Re: building speed and getting creative

by Sweet Loretta Fri Aug 28, 2009 12:19 pm

You are faster as you practice and find your own designs.
Use the designs posted and published but work them into your own design - you'll get that as you paint more. Speed comes with experience.

Funny Mark Reid came and stayed - he taught a class here. Since I was going to Austria to assist Mark in his bid for the World Body Painting title I strived to do everything just his way. Now after ten years of painting I do things with my own flair but I am always learning. During class my friend Lena said gee Loretta your ususally faster! and yeah my stoke work usually better - but not in classes, there it crummy, just bad trying to do just as told. After Mark left, having taught his famous tigers, I went to paint a tiger at a gig and drew a complete blank! A tiger for heavens sake - and nothing came to me.

Too since I was helping Mark teach classes on painting jeans in Austria and I really rarely paint clothing I figured I would watch his DVD on jeans and paint along. Wow that was hard to paint and follow - It took over 2 hours for what I would do in 30 minutes.

So yes always harder and longer when you are looking, listening and trying to copy.

by LoneWolf Fri Aug 28, 2009 5:51 pm

Lady Jayde wrote:There's an interest! There's an interest!

http://www.facepaintforum.com/how-d-you-do-that-f7/rose-and-very-fast-dolphin-t929.htm

I thought I would make a separate one thread, before it gets to much off topic.. You also get a very fast dolphin as a bonus! (the one I used in last month contest), just because I like to paint them =)

by Ashley Pickin Sat Aug 29, 2009 2:12 am

When I first started, I was completely on my own making all of my design up from scratch as I went... that lasted about a year and then I found the Snaz stuff. I think that copying other designs is something that will help you to build speed with your technique.. if you can master the tear drop or line needed for one design, then you will be able to take that same technique(which you're really fast at now) and use it on another face that you've made up all on your own!

So yea, it takes time and a lot of practice.. but you'll get faster and it'll be more fun... promises!

by Painted Dragon Sat Aug 29, 2009 10:09 am

I love your Kitty face Ashley!

by Ashley Pickin Sat Aug 29, 2009 12:38 pm

thanks

by reneec808 Sat Aug 29, 2009 1:33 pm

Ashley, I love you kitty face too! What's the colors you use on the top area? Looks like brown/gray/pink colors..It's really cute

by Ashley Pickin Sat Aug 29, 2009 9:53 pm

Wolfe brown, black and white... made the gray by mixing the black and white together... pink on the nose Smile

by Magic Sun Aug 30, 2009 1:14 pm

When I look at something to paint I think about the principles and the stroke work. I love improve- coming up with new stuff on the spot. I liken it to my martial arts practice if you master the basics then you can use them in different circumstances. I am still pretty new to the scene but I have found being confident makes all the difference, once I start to sweat it's down hill form there.

by photomomma6 Mon Aug 31, 2009 10:57 pm

Lady Jayde wrote:I'm finding that once I get over the initial apprehension of a design I'm trying to duplicate and actually attempt it, subsequent attempts are completed faster with each go around.

As far as whether free work is faster than duplications of others designs, I guess that would have to depend on whether the free work is being conceptualized while you paint of it's a design you've already formulated and sketched out in your head (or on paper, what not). I find that when I don't have a set design, I'm hindered by my own indecisive mind and my yet-to-be-tackled fear of making some poor kid cry (I've seen it happen to another face painter). When I've already practiced a design, things flow and I'm able to alter it with speed and ease. My first butterfly took...I'm not kidding, 15 minutes because I couldn't get my had to stop shaking...I was knocking them out in 4 minutes this past weekend (3 if the kid was particularly onery in line and gave me a headache)! I know that practice makes you faster, it removed the element of apprehension that keeps us from weilding our brushes and sponges like the artistic weaponry they are.
I actually had a girl cry this summer...She wanted a MONKEY face...I couldn't for the life of me remember what to do, and it was HORRID---so after she calmed down, I washed her face off and made her a kitty instead. She was all smiles when I was done, but what a horrid thing to happen...I need to practice my monkeys more!!
Okay, that was lame...but hey, it popped in my head.

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