First big event..little nervous

Hi. Been reading for awhile now, so most my questions have been answered from previous posts. This Saturday I will be the only face painter on a hugely popular resort beach, with tons of kids. My booth is ready, I've followed as much advice here as I can think of...any last minute pointers?
I will be by myself, and I'm not lightening quick, but decently fast. This my first public venue face painting, (i have tons of festivals under my belt for my garden art) so any last minute advice would be appreciated.

Try to get a shaded area, or your paints will either 'sweat' (glycerine coming to surface, drying out colour) or 'crack'
Also: kids squeeze their eyes when there's sun

Other than that: don't stress it, don't forget to hydrate and eat (I always forget to eat and drink while painting, with major lashback afterwards in my car, I fall asleep due to lack of energy)

Yeah, have a tent, so should be good shade wise. Packing cooler with flavor ice and water..was just scheming about putting up a sign that says "free ice cold flavor ice for customers", as it's supposed to be hotter than the hubs of he double toothpicks.

How hot is it suppose to be?  It could be a good idea to have a backup of your most used paints (black and white for example) to swap out part way through - if you're painting for an extended period of time.

Be nice but don't let people walk on you. Don't be afraid to say 'no', and stand up for yourself in how you do business. Stand firm.

Excellent idea, and good points. It's a long one ladies, 10am-9pm. As to hot - smoking hot, with humidity off the charts.I'm throwing the snazaroo in the cooler, and taking my liquid paint as backup. I will be mainly using my faz and global cakes as they seem to not melt in this area.
I'm taking my acrylic too, I've found it not only fills up time and my picture boards,, (haha), at slow shows it helps grab people in.
I think I've packed everything but the kitchen sink:
Kit and backup paint
New brushes and my oldies
Cooler with dry ice in bottom, drinks, flavor ice, and the snaz on top.
Tent, table, stool, chair, and example boards.
Both decor box
Two gallons of clean water, the empty jugs and my little funnel.
I'm sure there are little odds and ends I'm forgetting, but I'm used to dealing with all those little details for festivals with my garden art.
I count myself lucky: normally I'm pulling a trailer and spending the night out of town. At least I get sleep at home after this!!

Leesh wrote:
I'm taking my acrylic too, I've found it not only fills up time and my picture boards,, (haha), at slow shows it helps grab people in.

Acrylic what?

My acrylic paints, that I use for making pictures for my example boards. I have found, at slow shows, that people see me painting and they tend to wander in, then they look at all my examples, then they sit down. Plus, it helps me practice, especially those dang one stroke flowers that are always trying to kick my mule. ;D

FF just wanted to make sure that paint wasn't to be used on faces - I was curious too when I first read it

Sorry, I forget I'm not on my "home forum" where people know me and are used to my shot gun style approach to all things grammatical.

Yeah no worries, was just double checking lol.

Though if it were me, i wouldn't have them anywhere in the tent even just for painting signs. Why? Simple: 'Never underestimate the lowest common denominator.'

Person see's poster paint in your tent they might get confused and think you also use it on kids. Yes! EVEN if you have actual face paints in your kit! lol We've seen it before.


(and yes, people actually got painted with her table looking like that, and got acrylics put on their kids faces...)

Or they might see the acrylics and think "oh! I have those at home! I'll paint my own kids faces later."

I know it's sounds stupid, but honestly.... people are stupid. Also what seems painfully obvious to us isn't obvious to everyone else.

I would paint your signs before you go, and bring a mannequin head or ProFace practice head to paint on while at the event. Or even get one of these handy dandy wipe-able display boards that you can use real face paints on.  


Sold Here

That way the colors on your boards will match what is in your kit.

Because you are right, when people see us painting it totally draws them in better then sitting and doing nothing.

But I would still leave the craft paints at home because remember, repeat after me "never underestimate the lowest common denominator."

People are flat stupid, no two ways round that one!!
Say, is that perchance a dry erase board??? *thinks about one she has sitting in the shed*
*wonders where in God's name she might fit it in car*
Maybe I do this wrong...
I have literally 100's of examples I have drawn or painted over the years in my booth. When people do pick one I always ask them what color they want. When they pick their colors I do a swipe on my arm and they either say yes, (usually) or no and pick another one. (rarely if ever)
I've got everything from pen and ink, to face paint, oils, acrylic...I think there is even a couple done in crayon in there some where. It has been more of a pick a design off my boards, or they just say do whatever you think looks best. I haven't ever seen anyone else's layout, so I was thinking I was doing okay. No one has ever said anything, and I stay steady busy almost every show. ?

Not a dry erase board, it's made of something else. They won't say of course - trade secret.

