Blacks black and Whites white?... and fast?

Hey everyone,

At my last gig I had hugeeee problems getting my blacks black and my whites white. It needs to look crisp and clean but for some reason it just wasn't working. It made my work look so sloppyyy and especially because allot of the girls wanted a white hello kitty mask...

EEKK

I need help, what am I doing wrong? And what can I do to get those nice clean lines? I have both snaz black and white and tag black and white. My snaz black is all melted so it's really finicky to get a good consistancy so I use the Tag's, but I just can't get it right without having to go over and over it. It is always to thick or to watery.

Elise

Hi Elise, I use Diamond fx black and white, love them it's real black and real white!!! But I haven't used it in hot an humid weather, I'm Dutch so it's not so hot over here! sorry! but you could try! Good luck!

Take care, Jantien

I am also a fan of dfx white and black. I got tag white to make splits but have not used it yet for lines.

Paradise Black & Paradise White make great bases(I use a sponge for my base, but they also work great w/ a brush). I would not use DFX, Wolfe or TAG Black as a base on anyone. It's too strongly pigmented & can stain horribly. I don't mind using them for my linework, since the base colors work as a barrier to the black paint. Whites not so bad, but can feel a little tight on the skin once it dries.

Oh, and Snaz paints can get very gloppy in extreme heat. Keeping them on ice packs or rotating them in & out of coolers can help.

My favs are wolfe and DFX both for black and white. They have never stained on me nor have I had any complaints and I do alot of repeat business. But different skin will react differently to each brand of paint.

Now I will say that when working on really young children if a design calls for alot of black as a background then I will pull out my snaz black. I never will use it for any type of line work...just too gooey for my tastes and the lines are not crisp and clean.

I think it is going to be trial and error til you find what you are comfortable working with.

I have TAG and Snaz, I use the Snaz's for bases, but my issues are really with how to actually make the right consistancies. Brush dipped in water on it? or Spray bottle? what's the best way?

I like DFX / Wolfe for white and black dots , lines. However I am a snaz fan for the kiddos when doing batman puppies, etc. I have a question for you Perry, I recently purchased Snaz Sparkle white. I cannot get it to cover well and I was really hoping to use it for full puppy face. Do you use it? Am I just not working it up enough?

Thanks Perry, I'm gonna give it another go.

Jody, I recently got a split cake of sparkle white and matte white (both Snaz) from Metina and I kind of rub my sponge circularly so I pick up a bit of both. It gives a little shimmer to the white but goes on more opaque than the sparkle white alone. Looks nice for bases.

I also use DFX white and black for lines and details, they are so much more crisp but I do find they stain more. Even the white leaves a sort of shadow on my skin! I must have the most stainable skin or something!

Psalmbook wrote:Paradise Black & Paradise White make great bases(I use a sponge for my base, but they also work great w/ a brush). I would not use DFX, Wolfe or TAG Black as a base on anyone. It's too strongly pigmented & can stain horribly. I don't mind using them for my linework, since the base colors work as a barrier to the black paint. Whites not so bad, but can feel a little tight on the skin once it dries.

Should a base always be done?? I noticed in a lot of vids I watch on youtube or people I've seen facepainting I never see them use a base. But when I use the Dfx red for spiderman for example without a base (I've used a white base for that one) then the red stains terribly!

So just curious as to when to use a base or is it just with certain designs? I've read some people mentioning always using a base is more hygienic cause you aren't putting face the rest of your paint directly on skin.

Tag pearl white makes a beautiful & easy base. I am a huge fan of Wolfe black and white...and Metina's dippy pot idea is a good time & paint saver that works well with Wolfe. I have had DFX, and it got more gooey on me than the Wolfe (before I tried the dippy pot). I have a lot of repeats, and although I was originally nervous about the stains from the red (and the black around the eyes), I have never had a complaint. Olive oil, straight baby shampoo on a wipe/washcloth or make-up remover are what I tell the parents.