How to get nice and firm colors?

I am absolutely new in the art of face painting but luckily I got my first birthday party my costumer (that is a neighbor) saw my work, which to be honest I am proud because is not as bad as a though but I certainly can be much much better.

And since this will be the first time that I am going to charge, I am kind of nervous and I want to do my best so people can recommend my job

My biggest concern is that my color are not as firm as a want, I am a little afraid to use to much color and having a bad look or that doesn't dry properly and my job get ruined.

Can you give me some tips about how to get nice and firm colors without the icing looking. I am using Snazaroo.

I will appreciate any help

Practise. That's the only way you are going to figure out how much water you need to optimally load the sponge.

I add water to my cakes by the drop and all colours have wet gooey spot. I then pick up colour on the end of a dry sponge. I apply in a tapping motion, moving excess colour around as needed.

This is with Snazaroo. You just need to practise.

(p.s. my book Your Face Or Mine is all Snazaroo... and is sold in the forum shop and I cover sponge and brush techniques)

Thank you so much for the tip this is very valuable information for me, I have being watching and watching videos I do the tapping but I guess I don't apply enough color and the when I want to add more is to late because the first code is dry, but yeap for sure I need loots of practices.

By the way Shannon I want to thank you for the free information that you publish for us is a big help and is nice to see that you guys are a big help for some of us that just don't know where to ask direct from the profesionals

Thanks again!

Welcome to the Forum, Funtasy!
Where are you from in Ontario?

I am located in Barrie... well in fact a little tiny town call Angus

Sponges make a big difference to. What brand sponges are you using? Don't be afraid of too much paint with snazaroo, it is powdery when dry and easy to move around with a sponge.

a lot of the videos you are watching are probably not using Snazaroo because so many people don't seem to like it. I love it and you can get the results you want if you take some time to learn how to use it.... You won't use too much paint.

There are two ways to get your sponge loaded, adding water to the paint (as Shannon already mentioned) or adding water to your sponge. I dunk my sponge in the water and squeeze it out (not severely, but not dripping at all). This will leave your sponge way too wet for other brands of paint but just right for Snazaroo. The next part is the key to working with Snazaroo and the part that will keep it from ending up all translucent and makes some people hate Snaz, rub your sponge on the cake over and over and over and over and over and over until the paint cake doesn't look wet anymore and you think you've got way too much paint on your sponge (it isn't too much). If this still doesn't give you the opacity that you want, then you didn't have enough water to start with and you can just add more water and work it some more. Snazaroo loves water (except in extreme heat where you need to cut back the water as the paint gets gooier in the heat). Every single painting on my website is done completely with Snazaroo, don't blame your paints, just practise more.

Snazaroo is one of the easiest ones to wash off and has far fewer skin reactions than other brands too. I don't work for Snazaroo, I'm just allergic to a lot of other paints and hate how so many people bash it as crappy paint.

https://www.facebook.com/ShannonFennell.MakeUp/photos#!/media/set/?set=a.193685680685702.58734.191063437614593&type=3

All the paintings in this album were done with Snazaroo.

Gracias for the tips.

This coming week I will have chance to practice all your recommendations I hire a little helper that going to bring all his friends to be painted, I am really excited because I am going to start my portfolio, hopefully I get a few good ones.

I hope to get really nice paint, at least something that make me happy to present to my clients.

When I get some that I like it I will publish them for advise.

I use the dry sponge technique, I spray my paints before I begin, then I spray the color as I am ready to use it. I rub the sponge back and forth to get plenty on the sponge. Snazaroo really is good, you just have to really work it, like perry said.

welcome!

it differs with every kind of paint..don't start too wet...you'll notice when it's too dry..then you will need to add some more water..I spray my cake and sometimes my sponge a little too...

Michelle is on the mark with "don't start too wet". It is much easier to add more water than deal with thin, runny paint.

Hey, martha... I didn't "recognize" you!!!

Yeah, I kinda did a "gender change" there Miss Ronnie.