What set's you apart from other painters?

I've watched this forum really grow since I joined. I never knew there were this many painters in the US and world. My question is what do you do to stick out amongst the other's? You can't say good customer service, I don't think anyone intends on bad service, LOL!

I guess I should answer first!

I'm fairly new to face painting so I'm just trying to build a reputation. I try to offer a variety of designs, center the designs around the theme of the party, & I follow up a lot!

I think the only thing that sets me apart from other face painters in my area is that I am not a clown. I do not offer entertainment and shows. I just face paint. Good/ bad.....just different. And I think we all have our own seperate strengths.
If someone wants a face painter, not clown, they call me. If someone wants a clown to entertain and face paint, they call one of the other amazing women in my area.
There is enough work in my area that we all respect each other and never step on one anothers toes.
That is something I really appreciate and respect with all the other painters in my area.

Hmmm... I'd say my love for kids. I'm comfortable with them, try to be easy-going and very friendly, and make their time with me special, however short it may be.

Another is that I tend to be a speed painter. I'm not the bestest painter in our working area but I am probably the fastest. I get repeat business from schools and other events that need speed.

I also don't have a 2 hour minimum like most other painters. Most people only need one hour, and for $100 an hour it's worth the drive over for me.

My main point is that I do both face painting and balloons, and do them both well. Birthdays get a bonus balloon cake too, which they love.

Like Angie, I'm pretty fast. I do have a 2 hour minimum though, and not everyone has that. I also do a follow up, have draws for comp tickets to trade shows I'm at, and send Thank You postcards and Christmas cards.

The thing that mostly sets me apart from other painters, and the other can probably agree, is that I'm so young! I'm only 13, but I love face painting beyond anything else!

I think for me its what I do when I am not technically working. Keeping my facebook page updated and interacting with my 'fans'. I am always adding new photos, looking for new models, running competitions, getting their input as to what I need to paint next etc.
The interactions with kids who I have painted before, they all love me When I am out and about I always have kids following me just to say hi, I will always be friendly back.
I think for me age is a big thing too, I am not that old (and I am not that big) some kids honestly believe I am a fairy (and are disappointed when they see me without wings)
Also my style, I think I have been developing my own style and people often come up to me knowing I have been at an even because they recognised the style of faces walking around.

I think my emphasis on family and charity sets us apart. My whole family is involved in the business. Our kids all have their niche, and my husband does balloons. We also have the option to be clowns, but we rarely get asked to come that way. We are also a musical family, so we perform together or lead worship together in other venues.

As for charity, we do charity events for a minimal amount, mostly to cover our cost for supplies. We try to give to our community and church events as much as we can. In fact, all of our paying business has come as a result of people seeing us at charity events or church events, doing free face painting and balloons! I know many of you get upset about this subject. Please don't flame me. Our family just feels like it is a ministry of love to others for us to use our talents in this way, and as a side benefit it has helped us a lot with paying jobs.

OK, I hate to toot my own horn, so I've written & back spaced several times now
What sets me apart? I have no clue, but I know God set me on this path & has continued to bless me. I try to keep Christ 1st in all I do. I think this has helped me to be a fairly good artist, given me a good business mind & given me my love for kids(I lead in kids church & can't get enough of my kids!).
Don't let me forget to say this forum has really helped me be set apart from the other face painters in the area. It keeps me informed, challenged & always trying to improve!

Kinda difficult to say without sounding completely full of myself so here is a link to my official bio that we use in my press package and books

Shannon's Bio

I interact with kids, project myself as a friendly person,keep my rates affordable...there are too many FP in my area. My set up is clean and I try to look profesional. I went out tonight and found a FP, painting from an awful pallet and filthy set up and went to ask her rate..of course higher than mine, , she had an horrible attitude, making faces and acting all mad when things were not going her way..I was watching very closely...just make me think that might be many others like hers out there...

Psalmbook wrote:OK, I hate to toot my own horn, so I've written & back spaced several times now
What sets me apart? I have no clue, but I know God set me on this path & has continued to bless me. I try to keep Christ 1st in all I do. I think this has helped me to be a fairly good artist, given me a good business mind & given me my love for kids(I lead in kids church & can't get enough of my kids!).
Don't let me forget to say this forum has really helped me be set apart from the other face painters in the area. It keeps me informed, challenged & always trying to improve!

I'm so with you. Before I started face painting I read the book purpose driven life and wanted to find a way to use my creativity and love of kiddies for his glory! I had been actively painting as a volunteer, but my skills were sub par. But thanks to this forum & youtube I have really been able to increase my skills. Most people who know me personally know my story and know why I do what I do. i try to share my story with those I can.

SillyIzzy wrote:The thing that mostly sets me apart from other painters, and the other can probably agree, is that I'm so young! I'm only 13, but I love face painting beyond anything else!

Wow!!! Judging from your avatar, you will be raising your prices real soon!!!!

With decades of art background, I can freehand any design. I remember early on, a boy wanted a wolf on his arm and I did a reastic one quickly. His eyes got big and he & his dad said they never saw anything like that in face painting. We know different, but having that ability with the love of a challenge set me apart from the locals.

