Hi Artsy,
Welcome to the board! What brands are you currently using? The brand you choose can vary and is a matter of personal taste and opinion. I can give you my opinions on the different brands that I have used and what I've heard from other artists about the brands I haven't tried yet. Snazaroo has a reputation for safety and even carries a child toy safety rating. I've found it to be the easiest to wash off.
Diamond FX and Wolfe brands are both very similar. They are known for their vibrancy. Their white is the only one I've found that is easier to paint over darker colors and not get muddied in the process. The black makes smooth linework. These brands are also the worst for staining. I've found when they stain, you can wash with mild shampoo, rinse and repeat as necessary, which is fine with adults... maybe a bit trickier with kids. You know how they hate having their faces washed!
I've tried Kryolan and I love it. I think it's a very creamy, make upy face paint. It's perfumed, which some artists don't care for... I rather like the smell. I've heard that Paradise is similar... very creamy, with a coconut smell.
When I first started out at the beginning of 2008, I didn't charge a lot, because I wasn't as good and I was afraid to charge too much. By industry standards, I still don't charge a lot. At my first pay per face, I charged $2 for cheek art and $4 for full face. For pay per face, I now charge either a $5 flat rate for any design they choose, or I tier it at $5 for cheek art and $8 for full face. I've been contemplating changing that around. My first hourly events, I only charged $40. I only did that for two events and have slowly raised my rates and I now charge $70. I was told by a local clown, that I should charge at least $90 as a face painter.
I look foward to getting to know you on the board!
I would love to see some of your work.
Sherry
