Baptism of fire!

So, I have been face painting for a few months now and I have done some family and friends parties but I thought, this is it, now is the time to hit the public!

I noticed a Local Village Fete so I signed up to face paint to raise money for local charities, this way I felt that if my paintings turned out to be rubbish I wouldn't feel bad about taking people's money!

Anyway, the Fete was today and it went really well! Started at 11am and finished at 4.30pm, so pretty full on. The morning was really quiet and I think I did maybe 8 faces in the first hour and half but in the afternoon it went crazy and I think I ended up painting about 50 children.

So, next time I hope to do a commercial event. Any tips out there for how to speed up a tiger and Spiderman. Both seemed very popular and seem to take the longest? Also, my back is killing me. I just had 2 regular chairs - do most painters out there stand when they work? I am thinking about using a high bar stool next time but just a bit worried kids might fall off!

If I am sitting in a regular size chair, have have the children, or even adults sit on a foot stool in front of me. Usually, I stand and have them sit in a directors chair.

With a bar stool, I would be worried about them falling off too. Especially some of the boys. They seem to lean back or forward really far trying to squirm away from the paint. With that said, I would try to find something that had a back if you are going to stand.

I did two nine hour days this weekend and yesterday I sat the last half of the day, but today I stood the whole time. I'm hurting less tonight than I did last night.
Meanwhile, I stood with an adjustable barstool for customers. No problems with anyone falling off.

I think I would tense up painting someone on a stool, as just kind of a natural reaction to them not being able to lean back and relax, and unconsciously feeding off that energy while I paint.

I painted at a party yesterday with kids on a tall chair, me standing. Them relaxing back meant I had to lean forward, which was AWFUL! I'll take the stool any day. They sit up and their energy from sitting tall is transferred to me, making me paint more confidently, I think.
Whatever the reason, I'm thinking imma stick with the stool.

Owch, the pain, I'm feeling it. I was trained with a barstool so anything else I hate. 30" chairs work best for 3-13 years old. Chairs with a high back are best because the younger ones can just rest their head on the back of the chair and it keeps them still. I prefer a chair with arms too so I can rest most of my weight on it when I need to. Also a large seat works wonders so the little ones can sit "criss-cross applesauce" with their head back and straight up fall asleep. A non-squirmy child is a well painted child.

Volunteered at an elementary school this weekend. They set me up with a kids desk and two standard chairs. They said my chairs and table were not necessary. Needless to say, by the time I was done I was painting faces BY STANDING BEHIND THEM!! They laid their heads back and rested their heads on the back of the chairs. I was painting faces upside-down. The sun went down and the parents were using their cell phones to shine light so I could paint. What a pain, but it was for the kids. Never will do that again.[justify][strike]