6 Solutions to The Scrunchy Faced Child

My husband (who is also my face painting partner) calls it the 'sphincter face', Though not in front of clients of course lol.

This is when you are trying to paint a design on a child and what you get is this

"Am I Spiderman yet?"

This face is more liken to Popeye trying to have a bowel movement then it is to a face that is ready to be painted.

Luckily I happen to have MANY fixes for this issue, because not every child will respond to the same method there are many that i use to attempt to get them to relax.


6. Use Different Words

Kids are dumb. Ok that sounds bad, what I meant to say is kids are inexperienced little people, and don't yet have a developed complex vocabulary (yes that sounds better, hire me?). So you have no idea if they even understand the full meaning on the word 'gentle' or 'relax' to them these words probably only mean a few things at this stage in the game.
"Gentle is what mom tells me to be when petting our cat.... what does she mean gentle eyes?"
"Relax? You mean like what dad does when he gets home from work? Good god what does this have to do with face painting?"

As boring old people, we some times forget that kids have only been around for so many years and probably haven't heard these words used in as many different contexts since they stopped pooping their pants.

"What do you mean *scream* isn't a word?"

You have to be a thesaurus of words, and descriptions some times to get them to understand what you want them to do.

Here is what I say in the order I try to get the child to understand what I want them to do.

"Can you close your eyes gently?"
"Close your eyes like you are sleeping."
"Can you relax your face for me?"
"Not so tight please, you need to un-scrunch your face."

If that fails...

5. Show Them An Example

If none of the above work I get them to open their eyes and watch me.

"Ok open your eyes. Watch. This is what you are doing. *exaggerated scrunch face complete with sound effects* But this is what I need you to do *relaxed face with eyes closed*. Can you try that?"
You can also call it "Wrinkled blankets" and "Smooth blankets".

When they get it right, make sure you congratulate them. Tell them they are doing a good job and that it's good team work. Lots of encouragement here.


4. Warn Them About A Possible Bad Result

"Hey! This doesn't look like the one you have on the sign!"

This sounds harsh but hear me out. Though a lot of younger kids really don't know any better, believe it or not a lot of kids are exaggerating their expression on purpose in order to get attention and think they are being silly (my brother was like this, trust me I know it when I see it). But as soon as you tell them that their over exaggerated scrunch face will make their chosen design less good, they smarten up right away.

If I suspect a kid of doing this some times I will say "relax your face please, otherwise it's going to be a wrinkly tiger/spider-man/etc. lol" That gets the attention!

But this will also work with other kids simply to remind them to concentrate and the end result will be worth it!

3. Narrate Your Painting

Another great way is to describe what you are doing as you paint. For example: when I paint Spiderman eyes, this is what I say.

"Ok first we are going to outline this part, and we go tickle in the corner of the eye, then up to a point here, then down and around back to where we started. Now the same thing on the other side. *repeat*
Now we got to fill the whole thing in like a coloring book, have you ever been a coloring book before? Well first we fill all this top part in, and we get lower and lower, across the eye brows now, not across the eye LIDS, across - sweep, and across - sweep, one more - sweep. Now we do the bottom, under -swoop, under -swoop. Now we do the same thing to the other side. *repeat*
Ok that was the tricky part, and it's all done, you can open your eyes and now we fill in the red part!"

I find talking to them no only helps them relax, but it distracts them from the sensation because they are focusing more on what you are saying instead of what they are feeling. Neat trick.

2. Light Handed Technique

The above solution will solve most of your immediate scrunch face problems, but painting around the eyes will always be harder then the rest of the face. Even the stillest of models will have issues with this area if you don't practice the proper technique.

This one is harder to explain. When I was in makeup school I noticed right away as my classmates were practicing on each other and myself included, that some were more heavy handed, and others were not gentle at all! Some I think forgot they were painting on people.

There are 3 parts to achieving a light brush hand for face painting:

• You have to be aware of which way the muscles and skin naturally go, and work with it not against it.

• When you are painting some one who has their eyes closed or you are painting near the eyes, place your other hand on their face/head as well. Place your hand under their chin, or on top of their head; where ever is comfortable and doesn't interfere with your work. This will help to steady yourself AND make them feel more secure, which goes a LONG way.

