOOO Cool!

And remember I am wasted on pain meds right now, so I might be talking right out of my lilly white behind!

Wow! Super Congrats!

Very cool! Now the big Q... How'd you land the gig? We have Monster Truck here every year & would love to face paint for it.