The Kit Essentials

I thought it would be a good idea to post this write up as it's own thread as I got a lot of compliments on it and many people seemed to like it. Feel free to add your own points too!

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Face painting isn't just something anyone can do - it is an intimate practice and application. Don't kid yourself, this is a makeup application and as such you have to be aware that the products you use have to be approved for use on skin, and you need to be as clean as possible about the application to be safe.

With that said I'll give you the basic low down.

Your First Kit for your First Event:

If you got talked into painting at an event and need to know where to start first of all make sure that the event agrees to cover all liability should anyone have a reaction to the paint or get poked in the eye with a brush - have it in writing! Now depending on the date of the event you are preparing for will dictate what kind of face paints you can get in a limited time. Also you might want to ask the 'planners' that since they aren't hiring some one who already has a kit, what their budget is for having you buy the necessary supplies. You might be a volunteer but don't be the one volunteering your money as well as your time and skill.

THE PAINT:
There are MANY different brands of face paint out there, each with it's own merits. Many of them you will not find locally and will have to order in, in most cases.

If you don't have time to order in some paints your best bet would be a Micheal's Craft store, as they usually carry the Snazaroo brand. It's a good place to start for a beginner, not too expensive and they have some good starter kits for a reasonable enough price. Another brand you might find at this store is 'Tulip Body Art'. Again good starter kits with them.

Some times there are specialty makeup or party stores (MAC etc) where you can find the following brands (in order of most expensive to least expensive)
Ben Nye Body Paints
MAC Paints
Aqua Color / Kryloan
Mehron / Paradise

But if you lack specialty shops of this kind they might be harder to find. These brands are also more expensive.  Each has it's own merits, though it's good to remember to try to stick to the same brand at first as some brands don't mix well with others due to different bases. So for starters try to stick to just one brand.

If you have time to shop online this opens up a HUGE list of brands you can get.
Wolfe
Diamond FX
Grimas
Tag
Cameleon
FAB
Tulip
as well as all the others mentioned earlier.

Each has it's own merits and each painter prefers something different.

While there are all kinds of great website to shop at, my top picks are SillyFarm.com and FacePaintForumShop.com

Picking your paint is really all up to you and what you are looking for. If it's your first time I would best start out with something that comes as a set of colors in a kit rather then buying each color on it's own. You'll get a better deal this way. HOWEVER be aware of 'tester' and 'sampler' pallets (they may not be named that on what ever website you are using). These are small pallets usually with a small amount of each color. They look bigger in the picture, but are usually only 0.25oz per cake which is NOT much at all. 

Spend the extra cash and get the bigger cakes, you'll thank yourself later.

THE REST:
Now one might think all you need is some paints, a jar of water and some brushes and you are off to the races, but there are many more essential things you need before you can start.

BARE BONES BASICS:
Paints
Brushes
Mirror
Water Container
Wet Wipes
Hand Sanitizer
Iso
Table and Chairs

Brushes - You need a new set of brushes for face painting. Something with shorter handles usually then long canvas painting brushes and synthetic bristles work better with face paints. DO NOT use brushes you have used with other paints such as acrylic, oils etc. There is risk of cross contamination with non cosmetic paints, so you want a set you will use JUST for face painting. Just like you would with beauty makeup brushes. Have a good variety of flats and rounds - flats up to 3/4 and rounds as small as 3 to 0. But if you are savvy with a brush most of your work will be done with rounds in the 6 to 4 range. Yes the area might be small but using only tiny brushes will slow you down.

Mirror - Obvious reason is obvious. Try to get something bigger then a pocket mirror.

Water Container - Choose something clean that works for you. Ideally something that doesn't have a narrow base and was never used to hold food (no yogurt containers or peanut jars of course). I also prefer stainless steel or glass over plastic as they are easier to clean, and don't hang on to germs unlike with plastic.

Wet Wipes or equivalent - You will need something to clean up faces with left over food on them or the like.

