Mastering The Art Of Face Painting

Have you ever been to a school fundraiser or a birthday party where there was a professional face painter and thought to yourself, "I wish I could do that"? Well, believe it or not, it's much easier than you think!

In this guide, I will briefly discuss 4 tips to getting started as a professional face painter. These are things that most people - even you! - can do! Let's get started.

Tip #1 - Efficiency is key!

If the kids you are working with are anything like my kids, they take forever to make a decision! Butterfly or balloon? Hearts or frogs? Yes, there are a lot of designs to choose from, so to ease the wait in line, why not ask the next child in line to decide on a design before they're in the chair? This will keep the line moving, which makes everyone happy!

Tip #2 - Practice, Practice, Practice!

It may seem obvious, but in order to really cultivate the artist in you, you must draw! How often? Every day! Even on days you don't feel like drawing, draw something! This will keep you "in the flow" so that you can take those "last minute" engagements and come out smelling like roses!

Tip #3 - Make a "template."

Draw some basic designs that children may choose from and use those to make the finished product. After all, the child chose the design based on the template, so use it!

Tip #4 - Reflections of beauty

Remember to bring along a small mirror so your customer can appreciate the hard work you just did.

Utilizing these tips will not only make you the favorite stop at your local county fair, they will also help you to become very successful in your career as a professional face painter!

NOTE: Becoming a professional face painter, like any other career, takes more than just following a few simple tips. It can take several years to master the craft of face painting. The tips included in this article are just that - tips.

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Comments on this article:

» left by Bethany from Georgia (3 years 98 days ago.)

While some of these ideas are okay, PLEASE BUY THE RIGHT MAKEUP!! The crap that Wal-Mart sells at Halloween actually lasts longer because you can't get it to come off! You can buy a palette of Snazaroo with 8 basic colors for about $15 and it can paint 50 FULL faces, about 200 cheek art designs, and it's FDA approved for face & body painting. Plus, you'll be able to wash it off at bedtime. Look up Snazaroo in Google for lots of great ideas, information, and products!
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» left by Liz Alaniz from San Antonio, TX (3 years 98 days ago.)
Tim should have done his homework. His comments reveal that he knows little to nothing about face painting and the cosmetic grade paint used by the professional artist. Education and training is also key to the serious painter. His offhand remarks downplays the importance of safety and dedication that painters at the national and international level have achieved to bring the craft to a respectable art form. Why not interview a professional?
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» left by Lisa from Mississippi (3 years 97 days ago.)

You have no idea what you are writing about when you referred to the "cheap stuff" vs the "professional stuff". There is a HUGE difference between these products, however price itsn't the difference....safety is!!! The "cheap stuff" is not made for your skin, and can cause serious burns or allergic reactions. The "professional stuff" is actually less expensive when broken down to a price per face, and they have been tested for safety. So please, get the facts before falsely informing others.
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» left by JoAnne from USA (3 years 97 days ago.)

I am the publisher of Easy Face Painting which Tim links to his article. I do not endorse this article as there are several erroneous statements made here. The first of which is to suggest that you use
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» left by Larissa from Hawthorne, NJ (3 years 97 days ago.)

A face painter should absolutely NOT use the "cheap stuff." The only financial issue that should be considered here is the liability to the painter if the customer has a negative reaction to the "cheap" paints. The primary concern, however, should be the safety of the customer, so an FDA-approved, cosmetic grade paint is key.
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» left by marina from new york city (2 years 13 days ago.)

i have read this by tim arview, and i have come to the conclusion that he is an amature in the worst way, safety comes fisrt with children, never use anything but professional face paint.
you can buy these kits from wolfe bros. company and there fda approved they give amazing instuctions for professional results and there pretty reasonable. dont listen to this guy
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