Free to the Public event but my designs are lacking

I have been doing alot of work that is free to the public. I am paid to be there but it is free for them. I have to be very fast because of the amount of people but I still want things to look good. I have a pretty nice side butterfly that only takes a minute, a quick spider and Angie had a quick spider girl/ man eye design that I have been using alot. I'm getting very bored though and my other designs are coming out messy cause I feel like I need to hurry. Do any of you have super,super quick designs you could share? Especially for boys. Thank you.

I just did a 4th of July event and did quite a few chinese dragons -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgvDZqLz7JE

Easy and quick - the boys loved them - you can be as simple or fancy, depending on the time. They also loved them if you did flames coming out of their mouth.
The other thing I did that all the boys liked, even the older teens - were some tribal markings. I did some on arms, a couple on legs and a couple around the eyes (ala Hangover 2 ) I have been really holding back on doing tribals, because I just don't think I am creative enough, but the ones I did yesterday actually turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself.

Did get a couple of pics, but have to get them off the camera, I'm moving a bit slow this morning!

OK yes, the tribal markings, definitely need those. I have a dragon on my leg as we speak,LOL. Thanks for the ideas.

Very quick designs for boys:

Batman (black bat shape around eyes) Mask
Snake - can coil around face or be used as a mask (make it bite its tail)
Skull and crossbones cheek design
Flames (Maybe from a ball or a skull) - cheek design

Batman is slow for me on the eyes but I think I will do a cheek design. I have never offered the skull but will give it a try too. my brain is starting to work again, thank you all for the jumpstart! LOL

I'm running into a similar problem.

I find that under pressure my tear drops/swirls aren't as crisp as I would like.... they seem thrilled with the outcome, but, *I* am not satisfied.. yanno?

Some great recommendations above!

I've found it easier to do spiderman with a large filbert brush (half inch or 3/4) for the base than trying to use a sponge.

I used to hate to do Batman because the first time I did it, the boy cried when I sponged over his eyes. After that I dreaded Batman, and would actively avoid doing it. Then I saw Vi's wonderful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhLjPhzAQgs&feature=channel_video_title

She does it as if it were a mask with eye holes (I did not do that, I did black right over the eyes and thus the crying). Also, she breaks it down so it is very easy to do. Since seeing her video, I have moved Batman into my "speedy" designs.

I too have done the red part of Spiderman with a brush a lot lately and I do prefer it, especially to do the straight edge (I do not cover the mouth so need a straight edge on an angle down from the side of the nose). Even with the edge of the sponge, I would somehow get a smudgy bit.

On Friday I had to do some superfast designs at the end, and I did several rainbows with hearts and starbursts. They are so fast with the rainbow cake and the girls love them. Heck, just the rainbow with white starbursts and dots looks lovely, you don't really need the heart.

And I have done some animals without the base - just the muzzle, nose, whiskers, a blush of pink on the cheeks. Sometimes I'll add ears if the child insists. Those are quick and cute.

I have, over time, come up with a "quick board" for just such occassions. But what is fast for me, might not be so for you and vice versa. Trial and error really is best. if you have a design that's popular, but you're in a hurry, create a scaled down version of it that you're fast at, but still looks good.

Also, dont sell yourself short. Even though your service to the folks may be free, still treat them as a paying customer (in terms of excellent design service) you never know what that mom or dad waiting in line with little Suzy may be checking you out with a birthday party in mind.

These are both very quick. The simple skull, just sponge with white, grey (or black) on the eyes and line with black and some red accents. The snake: swipe with a rainbow cake and add with black and white some accents.

I have a quick board that I take as well. I use lots of layered cakes and for boys I do snakes, dragons, lizards, and then art like swords and masks. I agree that what may be fast for you may not be fast for other people or vise versa. Time yourself with your practicing. I paint masks and super heroes like every weekend so I am pretty quick at those designs and I can do a full face in not that much time. I can paint some full faces faster than a cheek design LOL! I mean my full face butterfly is pretty detailed and it takes me about 2 minutes with lipstick. So, offer what you are fast at.