Hand Sanitizer - You'll want to use a drop of this rather regular between faces to keep your hands clean and germ cross contamination down.

Isopropyl Alcohol - you'll want to have a small spray bottle of this on your table. You can use it to sanitize your equipment after use on lips or mouth, on sponges after use, if you drop something you can sanitize it etc. It has many uses and different face painters use it differently and more religiously then others. I tend to follow what i learned in makeup school as closely as I can when face painting.

Table and Chairs - In your case the event should provide these. Remember to work with flat seats, a decent sized table. Avoid picnic tables etc. Some painters sit while painting, others stand and have the child seated in a stool. It's all up to personal preference.


HELPFUL EXTRAS:
Extra Water & Bucket
Sponges
Water Atomizer
Hair clips
Selections
Wash Cloth / Towel
Table Cloth
Meds

Extra Water & Bucket - You will of course need to change your water as it gets dirty, so rather then sprinting to the nearest tap bring extra water in a jug or something to refill on the spot. Also it's nifty to have a place to dump your spent water without getting up so a bucket is nice.

Sponges - these are for doing base coats of paint. Some one wants to be a tiger? Sponge + Orange Paint + Face = faster application. There are MANY different kinds, and you can get them at craft stores too. About the shape of hockey pucks, you cut them in half and you have a good sponge for an application.

Water Atomizer - this is great to use with sponges so you can control how much water you want on your sponge. Pretty much essential to working with sponges.

Hair Clips - Great for holding back hair out of the way while you are painting. Another thing to spray iso with when done!

Selections - It's good to have a few selections for the public to choose from to help get idea's. Basic clip art shapes and ideas, or a written list of selections you can do clearly displayed. For your first time don't get too over ambitious, pick 10 - 15 things for boys and girls you feel you can do. If you also want to do requests you can branch out from your selections sheet, though sticking to your sheet will help you go faster and paint more faces.

Wash Cloth / Towel - Good to put your equipment on so you don't dirty and table or table cloth.

Table Cloth - Great for hiding dirty looking tables to make your set up look more clean, also good for hiding your stuff under your table.

Headache Meds/Pain Killers - Good to have if your job is being around screaming kids for hours at a time. Also good for sore backs, cramps, or being kicked by small children.


FUN EXTRAS:
Glitter
Gems
Stickers

Glitter - Adds a special extra and can 'fix' or disguise bad work ^.^. IMPORTANT NOTE: Like all things applied to the skin glitter also has to be skin safe and made for use on skin. DO NOT use craft glitter, as it's sharp, can get in the eyes and cause scaring, contains metals, is not hypoallergenic etc. So only use glitter made specifically for use on skin that is cosmetic grade.

Gems - Adds some extra bling to your designs. Use a latex free skin glue to apply them, such as laytex free eyelash glue. (latex free because 8 in 100 people have a latex allergy)

Stickers - Great to give to kids who don't want to be painter so they don't feel left out. Also great to hand out around closing time so you can pack up.

MORE THAT JUST A CASUAL FACE PAINTER EXTRAS:
Camera
Stencils
Rainbow Cakes
Gem Clusters
Split Cakes
Signs / Display Boards
Business Cards
Day Planner
Website
Insurance
Squeeze Bottle Glitter
Mini Fan
Costume
Credit Card Reader
and more!

I'm not going to get into all these, but as you can see a painters kit can go on and on. At any given time I have about $1000 worth of material on my table not including signs, the table itself and chairs etc. There are MANY different things you can buy to make your kit extra awesome.

For your first time I would stick to the basics and add a few of the helpful and fun extras you think would work best for your up coming event.

And finally PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!! Watch videos, read forums, study designs and don't be shy to ask questions! Good luck!

Great advice, thanks for the link!!

awesome list...i sent the link to a friend of mine who is getting in the business

This has helped me alot - thanks for posting

So, I'm guessing this is a good place for my question, since I'm currently in "training" and piecing together my starter kit.

