What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
We have many different packages available on our website. For each service that we provide (face painting, glitter tattoos, pregnant belly painting) we have packages that save our customers money, or they can just hire us by-the-hour.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
There are many different body art conventions that are held around the country as well as local workshops by well-known artists, and we try to attend those as much as we can. I'm also a member of several online forums and clubs where we exchange ideas and information, and we're currently getting together a guild for our local area, to exchange ideas and references.
How did you get started doing this type of work?
Some friends of mine were putting together a benefit for a little girl in our church with cancer and asked me if I could do some face painting. I told them I'd give it a try-- and fell head-over-heels in love with it! Couldn't get enough and tried to get as much training as I could. I was asked to do so many events that I eventually decided to go into business.
What types of customers have you worked with?
Birthday parties, corporate events and glitter body art for weddings and dances are definitely our most common jobs. We also do festivals around our area.
At birthday parties, we offer either one face painter, one face painter and one glitter artist, or two glitter artists. The birthday guest of honor receives special gifts and body art to make them feel special and honored.
For weddings, we can give the bride and her bridal party exquisite glitter body art, similar to henna, but much more elegant and sophisticated. The glitter art resembles jewelry on the skin and can be placed on the shoulders, hands, arms, legs...anywhere :)
Describe a recent project you are fond of. How long did it take?
The last birthday party we did we were hired for 3 hours and since there was two of us painting and we weren't as rushed, we decided to be very creative and give everyone whatever they wanted... it was so much fun! We don't usually have the freedom to do that, since we're usually very rushed and have to paint exactly what is on our display board, but that day we had a blast and everyone was extremely pleased with the results!
What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?
Look for a body artist who uses ONLY professional makeup and glitter, not acrylic paint or craft glitter. The ability to interact with people of all ages and cultures is also a must, and keeping cool in stressful situations, such as the ability to stand up for long periods of time is also important.
What questions should customers think through before talking to professionals about their project?
I wish customers knew that "face painting" has come a long way from acrylic paint and small cheek art. All professional body artists now use theatrical makeup with bold, vibrant colors and our art is now full-face and full body. We can still do "cheek art" but we can do so much more than that. The imagination is the only limitation. Be whatever you want to be!