• Go in slowly at first. Your first contact with the skin should be made slowly, most of all when the models eyes are closed. Let your brush barely tough them at first then lay it down for the full contact with the face. Never just dive right in, as this will cause the 'jerk back' or squint reaction. After you have made contact you can pretty much lift and paint anywhere in that area with out issue, but if you got back for more paint, or jump to a totally new part of the face, you have to ease back into it. With practice, you can actually do this slow technique much faster as it becomes more second nature to you.

1. Wait.... or dive right in!

If all else fails, try waiting about 20 seconds or so, use this time to tidy your area, or clean a brush. The logic behind this is that it actually takes a lot more effort to hold a scrunched up face than  a relaxed face. So let them tire the muscles for half a min, and they are more likely to relax as you begin.

The last thing you can do is just dive right in! Some kids will hold the scrunchy face right until the sponge or brush touches their face. Also they tend to relax more after feeling that "hey this isn't as bad and shocking of a feeling as i thought it would be."

Thank you For Reading!

4 Reasons Wet Wipes Are Bad For Face Painting

Sorry! 

This article has been permanently moved to PaintPal.com

You can still read it in all it's wonderful glory by following this link!

4 Reasons Wet Wipes Are Bad For Face Painting

Thank you!

The 3 Basics of Paint Brushes

3. Brush Anatomy

First things first is to know the anatomy of your paint brush. This is pretty straight forward.

The handle is typically made out of wood, but can also be made from plastic acrylic or other materials. Handles can be long or short depending on what you need from the brush. The Ferrule is what holds the bristles of the head in place, and the bristles make up the head and is the business end of the brush,

2. Brush Shapes
These are the most common brush shapes available.

But they are by no means the only types. Brushes come in many different shapes, thickness's, density's and heights of the bristles. Different brands will be different on all of these points, even though the basic shape of the head is similar. So when you buy a #4 round for example, it will may not be the EXACT same thickness or height as another brand because each will vary on when the tapering of the bristles starts, or how long the bristles are. Good things to keep in mind when shopping for brushes.

1. Brush Fibers

The head of a brush can be made up of many different types of bristles. Not all bristles are created equal and different fibers work better for different paints.

Knowing more about the nature of different brush fibers will help you choose which brushes to get for what type of paint.

The 3 main types of fibers are

Natural Hair

These are made from animal fur such as ox, sable, squirrel, goat, and pony. Sable and ox hair, are better for more fluid media such as watercolor. The surface the soft animal fur is covered with scales which act as tiny reservoirs for the color. The hairs are also usually quite resilient and have and nice spring back to them.

Natural Hair also behaves differently when wet.
    
Dry to wet   A) Squirrel mop       2) Sable         3) Synthetic fibre


As you can see the natural hair brushes open up a lot more then the synthetic, allowing them to pick up and hold more paint.

Hog Bristle

While these too could be considered 'Natural Hair' as they do come from animals, Hog Bristle is in a category all it's own for it's popularity, commonality, and over all different feel in comparison to other natural hair brushes. The hog bristle surface is flagged, or forked, at the tip which allows for strong, interlocking bristles that spring back and have a larger surface area. They will push and carry large amounts of heavy paint over coarse surfaces like canvas and wood panel for example. These are the preferred choice for heavier paints like oils.


Synthetic

Since natural hair brushes can be really expensive and also ware out after, many artists use synthetic as their fiber of choice. They are most commonly made from Nylon or Polyester materials. While they mostly lack a finer point and they hold less color, they are was more durable, much easier to clean, and way cheaper than natural hair brushes. Synthetic watercolor brushes are usually dyed with acidic chemicals during manufacturing that create tiny pits on the surface of each fiber. This mimics the scaly surface of animal fur, and it helps to maximize the synthetic brush's capacity for holding color. Stiffer synthetic fibers are also made for use in oil painting and acrylics.


It's also good to note that synthetic fiber brushes are the best for makeup, and face paint.

Comparison of all 3:

Synthetic - Natural - Hog Bristle

Here is an image if you want to get into more detail about brush length, hair types, and uses. It's a great all in on reference!

6 Tips To Pick The Best Brushes For Face Painting

If you haven't already, please read my previous post

The 3 Basics Of Paint Brushes

When shopping for Face Paint brushes there are a few things to keep in mind

1. Size Matters

Many new comers to face painting think you need all small brushes to paint faces, after all you are painting tiny art on a small face right?

