How fast are you?

I would like to get an idea of how many faces you can do in one hour at a ppf event where you are taking money and counting back change... no line manager.

My ppf event today was not worth the effort I think it was a combination of things. I had some new faces, didn't charge enough, etc. It was my first time. I just need to know how many faces it is reasonable to do in an hour so I have something to shoot for.

Thanks.

I average about 4-6 min a face, (full face) Probably bout 10-15 faces per hour. I'ts hard to calculate at times because of things like; cheek art, special requests, kids who can't make up their minds, parents who don't wipe faces, etc..........

I use a bar apron for PPF events. It has 3 deep pockets in the front and no bib to get in my way. I organize my money in it before I start and keep it that way. Always have my bills in the middle, less access to sticky fingers.
Small coin on one side, large coin on the other. Makes things quicker.

I tuck my cards in around my display boards and tell people to help themselves and always have brochures on display.

I hope this helps

I am normally 3-5 minutes for each. Often don't do full faces, but smaller "tattoos" that have more detail.

(What is a line manager? I have seen it mentioned several times, but never quite figured out what they did precisely...)

I think 10-15 faces is what I do in ppf. Just depends on the design I guess, as to how quick I am.

Glenda

15 faces per hour is about average for me. I also make change ahead of time. I charge typically 5 per face and have sets of 5 ones paper clipped together and $15(always two fives and five ones in case they want to tip) paper clipped together. I usually bring at least $200 in change and this rarely lasts, but I just can't bring myself to bring more money.

PPF are a gamble. Sometimes they can be profitable and sometimes you are kicking yourself. But, as I have loosed my attitude a bit, I have made some money, friends and gotten several jobs. I guess the biggest advice would be to learn and NOT repeat the same mistake twice.


Think about why this job was a bust. No traffic( I usually require at least 1,000 people to be in attendance, but always hope for more), bad location, you need to speed up, bad crowd ect. Some thing are in our control and some things aren't. Sorry you had a bad day, but try and figure out what you can learn and begin to move on.

HUGS!
-Metina

"Line Managers" take the money from the people, tell the next person when it is their turn, keep track of how many you are painting... get you drinks and food, tell people you are closing, and change your water when it needs it!!

I'm pretty sure I was doing at least 10/hour. It was an all day event but I didn't get busy until the last 2 hours. I would have come out alright if I would have been busy all day. The new faces slowed me down too. When I made my menu for the event I thought I was going to have time to practice the new ones but didn't actually have the time so I was winging it as I went. I also didn't charge enough.

Something good came of it though. A customer whose child I painted emailed today about having 3+ events covered in her town. Not very far away either. Yay for that.

Thanks for the input everyone. It helps to know that I'm average on speed. I am going to find some way to time myself without too much fuss. Any suggestions? I bought a counter too so I can count heads by pressing a button.

How much were you charging per face, cassandra?

I have my mom use a stop watch to time me painting when I'm working a public event... without me being aware of when she is doing it.

I post that it takes 4-7 minutes for full faces depending on complexity of design. But I've been timed doing 1 minute 48 second butterflies and 2 minute 50 second tigers...

I state I can paint 12-15 per hour in my booking information but reality is that I do more. But better to under than over estimate.

I'm working on a display of 3 minute or less as I am getting lots of bookings for high volume events that don't want to hire the extra painter so need to offer some faster selections.

Speed comes with practise... I don't panic about it, but now I do have a variety of designs that I know I can paint fast, and I try to modify my more involved designs to make them faster too.

I had 4 designs that are simple that I charged $3 for. Most designs were $4. About 5 were $7. Next time, I'm charging at least $5 and maybe $8 for what are called 'extreme' faces.

When doing ppf I think even the quickie faces take too long for $3 bucks. You spend a lot of time collecting money and counting back change.

Thought about making a display with painted "tattoos", since I often end up doing it anyway. Like one or two minutes designs.

Who pay for the line manager? (sorry for changing the subject)

Having prices tiered can work... locally at the Street Performers Festival they were charging "$5 Small Design, $8 Half Face, $10 Full Face" and the lines were LONG.

