Super fast face paint designs

I often do 10 to 12 kids in a half hour party with no problems, but they know what they want by the time they get to me and I'm not tired because it's a short period of time.... get me after an hour or two and I'm stretching and stuff to keep from getting too sore... I slow down a bit. I usually tell people I can do about 20 an hour and feel it's pretty realistic FOR ME... then if I end up doing a couple extra in that time, lucky them.

Painted Dragon wrote:

Don't people have common sense? Can't they figure out that we aren't superheros. They expect us to fly in with our capes and super speed and churn out artwork at one kid per minute?

Well, if you come painted like your avatar here, that's maybe how they got that idea.

Sorry, I couldn't resist, as that tickled my funny bone - looking at your avatar while reading your message made me think "yes, she could fly in and do that".

Kat

I thought the same thing LOL..."well, your avatar is currently a superhero...."
Actually I guess that is more of o super villain than a super hero, but still, the reference coming from you was funny.

HAHAHAHAH You guys are funny. Still laughing. It didn't even cross my mind.


heheh.

koolkatkiwi wrote:That's interesting, Eerin. How did you manage to keep them from queuing? In my experience, they will just keep bending the line around, and wind it around a corner if there isn't space.

Can you explain how you did it? This would be a very useful technique when it comes to bathroom breaks, lunch breaks, etc. It also would lessen the frustration of kids and parents who wait in line for an hour.

I've heard that some people paint a number on the back of the kids' hand, and then they can go and play until their number is called. One painter said she had been giving out numbered tickets for the line order, but then some mothers were actually grabbing a ticket off a child near the front, and giving it to their own child.

I tell ya. It can be worse than a new store opening with bargains galore, eh?

Kat

If a big line starts to form behind the four seats I have I usually simply tell them that they can go and play until there is a place again, and paint a small number on their hand if they are worried. I remove it with a wet towel when it is their turn. It can also be a little sticker.
On a market or a festival this does not work, but it was an after school care place. So everybody is close and you can call out a number if someone is not aware of the fact that he/she can start sitting in line.
Often children help each other remember as well, they go and get the one that can come and sit in line. etc. Its easy .
I dislike huge lines of children, it makes them unpatient and makes them complain etc. If they play in this time its so much more fun. Especially when there are other activities as well like fun spray painting it would be a shame if they miss out on doing that just because they need to stand in a line.
So I am one of those 'painting a number on their hands' people.

On festivals I have some trouble with this, I do not have a very good system yet. When you paint numbers on their hands there they go and play probably too far away and never come back. So then you move on to the next, but sometimes they do come back and tell you its not fair because it was their turn. You cannot let them go before the others then, because its the turn of those numbers.. but
etc.
Maybe I should hand out walkie talkies lol

I trought about asking for a bigger table during festivals. I could bring colored pencils and paper and such. If they are too big to enjoy this I could add a sign that says that three kids can win a prize by making a nice drawing about well.. anything (about facepainting.. lol ). I have these small gel tattoo pens for children in store, they are quite cheap but a lot of fun for them. It could be a nice prize and parents would probably like it when I do something like that.
But bigger tables often require bigger costs .

why don't we just use a paint roller, dip it in orange, swipe it down the kid's face and announce....'there your a tiger'!

ooooooooh I like the roller...........could give painting a whole new twist

I know... we need those little vibrating things like they have at the pharmacy and restaurants to tell them their turn is coming up

Perry Get Out Of My Head!!!!

I was just thinking - the buzzy things! and then I saw your post...... a mind reading clown.... hmmm your full of talents arnt you!

This thread reminds me of the episode of the Simpsons where Homer invents the 'make-up shot gun' and shoots Marge in the face with it......
"Oh sorry I had it set on whore".....lmao

Great minds think alike.... and fools seldom differ

Lol
I love the buzzer thing idea its perfection!
And Homers idea as well

LOL, I love that scene from the simpsons!!!

I have thought about using face paint stencils, like a car or something that I would just sponge maybe two colors max on the cheek or arm. Any thoughts on this? They sell for about $3-$6 each.

In a ppf or carnival situation, I have simple shaped foam stamps that I offer for $1.
I paint on 2 colors or swipe a sponge over a rainbo cake, stamp on cheek, then puff of glitter. Viola! Kid's happy cuz its pretty, parent's happy cuz its cheap, painter's happy cuz its fast!!!
I've got butterfly, heart, peace, flower, ladybug, bee, kiss, car, plane, truck, football, soccer, basketball, snake, snail, spider, sun, moon, star, palm tree, flip flop, dolphin, sailboat, music note, guitar, horse, cat, dog, fish, anchor, etc.

