NEED ADVICE!!!

I just started painting ...a little over a month. My work is nothing grand and was mainly just for fun for me and my girls. However living in a small town the word spread about my work and several people have asked me to particapate in our annual christmas carnival Dec. 3. Although this thrills me I'm yet fearful of putting my work out in the public....i need advice on how to set up, what to carry, do i really need pics,...and so on

Terrifying isn't it?

I take:
Folding chair (for me)
Barstool or folding directors chair (for the child)
Folding table
Cloth to cover the table and a facecloth for under my brushes. Handy for when the brush gets too wet.
Paints, brushes, sponges, water pot, dirty water bucket, wipes, cotton buds, glitter
Something to eat and drink, and mints. Working for hours right in children's faces the last thing you want is to get paranoid about your breath (or is that just me? I never work without mints)

If you want to use pictures and find that easier, maybe have a short board of a dozen designs. I prefer not to, since I find a lot of kids will request what the last child had if there's no pictures, plus I'm not wasting time trying to make it "exactly" like the picture! I know many others disagree with me there though.

Set up so that your kit is on your painting-hand side. I've set up the wrong way round before and you are constantly twisting over your body to reach your paints. It's a time-waster and gets uncomfortable.

Good luck and have fun

while you are starting out, you probably don't have a tall chair for the kids... you can either set two equal sized chairs facing each other or you sit and they stand in front of you. I usually bring a 4 ft folding table with me for my stuff, but depending on where you are, they may have a table and chairs that you can use.

You may want to try to set up pictures or even just a word list of which designs you are most comfortable with. Are you being paid? Hourly? Per face? Those kinds of things will make a difference in what kind of designs you will want to offer. If you are charging per face, pick the best designs you have to show off your best work. If you are being paid hourly to do as many kids as possible (or volunteering for this time), then you will need to pick designs that have big WOW but you can paint very quickly.

thanks so much for your advice..however this would just be volunteering, just to get my feet wet

Let us know how it goes!

Volunteering is a great way to get stress free experience. As you look at the line, remember it's a privledge for them to get a free face painting. Use a word list so no one has expectations, happy that they have a butterfly or a pirate on them for free.

Relax and enjoy the experience ; ) Use simple designs, take your time and don't allow them to rush you. Butterfly brushes & pouncers make quick designs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl-jZdAz-Io&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL5DD3C8CD18569B34 and a rainbow butterfly is always a winner http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQUXQ2wByCk&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL and once you get a few popular designs down pat, you will be able to create 3 faces in 6 minutes! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSs3OuBElNo

Since you are providing free face painting, ask the event organizer to provide a small table & two chairs in a well lit area. I always work in a sit position, making the kids lean into me, and keep my back streight against the back of the chair to avoid back pain from leaning to the kids. Many are just at the right height to stand in front of me as I paint them ; )

Kidlets love to touch everything, so provide a barricade between you and kids, even if it is a chair with its back to you for the next kid in line to prevent touching your supplies and being bumped by those in line. I used my rolling art box to do that in this photo. The line was beside & behind the art box to keep everyone entertained, watching the designs being created as they wait.

Note that the display photos are away from my table (in your case it would be a word list) so people can decide what they want before they get in line.

I would give each child just a glance into my mirror at the table because I had a 'forever' mirror set on another table to get the child quickly out of my chair and looking into the other mirror for as long as they want.

Make sure each child is given a card because volunteering is worth it to get your name & new business known ; )

Go for it, Girl!
Happy Painting,
Susan