I use lots of sponges but I use a certain kind that seems to help me move faster. I tried using some fancier sponges that were recommended to me and it slowed me down. I like something that I can manipulate quickly.

I get complimented for how fast I can paint. But, I just pick what I know I can paint quickly for events like that and it still have my special touch to it.

Nice snake, Nancy!

At these kind of thing I offer 4 faces that are fast (which also helps with design decision time). I go with the rainbow butterfly, something like my avatar for girls , a one stroke snake, split cake or rainbow tiger, and a eye swirly design. I get boys and girls who want the snake and tiger, so it really gives them a few choices and I cld probably paint these blindfolded, super fast for me.

Here is the super quick batman I promised.



Here is also a super quick mask using the new TAG Custom 50 gram: Tropical Breeze. Please forgive the awful teardrops. I am trying to train myself to push then pull instead of just push.

OK, now that style of batman I think I could do fast! Thanks Metina and love the quick mask. Are you loading a sponge with a rainbow cake them just blotting in the color? thanks everyone.

Yup, just pushing the color into the skin. Hope they help.

I really like the quick batman Metnia. Not being around the eyes helps. I bet you could even leave off most of the blue if you were in a super hurry, and just paint on a 1/2 circle for the background. Like just behind the bat head.

Nancy. . .I am loving that snake? Is that the fire arty cake? I have one, and almost never use it. . I'll have to try that.

That Tag cake is really pretty! Masks are great and really fast to do.

Jody,
Thanks for asking the question. I got so many good ideas. Going to the links on you tube also helps, you know, you watch one, then another, then another....

I sometimes forget about you tube, because I get so many answers here on the forum.

Thanks again
Laurie

Most of what I do for Free to the Public events is 1 minute to 5 minutes.
One tip is double or triple loading a sponge so you can lay several colors down fast.

OK Linda after seeing your fast stuff, I really need to step it up. I do the pirate but I am still afraid of those animals with your eye as the critters eye. I am OCD I think and get freaked out if the placement is off, time to step out and get a little braver. The monster eye you have is cool, I'll give that a go also! Thank you to everyone, this is great!

I'm learning that public really doesn't care about how good the line quality is or how nice our tear drops and swirls look. They tend to be excited about bright colors, plenty of glitter, and a design that half way looks like the photo they selected. I'm not saying short change anyone or do a half-arsed job. I'm just saying don't sweat the small stuff. We as artists critique ourselves above and beyond what the public does.

That is so true!

HaHa! True, they don't care about the linework, but I do
I could go 10x faster if I didn't take time for good linework, but when I'm doing the big Free Face Painting Paid for by the Client I'm also advertising to my next client. I want to WoW the people so I'll get hired for their parties, events, etc because they MUST have ME
I will actually turn down jobs where they insist I do quick cheek art to appease a line. I had a guy want me last weekend to paint at a block party for 1 hour only & I wouldn't do it. I said a minimum of 2 hours for a venue like that & that my 1 hour rate was for small birthday parties.

Ok, I got my simplified board made up. I painted myself several times with designs I can do quickly and my daughter got in on the fun. Her pics are so much cuter! While painting a monster type thing on my forehead, Jessie says to me," Mom, no one is going to want a design that is on an old gray person!" She was dead serious too! What a turkey,LOL

Oh well, I needed pics and it's gotta be my face till I get some more young lovely skinned children to help me out!

Any way, I went with a dragon, spider, simplified spider man, alien cheek, roses, rainbow, butterfly and some swirlies. etc. All in all I have about 20 things to pic from for today, I paint at this event today also. Thank you so much for all of your help and suggestions. The pics I chose are pretty simple but I am also satisfying my need to be compulsive because I can do them all neatly but fast.

JMHO, but while painting relatively fast, don't rush and don't paint crappy. They paid you per hour, but you told them how many you could paint per hour... don't make yourself go any faster than that, you don't need to. Could you paint half again as much? Sure if you splatter painted them all with crap, but is that what you want?