You paid a significant amount of money to enter the amusement park. The place does not allow outside food. You know all-too-well that the park opens just late enough that by the time you get on a few rides, you are far away from your car with the cooler full of food. The brilliant park planners strategically place food courts right at that far-away place of hunger pain. $$$
Those same wise, money-making individuals also locate souvenir shops that you must go through before exiting rides. No matter where you turn, there is something tempting your children and emptying your wallets – or, in my case with four kids, making you be the evil “no” mommy yet again. $$$
The end of a long, fun day is now upon you. Just then, QUICK, distract the kids and walk quickly… point to something far away and SHOOT, you hear “Mom, look! I want to do that!” Then the other kids chime in with “me, too!” They saw it. A tiger, a princess, Spiderman, a fairy… there’s no way to escape it. Face painting. $$$
You know if you say “no,” the meltdowns will be heard around the world.
Then it hits you. The words seem to flow from a place of peace and serenity you never knew you had at 4:00 p.m. “When we get home, I will paint your faces.” You see the wheels inside their little minds turning as they think, “What? You can do that?” Why, yes. Yes, I can.
Here are 4 reasons to buy a face painting kit for your house:
- It saves $$$. Face painting kits come in all shapes and sizes. They can be purchased online or at local craft stores. Online coupon codes and even 40% off regular-priced item coupons can be found on the internet or in AZ Sunday papers. Instead of paying $10-$15 for one child to be transformed into a facial version of a Ninja Turtle, spend that much on a face painting kit (with your coupon or coupon code, of course). Now you can paint all your kids’ faces and even the neighbors’ kids, too.
- The fun lasts all year long. Whip out the face painting kit during play dates, on school holidays when all the kids are home, during hot summer days, Halloween, or even at family birthday parties with cousins. Get the older kids involved and let them paint other kids’ faces. Or, let them do their own faces, with a hand-held mirror. It is cute, free, and fun.
- You don’t have to be an artist to do it. Those numbered face painting examples at the parks are beautiful masterpieces. The good news is that your young kids cannot tell the difference between pro and amateur work. They just know their face is painted at the end; that makes them happy. Ask your child what he would like and search for a face painting tutorial. Then get all the facial artistry gear together, set the child in front of you, start and stop the online video as often as you need, and paint away. Before you know it, your child will be smiling from ear to ear, eager to show everyone.
- Mommy rocks. What child doesn’t love to walk around with their head held high, showing off their newly themed complexion? This leads to the best part: hearing their response to the question of who painted their face. Whether it is at school pick-up or the grocery store, when they say “Mommy did it!” with a huge smile on their face, you get that bit of affirmation that you’re alright. Even better than alright – you, Mommy, rock. It may not be the perfect design, but your child’s pride in you makes it faultless. Hey, who knows? Maybe with a little practice you might become a professional.
Welcome Amy, so happy to have you join! And … you are a Mom who rocks! 🙂
I read your Scottsdale Moms blog about having a face painting kit at home and I would like to tell you why this is not such a good idea.
Yes, I am a professional face painter and I make my living at it. I have many wonderful private and corporate clients all over the Valley who have me back again and again. For some, it is a luxury but they feel it is worth it because:
Kids DO know the difference especially after the age of four. I have often had kids tell me at events that they loved what I was painting and that their mom or another (probably a non-pro) painter painted something and they couldn’t tell what it was supposed to be.
Not everything labeled “face paint” is safe. Did you know that certain colors, even in the professional brands, should not be used near the eyes? Well, that’s true and how would a non-professional know this? A professional face painter who has taken classes, attended conventions, subscribes to professional magazines would know this. Is it worth risking your child’s safety to save a few dollars? I don’t think many parents would be willing to do this.
It is virtually impossible to achieve decent results with home made face paint and most that is sold at retail stores isn’t much better. Kids age five and up want to look like their favorite Superhero or princess. They don’t want just blobs of color on their faces. I have had many moms tell me at parties that they admired my skill and that they tried painting their kids’ faces and they turned out pretty bad. Yep, that’s why they hired me for their next party. Did you know that paint from craft stores labeled “non toxic” does not mean that it is safe to put on a child’s skin and that is can not only crack and look awful but cause serious rashes? Non toxic simply means that if a child licked his fingers while using it, he would not be eating poison. In greater quantities, well, I wouldn’t want to find out. Professional face painters use professional products that comply with FDA standards.
