Face painting for little ones

[Bumbles]

Nice job with the snowflake. Pattycake is going to start school in Febuary for face painting, I hope she can do as well.

Does anyone have any tips that I can share with her, by the way if you don't know who Pattycake is , she's my better half.

[Nettie Belle]

Thanks for the compliment, Koo Koo ... maybe I don't look old enough IN CLOWN, but believe me, I do in person. And every day there's a new creak!

That's neat that Pattycake is going to school for face painting ... I didn't know there was such a place. I don't have any advice, just kudos.

[Bumbles]

Our Clown Alley does a coarse at one of the local high schools, they also do one in balloon art which I will be taking.

[Markie]

I let my kids church kids use my Snazaroo paints, but I limit them to old ones that are almost empty until I teach them some basics.

That Palmer junk at Wally World is awful. I wouldn't recommend using it on skin and it's a good way to put someone off of facepainting I think.

[Nettie Belle]

It's fine for a little 6-year-old to practice with and helps her get used to the right amount of paint on a brush. If I let her use my Snazaroo paints, I could be buying a new set every week, which I can't afford. I watched her destroy my good set in one night because she had not had much practice.

She doesn't use these WalMart paints in public; she only practices on herself and other family members and it comes right off at bath time. She doesn't go in public with it, and it doesn't stay on long. It's strictly for practice with technique and coordination.

I would NOT recommend using it for public or for professionals. I just like to keep my face paints in pristine condition, which is hard with a 6-year-old. I will get her a nice set when I feel she is ready for it.

[Markie]

My kids church group is 9 and 10, so a lot more experienced in life... and only a few of them help me with facepainting for costumes and stuff.

[Sassy Frass]

I was thinking about painting the faces of my Wed. night church class this week...Whatcha think ???

[Markie]

It's fun, make a Bible lesson out of it. I don't do face painting like that (just for fun with no lessons) in church, I do it as costumes for kids who are on stage with me acting in large group kids church (it gets the point across and is easier than trying to make costumes for every skit each week), or I will use it as the lesson itself in my small group (usually about 9-10 kids):

Teach about the characters you are painting, and pull something together improv style. As you paint each kid's face, tell as story and give them a character. Clear your classroom of tables and chairs etc if you have those and make part of your room a "stage" where the kids go up after having their faces painted.

The whole thing then becomes an improv drama and it can be a LOT of fun. Sillyness, laughs, and crazyness will be in abundant supply.

[BiTsYBuNuP!]

I think that's a great idea Nettie Belle, i had bought cheap paints (FDA approved though) at A.C. Moore to practice with and now that i am using mehron, snaz, paradise i let my son play with them. He is 6 and he wants to be part of my business. I'm all for that, i think you should include your kids in your work and teach them as many skills as possible. He's not interested in face painting though, he wants to entertain. His original idea was to stand in front of my tent and dance. He is a cutie pie and very funny so i think that could work...i was thinking of taking off his shirt and covering him in sunblock and painting a shirt on him. I may try it at my first event this weekend.
Some lady on Craigslist was selling clown supplies in my area and that included brushes and good paint sets that she didn't use so i bought it thinking i would just resell the clown stuff, but my son was into it and i thought maybe i should make him up as a clown while i face paint! Hmmm....