Line Managers can be paid a straight rate by you, or a percentage of the total "sales" for the day. If you have multiple painters, each pays a share to the line manager. Some painters keep track of the number of faces (or the line manager does) and they pay the line manager so much per face.

On the Snazaroo US site there might be an FAQ on it.

My designs start at $5 - for eye art & flower vines - $8 for 1/2 faces and full faces
go for $10 to $25.
Try using a digital timer - when the child sits and you know what they want hit start on the timer.
Stop the timer before you show them a mirror.
I usually do 3-5 minutes per face - there are a couple of my designs that take longer and a few that
are quicker - but you also have to remember that you're giving the child an experience as well as paint
on their face. If your work is good and people see that the kids are having a good time - they'll wait.

At the last (first?) gig I did, I had tiered prices of

$6 - small stuff, generally cheek art or simple eye swirls
$9 - anything simple that required a full base
$12 - more complicated designs

I sold a lot of stuff at the $9 range, and ended up making about $11 - $12 on each of them anyway because of tips (apparently people were in a tipping mood that day). The line was neverending once it got started, and that was on a Sunday (I am definitely lamenting the rained out Saturday right now...).

All of my designs in the $6-9 range take less than 6 minutes to paint (most are 3 - 6 minutes, with a couple quickies under 3), and most of the $12 ones are 6 minutes, with a couple taking a bit longer. Those are the ones I get to have fun with, though, and really "wow" the crowd, so it's worth the extra time.

My line manager was keeping track of the number of designs, and I was doing anywhere from 12-15 an hour at that gig.

I average around 15-18 per hour I believe, sometimes more and sometimes less depending on what they want. I think it's important when we time ourselves to keep track of how long it is between actual children. Sometimes the painting is fast, but it takes a long time to move the kids into and out of the seat, choose designs, find brushes, wipe faces, get things in place, etc. So when you are trying to get faster, don't forget to look at those non-painting moments for ways to cut down on time.

I think I paint relatively fast, however, since I am a clown as well as a face painter, I have to make sure that the whole experience is also a clowny one. I can't just pump out the face painting as fast as possible since I'm also trying to make sure they get their moment with me as a clown as well.

I feel that the most important thing for me right now is charging a fair amount. There are a few face painters in our area that are apparently only charging $1 or $2 for their face painting and this is completely outrageous. I charge $5 and $8 and the other people I often paint with charge $5 and $10 (when I work with them, I charge the same as they do). I hate that we have to compete with people who do paint relatively well, but don't charge what it is worth.

Have you tried talking to them? I did that with a facepainter that was advertising with a very very low price (more or less transport covered). She ended up changing her prices =)

yeah, I've talked to them... she "can't justify charging that much for something that takes her 2 minutes" .... so how do you afford your costume, makeup, face paints, supplies, insurance, etc. etc....?

We'll keep working on it. We're starting a local clown alley (club) here and we'll talk about that kind of stuff.

Perry Noia wrote:yeah, I've talked to them... she "can't justify charging that much for something that takes her 2 minutes" .... so how do you afford your costume, makeup, face paints, supplies, insurance, etc. etc....?

We'll keep working on it. We're starting a local clown alley (club) here and we'll talk about that kind of stuff.

Honestly?! Some people are just DENSE!!!

Dense like a stone for sure

You might offer her Shannon's resource of what each face really costs her when she adds up her expenses. It might be an eye opener.

that's a good idea as something to discuss at our alley meetings... we'd really like everyone in the area to stop being so cut throat competitive as there is plenty of business to go around for everyone.

2-3 minutes on the face, and about a minute to do the money thing.... so like.. 4-5 minutes? I almost ALWAYS try to have a money and line person!

I take bookings from a magician and I am really getting steamed - I keep giving him guide lines and he continues to book 20 kids an hours - 20 is never 20. I paint pretty fast but last night after I was 20 min over and I told the mother 6 upset kids showed up and I got caught. She said to stop they were all upset. I wrote him an email today explaining what happened I am sending him guidelines. Thanks just needed to vent!

I don't think fast is a word that I would use to describe my face painting. How SLOW am I, pretty slow the first time out but then as I commit a design to memory, I pretty much pick up speed.

If Metina starts a Face Painting Hall of Shame section, I'll tell you guys about the 30 minute first tiger I painted last night...