to stand or sit

Is it better to stand or sit while face painting? ....What is the recomended method?

There is no "recommended" method - it is whatever will work for YOU.

Some of us sit, others stand, some alternate - for various reasons. Our height, injury or conditions, comfort, etc.

I sit.

Suzy - do you sit at the same level? Or higher?

I agree, it's a personal preference.
I used to have 2 folding stools from Walmart. I'd sit facing the child & the stool kept them from leaning wayyyy back. However, I found after several hours, my back was about dead.
I now stand in front of a directors chair & work out of my kit. I prefer this method better as I get to move around more, twist, circle the model, etc. My feet sometimes get sore after a long gig & my back may be a little tired, but I'm not in one position for long periods of time. I bounce back & recover quicker! I'm also planning on finding some foam mats I have somewhere in my home.... and using them under my feet & chair for extra cushioning.

pixieface wrote:Suzy - do you sit at the same level? Or higher?

My face is usually right at their face. I put them on the director chair and I sit in a regular chair in front of them... If I am painting a teenager or an adult I usually stand though as their face is too high at that point!!

I stand, with the child in a tall director's chair. I have the child lean forward and tilt their face upward so that I am leaning over as little as possible.

If it's a long gig (8+ hours) I will bring a stool to occasionally sit down on for leg relief. Sitting slows me down because I have to move or get up between each child to reload my chair. My partner has a swivel chair and she does great sitting down on a stool. She sits on one side of the chair, and swivels it around to paint each side of the face.

Try it several ways and see what works best for you. I've found that standing (in Crocs) is the least physically demanding position for myself.

Hey that swivel chair idea sounded interesting. I expect I'll stand as long as I am in the position of putting the child on a higher chair. If not, sitting might make more sense like Suzy does it. I think I'll like to move around though. I'm getting older so it's easy to get stuck in one position if you are in it too long GRIN.

Foam mats, crocs, footstool and arch support inserts here I come...and who says face painting isn't an investment???

Gotta have the Crocs!

Thanks all for the wonderful suggestions

I just began face painting and originally painted with the client sitting. I found myself standing and manipulating myself instead of the client. So I got a director's chair and did a 2 day festival standing this weekend and it was great. I could get into the position I needed without wrenching my back doing it.

Magic wrote:Gotta have the Crocs!

Tone-up sandals are the way to go! They have awesome foot support! Now that winter is moving into Florida(sorry all you northerners... winter for us is 60's ) I'm thinking of getting the Skechers Shape ups.

I was standing, but blew my back over Halloween, so my gigs this past weekend were seated.

ack cabbyj - I have back problems too, so I sympathize - hope you feel better soon!

First time I tried Face painting standing up I could barely walk after that!! so I prefer to sit, and stretch once in a while..!!
I saw the Other topic about the Chairs, and I do have a IKEA chair, a bar wooden folding chair which is chic and comfy. (I bought it so for my Make-up gigs) but I prefer to sit at the same level as the kids. I've only done a few adults and I did stand for them.

Makingfaces, I used to be just like you. I was horrified when my mom brought the first director's chair home from a convention! "What do you mean you have STAND while painting? You plan to do that all DAY?!"

But then I noticed how the child was up high where everyone could see them and then people were stopping and admiring my MOM paint and hald the time no one even noticed that I was painting down in my little chair. So... i begrudgingly tried it and realized it wasn't so bad. Yeah, I was a little sore at the end of the day, but you get used to it. Your muscles just need to get used to keeping you standing for such a long time.

Now, I can't do a job WITHOUT my director's chair. I was at an impromptu gig at a hotel a few weeks ago and didn't have my chair and I had no IDEA what I was going to do. Luckliy though, another clown in attendance had a director's chair I could borrow.

I sit. I have a chair that is a comfortable hight to allow me to put my feet flat and a stool of the same hight for the child. If an older child or teenager I'll stand if easier to paint. I stretch out every so often if feeling a little stiff from sitting too long.

I have sat for all my gigs but I want to try standing..I cannot find a fold up directors chair anywhere in my area...and I have looked everywhere...I will be jumping for joy when I find one..sitting does my back in..I'm sure my feet will protest at first but they will get used to it..I think that standing also has more of a presence to the customer as you are looking them in the eye etc..

Freedspirit, I recently bought a couple of these high folding chairs from Ikea, not sure if there are any Ikea stores in New Zealand? They were under $30 each and while they are less sturdy than the director's chair, I am hoping they will get me through the summer. I am new to painting while standing also and am looking forward to trying it out - I have a party tomorrow, and the mom is setting me up with a bar-height stool, yay!

There is no Ikea store in N.Z...Gosh $30 is a good price too..I might keep an eye on trade me (like ebay)..hopefully,,fingers crossed I will have one before too long. Thanks for your help.

Well fancy that..there are Ikea stores in N.Z..Well,I am getting straight onto them..yay!! Thankyou.

Perhaps look for outdoor furniture - lately I have noticed a trend in outdoor bars with bar-height chairs to match, and some are of the folding sort. You never know what you might find!! Good luck!

Edited to add: The name of the chair I bought is Franklin, at least in Canada anyway - that may help you in your quest LOL!

I stand when I do make-up and use my tall director chairs. But that is working on adults.



I tried standing to FP but can't deal with the pain and leaning over as the kids are lower than comfortable for me.

I use two chairs of the same height and sit facing the kids.

Hi Shannon
Where did you get your director chairs from?