Did you know that craft glitter can scratch the retina of the eye because it is cut with sharp edges that you may not see but they are there? Professional cosmetic glitter is safe even if it gets into the eyes.
And what about those special birthday photos that you want to keep forever. Seriously, do you want beautifully painted faces or faces smeared with paint that can be dangerous and hard to remove?
Would you do your own electrical or plumbing work in your house or even bring in an unlicensed person to do it? Then why put your kids on a lower rung of the ladder than house repairs?
A professional face painter knows how to work with kids and paint what they want to look like and see the smiles on their faces.
A professional face painter is trained not only in design work but in safety too.
A professional face painter is experienced, licensed and carries liability insurance. Can you claim all of that?
Face painting is an art and something worth paying a professional do.
Please consider these things before attempting to paint kids faces. Trust me, they WILL know the difference.
Joan,
Thank you for your response. Sorry it is long overdue. I attended the Kids’ Eat Free (with a paying adult) event at Arriba’s in North Scottsdale yesterday. Cuddles the clown entertained the kids. She did free face painting and balloon creations for the kids. I was so impressed with her talent, skill, and ability. I see what you mean by quality of paint. My daughter’s face looked amazing. I tipped her, of course!!! I am hopeful that you could share some of your expertise with us amateur mothers out there who cannot afford to always pay top dollar for this beautiful artistry. Where is a good place to order paint online or buy it in a store? What brushes do you recommend? Or, are there classes available that teach some face painting skills? Thank you for reading.
Dear Amy,
You are asking good questions about face painting. However, all of these things took me many years to learn and a lot of trial and error. I started painting twelve years ago when there were very few resources for learning; I was pretty much on my own. I searched the Internet for all the information I could find and there wasn’t much available then. As the popularity of face painting grew I was able to find more resources and connect with other painters. I spent a lot of money on products (many that were a waste of money) and finally found products that I like and use all the time.The kit I take to events contains about $2K worth of products on top of all that I have spent on classes.
New vendors and products are popping up all the time. Two places to buy quality products are http://www.profacepaint.com and http://www.chitchattheclown.com.
Watercolor brushes in various styles and sizes are your best bet. Buy several and try each one out and you will find what works for you.
There are conventions for face painters, the two largest being held in May in Orlando and in January in CT or MA. Most of the top instructors travel around the country teaching classes. Check out Facebook for some of the many forums just for face painters. You will learn a lot that way and share with others too.
Just like any profession, face painting takes education, practice and experience to achieve results that will put smiles on kids’ faces. Most moms find it easier to hire a professional than put in the effort and expense necessary to paint at one or two of their children’s parties where the events would most likely be mediocre at best.
If you truly want to learn more the Internet is your best resource. I hope these resources will help you.
Sincerely,
Joan Langdon
These are great suggestions, Joan. I will definitely check them out. Thank you, again. What a fun occupation you get to enjoy!
Thanks Amy. Yes, I do have a fun job and I look forward to each new face painting adventure. Kids today are quite different from when I started painting faces years ago. They now ask for specific designs and expect the face painter to be able to paint them. I spend a lot of time researching the latest games, movies and other interests of kids. My business has grown steadily and I enjoy learning all the new designs so every child leaves my table with a big smile.
Hello! So glad to have found this article. I’ve wanted to become a licensed face painter as I have painted faces for a couple of years for churches, trade shows, and friends and family. I’m wanting to take my skills to their fullest potential and learn everything I can and possibly do this for a part time living. The only classes I’ve found however have been online…and I don’t know the legitimacy of the sites that offer these courses. So it scares me to fork over the money for them. The money they want is not that bad but Im scared to pay that and get ripped off. Do Ya know how much face paint I could buy with that? Lol. Anyways. I live in North Carolina. Is there actual hands on training anywhere near me where I can receive the legitimate licensing I’m looking for? Google sends me all over the place and I just can’t figure this out. Do you have any advice?
Andrea,
Thanks for reading. I think you have great questions. I am hopeful someone with more experience will be able to direct you to great classes or online classes. Joan? Sorry, I wish I could be more but I am an amateur myself. Best of luck and keep us posted if you do find something.
Wow, such an interesting article! Really enjoyed reading it and yeah, it’s indeed a wonderful idea buying a face-painting kit.
Sorry, I never replied earlier, too. Thanks for reading and for the encouraging comments. Have fun painting!
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