I got the Usborne face painting book and I like the set up of the big colour pictures and stuff, but there isn't a LOT in it..... What are your favourite face painting books?

All the face painting books I have seen are either not real helpful or add up real quick in $. The Wolfe brothers have a few step by step books with some real impressive designs. No text to speak of just step by step pictures. They usually run between $15 and $20 apiece. Mama clown has a number of similar books, also good and around the same price. Silly Farm is a tremendous resource, but not the only one. There is no reason why you can't check out a few regular painting books from the library and study the techniques they use. Also You Tube is loaded with ideas. I visit The SNAZAROO USA home page - for face painters (http://www.snazaroo.us) and look at the user submissions for the contests they run. There are hundreds of ideas there. There are between two and four face painting magazines out there. There are expensive at roughly $50 a year for four issues but not out of line when you consider the information contained therein. Do a Google Image search on face painting and you will also have a plethora of ideas.

I think I have used up today's quota of $10 words so I'll stop.

yeah, I like looking at the snazaroo pictures too... just thought maybe I was supposed to have some "official" resources that everyone gets ;)

Save your money and spend your free time at MooseCamp talking with and learning from Mama Clown directly.

One really great book is Shannon Fennells book. She is from Grande Prairie Alberta and has won numerous awards from all over. You can get her book here in Canada

www.dotsytheclown.com (http://www.dotsytheclown.com/) in Toronto and in the states you can get it at www.sillyfarm.com (http://www.sillyfarm.com)

Other then that I just surf the net, save pictures that I like, and practice, practice, practice. Now this being said I do add my personal touch to them to make them my own.

Also if you join your local clown alley they often have workshops that you can attend or other clowns will help you out with having jam sessions as well.

Sorry forgot to say that if you type in Face painting in YouTube you will get a ton of ideas as well.

I'm planning on taking the full faces workshop at Moosecamp, I'll definitely be learning a lot there I'm sure, but I don't have a clown alley near me.... I'll have to work out a time with my mentor clown to go over some stuff. I'm only on her list for balloons right now because she has a lot of face painters, but I think she'd spend a little time on it if I asked her.

Perry, if she has a lot of face painters why don't you try and hook up with one of her people for some basic instructions?

Do a Google Image search on face painting and you will also have a plethora of ideas.

I think I have used up today's quote of $10 words so I'll stop.

My mother had a plethora once. It was quite painful.:oops:

would you say that I have a plethora of pinatas? ;)

Only if I can say I have plenty of platitudes.

I belong to a clown alley, but there is another group in my area that is not part of any formal organization that meets once a month for a face painting jam. I think they have been doing it for a few years, but I just joined last summer. We meet at a local Fudruckers and fill one of their back rooms. Everyone brings their paints, and a few bring their kids. Sometimes there are demos and other times everyone pairs up and paints a 3-minute face on their partner. Last month, we did mainly cats. The group is open to people of all experience levels. You don't need to have a formal group to have a meeting. Don't be afraid to start your own group and see what happens.

in case anyone else hasn't seen this one yet,
Face Paint Forum (http://www.facepaintforum.com/index.htm)

that's a good idea about arranging a get together..... I'll have to see what i can do

I've just been getting books from the library, limited as that is. Fabulous Faces from DK Publishing has some good full faces in it. Decorate Yourself by Tom Andrich has a few good body designs and cheek art. Face Painting by Lynsy Pinsent has a few good full-face designs, as well as a few cheek designs.

At the library it's really hit-or-miss, but at least you can get some ideas and go from there.

My favorite face painting books are all of Mama Clown's. She has one on cats, princesses, masks, butterflies, and a new one on holiday designs. They have step by step instructions and GREAT designs. You can find all these at Silly Farm or Clown Antics, and Silly Farm also has great videos by Heather Banks with step by step tutorials on some really great faces.