How many designs do you offer at events?

I have my first big public event coming up. I'm busy preparing my design menu and double checking to make sure I have all the supplies I need for the designs. I'd love to know how many different designs you offer at fairs and festivals, etc.? I'm working at least 5 hours at the event and the only fp there. Initially I thought just 10 each boys and girls designs but then I thought more design options would be increased business as well as more of a variety for the public to see my work.

Right now in working with my display set-up, I'm thinking of offering 15 each boy/girl faces plus 5 each boy/girl arm designs, for a total of 40 different designs. I have tried to choose designs that look more full face and fanciful yet aren't super detailed/timely, as well as the more popular design requests from kids in my locale.

Any advice, wisdom, tips or warnings greatly appreciated!

My 3 posters have about 10 designs each and I have a photo album also with about 40 photos but some repeats.

I have found too many can cause confusion - especially if a few of them are similar.....
I just went and counted and I have 25 on my board.... there are your regular sized photo - not small ones like some people use for the plastic pocket hangy thingy-majigs.....

If I had to do my board from scratch then I would list all the things I think would be popular and make sure they are there - like ... Tiger, monster, pirate, doggy, and superheros for the boys and Princess, butterfly, rainbow w flowers and a cat.
That's 10 right there. ( Actually 11 - you will probably have to have spidy AND batman)
Then I would add the extra that I like and that seem to be asked for quite a bit.... like asymmetrical eye designs, or masks, for the girls and a snake, spider, and dragons for the boys.
Maybe throw in some arm paintings - like tiger stripes and tattoo style tribals for boys and rainbows and roses or wings for the girls....... careful with this the girls always want their friends name or b.f.'s or whatever added - I hate painting lettering - mavbe that's just me.

I reakon once you get to 40, the overall amount will take away from each photo - so you will lose the wow of each design in a sea of designs....
I may be the only one who actually feels this way - but I have had so many confused kids who just can't seem to make up their mind that I have come to the conclusion that less in more - I always have signage in my book and on my board that these are SUGGESTIONS only and you can have whatever you might like - just ask.
I have a big job on Sunday and I have to split into three price ranges - so I'm making a cheapy design board as we speak.... I have to have $4 designs - $6 half faces and $8 full faces - I figure four of each should be fine to give them an idea of size etc in that price range.
That reminds me I have to go find that Darth Maul picture and burn it forever - I could happily live the rest of my life without painting Darth again - and I thought spidy was bad!!!!
Sorry I do tend to crap on a bit at times.... guess it's one of those times.

Hey if you can take a piccy when your done of your boards we like to share and see what others have come up with that may work for us!

I agree with Tash - less is more. I have about 12 or so per price on my old board, and perhaps 20 per price on my new one which I use at certain festivals. They are well organized so as to be as simple as possible. I'm all for simple... I try not to have them all over the tent or in books as well as posters, etc. I tried putting two copies of the same menu in different areas once and found that people were tripping over themselves trying to see ALL of the photos, not realizing that they were identical, so I only use one now.

Weeellll....

My full tabletop display has 164+ ( )

My fast faces display has 79 photos.

My display book (a binder with laminated pages) has approx 225 photos (not all are of FP - they show my other make-up work too).

No duplication, all photos of my work, all unique (meaning not exact copies of anyone else's work).

You don't need that many of course, I just am into torturing myself.

I've been planning to reduce the number by redoing my photo pages - currently I have 9 and/or 16 photos per sheet - I was planning to change that to 4 per page and reduce the selection but it is a low priority at the moment. I don't like to infer there is a limit to what I am willing to paint and I like to show off....

You can see my displays on my blog:

http://shannonfennell.wordpress.com/2011/06/23/im-getting-the-hang-of-this-computer/ is my Fast Face display.

http://shannonfennell.wordpress.com/whats-in-my-face-painting-kit/ shows my large table top display and my binder.

I use 36, 12 designs per category/price.

When I am paid by the event to be there and lets say I need to paint over 500 kids(which is what I did a couple of weeks ago!) then I bring 10 designs. No pics, just words so that I'm able to change things up, leave out details, make them different, etc. It's usually 3 boy designs, 3 girl, and 3 unisex.

When I'm doing pay per face, I have probably 30-45 designs to choose from.. or I have nothing at all! and I just paint off the cuff all day long. Typically, I bring nothing.

Can't tell you how helpful each reply is to me! Thank you all so much!

I'm still so new (just started 4 month ago) and don't have the skills to wing it yet. I look at other designs I love and first try to copy them exactly, then the next time add my own style, but generally stay pretty close to the original design. I have always created art this way - I remember as a little girl sitting with the Sunday comics drawing copies of Hagar and Family Circus. I hope it is not considered wrong or unethical to do this in the fp world as a newbie...the last thing I want to do is offend someone who has helped and inspired me with their art.

I finally decided on a # of designs based on what I have to use for signage (one of my children's old puppet show stands). I had to use something that wasn't going to cost any more $$ (who KNEW it was such an investment to become a professional fp?!). I'm painting it up, boarding up the puppet show space and hanging my Lillian Vernon photo wall collage vinyl display in front (with added portions taped on from a second vinyl display). I'm sure that is a crazy sounding thing but promise I will post pics as soon as I am done - worth a thousand words, eh?

I'm going to offer 12 each boy and girl face designs plus 3 each boy/girl arm designs for a total of 30 selections. I feel confident I can do each design even though most I have only done once, and have already inventoried and ordered all supplies to (hopefully!) make sure I can get through my first big festival.

I would go with what you think you can paint fastest and for me that has to do more with how well I know the design (by heart) and how much I have to refer to a photo. So, a full face monster will take me less time than something more simple that I don't know how to do by heart.

I just paint what they want ;-)

I agree with the less is more approach. I offer 24 different designs. It makes it easier for them to decide on a design too. When I had more options for them to choose from, they would ask for custom designs more often. Go figure! Plus, I can go a lot faster when they are my designs.