It looks relatively easy and cheap to train as a facepainter and then you can earn £175.00 for an afternoon's work.

[tigermoth]

It's not something I can take on, but I have to book face painters sometimes and I started to think what it must be like to do be one.
The going rate seems to be about £125 - £175 for approx 4 hours work.

Equipment? make up/brushes/cleansing wipes - easy to transport and not too expensive to buy

Training? No recognised qualification needed. I certainly don't ask to see a portfolio of work or a cv. If you want to learn, you can do it via books, internet learning or day courses (googled courses and one was advertised for £40.00) so not too expensive or difficult.

Practice: I guess you start off by volunteering at charity events.

You also need to know health and safety rules and have insurance, but these seem quite straightforward and appear to be explained on face painting websites.

It just seems to me, from what I know, to be a good part time job - low outlay, very flexible, fun and creative, easy to get into and you can fit around family commitments.

OK, now I bet someone will prove me wrong!

Balloon Modellers get more money than face painters - it's also less cost to set up AND a lot faster to set up and pack up at an event. A lot of designs are available on the internet to start teaching yourself. Qualatex and Sempertex brands both hold workshops for when you're feeling more confident at handling latex

Interesting reading. Xenia am I right in thinking you live in South London, too?

Sweaty kids wouldn't be that bad, but I think I'd draw a line at snotty kids.

Sobernow, I don't face paint myself, but have to book face painters for events I help organise for the council. They represent good value for money as they take up little space and need no equipment except a table and two chairs. They are always a big attration for families. The face painters I book don't charge the public.

Although they have to have a basic competence, we don't judge them on their artistic efforts really.

What really matters is that they are reliable - get there when they say they will and have their insurance and health and safey covered. They have to be reasonably competent and not take too long doing a face - I guess that comes with practice. They have to be good with people, but IME queues for face painting don't attract troublesome people on the whole. The face painter does not have to be super-entertaining either - just needs to be smiley, calm, patient - just like you'd be if you were running a stall at a PTA event.

As for giving up family time at weekends to work as a face painter, you can always say 'no' to some bookings. If you have older children they might be able to come with you and be free to wander round the event. And there is minimal setting up and packing up time for your face painting stall, so you don't have to factor that in. (I used to run a vintage clothes stall and that took me hours to set up). And of course, face painters can work indoors or outdoors, whatever the weather, so can take bookings all year.

Anyway, it just struck me as something that's not too hard to get into and, as a part time job, could be quite rewarding.

Hi,
i paint all the kids faces at birthdays, halloween etc.... sounds like a good business op.
where do you buy the paints and how much do they cost?
And does any particular company insure you?

There's a link on this thread to the 'FACE' website which should answer those questions.

cheers tigermoth..xx

reliable is obviously good, but you do need to be artistic, it isn't something everyone can do iykwim! snazaroo is the best website for info.

agree with you there - I don't want to imply that there is no artistic flair to it. The one I last booked was really good - lots of airbrush-like shading.

But as you can learn how to do each specific face, stage by stage by following instructions. You can practice a lot till you feel your efforts are good enough. IME face painters at events stick to a range of faces that they know how to - they don't start improvisiong according to a customer's specific wish, so that must make their job easier.

haha we do whatever they want, someone wanted a giraffe once and a whale.

yea, I do remember a face painter once doing a one off for my son - a special request. She referred to a book for the picture, asked us if we liked it, then copied it. It was very good. Other face painters seem to offer a set number of 'looks' to choose from. I suppose the FACE website has guidelines.

I am one! Its a cool job.
But I dont get paid that much (thinks about upping her prices immediately)
You cant crb check yourself though.
Handy hint dont use baby wipes to remove it.. loads seem to react to it!

Tigermoth - get insurance!

And don't do the lad who bit the face painter at the last community festival I went to!

Otherwise, I can see this being right up your street, you'd be great at it.

i already had an enhanced disclosure,from pre-school, but i was never asked for it, you are not alone with children, so no worries really, i had a portfolio which i had ready of faces which were most popular requests and sometimes at fetes etc i was askedonly to do "quick" faces.
seeing this thread has made me wonder if i really ought to start doing it again, i know my mum would look after the kids on saturdays.
i wouldnt know how to get started though, in cambridgeshire i was booked mainly on word of mouth, local events.

blu, I just haven't the time to do it myself,(in another life maybe!). I might do it when I am older to supplement my pension

I thought it looked like a great opportunity possibly for some mumsnetters. There seem to be lots of arty crafty people here, so thought it might capture someone's interest.

Spacecadet,are there any local 'What's On' family magazines like Primary times in your area - the sort of mag that goes in children's bookbags? or phone up your local council. The leisure department will have details of lots of local events and the contact numbers of the organisers. Or contact community centres, and schools direct - get some business cards printed to put on noticeboards and newsagents shops?

we dont have primary times, i have already approached the school though and offered my services for future events, i need to get my rear in gear though and do something to advertise though, advertising in the community centre sounds like a good idea as they have lots of childrens parties there, so parents may look at the notice board i guess.

Spacecadet I work in a private pre-school and often book face painters and other entertainers for our parties/fetes etc. So a leaflet drop at private and community nurseries and pre-schools would also be great advertising. If its for a party we pay approx £60 (Hampshire) for an hour or if its a fete the face painter charges per child giving us a percentage for the charity we are raising for.

came to this late but just wanted to add that there are lots of party listings websites giving all the local entertainers and venues numbers, balloons, bouncy castle hire etc, and contact details for a face painter would sit well on there.

i quite fancy this, im a childminder and quite artistic and i have very willing volenteers to practise on but im unsure i would make much money.

well, after giving it a lot of thought, ive decided to go for it, have joined a face painting forum and already submitted my first gallery photo!
i already have about 30 paints, pearls and glitters and 10 paintbrushes, i need to build up an equipment bag now, i can do the general range of faces, tigers, cats butterflys, etc, but ive discovered that most painters design and paint their own designs, so i have started preactising on the kids and did a lovely butterfly on dd last night!