Talking to Your Paintee

Hello! I was wondering, do you talk to the child that you are painting? If so, what kinds of things do you say?

First I ask them what they want to be painted as?
Then I ask their name, age, school.....by this time I am done.
If it is a longer more detailed painting, I just ask about siblings, pets....what their favourite cartoon is etc.
Just be yourself. Be genuinely interested in what they are saying.

i just ask them what they want me to paint. like glitterfly said ask them what colors they would like their design ,, just make small talk and remember to smile..a smile makes them very comfortable.. and you will get a great smile from them when you are done and show them the results

I usually ask them their name, age, etc... and chit chat about the choice that they made.

Example: The kid chooses a pirate
Me: "Oh, a pirate. I love pirates!"
Kid: giggles
Me: "I have to warn you that this is going to tickle a little bit"(paint lines/details)
Kid: giggles and scrunches nose
Me: "you know what makes pirates cool? A scar! Where do you want your pirate scar?"
Kid: points
Me: (paints scar) "okay, you're done. Would you like to look?" (show mirror) "Can you give me your best 'arrgh'?"

Or something like that. It varies depending on the kid's age and what they want, but I do try to talk to them. I actually just booked a pretty large gig because the lady preferred someone who liked talking to the kids vs. another local face painter who openly admitted to not enjoying talking to kids.

"So what would you like to be today"
"What colours would you like? Same as the photo or to match your beautiful dress?"
"Purple [sigh] okay, another beautiful purple butterfly, what? Oh, sure I'll do it exactly the same as your four friends just had, but different, okay?
"Okay, you have to SIT STILL if you want me to paint you"
"Honey, please close your eyes.... no don't scrunch them, softly like this (demonstrate how)... okay that's good"
"NO don't rub your eyes!"
"Ouch, that hurt me, stop kicking me or I'll stop painting"
"If you don't SIT STILL Spiderman will look like dryer lint instead of a spider web"
"No!" (physically remove the child's hand from my cake of black snaz) "do NOT touch my face paints"
"Please do NOT touch my stuff... I don't come to your house and play with your toys do I?"
"ATTENTION (directed to everyone in the queue) please keep back from my chair and table by at least two feet. I can't paint well when my arm and table are being bumped."
"Honey, quit leaning on the chair you are making it wiggle while I am painting your little sister"
"Buddy, please give me back my mirror - go look in the one over there."
"NEXT!"

ROFLMAO! This sounds familiar! It seems children love to lean, bump & attempt to sit and or swing from tables. Drives me crazy with henna sometimes!

@ Shannon: ROFLMAO!!!!! That is hysterical and spot on...LOL! still laughing!!!

OMG...totally cracking up!!! I try not to ask too much because then they move too much .

What Shannon said.
I'm not huge with small talk - I tend to ask what they want, what colour then paint. The really young ones I will talk a bit to make them comfortable or explain what I am doing as I do it. If the kid is really chatty an initiates talk I'll talk to them but eg today I did ppf for 7hrs wih a queue the whole time - 7hrs of small talk would do my head in so I just paint!!! Funny though cause I had one kid get henna and then come back later in the day for a face paint and as she was leaving her mum told me that her kid had told her I was shy! Never been told that before.

ONCE!
When I was VERY young!
I put a WORM right on my TONGUE!!!

I didn't like the TASTE one BIT!!
And SO I didn't SWALLOW it!

But OH!! It makes MY MOTHER SQUIRM!
Because she thinks I ATE THAT WORM!

I also tell stories and sing. The best part is that a few minutes later I have a WHOLE NEW AUDIENCE!!

OMG Shannon! Thank you for the good laugh, that is so funny!
What about, can you please! spit up your gum, or can you swallow what you are eating?
I am with you Sonya, I rather do the talking when I am painting.
Before I start I ask them their name, age, what would they like to be or their favorite thing and color, then I make conversation from there.

Haha, thanks everyone. I obviously knew about asking what they wanted and what colors, it was just that when it came to actual painting time, it was dead silent, but I get it now! Thank you!

LOL! THAT'S SOOOOOO FUNNY!!!

Shannon Fennell wrote:"So what would you like to be today"
"What colours would you like? Same as the photo or to match your beautiful dress?"
"Purple [sigh] okay, another beautiful purple butterfly, what? Oh, sure I'll do it exactly the same as your four friends just had, but different, okay?
"Okay, you have to SIT STILL if you want me to paint you"
"Honey, please close your eyes.... no don't scrunch them, softly like this (demonstrate how)... okay that's good"
"NO don't rub your eyes!"
"Ouch, that hurt me, stop kicking me or I'll stop painting"
"If you don't SIT STILL Spiderman will look like dryer lint instead of a spider web"
"No!" (physically remove the child's hand from my cake of black snaz) "do NOT touch my face paints"
"Please do NOT touch my stuff... I don't come to your house and play with your toys do I?"
"ATTENTION (directed to everyone in the queue) please keep back from my chair and table by at least two feet. I can't paint well when my arm and table are being bumped."
"Honey, quit leaning on the chair you are making it wiggle while I am painting your little sister"
"Buddy, please give me back my mirror - go look in the one over there."
"NEXT!"