Unless you are doing 'pay per face' i always find it's best to limit the choices. Human's can become easily overwhelmed with too many choices (now think about how that applies to children lol). 

Picking colors is ok, but don't let them get too picky, this will slow down the line. Trust YOURSELF when it comes to the artistic decisions. Most people don't know what they want, and the little girl that insists you ONLY use pink doesn't under stand how nice the pink will look with some white highlights for contrast. YOU are the artist, not them. 

As for your boards, it's totally ok to have hand drawn examples, even in crayon or whatever, so long as you can replicate it with your face paints.

Though i find for myself I either use, photo examples that i have taken of kids that i painted, or a word sign. That way they know those are the colors I have and the colors they will get, they see proof that I can paint them on a face with the photos too.

I use my word sign mostly when I'm being paid to be some where like a mall or something. I don't need to sell myself with my sign in those cases.

Yeah, never been in that situation (mall type) yet. All I have done are fairs and festivals where you gotta grab their attention over all the other booths. I was kid central when I just did yard art (very whimsical stuff, lots of bright colors- kid crack! Lol)
Last weekend I had a little girl who wanted a swan.....in yellow with orange feet and a beak instead of a bill. I said 'honey, that's a chicken'. Kid remained adamant. I got obstinate. Lol. Did a quick line sketch of a chicken (ten seconds tops) and said, 'is this the swan you want?' Much head nodding from the kid. Ok fine, here is your yellow swanchickengoose kid. Gave some pink hair just to up the ante. Her mom laughed like he11 and said: " I have to admit that is the best swanchickengoose thing I've ever seen done. I said 'yeah, me too'.
Half the stuff kids come up with leave me wondering what in cats name they are teaching in school these days!

Oh yeah it's totally ok to take inspiration from kids, some of my most creative designs happen that way. I'm talking about the kids who are like "why are you adding black? I said i wanted a pink butterfly!" *face desk*

Recently i had one rude and mean kid DEMAND that i use a brush and not the sponge to do the base of his design. He was 5, he had no clue of course. Even when i said "trust me, i'm the artist" he was like "I'm an artist too! My mom put me in a special art class." (P.S. This boys parents were absurdly wealthy), and he again demanded that i use a brush. *rolls eyes*

Since no one was around or paying attention i asked him "how old are you?"
Him: "5"
Me: "So get this, I've been an artist for longer then you have been alive times five. So either trust me and let me paint, or get out of my chair."

He shut up and closed it eyes. Afterwards he LOVED the design. 

Many people do not understand the artistic process, and my point is while it's ok to take suggestions, do not rely on them. Trust your instincts.

Thank you. I will take inspiration from the fact that are other people, dare I say it...( never thought of myself as an artist) artists that aren't afraid to exercise a little muscle once in awhile. Thanks for all the comments ladies, now I'm to check my packing list...for approximately the umpteenth time. Lol

Well, I got gig for the whole summer, which means for 6 blocks of an extremely busy boardwalk, I'm the only face painter. Learned some things to do different for this weekend: such as I get free electric, hallelujah, a fan!!! Ordered a couple brushes I need to have, and decided snazaroo sucks in the heat. The idea I read on here worked good though, putt it in cooler and it was useable. When it's gone I will replace with global. Of the three types I have, they are so far my favorite kind.
It was a good weekend, I feel better about my ability level, and about saying "not sure if I can do that, let's see". Had several of those scenarios, and everyone was tickled....it appears I'm capable of copying a picture.

Nice! Gotta trust your instincts! Once you can see a picture of something and break it down into layers you can really paint anything - although not EVERYTHING works so well on a face... then you have to worry about placement, etc

I'm still having trouble with eyes...so much of my work is like doing a tattoo type that I get a little crazy with the shading. I did a dragon on a boy...and uh, as far as I'm concerned it sucked. My stroke lines were all crazy. They loved it. Where does one draw the line at satisfying self, and them. I guess it's the idea of them walking around and it being half naked, then someone pointing and saying: "that one did it!!" Lol. Good God the horror show painting on kids I saw this weekend. I had two separate people bring the kid in to have the "art work" they had done elsewhere, removed. Some poor kid was wandering around with a superman "tatoo" that looked my dog drew it on him. I don't want to be 'that' person, but I can't stand around being a perfectionist either.
Ps. Glitter is abominable. LOLOLOLOLOL

here's something i've learned - have lots of designs with details that don't have to be precise -
animal spots and stripes, hair and fur,
squiggly outlines and creases on reptiles and faces,
shading and spots on butteries, and other creatures or flowers,
"damage" effects on boy's designs,
etc.

a little slip of the brush fits right in, none the wiser

and i have to say, glitter is your fairy godmother, can turn a "pumpkin" into a sparkly stagecoach, lol.