As a face and body artist, the longer you're in the game, the more variations in skin tones and types you're going to encounter. Read on to learn how to make your masterpieces shine on any and all canvases.
If you haven't figured it out already, skin tone greatly affects the overall finish and coloration of makeup, regardless of it's opacity. Acrylics, oils, and watercolors on canvas generally begin with a white canvas, or what might be referred to as a "blank slate." The closest thing to a blank slate in face and body painting is very pale skin. With such a canvas, a vast array of ProAiir colors, applied directly to the skin, provide instant bursts of color. On the other hand, light colors, like pastels, are much more subtle on pale skin. If you desire a look somewhere between bold and subtle, consider outlining or highlighting pastels with bolder colors within the same spectrum.
On the contrary, some very colorful makeup applied to darker skin tones can appear muted. For example, dark red against brown or bronzed skin will not stand out very well. The good news here is that while color choices for direct application on darker skin may be a bit limited, dark skin provides a fantastic canvas for achieving beautiful, high contrast looks. As artists, our challenge is to overcome obstacles and use all the tools at our disposal to bring beauty to the world. In our profession, there really are no limitations.
ProAiir Fluorescents are slightly more translucent than the bulk of the ProAiir lineup of colors. Sprayed directly on skin of any color or tone, fluorescents glow fantastically under black light. This is the go-to makeup for party palaces and haunted houses with black light themes. In situations where vibrancy is desired both in and out of black light, apply a light white base before applying fluorescents and enjoy the best of both worlds. ProAiir Fluorescents glow like nothing you've ever seen.
Now that you know how to choose colors for your painting, let’s talk about application. For long lasting body art, face paintings, and temporary tattoos, always begin with clean skin!
By “clean skin” we mean skin that is:
When working outdoor gigs, keep baby wipes (free of aloe and lotions) or isopropyl alcohol and paper towels handy to clean client’s skin before starting to paint. On warm, sunny days, kids are often COVERED in sunscreen and have likely been sweating in the sun. Clean the area you're about to paint!
When removing sunscreen, don't be surprised if parents ask if it can be reapplied over the design. The answer is "YES", as long as it’s aerosol sprayed lightly over the artwork. On the other hand, rubbing creams or lotions onto the skin will likely cause the artwork to smudge.
When body painting a model, ask beforehand that they arrive freshly showered and lotion free. If they arrive with oily skin for any reason, simply hand them a pack of handy dandy baby wipes and ask them to clean off.
In cases where you do NOT want the makeup to last all day, by all means, apply lotion to the skin before painting. The lotion will act as a barrier on the skin and make for easy removal of the makeup.
A clean surface is the foundation for a perfect makeup application. Now that we have gone over the prep work, here's one last trick to keep up your sleeve to top off your painting!
For those not yet familiar with ProAiir ProLong, allow me to introduce you to it!
ProLong has many uses in makeup and should be in every artist’s tool kit. For the sake of this topic, let's just say that it magically increases the durability of face and body art. To use as a barrier spray, simply mist finished artwork with the included spray pump or spray it through a clean airbrush. ProLong seals in your design and makes it last longer!
When faced with extreme conditions like extra oily skin, heavy sweating, pool parties, bounce houses, etc, we recommend adding ProLong to your makeup for extra staying power. Under 'normal' conditions, ProAiir Hybrid lasts 1-3 days and ProAiir Ink lasts up to 7 days. Extreme conditions will almost surely lessen the durability but a few drops of ProLong added to the makeup may be all that's needed to compensate.
Whether misted over a finished piece or added to the makeup beforehand, think of ProLong as a sealing agent used to protect your work. For more information about the many uses of ProLong, check out our blog post that discusses differences between ProLong, ProLong Gloss and ProAiir Thinner.
With this "skin deep" explanation of face and body art skin tones, skin prep and color selections, hopefully you now have the basics to ensure a near flawless foundation - and how to preserve finished masterpieces. Please check out our other blog posts for additional tips and tricks or share your own here by submitting comments below. We would love to hear from you!
]]>Have you ever wondered how the various makeup additives are used? While ProLong, ProLong Gloss, and Thinner are similar, they are different in ways that will be explained here.
]]>ProAiir Thinner is formulated to thin the consistency AND opacity of any and all ProAiir makeup. Adding Thinner to makeup will yield a more translucent or 'watercolor' effect. Simply add a few drops directly into any makeup to enhance the flowability. At ShowOffs, we recommend adding a single drop at a time until the desired consistency, color and opacity are achieved.
