Award-Winning Face Painting
Face Painting FAQ
Q. What do you charge for face painting?
My rates start at $145 for the first hour, $195 for an hour and a half, or $245 for two hours. Robin is only available for events on Saturdays and Sundays, with a very few exceptions (call if you have a weekday event, and we'll see if Robin can make it work). Additional fees may apply for events outside our usual service area, for holidays or peak dates, or for events booked with less than 2 weeks notice. Face Painting speed: 10-12 detailed designs per hour, or 15-20 quicker designs per hour.
Q. Do you have a studio? Is there somewhere I can come just to get my face painted for the big game/masquerade party/etc?
A. No, I do not currently have a studio. However, if you would like to meet me at a Starbucks or cafe close to my home, I can come up with a special design just for you! I'll even throw in temporary hair color spray or hair glitter, if you wish, at no additional charge! For private face painting sessions close to my home, my minimum is $50 for every 30 minutes. I can do a VERY elaborate and detailed face or painted tattoo design in 30 minutes, or 2-4 moderate detail ones, if you'd like to get a few friends together! I charge for my time, not by the face. If you would like me to come to your home or place of business to paint just one or two or three people, my rate varies according to how far I would need to travel, call for an estimate.
Q. What kind of face paints do you use?
A. I use only professional face paints which are FDA compliant for cosmetic use. The brands I use are Paradise, Snazaroo, Diamond FX, Ben Nye, TAG, and Wolfe FX. Although most people call these "face paints" they are not actually paints... they are water-based makeup, designed just for skin! I also use only cosmetic grade glitters, which are never gritty or harsh on the skin as craft glitters can be.
Q. What ages will you paint?
A. I will paint pretty much anyone who wants to be painted! There is no age limit. Face painting is popular with little children, older children, teens, adults and even the elderly!
However, I am quite serious about only painting those who WANT to be painted. If a child seems fearful or unwilling, I will not paint them, no matter how much their parent may want them to be painted. It's their own face, after all, and I believe even a tiny child has a right to set boundaries. I want no part of causing a child to feel afraid or unsafe. For this reason, I also will not paint a sleeping child. The child must consent to be painted. Keep this in mind when booking me to do face painting at a very young child's birthday party! Often the little birthday boy or girl is rather overwhelmed by all the attention and all the people and everything going on, and will want nothing to do with the face painter. However, face painting will still be a fun way to entertain all the other guests, siblings, and cousins. :-)
What I generally do with the very young (age 3 or younger) is I recommend the parent sit in my chair, with the child in their lap. Sometimes the parent will get their own face painted first, and the little one can watch to see what face painting is, and that Mommy or Daddy is enjoying it. Then I will talk to the child a little bit, in a quiet, gentle voice, and see if they start to warm up to me. Often I will touch their face gently with my hand to see if they flinch away. If they seem happy and unafraid, then I will talk to them a little about face painting, put a little paint on my brush, and put a little dot of paint on their hand so they can see what I am doing, and that the brush (even though it looks pointy!) is soft and does not hurt. I do my utmost to insure that their first exposure to face painting is a positive experience! If they still seem comfortable with the situation, then I will paint a cute, simple design on their face, pretty quickly, and show them their face in the mirror. The look of awe and amazement on the little one's faces is one of the most fun parts of my job! :-)
Q. What is the best way to remove face paint?
A. The easiest way to get it all off is to apply a little bit of baby shampoo or glycerine -based soap directly to the painted design, rub gently with fingers until all the paint is mixed with the soap into a muddy-looking mess, then use a warm wet washcloth to gently remove the soap and face paint. There is no need to scrub hard! Makeup remover is also not needed, since it is designed to remove regular makeup, which is oil-based... face paint is water-based, so plain water with just a touch of mild soap works best.
In a pinch, baby wipes also do a good job of removing face paint.
Some colors (especially greens) may leave a temporary shadow or light stain on some people's skin, especially those with very pale and very dry skin. This is harmless and will fade in a few days. If you would like to prevent this, try moisturizing your face with your favorite facial lotion before having your face painted.
Q. How do you keep your paints and supplies hygienic?
A. Face paint is not like regular makeup, which is designed to be used by only one person. Professional Face Paint is actually designed to be used on many hundreds of faces, and therefore has high levels of antimicrobial ingredients to keep it safe and hygienic. Also, we are conscientious about rinsing out our brushes thoroughly in between colors and customers, and changing paint water often. We use only one sponge per customer. If someone looks ill or has breakouts or infections on their skin, we will refuse to paint them. We also will not paint over open wounds, eczema, or sunburned skin. This may seem harsh, but it is to keep them and the rest of our clients safe. Sometimes we will suggest painting a design on unaffected skin on their arm instead.
Keep in mind that kids are more likely to "catch something" while waiting in line with other kids, then they are in my face painting chair!
Q. Is it safe to use watercolor crayons or acrylic paint to face paint?
A. Craft paints and craft glitters are not made for skin, and are not safe to use! It's a good idea to always ask a face painter what they are using... and make sure it's made for skin! "Non-toxic" only means it won't kill you if you eat it... it doesn't mean you won't break out or itch if someone puts it on your skin, and it doesn’t mean it’s easy to wash off! Only products made for skin should go on skin!
Q. You call yourself an award-winning face painter. What awards have you won?
A. Great question! At the Northwest Festival of Clowns in September of 2006, Robin facepainted live before the judges and won the gold medal for her skills, speed, and interaction with the children. She also earned Fourth place (out of 250 face painting photos from all over the world) in Snazaroo.com's 2002 Summer Free For All contest. She has not had much time lately for entering contests, but hopes to get back into competing soon!
