Face Painting Blog

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What is a contract and why should you have one?

Ok, this is a question I’ve seen crop up quite a lot recently, especially with private Halloween bookings, so I thought I would take the opportunity to talk about it! I know it’s not the most exciting of topics, but it is so important to understand. I know a lot of face painters don’t have them, I don’t think I had one for quite a while. I had a booking form to make sure I had all the information about any given booking, but that was about it. After a couple of incidents however, I decided I needed a contract. I had one for hair and makeup bookings, so why not one for face painting? It’s nowhere near as in-depth, but it is just as important to have!

So what is a contract? In the UK, ‘a contract is a written or spoken agreement, especially one concerning employment, sales, or tenancy, that is intended to be enforceable by law’. And yes, you did read that right, a contract in the UK can be a spoken agreement, but it’s best to have it in writing as well just in case! This does NOT have to be created by a solicitor, but you can have it looked over or even created with a solicitor if you’re not sure. If you are going to be doing a lot of sub-contracting or running your business as an agency, I would highly recommend getting your contract looked over by a solicitor at the very least.

Your terms and conditions should set out your expectations for the client, and what the client should expect from you. My terms and conditions include when payments are due, how I expect payments to be made, and what happens if either party decides to cancel the booking. My terms and conditions also include other expectations of the client, e.g if one of the guests of the event breaks any of my equipment, you as the host/contractee are expected to pay for it (it’s worded much better in my t’s and c’s though!). There is a story behind every clause in my contract, and I do tweak it every now and again, for example, in my bridal hair and makeup contract, I had to introduce a clause saying that I needed to be made aware of any surprises the partner or any other guest of the event may be planning for the bride which may affect the timings of my services. It’s a long story so I won’t bore you, but I’m more than happy to tell you about it if you really want to know!

You need to work out what specific t’s and c’s work for you and how you operate, I’m not a lawyer so I can’t give legal advice! I personally have my t’s and c’s tagged on at the end of my booking form, which contains all the information for that specific booking. They don’t need to print it off and sign it, but they do need to confirm in an email that they agree that the information provided is correct and that they agree to the t’s and c’s. This makes the contract legally binding. You can also include in your contract that payment of the deposit acts as an agreement to the contract.

Contracts protect both you AND the client. I haven’t personally ever been questioned about anything in my contract, and ok, it might take a bit of time to create initially, but once it’s done, you can copy and paste it, and amend it for each client depending on the booking. I know this isn’t potentially the most interesting blog post ever, but it’s really important to protect yourself and your business.

I hope you have all had an incredible Halloween, and are now all busy with Christmas and New Year bookings coming in!

Mazz x

The Pixie Tribe

Hi guys I wanted to talk to you about my favourite #Pinktipbrushes (The Face Painting shop Brushes)

Now let me start by saying that pink tips are my most used and loved out of all my current brushes.

The first brush is my newest, the Round Pointed No. 6.

Before I tried this brush I knew it would be perfect for tiger stripes and I wasn’t wrong.

This brush creates the most beautiful thin to thick lines, just perfect for stripes, outlining and drag 'n' drops.

I will be going live shortly with a tiger tutorial demonstrating this brush.

Now lets talk about my all time favourite brush, the ¾” short angled brush.

This is my most used painty product in my whole kit, I use it on every job.

This brush is perfect for, one stroke designs, for laying bases on faces and bump paintings. I even use it to apply chunky glitter. This brush gives me the most crisp and perfect edges on my designs.

I could not live without it.

If you don’t own this brush I would suggest you try it out, I guarantee you will love it too!

Did you know The Face Painting Shop has the largest collection of face painting brushes in the world!!

You can purchase these products and many more from The Face Painting Shop.

You can follow me on Facebook here - https://www.facebook.com/Emmas-Fantasy-Faces-1037204883016364/?eid=ARDCDc4nypMdslr--UsGLqEuQr1a79Vsc4HyoW9IjMHb6qyefbj05Kl4syq3-hRfYchvhgTUzdZ2fwBO&timeline_context_item_type=intro_card_work&timeline_context_item_source=100005567799733&fref=tag

HOW I KEEP MY KIT CLEAN TOP TIPS - By Jane Harding

Hello Everyone!