I'm a professional makeup artist, so I feel pretty good choosing brushes and other kit essentials, but the paints...oh, the paints!

Of course, I want them all, but I'm keeping things conservative here. I bought a teeny tiny Snazaroo palette at Michaels just to practice, and purposely got the smallest one I could find, because I had already researched and knew I'd likely end up buying better stuff online. Luckily, I have a friend who is a very talented artist who has been guiding me, but of course I can't bug her about every little thing!

She has recommended Paradise, and the line seems to be well enough liked, though it appears to be pretty much standard to get Wolfe black and white for line work. Fine and good. I'm also wanting the primaries, and maybe a good bright pink and purple (I have a 6-year-old daughter- she & her friends will be my primary practice models, so I figure I might as well plan on those too!)

So, reading through reviews, watching tutorials, looking at swatches I'm liking a lot of stuff from different brands: Global Body Art's red looks nice, Snazaroo's does too, (but I'm wary because I've found some Snaz in my palette somewhat lacking). For Yellow, it looks tough to find a good, bright & true shade: Tag, Chameleon or maybe Kryolan (though I have a metallic and a UV Aquacolor in my beauty kit already, so I know those two are tough to work with). Blue...I'm not even sure...

My question is 2 part I guess:

First, is it a bad idea to mix and match lines, given the fact that some are paraffin and some glycerin based? Will this affect blendability? And if I get Wolfe white, will I need a separate white for base work (though I see the issue of staining/washability come up pretty often on the forums, I think it's interesting, because I've never seen anyone say a parent has gotten upset at staining- I don't think I would be, personally. Thus, it's not a huge concern for me...)

Second: what are your suggestions for best basic colors?

I also plan to pick up a few rainbow or onestroke cakes- I already have Paradise Flash, so I'm good on rainbow for the moment. I'm thinking of getting a dragon/fire cake and maybe a pearly pastel of some sort- suggestions?

THANKS!!!

I know that there are way more experienced people on the site that will answer your questions but I thought I would tell you what I have in my kit for white (just started in Jan, so still beginner)

I have 4 different whites because you are right.. I find that blending with a wax paint very difficult but then line work with glycerin can be hard. so here is my personal list but I'm sure others will have other, different opinions.

1. Wolfe White - line work, dots, spots, starbursts, highlights
2. Kryolan - designs that need a little white blending, double loaded flowers
3. Kryvaline Metalic White - add some sparkle to my whites above... don't like it much, doesn't work well on it's own. Will be trying a different brand once I finish this one up
4. Starblend White (powder) - full face white (suger skulls etc), white eyes (spiderman, tigers) and yesterday I mixed with my Starblend black for a grey kitty right on the applicator... brilliant!

hope that helps a little

Thanks for the info @codegirl I just recently figured out Starblends.

In my search for perfect true red I kept seeing mentions of it, but couldn't figure out why, if people liked it so much, they weren't using it for everything. I finally came across a post explaining that it's actually a powder. Very "ah" moment!

So, I'm guessing this is a good place for my question, since I'm currently in "training" and piecing together my starter kit.

We are all in training, to a certain extent, as there is always something to learn.   Welcome to the forum! I learned so much when I got here, and never thought I'd get to the place of advising new members, but it has gradually turned into that.

I'm a professional makeup artist, so I feel pretty good choosing brushes and other kit essentials, but the paints...oh, the paints!

I know! I see so many kits with tons of shades of various colors, and sometimes I'm jealous, but most of the time I understand it's not necessary. You can blend colors to create infinite shades.

Of course, I want them all, but I'm keeping things conservative here. I bought a teeny tiny Snazaroo palette at Michaels just to practice, and purposely got the smallest one I could find, because I had already researched and knew I'd likely end up buying better stuff online. Luckily, I have a friend who is a very talented artist who has been guiding me, but of course I can't bug her about every little thing!