Q. What do you charge for face painting?
My rates start at $145 for the first hour, $195 for an hour and a half, or $245 for two hours. Robin is only available for events on Saturdays and Sundays, with a very few exceptions (call if you have a weekday event, and we'll see if Robin can make it work). Additional fees may apply for events outside our usual service area, for holidays or peak dates, or for events booked with less than 2 weeks notice. Face Painting speed: 10-12 detailed designs per hour, or 15-20 quicker designs per hour.
Q. Do you have a studio? Is there somewhere I can come just to get my face painted for the big game/masquerade party/etc?
A. No, I do not currently have a studio. However, if you would like to meet me at a Starbucks or cafe close to my home, I can come up with a special design just for you! I'll even throw in temporary hair color spray or hair glitter, if you wish, at no additional charge! For private face painting sessions close to my home, my minimum is $50 for every 30 minutes. I can do a VERY elaborate and detailed face or painted tattoo design in 30 minutes, or 2-4 moderate detail ones, if you'd like to get a few friends together! I charge for my time, not by the face. If you would like me to come to your home or place of business to paint just one or two or three people, my rate varies according to how far I would need to travel, call for an estimate.
Q. What kind of face paints do you use?
A. I use only professional face paints which are FDA compliant for cosmetic use. The brands I use are Paradise, Snazaroo, Diamond FX, Ben Nye, TAG, and Wolfe FX. Although most people call these "face paints" they are not actually paints... they are water-based makeup, designed just for skin! I also use only cosmetic grade glitters, which are never gritty or harsh on the skin as craft glitters can be.
Q. What ages will you paint?
A. I will paint pretty much anyone who wants to be painted! There is no age limit. Face painting is popular with little children, older children, teens, adults and even the elderly!
However, I am quite serious about only painting those who WANT to be painted. If a child seems fearful or unwilling, I will not paint them, no matter how much their parent may want them to be painted. It's their own face, after all, and I believe even a tiny child has a right to set boundaries. I want no part of causing a child to feel afraid or unsafe. For this reason, I also will not paint a sleeping child. The child must consent to be painted. Keep this in mind when booking me to do face painting at a very young child's birthday party! Often the little birthday boy or girl is rather overwhelmed by all the attention and all the people and everything going on, and will want nothing to do with the face painter. However, face painting will still be a fun way to entertain all the other guests, siblings, and cousins. :-)
What I generally do with the very young (age 3 or younger) is I recommend the parent sit in my chair, with the child in their lap. Sometimes the parent will get their own face painted first, and the little one can watch to see what face painting is, and that Mommy or Daddy is enjoying it. Then I will talk to the child a little bit, in a quiet, gentle voice, and see if they start to warm up to me. Often I will touch their face gently with my hand to see if they flinch away. If they seem happy and unafraid, then I will talk to them a little about face painting, put a little paint on my brush, and put a little dot of paint on their hand so they can see what I am doing, and that the brush (even though it looks pointy!) is soft and does not hurt. I do my utmost to insure that their first exposure to face painting is a positive experience! If they still seem comfortable with the situation, then I will paint a cute, simple design on their face, pretty quickly, and show them their face in the mirror. The look of awe and amazement on the little one's faces is one of the most fun parts of my job! :-)
Q. What is the best way to remove face paint?
A. The easiest way to get it all off is to apply a little bit of baby shampoo or glycerine -based soap directly to the painted design, rub gently with fingers until all the paint is mixed with the soap into a muddy-looking mess, then use a warm wet washcloth to gently remove the soap and face paint. There is no need to scrub hard! Makeup remover is also not needed, since it is designed to remove regular makeup, which is oil-based... face paint is water-based, so plain water with just a touch of mild soap works best.
In a pinch, baby wipes also do a good job of removing face paint.
Some colors (especially greens) may leave a temporary shadow or light stain on some people's skin, especially those with very pale and very dry skin. This is harmless and will fade in a few days. If you would like to prevent this, try moisturizing your face with your favorite facial lotion before having your face painted.
Q. How do you keep your paints and supplies hygienic?
A. Face paint is not like regular makeup, which is designed to be used by only one person. Professional Face Paint is actually designed to be used on many hundreds of faces, and therefore has high levels of antimicrobial ingredients to keep it safe and hygienic. Also, we are conscientious about rinsing out our brushes thoroughly in between colors and customers, and changing paint water often. We use only one sponge per customer. If someone looks ill or has breakouts or infections on their skin, we will refuse to paint them. We also will not paint over open wounds, eczema, or sunburned skin. This may seem harsh, but it is to keep them and the rest of our clients safe. Sometimes we will suggest painting a design on unaffected skin on their arm instead.
Keep in mind that kids are more likely to "catch something" while waiting in line with other kids, then they are in my face painting chair!
Q. Is it safe to use watercolor crayons or acrylic paint to face paint?
A. Craft paints and craft glitters are not made for skin, and are not safe to use! It's a good idea to always ask a face painter what they are using... and make sure it's made for skin! "Non-toxic" only means it won't kill you if you eat it... it doesn't mean you won't break out or itch if someone puts it on your skin, and it doesn’t mean it’s easy to wash off! Only products made for skin should go on skin!
Q. You call yourself an award-winning face painter. What awards have you won?
A. Great question! At the Northwest Festival of Clowns in September of 2006, Robin facepainted live before the judges and won the gold medal for her skills, speed, and interaction with the children. She also earned Fourth place (out of 250 face painting photos from all over the world) in Snazaroo.com's 2002 Summer Free For All contest. She has not had much time lately for entering contests, but hopes to get back into competing soon!
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