How are we? Good I hope and ready for the busy summer ahead. It’s been a little while since my last ‘written’ blog but I did film a tutorial of my ‘Pretty Floral Eye Design’ in real time, so if you haven’t seen it yet, check it out here:

https://youtu.be/y0fK063dLmk

I’ve been wracking my brain on what I could blog about next and trying to think about what people ask me about the most, then it dawned on me... people regularly ask me ‘how I keep my kit so clean’ and/or make comments about how clean it is on jobs. I never really know what to say to this because I do think that it’s something I just do naturally. I am quite a ‘careful’ painter and I’m a bit of a ‘perfectionist’ generally in life! Lol I certainly don’t expect everyone to be like that and I have no judgement on how other people look after their things, this is just something I have to do for myself, so I feel ‘ok’ about my stuff! Lol

Having said that... I did think that I could potentially offer you all some suggestions/tips on what I do to try and keep on top of it, as it makes it so much easier to keep a working kit looking fresh and clean.

If you’re anything like me and have strict hygiene practices written in your policies then it’s definitely a high priority to ensure these are followed. After all, your clients will have booked you based on your professional policies and if you turn up with your kit looking like it’s not been cleaned in some time, then it may result in them not booking you again for future events. In my experience, most corporate jobs I do, someone usually comes up to me once I’ve set up, they normally ask if I have everything I need, but I also think they are having a quick look at my set up, which I think is totally reasonable.

I’m sure we are all in agreement that keeping your kit as clean as possible is in the best interests of the children and adults you paint for hygiene reasons, but also, it’s really nice to get regular comments about how fab your kit looks and motivates you to keep it looking as sparkly as you can!

So anyway... on to my tips...

TIP 1: DECLUTTER

I’m very lucky to own a Craft’n’go, which really helps me to keep my kit to a certain size (I physically can’t just add and add to it because it won’t all fit in!) But, one of the best things I found when I moved over to it was that it made me de clutter. I used to carry everything and the kitchen sink in my old kit! I had soooo many paints and glitters and gels and powders etc. that I very rarely used. Not only did it mean I was lugging around extra weight but inevitably it meant I had a bigger clean up job at the end of an event.

In my office I have a ‘paint’ draw, in there I keep mostly new stock paint, but also some used paints. These I rotate in my kit so they are all still getting used but I also don’t have to take them all on every job!  Also, as part of your decluttering, don’t forget it’s important to check the shelf life of your paints and get rid of any that have exceeded their use by.

TIP 2: ORGANISE YOUR KIT

I keep my kit pretty well organised, everything has its own place. This is not only helpful to know where something is if you need it, but it also makes packing up really quick.

I also find it really helps me to keep my kit tidy on the job. If I pick up a one stroke to use, it has a designated space for me to immediately replace it, this means that I never end up with a big pile of paints on my work space that I struggle to find things in!

TIP 3: CLEAN AS YOU GO

I am not disillusioned about the amount of spare time we have when working, but sometimes we get a lull and at this time I clean! I use reusable wipes instead of disposable ones, so I always have a bag/tub full. I use them to wipe around my paint pots, clean my stencils, wipe around the edge of my water pot and Craft’n’Go. I also always have one tucked away out of sight by my water pot, so if I spill something as I’m actually painting; I just grab it and wipe the mess straight up... it takes 2 seconds!

Another cleaning job that’s easy to do on the job is to clean your actual paints. I always have loads of sponges with me, so all I do is spray my paints with water and then wipe the top with a sponge. You can do this with your single colours, as well as your one strokes and spilt cakes.

TIP 4: HAVE SOME USEFUL TOOLS

As I said before I decluttered my kit a while ago, but I do always take my Zuca Bag with me which carries my bulky items as well as any useful items I might need. This includes a pallet knife or spatula which I use for getting any chunky glitter out of my paint.  It’s probably not essential to remove the bits of glitter that somehow make their way in there, but it’s surprising how much brighter, fresher and cleaner your paints look once the pesky bits of glitter have been removed. Again if you do this as you go, then it takes seconds and really does have a big impact on how your kit looks overall.

I also use the pallet knife to even out my individual paints when they start to wear down in the middle. Again it’s not really necessary but it does look pretty when it’s done and it prevents the paint running over the edges as you use them, which again can help with clean up later.

TIP 5: SCHEDULED DEEP CLEANS

Bearing in mind Face Painting is my full time job and I paint multiple jobs every weekend and more during school hols, my kit is getting used a lot. Therefore I deep clean my kit about once a month. If it needs doing before this then I do, but basically I think it’s a good bit of practice to schedule regular deep cleans, that fit in with how much you use your kit.

So what do I mean by a deep clean? Basically I mean stripping my kit out completely and cleaning every nook and cranny!