Order ProAiir Thinner Here
ProLong works with all ProAiir makeup products and has several different uses! ProLong is a fantastic thinning agent that will NOT affect pigmentation when added to Hybrid makeup or Ink. That's right; unlike ProAiir Thinner, ProLong will thin the consistency of the makeup without compromising the bold pigmentation.
In high temperatures, makeup may thicken as evaporation occurs. Such thickening can lead to airbrushes clogging. Don't despair. Using the twist cap provided, add a few drops of ProLong to your Hybrid or Ink and shake well to restore the liquid to it's original consistency.
Adding ProLong to makeup is also a great way to help alleviate airbrush tip dry! If you notice makeup collecting at the tip of the airbrush, adding a bit of ProLong will help prevent those pigments from gathering around and clogging the needle.
When using trays or palettes with DIPS to blend colors and load brushes, nothing should ever go to waste. Adding a few drops of ProLong to dry makeup will reactivate it for use the next time around. Because ProAiir makeup and ProLong are alcohol based, you never have to worry about bacteria. There's no need to clean those brushes either. Bristles loaded with dry DIPS are ready for action as soon as they come into contact with ProLong.
When working with ProAiir SOLIDS, ProLong is the recommended solution for activating the concentrated cake pigments (never use water with SOLIDS - or any ProAiir makeup for that matter). A couple of drops of ProLong onto a SOLIDS cake and a good swirl of the brush or sponge and you're ready to go. Keep in mind that with any new cake makeup, a bit of work may be needed to break through the outer membrane and into the first layer of pigments. ProAiir SOLIDS is a super long lasting makeup that is perfect for extreme conditions! In a pinch, 91% or 99% Isopropyl alcohol can be used in place of ProLong. The color will be a bit translucent, but it'll still look great and last a long time.
ProAiir makeup and ProLong are alcohol based, making them very sanitary and resistant to bacteria. Nevertheless, for ultimate comfort and protection, brushes can be cleaned between customers with ProAiir ProCleaner! Post signs around your booth or set-up letting customers know that you use only sanitary, skin safe makeup made in the USA.
For a dazzling, sparkling splash of color, mix ProLong with your favorite mica or glitter powders and turn those dry powders into brush on, water resistant makeup that adheres well to the skin.
Lastly, use ProLong to preserve and extend the life of completed designs. To prolong the art, use the spray pump provided or spray through an airbrush to mist lightly over the finished makeup. Spray ProLong over any makeup, even water based, to enhance the durability of the work!
Order ProLong Here
ProLong Gloss has the same amazing features of ProLong, but with a satin finish. To brighten up art with a nice sheen, consider using ProLong Gloss in all the same ways described above.
Order ProLong Gloss Here
There you have it! Now you know how you can take advantage of these great products to adjust makeup opacity and consistency, extend the durability of masterpieces, create unique products of your own, and reconstitute makeup products that might otherwise go to waste. Each plays an important role in the ProAiir family of makeup and will likely, sooner or later, find a home in your kit.
]]>Oh the joys of hearing “I want Spiderman” and “butterfly please“; face and body painting is still going strong. So too are the demands on artists to produce. Everyone wants to look great and no one wants to stand around waiting in long lines. The good news is that the income potential for artists is going through the roof. However, competition for the consumer’s dollar is heating up too. Sooner or later every professional artist must decide: Am I painting people for profit, pleasure (the 4 P’s) or both? And when that time comes, there’s little doubt that tough decisions and concessions will have to be made.
Operating as a face painter for close to 20 years, revenue generation was my top priority with the bulk of my income coming from working large events such as the NFL Super Bowl Experience, MLB World Series, NCAA Final Four, Shanghai China festivals, large company gatherings and weekend street fairs that attract thousands of people. For me, the need for speed outweighed my creative desires. But that’s not to say I was willing to sacrifice quality.
I’ve drawn several conclusions from the experiences of my team and I painting everything from temporary tattoos to full bodies. Among them, traditional hand painting allows for the greatest creativity and produces the most unique works of art. However, working half to full day events servicing large crowds is grueling, both mentally and physically.
On average, we began the day knocking out 15-18 faces per hour but as the day wore on our pace slowed and we ended the day averaging 10-12. We were getting a great deal of pleasure painting artistic faces but the falloff in our earnings was apparent. On the other hand, airbrushing tattoos with stencils facilitated speedy delivery (35-40 customers per hour) and we were able to maintain that pace throughout the day. To be sure, tattoos didn’t get the creative juices flowing like hand painting did, but the constant cash flow more than made up for that.
