[Jitterbug]

Hi Steven--welcome to the forum. First off is your makeup. Sit down with some blank "faces" on paper. Look at yourself in the mirror and decide what your most outstanding feature is...eyes, nose, cheeks, etc. Then draw a few designs on your faces and see what you like the best. One suggestion I've heard is not to do anything with "points" like triangles or diamonds, as these tend to be scary and kids don't like them. Soft lines and curves.
Next pick a kind of clown. There are 3 main types. Whiteface, Auguste, and Character or Hobo. Whiteface usually pulls the pranks, but never takes the brunt of the joke. Auguste always takes the pie in the face, and is the crazy guy. Hobos are Auguste's in a character, such as Doctor, Hobo, my son is a hunter, although he's changing to a farmer character. Once you've got a look you like--try it on. I'm a traditionalist w/makeup. White, red and black. Some clowns like to add colors, yellow, blue or pink. That's a matter of preference.
Over time you'll be more comfortable with one look, and stick with it. One rule of clowning is...you can pick your hair color, but once you do, that's your color--you can change the style, but NOT the color. Since I'm apprenticing under professional clowns, the rule is also, that I cannot speak for the first year. This just gets me to think about how my character will be...talk, or act. So, I'm just working on my "character acting" for right now. I know that I could take off on my own and do my own thing without guidance, but I really like to be accountable with someone. They've been around a lOT longer than me, so i trust their knowledge and judgement. I've learned a lot from them, so if you can find others to apprentice under, I highly recommend it.
Next comes your costume. Whiteface's ALWAYS match. I'm always wearing combinations of Red, white, blue and black. Auguste is bright and crazy colors. Anything goes! Character clowns--just fit with their character. You can really have a lot of fun with them. Add whatever you want to bring out your character.
Hope this helps with your becoming a great clown. I'm not an expert, but I've learned a lot in the past year. I'm a stickler for the rules of the trade, so I try to get others to follow them too. But that's your choice. Look forward to seeing what you come up with.
God bless!
Jitterbug
Oh, and your name...must be given to you by another clown or someone who loves you! <3