Once all my paints are out of my Craft’n’Go I clean it thoroughly with an anti-bacterial spray and cloth. If needed I would also fix anything that needs doing I.e. if my holographic paper needed re doing (it hasn’t yet) but when it does I would do that, I check my LED lights in case they need re sticking (again they haven’t yet) but keeping on top of these things, means it’s easier in the long run and you’re less likely to be on a job and things start to fall off! Lol I also fix any magnets that may need some new glue. Finally I clean out all my storage boxes and make sure they are well stocked of gems etc. and as I replace all my paints I give them a wipe clean as needed. But because I try to clean as I go, not a lot of this is needed.

And that is basically it; I don’t think I necessarily do anything out of the ordinary, but I hope that I’ve given some painters some food for thought if you are wanting to work on your cleaning routine.

Let me know in the comments below if you have any good kit cleaning tips.

Happy Cleaning!

Jane x

www.youtube.com/c/janeharding

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PRODUCTS MENTIONED:

Reusable Wipes - https://www.thefacepaintingshop.com/Pop-in-Reusable-Bamboo-Wipes-Brights

Zuca Bag - https://www.thefacepaintingshop.com/face-painting-Accessories-the-face-painting-shop/Zuca%20Bags

Spatula - https://www.thefacepaintingshop.com/Kryolan-Mixing-Spatula-Blending-Palette

Palette Knife - https://www.thefacepaintingshop.com/Kryolan-Palette-Knife-Small

My blog this time is about how we can make the most of the amazing products that are available to us now.  Years ago, face painters had to paint colours onto sponges to get that rainbow cake effect that we have now, or individually paint the different colours of the rainbow.  We are so lucky that the quality of the paints now are amazing  and we have so much choice too! 

Following on this train of thought I thought I would take one of the beautiful new rainbow cakes that I was lucky enough to be sent by The Face Painting Shop, and show how versatile it can be.  It’s from the new Fusion line, which I have to say I am finding a delight.  The paints are lovely and creamy, they take very little water to activate (which is a godsend now the weather is warm) and the colours are unreal.   I’ve used this beautiful Fusion Unicorn Sparks rainbow cake to create four completely different designs, using both sponges and brushes, and just a black and white.

The Product

So this is the gorgeous product that I used for all of my designs.  It’s a gorgeous blend of the rainbow colours with a hit of neon yellow, orange and pink to make it pop.  The blue on the end is a softer pearl blue which makes it a lovely colour to sit over the eyes.  The neons in this paint were as easily activated as the rest of the colours making it really user-friendly and it had an even wear – down.

 I have painted all my designs on the new Sally Ann Lynch Tried and Tested Daisy Lady Face Board which I may just say is absolutely MARVELLOUS to paint on – the paint just glides on, like silk.  And it’s so lovely to have the skin colour, and the eyes and cheek colour all on there – love, love it!!

Tropical Sunset

I first used Unicorn Sparks with a half circle sponge, picking up all 6 of the colours to make a gorgeous sunset effect.  I also used the pink and the purple from the cake for the double dip flowers, and then a black and white to add the palm trees, moon and highlights.

Monster

To create this monstrous design I used a ¾ inch flat brush and picked up the green and blue from the end of the rainbow cake, creating the shape of the design, and the contours I wanted over the face.  I then dragged the green through with a dry sponge.  I used the purple colour to give me the scales (and BAM stencil 9010) and then added the horns and the details with the black and white.  The lipstick was again the purple from the rainbow cake.  How gorgeous is that purple!?

One Stroke Butterfly

I totally could’ve used a sponge and painted a butterfly that way – BUT as I’m demonstrating the versatility of this product I decided to go for a one stroke.  I sponged on a teeny bit of the yellow on the middle and then used the outer colours to do different colour top and bottom wings.  I then added the outlining in black and white.  I used a #pinktips ¾ inch angled short for this design

Zebra Eye Design

Last, but not least is a simple animal print eye design, to get the full range of colours in their intended order.  This design would take me 2 minutes on the job and never fails to impress.  I used a #pinktips rounded flora number 4 for my zebra stripes and then a liner brush to add the white.

So there you have it.  All on-the-job designs, all under five minutes, and all from one gorgeous splitcake and just a white and black.  And really the possibilities are endless – what else could I have done with those colours – I was going to do a parrot design, or some tropical flowers, maybe a unicorn (but I’m REALLY fed up of those), any kind of wild animal, or you could stencil it on as a background for something a bit more grown up.  I could go on and on!   Try and make your products stretch a bit more for you this week and see what else you could do with them – I’d love to hear your results!

All the Love

Kate B

Kates FaceBook Page - https://www.facebook.com/Katesfaces26/?ref=profile_intro_card

Our Blogger Emma Green has been busy creating this super quick and easy shark tutorial. .

