We have spend about a year now planning for our next major business expansion, and we have finally managed to save enough money to do it. We are expanding into temporary airbrush tattoos, and I couldn't be more excited. We feel that this is exactly the right move for us, as it will allow us to address the most major objections parent's have in hiring us to do their kid's makeup:

1. The price (we are very expensive)
2. "It's too hot, let's wait till later when it's cool!"
3. "You are going swimming / to church / playing soccer / etc later"
4. "It's late -- you're just gonna wash it off in an hour!"

More, this move will eventually allow us to branch off into airbrish makeup. We have some really cool ideas about what we can do with that to really maximize our profits.

Our new system should come in on friday. I've got my new sign towers built and I can't wait!

And, as promised, some new pics. These were all linework and done at speed, so they are probably a little sloppy.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a41/Chris_texas/Face%20Paint%20new/DSCN0224.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a41/Chris_texas/DSCN0225.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a41/Chris_texas/DSCN0235.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a41/Chris_texas/DSCN0241.jpg

Ooops! Looks like I made this kitty a bit crooked!

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a41/Chris_texas/DSCN0249.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a41/Chris_texas/DSCN0261.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a41/Chris_texas/DSCN0266.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a41/Chris_texas/DSCN0267.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a41/Chris_texas/DSCN0277.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a41/Chris_texas/DSCN0281.jpg

Smacky-these are awesome. Do you ever work Canton or the State Fair?

Smacky-these are awesome. Do you ever work Canton or the State Fair?

No.

I have thought about doing both but never have. I have heard that Canton is great if you have a great location, like the mountain there. The other problem is that trade days are really only good if you are always there and in the same spot. I am not interested in that right now. It would cut into too many events for us.

The State Fair runs right through one of my businest times of the year, and I just cannot imagine making more there than I do where I am at. When I can afford the money hit I am gonna do it, if for no other reason than to compete with the guys that do it now, and on what they think of as "their" territory.

Amazing yet again Smacky. If those are your sloppy then why does my fantastic not compare... I love what you create. An awesome talent.

I hope you don't do any less face painting... your work is amazing and it would be a shame to stop. The airbrush probably does open up a few more doors, but if you are using stencils, it probably won't be as artistic. And most likely not on the kids faces.

I hope you don't do any less face painting... your work is amazing and it would be a shame to stop. The airbrush probably does open up a few more doors, but if you are using stencils, it probably won't be as artistic. And most likely not on the kids faces.

Our thoughts:

* At many events, particularly when it is hot, we get many parents begging off. I can't really blame them. Often they are right. So they wait till it's cool, later in the day or evening, and the excuse becomes that it is now too late. Airbrush tatoos give us something else to offer to them.

* We are very expensive. Our makeup prices start at $10 and go up quickly from there. Depending upon what we are offering, we sometimes max out at $35 (for some of our body art designs). These days that's a lot of money, but we are totally uninterested in offering smaller designs and cheek art for less. We simply do not do it unless there is some serious overriding reason. Airbrush tattoos will allow us to offer something cheap and very fast, that's still fun and cool.

*Our thoughts at this point is that my wife will be doing airbrish tats while my daughter and I continue to do makeup.

* As for airbrush makeup.... this is something that we have wanted to get into for some time. We do NOT see it as a replacement for our conventional makeup at all. Rather, we have some design ideas that we can use to complement and enhance our standard designs -- allowing us to charge even MORE money without significantly reducing our throughput.

To elaborate a bit (I don't want to say too much here): we are fairly slow. A fast design for us takes four or five minutes minimum. Our average is probably somewhere between five and ten minutes. We can get away with this because there are almost always two of us working, and our customers are paying for and expect to receive our best. Nor do we have any interest in changing this.

Often, what happens is that we get a queue. We will even work a little slower when cusomers are thin to try and create one. There are a lot of reasons for this, but the one that applies here is that, when we have a queue the parents almost inevitably begin to compete with one another over who's kid has the most expensive design. It's hillarious actually. The airbrush system, when it's fully operational, will allow us to offer some really spectacular (and ridiculously high priced) add-ons for these parents to fight over.

In a nutshell, we have no intention of EVER substituting airbrush and stencils for our art. We intend to use them as tools to add to what we are already offering.

Great work....

GREAT!!!!!!!!!:applause:

I really like the orange and yellow eye design... but orange is my favorite color. I wish i could afford to get an airbrush system... the last three events ive done the same airbrush artist has been there and they have all but killed my buisness because they are selling everything no matter the size for $4! I just cant compete with that price plus airbrush is just more practical in the heat and humidity.

Wow!!!! I wish I could learn to do that.