But the reality is that small brushes are not always better, most of the time you can do most designs with a large brush. Also if you want to fill out a large area you will want a large brush to base it out. Having a larger brush allows you to hold more paint, and therefor you don't have to reload as often. Practice brush control and you too can paint small things with big brushes.

You'll also want to pay attention to the handle length of your brush, in this case you want to opt for shorter handles.

2. Pricier Doesn't Always = Better

While price can be a large factor in quality this is not always the case with EVERYTHING on the planet. Brushes come in all shapes sizes and prices. But how to you know which one is best? Here is where "you get what you pay for" doesn't always hold true because that $45 brush probably wasn't made with face painting in mind. Most face painting brushes are usually  $3-$10 and will work much better.

The expensive brushes you see in the art stores are made for oil painting, or they are certain brand names, or are made with a certain animal fiber with drives up the price. At the same time you don't want to get stuck with a children's plastic paint by number brush, so what you want to look for is something in between, and rarely going over $20.


3. Choose Synthetic Over Real Hair
Again proof that expensive isn't always the best! Believe it or not Synthetic hair brushes are way better for face painting. That Kolinsky sable hair brush made from the winter tail of male martens from Siberia is actually worse for face painting. And yes that's a real type of brush.

4. Buy What You Need
I know it sounds obvious, but some times you can go overboard with buying. You might feel that you want a brush of every size and type and one for each color!

But slow down there. Think about how you paint for a moment, how much table space do you have to use? Do you really need a round brush in all 12 sizes? Not really. Most of the time you can do almost everything that requires a round brush with about 3-5 round brushes of different sizes. Personally most of my designs can be done with 1-3 brushes.

5. Read And Watch Reviews!

Seriously this is pretty much how I have found my favorite brushes. Lots of research, reading, and of course videos so i can see the brush in action. The best youtube face painters will include which brushes they are using in their tutorials and this is how I found my favorite set of round brushes, my petal brush and my favorite One Stroke Brush!

6. Shop Online!

I'll be honest, you are NOT going to find most the best face painting brushes at your local art supply store. The ones i have found that suit my needs have mostly been luck, and then I can never find the same one ever again. They say it's a poor craftsman who blames their tools, but i beg to differ. If you want to be a serious professional face painter, then you have to put value in your tools and you have to buy the best tools for the job.



MY BRUSHES

• Three 3/4 flat brushes (#12's) - Protege Gold Nylon
• Three #10 flats, - Protege Gold Nylon
  
  

  
  
• One #12 Filbert - unknown brand
  
• Two Petal Brushes large and small, - Silly Farm brand
  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  
• One #8 filbert - Royal Soft Grip
  
  

  
  
• One set of Loew Cornell Soft Comfort round Brushes #10, #6, #4, #2,
  
  

  
  
• Two Sets of Loew Cornell Gold Grip round Brushes #1 - #6
  
  
  
  
• Several other misc brushes of an unknown brand I use as chip brushes, for stipple, splatter, or rough work.
  

I also have spares of all of these at home for when I need to retire these brushes and use new ones.

My Least Favorite One Stroke Face Painting Cake

Pretty much all of my one strokes have their use's and they all work well, but the TAG Neon Rainbow one stroke sucks to apply with a brush.

As with all my neon colors they work better with a sponge, otherwise you really have to layer them with a brush. The neon rainbow one stroke also doesn't allow you to pick up all the colors with most flat #12 and 3/4 brushes. So I end up having to choose which side and color I want.

I wouldn't buy it again, in fact I took it out of my kit because the kids see it and always want it over a regular rainbow or Leanne Rainbow (which are WAY better). Just like I did the kids lay eyes on the Neon Rainbow one stroke and think it's going to look amazing, and then get a bit disappointed when it doesn't.

Picture here: Lies

Oddly enough the 'cocktail' neon split cake I don't seem to have too much of a problem with!

The neon rainbow one stroke still has it's uses though; with a sponge it's great for applying neon rainbow eye shadow, or a small neon rainbow area in the design, even as a rainbow if you use a sponge. But the lines are never as crisp as with a brush, no i usually use a different rainbow one stroke for ease and convenience.