While painted faces serve as larger billboards, done artistically, tattoos draw attention too! Best of all, with airbrushing, I grew my staff size quickly and with very little training. For me, airbrushing won hands down when making money was the priority.
Not long ago, an artist could make a good living doing temporary airbrush tattoos exclusively. High demand at events ranging from Johnny’s birthday party to major corporate outings ensured that those in the business would have all the work they could handle. But just as the laws of impermanence dictate, sooner or later, everything changes. Although temp tats are still hot, people are now seeking “something different.” And because so many new artists have entered the fray, service rates have begun to dip. So what’s an artist to do to set themselves apart from the crowd so that they continue to attract customers AND command top-tier compensation? Enter the tried and true practice of face painting - with a twist!
Being the entrepreneur that I am, I figured it was time to bridge these two artistic worlds. I decided to engineer face painting stencils that would align with the right and left sides of the face, comfortably fit the curves of the face, protect the eyes, enable the creation of full to partial designs, and lastly, allow for tons of artistic creativity. Viola - in 2009, “StencilEyes” by ShowOffs Body Art were born! Stencils that align with the eye and produce perfect results every time. Choices abound with over 50 designs currently available and by interchanging design components, the possibilities are endless. For those who prefer dry-sponging, we have designs that’ll suit you perfectly. Each set of stencils comes complete with beautiful display cards that can be used to present choices to your customers as well serve as a reference for the artist. Right out of the package you get at-a-glance ideas for how to use the stencil. It’s as easy as applying background color, followed by use of the stencils to apply the detailed design - just as you would with hand painting. For added variety, skip the background color and spray right through the stencil, blending colors just as you would a tattoo.
There were many days my staff members would battle for jobs that required face painting over tattoos and we were clipping at a rate of 25-40 faces per hour! Our customers were thrilled to hire one ShowOffs artist rather than two or three hand painters. People were lining up for StencilEyes face painting just like they did when temporary airbrush tattoos were brand new! And judging by sales of StencilEyes, it’s obvious that other artists are experiencing similar results. If you’re interested in Painting People for Profit AND Pleasure, you too can get the same result -FAST- and without having to master the art of hand painting.
Check out the ShowOffs / ProAiir website for videos, tips, and products. www.proaiir.com
]]>Your made up your mind, you want to start your own business! Products and equipment...check! Now you need to be discovered. Read these tips for how to build your customer base!
]]>Perhaps you recently launched or are considering starting up a face painting business. Maybe you've even stocked up on the best supplies (ProAiir Makeup and StencilEyes, of course!), and have even tackled a few gigs.
Congratulations! Sounds like you're off to a great start. Getting up and running is a huge step and likely required a substantial financial investment. We encourage you to read on, follow these self promotion tips aimed at ensuring your discoverability, and land more gigs in no time!
Effective, memorable business cards should contain the following elements:
These days, EVERY business is on social media in some way, shape or form. You don’t have to be on all platforms, but pick at least one to showcase your business. Instagram and Facebook are my personal favorites for marketing small businesses. Both allow you to create FREE business accounts, enabling you to keep your personal and business sides separate.
Instagram is strictly for video and photo content and is great for displaying your work. Post crisp, clean photos for a professional look.
People scroll quickly through social media so you need to capture their attention with beautiful photos, funny videos, discounts, testimonials, catchy verbiage, etc. Express yourself briefly and to the point.
Facebook business pages allow you to “check in” to locations such as events you're attending. It welcomes people to share posts, “like” your page, and leave ratings and reviews. Unlike Instagram, Facebook is for posting visual AND textual content. Posts containing photos or videos almost always garner more attention than words alone. Consider having an exclusive hashtag for tagging photos and post it in your booth for customers to use when they post their photos.
Click Here for a free face paint removal printable document. Every customer that leaves your tent is like a walking billboard! Because ProAiir is certified “skin safe”, you and your customers can relax and enjoy the experience.
Check out Esigns for design and creation of beautiful, vibrant, high quality banners.
If you are considering a career as an airbrush artist, or maybe just looking for a creative side hustle, ShowOffs is here to help you along the way!