Products used : Diamond FX Sea Breeze - https://bit.ly/2XzyOdo Diamond FX White - https://bit.ly/2JmbcF9 Diamond FX Black - https://bit.ly/2LIjxo5 Global Red - https://bit.ly/32hev80 Round 2 Brush - https://bit.ly/2Xv6Y6G 1" Short Angled Brush - https://bit.ly/2Jp6Pcp Daisy Practice and Display Board - https://bit.ly/2NRpxxo

Painting in hot weather

Oh my goodness, shall we just talk about how hot it was on the 29th of June and how TOTALLY unprepared I was?! It was absolutely my busiest day this year so far, and my first 3 job day. I did a 9-12, 2-5 and a 7-9, and got home at about 10:30pm, having left home at about 8 am to get to job number 1. There were a couple of things I realised I could have done with throughout the day, nothing disastrous, just little things that would have made life a little bit easier, so I thought I would share them with you!

A Spare Top

I got to job number 3 after an hours drive in my very hot car with no aircon and was very conscious the I didn’t smell quite as fresh as I had first thing. I had remembered to bring deodorant, but I could have done with a spare top and possibly some perfume or body spray or something, just to feel a little less self conscious at this very nice venue for a 40th birthday party.

Sun Cream

This is completely my own fault, I am an idiot, I know I turn into a lobster at the slightest hint of sunshine, I’m so pale I actually reflect sunlight. I didn’t even remember to apply any suncream in the morning! My only slight saving grace is that my foundation contains a small amount of spf, but I don’t know how long the spf in foundations are actually effective for once it’s been applied.

Luckily, job number one had put me indoors (although the small room did turn into a little bit of an oven), job number 2 was outside as it was a family fun day at a pub and they had all sorts of activities  going on, and they did put me in the shade, but as time went on, the sun crept round and I was very aware that a) my forearms and neck waere very much exposed and b) some of my paints were turning to liquid (more on this in the next section!). And then job number 3 I had requested to be inside due to the sheer amount of rain we had had the week before. It did actually rain a little bit during the time I was there, but it was also much cooler in the room I was in than it was outside. If you are doing an event and you have the option, ask them to put you inside.

Gooey Paints

Ooooh god, it was bad. I was painting a galaxy at job number 2 (where I was painting outside) and I put my toothbrush in my uv pink and it was PURE LIQUID! I realised that the sun was directly on my paints at this point. I’ve got all my paints depotted into 3 little palettes, one for flat colours, one for pearls and one for uv’s. Before I had these palettes, I just kept my paint in the round containers they come in, but I would just leave the lids off over the course of a job. I normally bring 2 spare towels with me on any given job. They protect my one strokes and rainbow cakes from denting on the stuff on the bottom layer when they’re travelling in the craft n’ go ( I keep the lids off), and I have one to clean my hands and stencils etc on. (I am going to get there I promise). First I dented a couple of small holes with the end of a small brush into the worst effected paints and tried to let them dry out a bit (otherwise the top dries but underneath is still liquid), and used one of the towels to create some shade. For the rest of the afternoon I just keep my palettes under the towel and only pulled out what I needed fore putting it straight back. I do only have black towels at the moment, so maybe I could do with some white towels to reflect the heat for next time!

Sweaty faces

Ugh, isn’t it horrible, painting someones sweaty face, and then seeing them 10 minutes later with your design sliding off like it’s got somewhere else to be? This is where your eco cloths come in, or some spare tissue. Ask the parent to just wipe their childs face for you. There’s not a lot you can do about the paint sliding off afterwards, but its a bit more hygienic than getting all that sweat in your water, paints etc. I haven’t personally tried out the star blends or Elisa Griffiths powders yet, but I have heard brilliant things about them! Also Pro Aiir now do solids as well as the dips, which are water proof and need a special activator, and presumably have a special way of removing them, but I have seen images of people having used these paints at pool parties etc, so may be another good option!

Don’t forget to keep hydrated

So important. It’s also really important to make sure you eat something when you’re on a long, hot job. I did buy myself something in the morning but by the time I got round to trying to eat it, the temperature in my car had made it not so edible. I stopped off at Tesco (where I also cleaned my sponges from job number 1), and because I’m trying to be good, I tried to buy a salad, but they didn’t have any little plastic forks. Not to self, keep spare cutlery in the car! I always keep a big bottle of water in the car, but remember to keep it covered. The sun and heat can react with the plastic on your water bottles and it becomes dangerous to drink the water.

I hope this has been helpful to you all, you may well already know this and more, so if you have any advice of your own, please share it in the comments!

P.S although my paints got a bit melty, my glitter balms stayed surprisingly solid all day!

Mazz x