I couldn't live without my homemade Leanne's TAG rainbow one stroke cake! What a time saver! Such a rainbow cheat, I love it to bits!

Only two of the colors are neon so it seems to work better.

Don't turn your back on buying neon colors altogether though, like I said, when you have the right tool (like a sponge) you can make some pretty awesome stuff.

Airbrushes: Gravity Fed VS Siphon Fed

This article pertains to face and body painting with an airbrush, but can also be used by other inspiring airbrush artists as a reference.

When I went to makeup school I got to try out all kinds of air brushes. The one that came with our kit (while generous of the school to give us) kind sucked. It was an Iwatta Neo... which isn't really an iwatta, it's like a branch off series... Anyway! it was gravity fed, had so many parts, had to refill all the time, hard to clean so you couldn't switch colors easily, and fragile. Also I like to move my arms a lot when I paint and god help me if I forget to put the cap back on the top after refilling. More then once I have had paint dripping down my arm. Other gravity few brushes were all pretty much the same story. Also they tended to clog.... a lot. When you are at home painting biker helmets, or other art projects, a clog is an inconvenience, but when you are trying to body paint, it's a TIME VAMPIRE.

I had a body painting show coming up and I knew I needed something that could paint FASTER, and better. So my research began.

After countless reviews and articles, I finally found one I liked - well two actually. One for FAST base coverage and the other for controlled detail.

I got them from the same company I got my airbrush compressor from.www.chicagoairbrushsupply.com

My partner and I got this puppy back when it was new but still on sale for about $600.

We wanted something that could run 2 brushes since there were two of us. Also it's like pet luggage, and completely self contained with storage too! and WAY quieter then other compressors I have seen, with obviously a much higher capacity. Yes this thing is the Rolls Royce of compressors and we LOVE it to bits. Iwatta compressors are generally the best imo.

The only thing that still sucked was our school issued airbrushes - and I wish I replaced them sooner.

BEHOLD! 

After all my research looking for the best airbrushes for body painting I found these.

My Base and Large Surface Area Coverage Airbrush

My Detail Brush

Ok... confession time - while i did do hours of research, it actualy led me to a difference brand called Badger. So I called up the 800 number for the company to ask about their Badger brand airbrushes and spoke with a rep who really knew his stuff, who showed me the Paache brand. This guy really knew his stuff, and even though the Badger were more expensive he suggested for my line of fast paced work to go with Paache. After getting the real goods on the features I went for the Paache brand and got the packages/box sets so I also got new hoses and the proper fitting for the our compressor. Also on sale, this website LOVES it's sales. ^.^

Seriously don't be afraid to call up this company and ask about their stuff, they are super friendly!

And the result....

WORKS LIKE A DREAM!!!

My god how did I live without these?

•  They are super simple to assemble and disassemble
•  Cleaning is SO easy and no longer a chore, unlike with gravity fed
•  The single action for doing the base gets mega coverage and SO fast and easy (and easiest to clean)
•  We have never had a clog with them... it's been near a year using them.
•  TOO easy to switch colors unlike with gravity fed.
•  Doesn't spill into my lap when moving around
•  Comes with a quick refill siphon cup

The list of pros just goes on and on really. I never want to use gravity fed again after using a good quality siphon brush.

Verdict (IMO): Go with Siphon fed.

My 5 Favorite Things From My Face Painting Kit

5) Fantasy World Wide Sponges

Why?:I can't Sing my Praises about these enough. They are my favorite sponge EVAR! These come as a full round that you can cut into two sponges. They in my opinion, hold paint better with less waste, are softer, and apply the paint to the skin far better then others i have tried.

Want?:
Buy these bad boys at Face Paint Forum Shop - 1 for $.99 or 10 for $7.99


4) These Brushes

Why?: 

Protege Set: This 3/4 brush is the shiznit. Once I saw it in action I bought 10 of them. They come as a package of 2 and the smaller one is absolutely amazing as well. The secret is in the shorter bristles and that it's not that thick of a brush, so this allows for more control when doing one stroke designs.

Silly Farm Set: These silly farm petal brushes will make your double load press flowers stupid easy. I know they are already easy, but this makes them FAST and the thick brush holds a crazy amount of paint that will make it so you can paint LOTS of flowers without having to reload so often (if at all).