Do you sell retail items too? I read somewhere (might have been here) that you should have an asortment of tiaras, wands, cheap jewlery and other stuff to boost ur profits.

Do you sell retail items too? I read somewhere (might have been here) that you should have an asortment of tiaras, wands, cheap jewlery and other stuff to boost ur profits.

We did, but no longer.

I really like the orange and yellow eye design... but orange is my favorite color. I wish i could afford to get an airbrush system... the last three events ive done the same airbrush artist has been there and they have all but killed my buisness because they are selling everything no matter the size for $4! I just cant compete with that price plus airbrush is just more practical in the heat and humidity.

If you are having a hard time competing on price, compete on quality.

Seriously consider adding glitter tattoos to your offerings (if you haven't already done so).

For heat, focus on heat resistant "glamour" eye designs and tribals -- for example, the orange design you mention (and almost all of the "eye-swirl" quickies I posted) can all easily be done (and in this case were done) using a heat resistant process. To elaborate:

1. Clip the hair back. They keep the bobby pins, never reuse them.

2. Sweat block. Spray a bit on a cotton square and wipe the area and the edge of the hairline. Don't wipe their eye lids -- it's not needed. Be ready to immediately fan your subject to speed dry it and eliminate the odor. This will also help cool them a bit. We use folding fans for this. If they are dripping to begin with you want to get they dry and cool before you begin anyway.

3. Apply a foundation. It can be cheap, you're covering it anyway.

3a. IMPORTANT: Using a soft brush, apply a this layer of baby powder below the eye. This will keep the cheek area clean when you (inevitably) get powdered makeup there. Leave the baby powder until complete, then dust and wipe clean with a wet-wipe.

4. Go over the foundation with DRY powdered makeup. We prefer Ben Nye Lumierre or ABA, but ANY would work. The foundation is going to really make the colors pop.

5. Add your linework. Keep it clean and SIMPLE. If you line the eyes seal it with more powder.

6. Add whatever accents you like: dots, glitter, whatever.

7. Seal it. I think we are currently using some Mehron but any will do. I know Silly Farm sells Ben Nye Final Seal.

Results: This morning we did two twelve year old vendor girls. This is Texas, so it was about 195 degrees. I looked them over again when we packed up, and they looked a bit faded, but still pretty decent. And, now that I think back on it, I doubt we final sealed either of them. You usually don't need to. A thirty second touch up would have had them looking good as new.

You are going to get a brilliant base that looks spectacular in person, and it's gonna hold up. More, teen girls really love these kinds of dramatic eye designs.

IMPORTANT: Because of the sweat block, foundation, and (if you use it) seal, this is not going to come off with any wet wipe. They will need soap and warm water, or makeup remover. They will be fine with this, but tell them ahead of time (you should always offer removal instructions with anything you do).

I have added glitter tattoos at the last event i did and i did do quite a bit better. Thank you so much for the tips. I have never used any powders, but i guess i should order some and give them a try.

I have added glitter tattoos at the last event i did and i did do quite a bit better. Thank you so much for the tips. I have never used any powders, but i guess i should order some and give them a try.

You should, and you wont need many. Also, they will last pretty much forever. Make sure, whatever else you get, to add a nice white shimmer to tone the other colors down. If nothing else, experiment with your own eye shadows. These are essentially the same, except generally in compressed "cake" form rather than loose powder. Finally, when looking at these, a good general rule is to look for bold intense colors. Subtlety is something you can create yourself as needed, but a lackluster powder will never be anything but that. Also, they mix very well on the skin, so begin with a few primary colors and work with that. You must have red, blue, black, and yellow (or gold), but you will quickly want a vivid purple and perhaps a nice sea-green.

Ben Nye is an industry standard, but don't ignore your American Body Art line-up. The colors are fantastic!

Im thinking about ordering ben nye's lumiere grand 12 color pallet, or some starblend powders. are the starblend bigger than the ben nye refills?

choosing between those two I personally like the lumiere better. I don't care much for starblend. The cakes are smaller in the lumiere but the color is richer and although a powder goes on more smoothly. For me the star blends tend to be very powderery [if that's a word] and tends to go ever where and you need to layer it more for a more intense look.

Im thinking about ordering ben nye's lumiere grand 12 color pallet, or some starblend powders. are the starblend bigger than the ben nye refills?

Starblend is bigger, but (my opinion) avoid it.

Lumierre is nice but make sure you get the Lumiere LUXE. This is the loose powder. The regular is a compact cake. You will get far more for the money with the power. Also, 12 colors of lumiere is a bit much, and some of their colors a bit blah for fantasy makeup.