]]>As a new artist, it is important to determine what your main focus is going to be. Getting started is an investment of money and your time spent learning this new skill. Here at ShowOffs, we want to set you up for maximum success! There are many creative ways to use stencils to enhance your art, here are a few popular options that we offer:
As you grow comfortable with your airbrush skills, you can branch out and expand your offerings! A lot of people start with something simple like airbrush tattoos, then expand into the airbrush face painting world! The more services you have to offer your customers, the more you can expand your customer market and events. Let’s go over the different types of stencils, and then we can move onto which makeup and equipment is going to be the best choice for you.
Our “Profile” stencils are half-face designs that are a wonderful tool to start with if your focus is being a face painting artist. Each Profile design comes in one simple to use piece, and can be airbrushed in under two minutes! Our selection of Profiles comes in many designs that will appeal to both boys and girls (many being unisex), so there is sure to be a Profile for everyone’s style. A Profile is a single stencil, so there will be no struggle trying to align multiple pieces. These are a great way to add a splash of color to the face, without fully transforming an individual. From toddlers, to grandparents, and anyone in between, Profiles are for everyone!
Stencil in photo: Mozart
Shop our Profiles collection HERE
StencilEyes are our most popular line of face painting stencils, and they are loved by artists all around the world. StencilEyes designs are broken up into 2-4 easy to use left, right, and detail pieces. Once you get a little practice under your belt, these designs can be created in just a few minutes. Most StencilEyes come in your choice of child (7 years and younger), adult (8 years old and up) or one size fits most. From Birthday parties to festivals, StencilEyes are always in demand!
Stencil in photo: Voodoo.
Shop our StencilEyes collection HERE
Check out our StencilEyesFacebook page HERE
Our beautiful collection of Henna stencils are designed by Kim Brennan, who is an international henna artist. These designs are typically applied on hands, arms, and shoulders. Henna stencils are relatively simple to use, but may be challenging when it comes to tattooing on the hands. Simply coax your friends to be your practice models! You can also try using repositioning tac spray to help hold down the stencil edges. Not only are the Henna designs authentic looking, but ProAiir even has the perfect matching color called “henna”, which is identical to the color of real henna paste.
Pros of using Henna Stencils and Henna Ink:
Shop our Henna stencil collection HERE
Get inspiration from all of our henna stencil users in our Facebook group!
Click HERE to join.
Tattoo Pro Stencils are made by the incredibly talented Wiser Oner, and they are used for creating extremely realistic looking airbrush tattoos. We carry TONS of these Tattoo Pro stencils, and they are all interchangeable. Tattoo Pro stencils are fun because you get to rock a beautiful piece of body art, without the commitment or pain (and in MUCH less time). Our artists who specialize in using the Tattoo Pro stencils will often tell us hilarious stories about their teenage customers pranking their parents because of just how real their tattoos look! With a bit of practice, these stencils will be easily mastered in no time. ShowOffs even made a complimentary makeup color called “Tattoo Pro Black” which resembles a real tattoo! Tattoo Pro stencils will really take your body painting to the next level!
Be sure to check out Wiser’s YouTube channel for awesome tutorials!
Find tutorials HERE
Shop our Tattoo Pro stencil collection HERE
These small stencils are used to embellish and add textures to body and face paintings. Our QuickEZ stencils are certainly something you want to have on hand as an artist to give all of your designs that extra POP! And the best part? They are super affordable!
Shop our QuickEZ collection HERE
Now that we have broken down our line of stencils, lets dive into which makeup is best for you! Our color selection is HUGE with colors including fluorescent, skin tones, pastels, zombies, etc. When using our makeup and stencils your creativity can flow forever with limitless ideas!
If you think you want to focus on airbrushing faces, we always recommend ProAiir Hybrid. Our Hybrid makeup is water resistant, sweat proof, and gently removes off the skin with soap. These bottles have blue labels and white caps. Explore Hybrid colors HERE
If you’re planning to focus more on airbrushed tattoos, then our ProAiir Inks are for you! Our Ink makeup is designed for artists who want to provide longer lasting designs. Ink can last anywhere between 3-7 days (depending on skin type and conditions), but can be removed with rubbing alcohol or baby oil. These bottles have green labels and black caps. Explore our Ink colors HERE
ProAiir is manufactured in the United States and passes all safety standards set forth by a third-party, US-based laboratory as "skin safe". ProAiir uses only FDA compliant cosmetics and pigments. At ShowOffs we love animals, so we never test on them!
Choosing an airbrush setup can feel a little overwhelming, but understanding the basics will help you choose appropriate equipment.
