To tickle customers

Hi! I need some hints that will help me to paint people (especially children) without tickling them so much.
I'm pretty good at facepainting I think, and the people I've painted liked how they look, but I ALWAYS tickle them REALLY MUCH.   

Of course I know that sponges tickle less than brushes, and that fast strokes with the brush tickle less (and often be better) than slow strockes, so I try to use the sponge as much as possible and only draw a few strokes, and If it is possible I don't use the small brushes, or I use flat brushes, but is there more things I can do?

And another question with has do to with the first question.
Sometimes (most on small children) it happen that I not even begin to paint them, but they giggle and turning away from my hand because they are afraid/know that it will tickle. What can I do to make it easier for them to don't move like that?

It seems from your avatar that you are very detailed.
Perhaps introducing them first to a background color base, and painting mostly on top of that (desensitized) area would help.

Anytime I do line or detail work with brushes I know tend to tickle, I give them a heads up. Not make a big deal about how tickly it is, but just that it might tickle a little and to please stay still so their ___ doesn't turn into a melty ___. If they know it's coming, they tend to react once, and then I start talking to them about something really random and they forget about the fun of wiggling and reacting, and listen to whatever I'm talking about. I tend to tell really oddball stories or tell them to look for a certain piece in the design on my face (sometimes a piece that isn't there, so they really have to concentrate on my face, and not what I am doing to their face, to try to find it)... I also keep a few junk brushes or sponges, so they can hold a "magic" brush/sponge to help them freeze like a statue until it's time to look in the mirror.   

That sounds good. Thanks!
And my avatar is very much more datailed than things I paint on other people.
But Thank you very much for your help. I will try.

My goodness, I totally forgot my favorite solution until I got one of those ticklish boys yesterday. I would like to credit the genius who came up with this--I think it may have been the Wolfes'--ask the child to "curl their toes"! If they still wiggle, tell them "they are not curled enough". It re-focuses their concentration and has never failed me (like my memory did!) I am SURE you will love this!

^^ That is a great one, I use that one as well!

Love the curl toes idea! Great!

When I'm painting more ticklish areas like the nose I use the side of the brush, trying to keep the tip away from the "sneeze" trigger area. Same for lips. Press the brush on the side instead of trying to fill in with the tip of the brush.

But some people/kids are just a bundle of nerves....and they will always ask for Spiderman. It's been proven.   

So true--btw, Denise, your avatar picture is so beautiful, shows the sparkle in your eyes!

Yes! The wiggliest ones always want spiderman!!!

I never mention that it tickles. If they do (or parents "helpfully" ask if it tickles), I usually say something like,
"yeah, it does a little bit but it's not like getting your armpits tickled." That way, they're thinking about the tickling comparatively, and no, it's not as ticklish and it tends to downplay any reaction. This seems to really work for me, but YMMV.

Thank you all for the great ideas. I will try different things and see what works best for me and the people I paint.   

Are you holding their head with one hand while you paint with the other? I only use brushes (no sponges) and I guess I’ve been lucky because so far have only encountered two kids that were SUPER ticklish but holding their head works for me (to keep them from moving).

The face paint gods were with me this weekend. I had several stock-still spider dudes. I don't know what was in the air, but they sat like statues.

It's a beautimus thing when it happens.

I had a Spiderdude sit stock still for over 30 minutes, even painting lines and detail work in the ears, down the neck, back of the neck, etc (very detailed Spidey for a costume competition). And he was SIX.   

They are out there. Calm serious stable spider boys. Hopefully coming soon to a painting booth near you   

Wow, that's great that your spiderboys don't move.
Normally I don't holding their head, because the children I tested it on don't like it and sometimes was a bit scared, and on other people I don't really need to do it.

oh - well that explains it. I’ve never had a person have a problem with it. I do tend to do it with adults also (even though I don’t have to) because it’s become such a habit.

Holding the head just depends on what I'm painting - if it's a critical detail part, like an each-dot-must-be-perfectly-spaced-or-the-world-will-explode kind of situation, I don't care if they're 2 or 99, I'm a-holdin' their noggin'   I just tell them it's to keep ME still, because sometimes I get a little crazy. No one has ever minded.

I usually hold heads. I am very careful to hold them lightly. It's second nature now not to press down hard. It's very gentle and calming and they don't mind at all.

you are probably using a tiny brush.

I've only ever had complaints of tickle when I use a round #2 or smaller....I tend to stick with a #6-it can get very thin lines if you learn brush control.

p.s. I've only had 3 young boys complain about the head holding.

I calmly explain that I need to hold their head because they are moving their head too much, and unless they want to mess up their face, they need to hold perfectly still or let me hold their head.

I figure, they are fairly warned.

I would never forcefully hold anyones head, but I usually will.

FacepaintingByTanya wrote:Holding the head just depends on what I'm painting - if it's a critical detail part, like an each-dot-must-be-perfectly-spaced-or-the-world-will-explode kind of situation, I don't care if they're 2 or 99, I'm a-holdin' their noggin'   I just tell them it's to keep ME still, because sometimes I get a little crazy. No one has ever minded.

  

I've been using 'wiggle your toes' for years. My partners mom is a retired nurse and we got it from her. She used this line to distract people when giving needles.

Perfect distraction because you have to think about the wiggling and not the tickling! I also remind the kids to breath, because some of them hold their breath, but that makes them move more.

But i ONLY bring this up if it's clear it's tickling, otherwise i don't draw attention to it. Irks me when parents bring it up "does it tickle? lol"
Well it does now... gee thanks mum. :p

"Wiggle your toes and breathe! Just keep them toes wiggling."