I outside of my ministry puppet website have a booth in a indoor flea market where I teach classes in puppetry. The owners have taken my advice and are going to host there first fall festival cancer society benefit. Well guess who has been ask to organize it. It will be Oct. 1, 2005. I have got to become a clown in 30 days from start to finish. I got to tell you I have allready got stage fright. This was something I was going to just comfortably slide into, being a clown. Can anyone give me any advice. I have someone designing my auguste clown costume, what worrys me is make up. What brand? what kind? what colors? I have'nt had time to get the books that scruffy suggested on makeup yet. The costume and make up is going to set me back a bit. I also have to learn how to tie animal balloons, What have I got my self into! HELP!
Hollywood

As far as make up there are several kinds like Merlon Ben Nye and Pro Face all are good it is just a matter of which you perfer buy small sizes till you decide You can get them from any clown suppy like Bubba Sikes
as far as balloons go here are a few sites to check out

professor wonder .com

mbd2.com (THE PEOPLE HERE WILL REALLY HELP YOU OUT)
bhq.com
one of the best places to buy balloons is LaRocks Fun And Magic
they are really good to deal with
And dont worry about how you do just do the best you can you will be all right
The first time is always scarry but is also one of the greatest times
Just remember the reason you are there is a good one

It's gonna be okay, Hollywood. Don't make Ashes fire up the fire hose....

Make up brands. Ben Nye, Mehron, Proface. There are a few others. These are the best known and most common. Do not use any water based makeup. You will sweat it off!
Mehron and Ben Nye both make a starter set with everything you need except for the moisturizer. If you check the ads we have and also check www.mooseburger.com or www.bubbasikes.com you can find them. If you have a good costume shop in your town then they likely have what you need.

How to apply make up.
1. Wash face thoughly with a mild soap and water. For Men, you should also be freshly shaven.
2. Apply a good quality moisturizer to every area that you are going to cover in makeup. work it in thoroughly and wipe off any excess. If you are going to use an antiperspirant like no Sweat. Now is the time.
3. Apply white make up. Work from the top down. and, since I'm a lefty, I work from right to the left. Feel free to reverse this for y'all righties. But top to bottom in very important. A couple rules of thumb....
A. Do not apply red to the eye area as a dominant color. Red is okay as an accent but not as a dominant color. Also, red is an irritant to the eyes.
B. Make up should accent your natural features. A clowns makeup is not a mask to conceal our identity. It serves to accent our natural features. Practice making faces in a mirror. Exaggerate you expressions. Your make up should accent these expressions. Not hide them.
4. It's powder time. If you are using a professional setting powder, the spread some out on a powder puff and gently slap the powder onto your face.If you use baby powder, It's easiest to put it in an old cotton tube sock, with the top tied shut and apply powder to your face by gently slapping the sock against your skin Remember this when you powder:
Deep breath and hold it. powder your face, step out if the cloud, and exhale through your mouth and nose.
5. Next, using a soft brush, (I like a shaving brush) gently brush the excess powder from your face.
6. Now add accent colors like red or black, If you are using flesh color, this is the time to apply it. Powder after every color.
7. Outline features with a black liner pencil or brush. Powder again.
8. Add eyelashes, (If needed) and your nose. If you are using a medical adhiesive, tape, or spirit gum, You must remove any makeup or powder from the area. Personally, I like a Baby wipe. Clean your nose carefully, the wipe can also remove your makeup!

I'm sure our other members will have some tips to share too. Sooo, Let's here 'em! And please, If I forgot anything, speak up!
Hope this helps,
Scruffy

Go sparingly on the makeup -- you probably don't need
as much as you think you do. What you want is a thin
layer that is even and covers.


To help even it out, tap the area. Tapping picks up makeup
from the thick spots and helps to move it to the thinner
spots.

White is probably the hardest color to get smooth -- just take
your time and tap it out. If need be, add just a little dab
at a time and keep tapping.

Call Bubba Sikes, or go to his website -- http://www.bubbasikes.com

He can help you with recommendations of makeup, liner pencils and
all the rest. He also has a great video tape on makeup application
called "You Look Marvelous, Darling" where he applies makeup to
3 people - whiteface, auguste and tramp. It is a great way to see
it done if there isn't anyone to actually show you. Well worth the money,
in my opinion.