She has recommended Paradise, and the line seems to be well enough liked, though it appears to be pretty much standard to get Wolfe black and white for line work. Fine and good. I'm also wanting the primaries, and maybe a good bright pink and purple (I have a 6-year-old daughter- she & her friends will be my primary practice models, so I figure I might as well plan on those too!)

I use Wolfe white and black for linework. I don't have any other Wolfe colors. I don't have anything against Wolfe, of course, but I prefer paints that are softer for blending and bases. TAG is my go-to, and I have a few Paradise, which is nice for bases, but I don't like it for lines. I have a couple of FAB colors, too. Silver is very metallic, which is FABulous for robots. I have the glitter white, but can't seem to love it. I'll probably sell it, at some point.

So, reading through reviews, watching tutorials, looking at swatches I'm liking a lot of stuff from different brands: Global Body Art's red looks nice, Snazaroo's does too, (but I'm wary because I've found some Snaz in my palette somewhat lacking). For Yellow, it looks tough to find a good, bright & true shade: Tag, Chameleon or maybe Kryolan (though I have a metallic and a UV Aquacolor in my beauty kit already, so I know those two are tough to work with). Blue...I'm not even sure...

For yellow, I am a Starblends lover. I have TAG yellow and pearl yellow, but I don't use them often.
For blue, Starblends is NOT a great option. It isn't opaque enough, unless you do Denise Cold's method of glycerin, which I refuse to do. Snaz blue is great, but I never liked the way Snaz got flaky after it dried, so I have phased Snaz out of my kit almost entirely. Last year I did an event with another painter and she had DFX metallic blue and I borrowed it. LOVED it for Captain America! Such a vibrant, opaque color! I ordered it immediately. I also have TAG metallic light blue, and regular light blue. I use them both with no problem. For teal, I have Paradise. It is a notorious stainer, but I don't worry about it. I usually mention it to the parents, but they just tell me to go for it.

My question is 2 part I guess:

First, is it a bad idea to mix and match lines, given the fact that some are paraffin and some glycerin based? Will this affect blendability? And if I get Wolfe white, will I need a separate white for base work (though I see the issue of staining/washability come up pretty often on the forums, I think it's interesting, because I've never seen anyone say a parent has gotten upset at staining- I don't think I would be, personally. Thus, it's not a huge concern for me...)

Blending different lines works, depending upon the base, as you suspect. I don't have Wolfe, so I can't speak to its blendability, but I have read where people do and love it. I sometimes blend TAG and Paradise. Paradise is softer, but seems to have no problem blending with TAG.
See above for staining...

Second: what are your suggestions for best basic colors?

You obviously want a palette with basics, such as red, blue, brown, green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, black, and white. It's nice to have a couple different shades or finishes of some of these. A shimmery pink goes over well, as does purple. Girls tend to gravitate toward the metallic colors, in my experience. Light and dark(er) blue and green are a definite plus. I usually buy a split with both colors together, such as light and regular green. This gives me both colors, but they only take up one space in my palette.

I also plan to pick up a few rainbow or onestroke cakes- I already have Paradise Flash, so I'm good on rainbow for the moment. I'm thinking of getting a dragon/fire cake and maybe a pearly pastel of some sort- suggestions?

