Getting Crowded!!

Hey everyone,
Everyone knows how kids like to hover over you while you are painting someone, right.
Well, sometimes i can handle it and sometimes i can not, i start feeling nervous and closterphobic. Any tips on how to clear the air a little bit without being all weird and rude about it?

just ask for a little more room!...I do...with a smile on your face offcourse!

I have a sign that I put up that says : Line Starts Here with an arrow. It works great.

Carey Emory

My granparents are clowns that face paint, and my grandpa likes to say, " You are right where I need to be!, " or they tie up ropes that let only the "paintee" near the chair...

Sometimes I tell them if they want to be painted they have to stand back! You might even consider having a piece of tape on the floor marking the line...gives them something to look forward too!

thanks everyone, those are great ideas, i will give them a shot.

Yeah same here...I usually say something like "oh no! you dont want to lose your spot right? better get back in line sweety..."

I've had the same trouble, only it's with the kids who have already been painted. There are always one or two little girls who stick around hovering over my shoulder and trying to tell the other kids what to get. It gets a bit annoying, but usually I just ask them politely to give me some room or tell them that part of the fun of face painting is getting to choose what you want to be and when they try to tell other little kids what to get, they are ruining the fun for them.
The other night I had a little girl who tried to help me and grabbed for a paint brush. It kind of freaked me out a bit, but I just reminded her that nobody was allowed to touch the paints and told her that if she left the booth she would be helping me more by advertising for me. It only worked for about five minutes, but when she came back she did bring some more kids for me to paint.

People crowd me too. Parents can be just as bad as kids. Fortunately, it doesn't bother me too much.

I started bringing a camping chair and setting it back a little, so parents can sit and watch. I set the chair up against one of the canopy legs. so it is out of my way.

And I created a little zone for curious kids to stand in. They are close enough to see, and far enough that I don't feel like I am being crowded.
I just have to give gentle reminders every now and then when one wanders out of the zone and back into my space.

when ever the crowding gets to close, I usually remind them that I sure wouldnt want to step on them by accident. (Althought there have been a few I wouldnt mind steppin on purpose )I find it not unusal for smaller siblings to even hang over my sholder to see the 'action' . Although the stangest one was when the 7 year old placed his 6 month old sister in my lap, while I was painting the 4 year old brother! Talk about a startled mother when she finally turned around to check on her children I find that with a tall directors chair, and me standing up to work, eleminates the need to 'crowd' close to see the on going painting, now they can see it from farther away. It might be harder on my feet, but easier on the 'confort' zone

I'm usually very direct with people. I tell them to back up, I need my bubble around me, because it would be horrible if someone pushed me and I poked the person I was painting in the eye.

Fart.

Right Jeanette?

Too funny!

I just tell them to move... parties or festivals... It happens no matter what. I stop and say, "Ok guys... one step back... another step back" in a friendly tone. It's never really what you say... it's how you say it.

Stand up. They have to be real tall to hover over you then ;-)

Too funny shannon! Clear the whole tent out!

I have a no-one behind me rule. I tell them number one rule "NO touching paints" number two, don't stand behind me where I can't see you.
If they crowd too much I just stop painting and the adults work it out pretty quick, if they want their kid painted they better pull the kids together for me.
I also know some people wear large fairy wings just to keep the kids away from their backs.