Help! I've registered for the Bodyssey competition!

I've never been to a face and body art convention before and I've only just started this new canvas a year ago, but I want to see how I do in the competition.

The prizes are amazing and I didn't even know about the prizes before I registered. http://bodyssey2010.wordpress.com/2010/06/28/over-10000-worth-of-prizes-to-be-won-in-our-competitions/

If any of you vetrans have some tips on competing I'm all ears. I'm going to go for both competitions even though they run silmultaneously. They give 1.5 hours for the face which I think is way overboard. I'm taking Lucie Brouillard's body painting preclass so I'm hoping I'll have some great tips on the body painting competition. I've only done bellies, so this will be exciting. My girlfriend in Calgary has lined up a beautiful female impersonator friend of hers for me to paint. The day I meet him is the day I paint him.

As an event planner, I've been to tonnes of conventions in the past, but nothing like this. I get to be a participant instead of the planner! Yay!! I'm so excited to meet other artists and refine techniques. This is such a cool subject. It really pushes the boundaries of creativity.

I hope to meet lots of you there!

Trust me... 1.5 hours to paint a face in a live competition will only seem like 1.5 minutes!!

I painted at a competition that was 2 hours to do the face - I thought, oh yeah, easy... ACK.... I ran out of time!!!

My best advice is to plan/sketch it out on paper and visualize!! I lay in bed and practise it all in my head at night before sleeping.

can you practice on someone over and over who is about the persons size? Thats what I would do.

I know everyone works differently, but I don't practise.

I am one of those "beginner's luck" types - the first time I try anything it turns out. The next time, total crap. So I never practise a competition design - I will do detailed part of it on my leg to time it, so I can break down the process for the competition timing, but otherwise I only work on paper until the actual competition.

Works for me.

And if you are going to paint a stranger, try to get photos ahead of time!!

lucky shannon. I have to practice and practice and practice everything. I wish i had the time to just practice all day.

Well.. I am practising but it is drawing and colouring on paper.