What to practice on?

I am here trying to help my 9 year old get started (and to find Christmas gifts LOL). I have spent the last two days going over posts on this board and just saw mention of someone saying to practice on waxed paper with a face image underneath. Is that the norm? Do you just take a picture of a face straight on and from the side as a "blank"? That I can manage

Once again - seriously loving this forum and can't wait for M to get home from camp this week to show here all I've found!

Dear gnomemom:

There are all different ways to practice. There is no ONE right way.

Practicing on waxed paper on top of a face image is a good way to start. Actual paper sucks up too much paint. I feel it is important to use the paint you will be using on your clients to practice with. I paint on my face. I paint on my children's faces. My children were running screaming from me as soon as I brought out the paint. I replaced my family with a practice head. They haven't caught on yet that they have been replaced. The paint doesn't dry as fast on the practice head, as it does on a real live person. I practice my teardrops, swirls, starbursts, dots, etc., on my arms and legs while I am watching enlightening, uplifting shows like, "The Walking Dead".

On my website, there are pictures of my children, as well as myself. I paint on us and take pictures to post on the website.

Where are you from? If you go into your Profile, you can put in the province/state, country you live in and find other face painters close to you to jam with, to share paint orders with, to share split cake orders with, and to help fill in when you get double booked.

Happy Painting!

I'm sorry - I should have specified. My 9 year old daughter is starting her own business and I am trying to assemble some ideas for her. I have bought her a few things for Christmas to get her started but came here looking for more ideas. She has some Spring birthday parties lined up via my friends so she is really excited.

I'm a fairly creative person and feel that if my child wants to do this she should be working with materials that won't frustrate her and feed into her desire. I know I hate working with sub-par materials. And she has put so much effort into this already!

Thanks for the reply! I think I am going to have some pictures made up and laminated for her to practice on.

Oops - we are in CT and I'm sure once she gets going we'd be up for sharing shipping, etc. I'll go edit my info now.

What is the best thing to practice on?
People!
So come on mom, be a champ and take one for the team

When you don't want to be painted on?
Practice heads
http://www.sillyfarm.com/store/index.php?p=product&id=2966&parent=280
You can also pick them up at salon school after the semester is over for FREE. They use them to learn to cut hair and then chuck them when they are bald.

Also Tattoo Practice Skin
http://www.tattoomachineequipment.com/premium-tattoo-practice-skin

A thigh or an arm will also do
and last (and least) that wax paper which does not have the same properties of human skin and is also completely flat

I am already her guinea pig as is her sister. But sometimes she just wants to try other things. She does have a head from a beauty school that I scored at the Goodwill. Alison is CREEPY! But I will ask about getting one when they are done with them - I get my hair cut at a beauty school.

Now tattoo skin - that's a new one to me!

Try here http://www.aliexpress.com/item/5-Pcs-Tattoo-Blank-Plain-Practice-Skin-9-6-for-Needle-Machine-Free-Shipping-Dropshipping/582473646.html

The sheets of foam from the dollar store are a pretty good substitution for the tattoo practice skin. I got a 3'x12" roll for 1.25. At FantasyFest, I painted up 12 eye designs in green for a special event. It was quick, it was easy, and the yellowy and orangy colors gave the paint some depth, instead of against stark white, or black. And, my line work and teardrops "popped" in contrast to the yellowy or orangy color.

I believe the FacePaintForum Shop sells extra faces that slip over a practice head.

Oh what great ideas! Thank you both. I hate foam for crafting but I'll look the other way in the name of art. The tattoo blanks seem so wrong to me somehow (like Silence of the Lambs) but I'll get those too.

gnomemom wrote:The tattoo blanks seem so wrong to me somehow (like Silence of the Lambs) but I'll get those too.

"It puts the lotion on the skin!" Well in this case baby oil is better...it will help remove any staining that doesn't come off with soap and water.

100% acetone (get it at a beauty supply store) on a cotton ball will completely remove staining from a practice head. It also can remove the eyes and eyebrows, but for stubborn stains, nothing works better.

Also, after the practice head is clean....
spray it with some unscented hairspray to protect it from further staining.

Great ideas! Thank you both. I ordered some things from the forum store last night and they are already on their way. I can't wait for Christmas morning - M will be so excited!

I wanted to come back and add that a suggestion from another post pointed me in the direction of the little pre cut foam faces. They are little heads, smaller than child sized, but really cute. Others use them for their boards. I think they will be a hit!

gnomemom, I don't remember if it was Denise Cold or someone else who suggested the foam faces, but I use them and love them. I actuall paint on both sides of the foam. I arrange them the way I want take a pic and then just use the picture and the gig.
Here's a photo

I think it is Denise. I have been watching her videos and trying to bookmark things for my daughter that are appropriate. These heads are great for her.

My daughter is almost 9 and likes face painting also. She hasn’t expressed wanting to do it as a business yet, but that might be because I just started doing it myself. I have told her that if she practices she can be AMAZING by the time she is a teenager and could do it to make money for the horse camp she plans to have after college. I’m curious to know what your friends are paying her and what she plans to do with her earnings - is she saving for something special? Has she done her first event yet, how did that go? I think it’s SO awesome that you are supporting and encouraging her to follow her dream. I also bought my daughter some paints and a glitter tattoo kit for Christmas. Here is a sample of her work.

she used a stamp for the star but the rest of the design she came up with all on her own. I lined my eyes in black myself though.