We carry Iwata compressors, which are best for long, nonstop working jobs. Iwata compressors are very high powered and can support multiple airbrushes running at once, depending on the model. If you plan to work busy festivals and events, an Iwata compressor is going to be your best friend. Find the Iwata Smart Jet compressors HERE
Our ProAiir “lunch box” compressor is much smaller and more light weight than Iwata compressors. These super portable compressors are very affordable and are great for small jobs with a single user. Find the lunch box compressor HERE
For airbrushes, we carry two types, and two brands. If you are convinced that airbrushing is your new career, you may want to invest in the high quality Iwata equipment. If you want to test the waters and are on a budget, the ProAiir airbrushes may be the choice for you. With that being said, our ProAiir airbrushes are still great quality and will help you produce amazing body art! Gravity feed airbrushes have a “cup” on the top to pour your makeup into. Gravity feeds are great for mixing colors within its cup, and for easily switching colors while using one airbrush.
Siphon feed airbrushes are meant to be used with our adaptor snorkel caps, attached to a 1oz or 2oz bottle of makeup. The makeup is siphoned into the airbrush via the straw that is in the bottle of makeup. Siphon feed airbrushes are best for working with single colors, but most artists will have multiple siphon feed airbrushes set up with different colors attached, so that they have easy access to all of their colors. Shop these links for all of your airbrush needs: ProAiir, Iwata, Accessories
There are several other accessories you will need to get started, so don’t be shy about giving us a call when you are ready to purchase your airbrushing equipment! Our team is always happy to help our customers find the best options that are tailored to fit your needs. Be sure to join our ProAiir facebook groups, and to check out our youtube channel for tons of educational content and support from fellow artists. Our airbrushing community is ready to welcome you, and we wish you great success!
]]>
New Orleans, LA. www.craigtracy.com
]]>Born and Raised in New Orleans Louisiana, Craig Tracy has always been an artist. Craig credits New Orleans with its authentic and vibrant culture as a significant factor in what is at the heart of his passion, creativity and bliss. His family's photo album is filled with images that captured moments of the family members ritually painting each others faces for Mardi Gras, what is perhaps the largest costumed celebration or carnival in the world where individuality and self adornment are considered standard practice. "There was never any question regarding my being or becoming a professional artist. It was always just obvious and understood." As a child, Craig's loving parents nurtured his creative development. They also gave him the gift of freedom to mature as an absolute individual. His parents were living in a special time, in a place filled with radical changes. Categorized best as working class hippies, their nonconformist principles were instilled firmly in the young artist. It's safe to say that "Flower Power" and "Power To The People" are vastly responsible for his unique perspective on art and life. Coincidentally, it was that same hippie movement that reignited the soon-to-be interest in and practice of Body painting in the western world. Craig's early years were filled with drawings and paintings of idealized love and beauty. He continued to expand his artistic horizons well into his teen years and at fifteen he received his first airbrush as a gift from his parents. Airbrushing would become the technique that would dominate his next twenty years of painting. One year later at sixteen, in his third year in high school, Craig was working nights and weekends as an airbrush artist in a local shopping mall. There he primarily painted custom t-shirts and other personalized gift items. It was an important time for the young artist as he quickly learned how to paint almost any image on a vast multitude of surfaces. "Anything, on anything, was what those days were like. I'd often paint fifty to eighty hours a week and in doing so, I learned some very important and useful skills,” states the artist. A graduate with honors from The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, Craig was a professional Freelance Illustrator by the age of twenty. This period of work dealt primarily with Airbrush Illustration for advertising agencies and editorial publishing houses. "I actually hated being an Illustrator. I was so disappointed by just how mind-numbingly boring and lonely it all was. The isolation created a cabin fever vibe and the fact that I was painting mostly commercial and industrial images seemed empty to me. I had no real interest or connection to the work and it seemed to suck the passion and energy right out of me." Six years later he retired from Illustration altogether to venture back into painting murals, t-shirt designs and just about anything and everything possible. It was this regained freedom to paint for both himself and other individuals on a limitless variety of surfaces again that lead him to his inclusion of faces and then full bodies. "It really clicked, from the very first time that I painted a face, it was strangely powerful. I later realized that I had quite literally fallen in love with Body painting. It did however take me years to properly process and respect such an uncharted and ancient art form. It was similar to how people don't take things seriously because they have no example to follow. Rock and Roll or Rap for example; It was hard to take these two seriously at first, but we see how that all turned out. I personally didn't take Body painting seriously for five or six years. The day that I finally asked