I also have a passion for florals & dragons so that keeps the kids & young at heart happy with my designs ; D
Susan

I agree with Psalm and other than that, I have no idea. I just know that I try to do my best. There are a lot of people that are better at all parts of this business than I am, but my best is my best. At the end of the day, that is what matters to me.

Based on what I've heard other say about me, my strengths are:

patience with the kids
quick painting
conducting my business in a professional manner (dress, communication, contract, etc.)

I still have a long way to go in developing my own style, but hope to get there someday.

Winger1200 wrote:

SillyIzzy wrote:The thing that mostly sets me apart from other painters, and the other can probably agree, is that I'm so young! I'm only 13, but I love face painting beyond anything else!

Wow!!! Judging from your avatar, you will be raising your prices real soon!!!!

Raising my prices? lol. I can barely get a gig

Ah, Izzy, but you'll be an old pro at this job b4 you're driving!
How've you been doing? Your face painting is looking very good!

Psalmbook wrote:Ah, Izzy, but you'll be an old pro at this job b4 you're driving!
How've you been doing? Your face painting is looking very good!

lol, i never thought of it like that before, but still no price raise for me anytime soon.

i'm doing great though, thanks psalm! lots of school work ( ) but i've still got face painting ( ).

i recently entered a contest through school, and the grand prize is $250! my teacher said i had a really good shot at winning. i know what i'm doing with that money.. lol.

Ya know... the snazaroo contests have special consideration for younger artists. If let them know your age, you might get extra consideration over an adult who's been painting for 10 yrs.
If it's ok with your parents, it's a fun contest to join.

Well.... there are several clowns in my area, but it's funny that the more people I talk to, the less it seems people have heard of any of them. I try to set myself apart by being the best I can be and attending as much professional training as I can afford. I have found a lot of people who say they are afraid of clowns tell me that they are NOT afraid of me. Some ask if it's the amount of makeup but I think it has more to do with the way in which you approach people/children. The only times that kids have totally freaked out around me are when other children or parents are pushing them towards me (I prefer to let them come to me and if I see that they are uneasy I will kneel down to their level or even move away and play peek a boo to make them feel more in control of the situation).

So, I guess I like to tout my training... I have a degree in vocal music, a degree in education (specialized in elementary vocal music), 2 kids of my own, 2 sessions at Mooseburger Clown Arts Education, and as many smaller workshops as I can manage.

Perry, you are the cutest clown I've ever seen!
I understand letting the kids come to you. When I'm in kids church & a new child comes in I'll sit right there on the floor so they're a little taller than me & start talking to them. It only takes minutes for them to be comfortable.

I think that God gives us each special gifts and talents. It takes a lot of patience to work with kids. I love children and think they are truly gifts from the Lord. When I paint, I like to spend time with them. It is their few minutes of pure attention and getting what they want. I never rush through my lines. Sure...I try to work quickly but I have a hand painted sign that says I like to spend time with my canvas, since each design can take 4 to 6 minutes please judge your wait time accordingly. I could push them through but, the quality of not doing that is what I get e-mails, letters and comments about. I also have a fine arts background, so I enjoy the process of painting. If a design is really fast I still spend about three minutes with them after all they waited for their time too. I always try to be friendly with the kids, have a nice sanitary work area, and be patient even when I feel like pinching someone's head off.

I think that each painter has their own strengths about them. Play on what yours are and it will set you apart from everyone else. I worked a festival last week and I had a line so long that I worked an hour after the festival closed. The next day it rained and I still had kids coming to the festival that wanted to be painted. I felt like a celebrity! I even told them that that paint washes off pretty easy, but it didn't matter. I was invited back,and got put into the paper. It was great. but if I had broken my rule of quality for quantity I don't think I would have done as well in the rain on Sunday. Then I would be like all the other face painters...

Keep in mind I'm a noobie, but these are the things I can say:

Well, there just aren't very many face painters in this area. I see a few at big events now and then, but one just does a swishy swirly "princess" type face with a stick on jewel on the forehead on almost all of the girls. If you were looking online or in the phone book for a face painter in this area, you would only find one agency offering all kids of things and one of them is face painting. I think I've met them before and it's the owner's daughter who was interested in face painting. A friend told me she hired a clown who did very simplistic little cheek art at her daughter's party, but was much more of a clown than a face painter. The corporate children's holiday party I am doing in Dec hired me because the face painter who had been there previous years was mean to the children! Can you imagine a face painter not being nice to the kids. They were actually scared of her!

I'm a mom of small children and I like to try to talk to the kids about where they go to school, etc. and I think I have a fairly decent rapport with kids because I know what my kids and their friends are into. I have previous painting experience so that comes in handy. I think my work is better than a lot of face painters out there who are just trying to make a buck and not really interested in the quality or the artistic value of it. I love how designs look different on different kids because of the different faces and I love that even if it's not the BEST job of painting, it can still thrill the kids.

Psalmbook wrote:Ya know... the snazaroo contests have special consideration for younger artists. If let them know your age, you might get extra consideration over an adult who's been painting for 10 yrs.
If it's ok with your parents, it's a fun contest to join.

Yeah, I've seen those before, and I'm still thinking about it..