Here's where I am a trouble maker. I LOVE one-stroke cakes. I only use about three full size rainbow cakes. I have TAG Havanna Sunset, which is my favorite. It is so vibrant! I also have TAG neon rainbow, which is most often picked by the customer. I have TAG pearl rainbow, which doesn't seem to see much use, sadly. It is beautiful and I love it! I also have a few Paradise rainbow cakes, Fleur, Arc-en-ciel, and Hot. These don't get used much at all, sadly. I bought Fleur to try to use for one-stroke roses, Hot, to use for flames and one-stroke roses, and Arc-en-ciel for all my rainbow needs. But, for some reason, I can't get Paradise to load correctly, and I haven't been patient enough with myself to learn how to use them. So they sit, sadly passed over.
Meanwhile, (EEK!!) my beloved one-strokes are my precious!! I use them constantly! I mostly buy them pre-made, then add bits of paint as they wear down. Once I get to a point where the outside colors are mostly depleted, I buy a new one of the same cake. Order of most used, to least used:
Stargazer lily
Unicorn
Leaf yellow
Dolphin
Leaping Lizzie
Havanna sunset
Pearl unicorn
Pearl leaf
Leanne's rainbow (custom, homemade. I just made this, and it hasn't had much action yet. I suspect it will rise in the ranks of favorites) The colors are red, neon magenta, two strips of neon yellow, light blue, dark blue. Brilliant, I tell you! I'll post a pic where I used it.
Teddy bear
Caty did (almost never used. I don't like it as much as I hoped.)

One-strokes tend to wear down in the middle color most quickly, so I keep those colors on hand and add to them, making the cakes last longer for me. For example, Stargazer lily is my most used cake. Neon magenta is the center color. I have to add a strip of that color every so often, and push down the white and dark (can't remember the name of that color) sides. By doing this, I can keep using the cake until it's used up more completely.


I mustn't fail to add that I have become a Starblends convert. I use the white and red most often, though I have black, pink, orange, yellow, green, blue, cocoa, and oriental, as well. The only one that doesn't get used is blue. Green can be tricky, too. It is difficult to get the opacity I desire. But it makes a pretty great hulk face. (seen below.)
I've gotten to where I don't do tigers with actual paint anymore. Same with most of my animal faces. Spiderman is a cinch with Starblends.
Here is my pic using Leanne's rainbow.

Hulk with green Starblends.


Well, now I've rambled. I hope it helps you.
THANKS!!!

Holy smokes Diane!

lol


Umm to answer some of the questions in a lazier way lol

If you are just starting out, stick to one brand, ans some don't mix well together. Paradise is good, it was what I started on before switching to TAG. 

As for colors go for the 12 basics
Red
Orange
Yellow
Light Green
Dark Green
Light Blue
Dark Blue
Dark Pink
Dark Purple
Brown
Black
White

Reason I say to get a darker pink and purple is that it's easier to just mix in some white to make them lighter, but you can't make them darker in a clean looking way.

If you can also try to get a grey, as it helps not mess up your white the odd time that you need it.

Forest-Fairy wrote:Holy smokes Diane!

lol

I know!
I was on a roll!
When we have newbies who have general questions, I have a hard time getting in to answering. So many people just come and suck from the teat of the wise ones. But when I see someone who has done their research and genuinely has specific questions, I enjoy answering. I have learned so much from people here, even newbies, and it makes me happy to help someone who knows what they want to ask.

Suck from the teat of the wise ones ... now THAT is the expression of the week!     

Oh, yeah. I said it. hehe!

Dangit! I killed another thread!

Or enlivened it!! (Not that I'm sitting around pining all day for that teat - hah!)

Clear!



I totally get you, some times they do just lurk and ask questions but never post their own things they have discovered. Are they worried we are competition or something? lol

So Diane, is there anything you would add to the extra goodies list for this thread?

Let us add; "the teats of the wise ones". (As long as you have those in your kit, you will never go wanting ...).

Okay, I am now going to put down those teats and stop talking about them forever.

Lest y'all think I am obsessed with them, or something ...

Time for an appropriate emoticon here ...

Let me search for one ...

Oh, okay, this should do:     

Haha!!

haha, cracking me up- teats are mighty handy though, I'll give you that! And I totally get what you mean about lurkers- I think some might actually have weird territory issues, but more often than not, I think they may be intimidated or worry that they're going to look stupid/silly. I have no such worries (I often look silly by design!)

Excellent thread! I'm clicking my "like" button!
  

Thank you guys soooo much for the very detailed posts. I just started painting last month and I think these were VERY informative.