I've got a whole board of "Under four minute" faces, with about half of them under two minutes. I can do a butterfly in 1:45... mom timed me with a stop watch.

I have sponges cut in the shape of butterfly wings that I load (use one colour or a split cake) press a couple of times to make the wings, quick brush work, some glitter, done.

If you want to do the sponge thing... remember to keep them symmetrical as flipping the sponge over from one eye to the other can be challenging if they aren't!

I must say I'm amazed at some of the designs you consider "super fast"! I guess I need more practice. I think my problem is that I love doing new designs so I don't get very practiced at each one.

Psalmbook wrote:I don't think I could rubber stamp 45 kids in 1 hour. I would have told the client it was impossible & not a good idea to only paint 1/2 the kids. I'm glad they were happy w/ it, but I wouldn't have been
I hate unhappy kids when it's the adults fault.

About two years ago I was asked if I could come out and paint as a special treat for one of the teachers at the middle school. She wanted all of her classes to be painted and only wanted me for one hour - 96 kids in one hour. I told her that even if I used a stencil and only one color with no outlining I still couldn't paint 96 kids in one hour. So she recruited another teacher to help me and we stenciled away and after the hour I painted 70 paw prints in either blue or maroon (school colors) with a poof of glitter.

hold - sponge - lift - poof - NEXT! hold - sponge - lift - poof - NEXT! hold - sponge - lift - poof - NEXT!

I hated it! I promised myself I would never agree to something like this again.

I just painted for a school's field day. They hired me for four hours, and the classes were rotating through my "station" every thirty minutes.

I was saddened to find for the first class I was unable to get them all, so for subsequent classes I cut back even more on detail for the quickie designs I was offering.
I had a dragon, princess, puppy, kitty, superhero, flower, snake, scorpion.
Painting at two minutes and under per child, I had an older teacher come up and ask if I could do quicker designs! I said these are my quicker designs!
Well, maybe I could just slap a little heart on their cheeks?
Um, no.
Parents and teachers were impressed, kids were happy.
I was absolutely exhausted.

Tash wrote:This thread reminds me of the episode of the Simpsons where Homer invents the 'make-up shot gun' and shoots Marge in the face with it......
"Oh sorry I had it set on whore".....lmao

LMBO

So much excellent advice, wisdom and talent here! I'm a newbie and a perfectionist, which I'm learning to let go of through face painting. I have only been painting for a few months, but don't seem to be getting any faster.

I did an Easter fundraiser event for a friend last month - it was the first time I'd painted anyone besides my own kids. It took me an embarrassingly long time and I was not able to get all the kids who wanted to be painted, despite the event being almost 3 hours long, I worked nonstop and only painted 19 faces! Fortunately I had a glimmer tat station set up and operated by my friends 11 yo who was in a cast w/a broken foot and thrilled to have something to do. So at least every child got something, but still.....

A few days ago I did my first tiger (my avatar pic), my friends sweet little boy, and it took me probably at least 10 minutes! It was also the first time I'd ever blended colors and was doing it from a small Wolfe palette, but still. eep.

I will be painting a group of homeschoolers at a library party next week and really hope I can speed my act up! Do you all get in that "happy focused zone" when you are painting? I don't seem to be aware of much around me, unfortunately including time.

len sherrard wrote:why don't we just use a paint roller, dip it in orange, swipe it down the kid's face and announce....'there your a tiger'!

LOL... reminds me of all the cartoons, especially looney tunes... dip paint brush in the paint and one swipe with the brush makes a perfect landscape.... lol.... If only... That would make things so fast and easy... (Sorry probably the fever talking now... )

[quote="eva"]

Tash wrote:This thread reminds me of the episode of the Simpsons where Homer invents the 'make-up shot gun' and shoots Marge in the face with it......
"Oh sorry I had it set on whore".....lmao

OMG I so wish I had one of those guns every morning when I don't feel like doing my makeup!! (lazy)!!

well, i guess if it was that easy all us facepainters would be out of business!! not good!! LOL

LOL you guys are too funny..
Sparklyone your blending looks lovely on your tiger..You will get faster, dont worry..I've been at it around 5 months now and I started out just like you.. I still want to get faster..but hey if we had nothing to aim for it would get boring huh!