Gold Grip Set: Meet my workhorse's. The #4 round from this set is the brush I probably use more so then any other. These are great for dots, teardrops, line work, and small filler. I have one #4 each for black, white and other colors. They truly are the best. I saw them first is a Lisa Joy Young youtube video (check her out if you haven't already) and after I saw them in action I HAD to have them. She said they were the best and she was right. They are also the favorite brush of Heather Green (owner of SillyFarm).

Want?:
Protege Set:  Email the lovely Laura to get your hands on some writelaura@gmail.com for $9.99 per set of 2. OR you can by the full set on Amazon for for $25 and you get the 2 brushes and a bunch of others of the same brand. But note that you only get 1 of each of the 3/4 and the 1/2 short flat size

Silly Farm Set: You can find these on SillyFarm.com Here and Here for around 8 bucks.

Gold Grip Set: You can pick these up at SillyFarm (USA) as a set or they also sell each one individually. FacePaintForumShop (USA), and HokeyPokeyShop (Canada) also sell them individually, or there are MANY other places to acquire them - just by googling "Loew Cornell Gold Grip Round Brush". Prices Vary depending on where you buy from.

3) One Stroke Rainbow Cake

Why?:
This is a HUGE cheat/time saver to do rainbows. I can't live with out it in my kit really. You can also do other things in rainbow with it like flowers, butterflies and more. You can get them is many different brands and in a few different combinations, but I don't recommend getting the neon rainbow as it doesn't like to be applied with a brush too well - it always comes out too sheer.

While the TAG true rainbow is nice, I find it a little dark, so I have taken to making one based of a previously discontinued rainbow one stroke called 'Leanne's Rainbow'.

Want?: You can get the regular tag rainbow one stroke or other rainbow one stroke brands on most face paint supply stores depending where you are from. Typically about $12.
Since they brought it back - (Here is where i get my Leanne's Rainbow) because the Canadian site I that usually order from doesn't have it in stock at the moment.

If you want to make your own  Leanne Rainbow the combination is
Tag Red, Neon Magenta, Double Neon Yellow, Light Blue, Dark Blue

2) Brush Easel

Why?: 

This is a better and safer case for your brushes AND it's a space saver on your table AND your brushes are stored upright for easy pickings. Love this so much. When i first put it on my face painting table I had fellow Makeup Artists asking me where I got it! lol Few months later you could find it in specialty makeup stores. This isn't the first thing that made an appearance in the face paint world before the makeup world lol.

Want?: You can get these just about anywhere now in the $20-$25. There are a few different types, some with zippers with with out, some bigger some smaller. Mine is the first TAG one that was sold, with no zipper like the one you see in the photo.

But there are many others

1) My 'No Touch' Sign

Why?:
This is my most favorite thing on my table because it sends a clear cut message not to touch my stuff! lol

Before this sign, kids would stick their fingers in the paints all the time, pick them up, play with them, and finger the bristles on my brushes. As I like to keep my tools sanitary, it's really best if as few dirty hands touch them as possible, also flicking the brushes with your finger totally ruins them.

"Excuse me Mam, I paid $20 for that brush, I didn't by it so your child could explore tactile sensations."

This would happen all the time even with the parents standing right there watching them do it! By the time I say something the damage is done. So i took action and made my 'No Touch' sign. I rendered it using photoshop with a stock photo of a rainbow cake, paint brush, red crossed out symbol and I made the hand using a photoshop paint brush.

Finally i wasn't sure if i wanted the bottom blank, or to say 'thank you', so i put it to a vote on my personal face book page and also made the 'Rage Face' version as more of a joke because that's kind how i feel and the face I want to make when people touch my tools.

Pretty much 9 out of 10 people voted for the 'rage face' version! It made sense I suppose, it's funny AND it's pretty hard to miss the message. So I went with the Rage Face version for my table and stuck it to the back of my brush easel.

Want?:
If you outright want to copy my awesomeness (and I don't blame you if you do) you can Get Yours Here. Just print it to the size you want, cut it and laminate it so it lasts. The print version has my watermark on it because, comon' I made it; I suppose you could just use photoshop to remove it but if already know how to use photoshop, then dude make your own! lol