The basic "dog" shape with balloons is pretty easy - once you learn
that, a lot of animals are just variations on that theme. Learn a
simple sword and simple hats and that will get you started.
If a kid asks for something you don't know how to make, write it
down and then (later) go find out how. There are all sorts of books
on the internet dealing with balloon animals.

The hardest thing about balloon animals is inflating them. Not only
are they hard to inflate (really hard by mouth, OK by pump) but you
need to know what you are going to make before you put air into
the balloon - you put in different amounts of air for different sculptures.
They tend to break easier in the heat and humidity, and I only buy
balloons just before a gig so they don't go bad. I also store balloons
in my freezer.

Use a pump, and make sure the child is old enough that they won't
put the balloon in their mouth. 2 years old and younger (maybe even
3 and younger) shouldn't really get balloons. Have stickers for younger children, or give their balloon to their parent reinforcing that balloons are
a choking hazard!

Everyone has to start somewhere, so don't worry. Try to do a
professional job with the makeup and remember that clowns are scary
to a lot of people (children AND adults).

When you encounter someone who is afraid (and you will!) give them
lots of space. Don't let a mom carry a screaming and kicking child
towards you. My wife is good at playing peek-a-boo with the frightened
child and warming up to them that way. Give a balloon to the parent
instead of directly to them. Don't force the issue.

Hope this helps some - you'll do great, Hollywood!

Ashes

I personally don't care for orange, green and yellow makeup.
I would suggest you stick with the basic red, blue, black, white
and auguste (flesh) colors.

I have seen some clowns with yellow blended in around the
muzzle - It really looked great, but ti wasn't a major feature
to the makeup, it was just an accent _blended_ in with some
red.

Don't make your mouth too big - it should fit inside the outer
corners of the eyes (if you drew a line straight down from the
outer corner of the eyes).

Look on the internet for as many pictures of auguste clowns as
you can find to get some ideas -- just don't copy a face outright,
Remember, the clown face should be an enhancement or exxageration
of YOUR face.

Scruffy touched on it earlier - and here's what I suggest --

Take a digital photo of your face with no makeup on it. Now, look
in a mirror and make faces - surprise, happy, sad, etc. Pay close
attention to the wrinkles that move with your expressions - the lines
above the eyebrow, the wrinkles at the corner of the eye and of the
mouth. Draw dots or small lines at these wrinkles so you can see
them, and take another digital photograph.

These dots show what parts of your face do move with expressions,
and what parts dont. You'll want to use these dots as reference points
as to where your clown eyebrows, mouth and eye lines should go --

For example, if you put your eyebrows too high, past the lines that move, then the clown eyebrows won't move with your expressions and you'll lose the expressiveness of the eyebrows. Same for around the mouth and
eyes. This, more than anything, is why your clown face needs to
be your own and not a copy of someone else (along with professional
courtesy, of course!)

It takes a long time to settle on a face design that you like - it will most
likely be a "work in progress" for a long time (I've been doing this for
over 30 years and my face is still a work in progress!!!!). Don't be
afraid to experiment and try new things with your face design.

Hope this helps some -- I've written basically the same post here
at the clown forum a few times, so you might search back and read
those as well.

Ashes

Thanks guys you give me this real warm feeling inside, I appreciate your support, This was like reading cliff notes for a book report. I'm making copys so i can add this to my clown folder. I hope my ink holds out. If I run into any dead ends I feel comfortable enough to ask you guys now. Thank you again for your help and understanding.
Hollywood

You might even want to consider the powder for the auguste flesh goes on quick and comes off. Bubba also does the Euro face when teaching make up. I'm using that for Sally, Sue uses Ben nye They all gave great advice on make up and all

just to add my 2 cents, go to any local wal-mart they have a party pack about $5. has a pump, and about 20 balloon and very clear pictures on how to make several animals and how much to inflate the balloon. Not a lot but it a good starter. Learn the dog, most animals start basically the same, dog, cat, girraffe [sp], elephant, wennie dog, etc. don't worry about knowing a bunch at first, have a list displayed or pictures and have them pick from them so they can't ask you to do one you don't know and if they do just tell them you're only doing these tonight.