I have been trying to re-organize my face painting supplies into the box I take to events, and as I was emptying them out, I found that I had stuff in there that I never use, and there were things missing that really should be in there. For the longest time, every time I do an event, I have took this box and and I have been running back into the house for other things before I leave. So, I finally decided, enough is enough!
I have come up with this list of 20 things every face painter out there should be taking to events.
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- Face Paints - I think you would look pretty silly turning up to paint faces without your face paints.
- Split Cakes - These are very useful for putting several colours on the face at once, it makes it so much quicker and easier. Also I find that the parents are impressed when I use the split cakes as they are amazed at how they are used and for so many different things too. From making butterflies and fairy's to dragons and fire, they really do have their uses.
- Brushes - You want to make sure you take a good selection, and a couple of spares just in case.
- Brush Tub / Water Bucket - I love my brush tub as it has holes that I can store my brushes in so they are not just laid out on the table, but in one of the compartments, it has ridges on the bottom which are brilliant at getting excess paint off your brush. You can buy them on eBay from around £5. If you don't have a brush tub, make sure to take a water bucket with you. Try to find one that is solid colour so you can't see the water inside, it doesn't look good to the parent if you have just washed off black paint in your water and then use it on their child's face. To avoid this, I always keep one brush that I use only for outlining in black separate, I keep it in its own cup of water.
- Gallon of Water - Useful for when you need to change your water but you don't want to leave your table to find the nearest tap. Make sure to change the water on a regular basis to keep it clean! No parent out there wants mucky water to be used on their child's face, and the cleaner you are, the more likely they are to hire you or recommend you to a friend.
- Spray Bottle - I take a spray bottle with me as I spray my paints with water instead of using water from my bucket or tub. This guarantees all the water that goes on my paints is clean and it cleans my rinse water cleaner for longer. It is also brilliant for spraying your sponges and squeezing them out if they are getting clogged with colour.
- Sponges - Very useful when covering a large area or whole face. To make your sponges last longer and get more use out of them, cut them in half or quarter, this also gives you a nice flat edge to work with too. Make sure to take extra sponges too just in case the colours get mixed on the sponge, you don't want to be covering the face in white with blue splodges all over it because you got blue on your white sponge.
- Mesh Laundry Bag - To keep your sponges in. This keeps them all together which makes your table look tidier. It also stops your sponges blowing away in the wind if you at an outside event.
- Q-Tips - I use Q-tips to paint in the lips, it's more hygienic then using a brush to paint in a child's lips, then using the same brush to paint on a child's eye. You also don't know what that child has been eating. If that child has been eating nuts and the next child is allergic, you could cause an allergic reaction by using the same brush whether you have cleaned it or not. I find it's best to eliminate all of that and just use Q-tips.
- Baby Wipes - No fragrance ones if possible. Make sure they are soft as you may be wiping the child's face with them. Also use them to clean your hands when they get dirty.
- Hair Clips - A definite must have for any fringes or loose hairs. Hair dressing clips are the best as they open horizontally and don't catch on the hair.
- Mirror - You want your client to see the masterpiece you have just created. It doesn't look good if you don't take a mirror, because every child will want to see what they look like after, and they don't want to have to go searching through mum's handbag to find a tiny make-up mirror they can't see anything in.
- Design Book / Board - We all know how picky and indecisive children can be. It helps if they can see some designs that they can choose from. Most children will just point to which one they want. If you use a book for all your designs, let one child pick one and while you are painting that child's face, the next child can be looking through and picking one.
- Table and chairs - If you are been paid for an event, 9 times out of 10, the person paying you will expect you to bring everything you need. It doesn't look good if you turn up and they have to go searching for a table and chairs for you. Also I take 2 chairs with me to events, one for the child and one for me, your legs can get pretty tired after standing painting for 5 hours straight and some designs can be done sat down. I use a camping table and chairs that fold up so they fit in my car easier and are easier to carry in and out of the event.
- Table Cloth - Ideally one that covers the table and reaches the floor, at least on one side. This makes your table look more professional and keeps it looking clean and tidy. You can store the things you are not using (such as your bags, boxes, clean water) under the table and it is hidden by the cloth, it also keeps those little hands off anything you don't want them touching.
- Business Cards - Always have business cards out on your table so people can just take one, even if they don't have a child with them, they may have a child at home they are planning a party for. I tend to count out piles of 50 and put a rubber band around each pile. At the start of each event, I will put 50 out and keep the rubber band, once they run out I will refill with another 50 and again keep the rubber band. At the end of the event, I will count how many rubber bands I've got and how many cards are left. This is a brilliant way of keeping track of how many cards have been taken at the event.
- Stickers - I give a sticker to every child I face paint, but I always keep the back of the sticker (the piece of paper it comes on). At the end of the day, I count how many backs I've got and that lets me know how many face's I have painted that day.
- Glitter - Make sure it is cosmetic grade glitter and try not to put it too close to the child's eyes or mouth. Glitter can finish off any design just by adding that extra sparkly touch.
- Gems - I always make sure to carry gems on me at events. They are perfect for children who don't want too much paint on their skin and they are inexpensive to buy, but make the design look more expensive. You can buy them from any craft store in a large variety of colours. They are brilliant for finishing off crown's and tiara's on all the little princesses.
- Drinks and Snacks - Trust me, if you are doing an all day event, you will need to take some with you. You can't always guarantee you will get a break for food, so take some sandwiches or cereal bars with you that you can munch on in between faces. Most importantly though, MAKE SURE YOU EAT FIRST! Have a good breakfast in the morning that will give you enough energy to keep you going throughout the day. Take lots of water or juice with you too, especially to outdoor events during the summer.
I hope this helps you prepare for your next event.
If I have missed anything off that you can think of, please comment below, I would love to know what your essentials are.
Stay Inspired
Amy
xxx
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