myself ‘why?’, why I liked painting on people so much, that led me to... well,,, What if I take this passionate interest seriously? That one question and a quick Google search changed the course of my life." - Craig Tracy Craig was at this point feverishly enthralled with the idea of becoming a fine art Body painter. He researched by searching, or rather surfing the web with a renewed passion that surprised even him! He also started collecting Body painted images from other artists that he respected and admired. "I wanted this work to surround me in my daily life. I found tremendous inspiration from having these images hanging in my home, beautifully framed and displayed in the majority of my living space. If I were to expect that others would purchase my images then I should have the respect to collect this beautiful work as well." His personal collection of Body painting works from other artists continues to grow and delight all of his waking hours. His collecting of images was soon followed by his first serious creation of images. These painting, his first series of body paintings, "The Nature Series" a collection of fifteen unique images were very well received. Certain images from his nature series have become iconic, as they are visually, emotionally and creatively relevant. The artists’ belief in the concept that not everything has been done and that we the living have room to grow and explore are fundamental principals that are clear and present in these first works. Shortly thereafter he ventured to Europe to meet and share with fellow Body painting Artists. The World Body Painting Festival, held annually in southern Austria with over one hundred and eighty artists from forty different nations, brought them all together. With 2005 Craig's participation in the festival and painting alongside his very good friend and Artist, Jeral Tidwell as a creative Body painting team, they were awarded a first place honor. Craig has since been a judge at the festival several times and he credits the WBPF as being one of his life's greatest passions. He attends the event every year. Considered a cornerstone in Body paintings progressive movement, today Craig Tracy Body paints exclusively as well he owns and operates the very first art gallery in the world dedicated to fine art Body painted images. The gallery allows even the most seasoned art collectors and novices alike to see and experience first hand what Body painting is ultimately capable of expressing. With a passionate and pioneering spirit Craig personally meets and educates hundreds of people each week in the gallery. The Craig Tracy Gallery is filled with spectacular photographic, paper and canvas prints as well there are numerous videos of the process and books that focus on this art form. Please feel free to visit the gallery if you are ever in or near New Orleans. You will not regret the experience. |
Josh Counsel is a make up artist and bodypainter with over 30 years experience. Originally from Melbourne Australia, he moved to the USA in 2001. After living in Orlando for 10 years, he moved to Salt Lake City, Utah.
Josh does all genres of make up from fashion and beauty, to bodypaint, to advanced prosthetics. Lately, he specializes mostly in bodypaint and prosthetics. He is the National Director of the American Bodypaint League, a group of artists, models and photographers who meet up once per month to create bodyart and create some excellent images. Anyone wishing to join can visit saltlake.americanbodypaintleague.com. It's free to join, but events are 18+.
Josh owns Toxic Image Studios (www.toxicimage.com) in the SLC area and is looking to put together a catalogue of models who are interested in modeling during bodypaint courses, which would of course be paid. Anyone interested can contact Josh directly.
For Josh, bodyart is totally separate from erotica. He views the body canvas as an extension of the face and a means to create more vivid and fantastic pieces. He's worked with many different people from A-list celebrities to novice beginners and High School Students (although obviously NOT with bodypaint for them) and he enjoys meeting new challenges and making new friends.
]]>Take a look into how artist Jonathen Kinney took his body painting to a new level by using stencils!
]]>
Trying to decide if you want to face paint by hand or airbrush? We interviewed two artists who do both! Find out the benefits of both options.
]]>For speed and results, I use only airbrush face paint and stencils when working festivals. It never fails, across from me will be a hand painter and I'm painting 2-3 people to every one of her's. Customers constantly jump from her line to mine and that means more income for me. As a bonus, because I'm using ProAiir my results don't smear off in the heat! Parents love that because their money isn't fading away throughout the day! Because of the speed with which I can crank out faces, I was hired to paint at the professional Spring Training Red Sox games. Although there are times when I may enjoy creative hand painting more, speed better enables me to pay the bills.
Kim Thomas, Fl and MI (Snow Bird)
As a creative artist I sometimes want to fill my ego by hand painting and yet the wife tells me I have to make money too! With the discovery of StencilEyes I came up with a great plan; hanging at our festival tent is a sign that reads "Quick and Go or Stay for the Pro". Parents can decide to have their kids painted with StencilEyes (I have my young apprentices working with them since it doesn't require much training) for the quick and go option. They get a grand look that way or they can spend a little more money and get one of MY more custom, hand painted designs. Granted the airbrush face paint will last all day while mine will not - but the kids look cool and I win both ways.
Sean Avram, VT (HyperFocus Art)