Before and After, improvement pics

[MandiIlene]

Sherry suggested we have a before and after thread.

I can't believe anyone paid me for my work in the beginning!! I was using some gooey pot paints from a teaching store for fundraisers my first two festivals painting for the salon I worked at. But I was so proud of myself then I made this collage and showed all my friends!



see how things change after 3 years and proper paints!


~*~Mandi~*~

[Sherry]

I think your first photos look pretty good. 

Here's a first tiger I tried on my son.  I remember I was so excited and proud of myself too.  We ran in to show my husband and he just said, "wow!"  As in, wow that's really great.   



Here's a more recent of my tigers:




Here's some more before and afters:

[Alison]

You're both excellent.  It's the confidence that shows through - even in the
early pictures - something about the confidence of application.....

I don't have a picture of my very early stuff here just now,
but I do have a funny story to tell - I think there will be people here
who can related to it.

Just beginning.  One of my first times approaching

Face

 I thought I'd just try to cover my friend's face all blue.
Like 'the blue man group'.  I worked and worked.  He was very patient -
took so long - and I finally had his face all blue.  I thought he would
enjoy it for the rest of the day - I mean, I had worked so hard.
But he said it was very good, but he didn't want to be blue.
And he hoped I wouldn't mind if he went in and washed it off.

I could just imagine what it was like for him in the men's room of a McDonalds.
Wahing off a real lot of BLEUE.  I told him 'I didn't mind', but honestly, I was
a litl insulted - I had thought that he was enjoy the outrageous experience
of seeing himself all painted.  I mean, I think I sat in front of him
painting and painting and painting for over an hour (or three?  could that
have been?)  just to make his face blue.

[Sherry]

I can relate... you work so hard on something and then they wash it off!     I get frustrated when kids have you paint something, wash it off and want you to paint something new.  "Hey, I worked so hard on your beautiful face painting!" 

[Alison]

Take Photos!

Life is temporary, anyway.

[purple_dragon]

Both your before photos are awesome! Thats how I paint now!!

I keep looking at all the photos of peoples designs and wonder how they do it so well and vibrantly. I dont know what im doing wrong. I think maybe I need to buy new paints or better brushes. Any tips on how to improve brush strokes or make the faces stand out more?

[Party Picassos Facepainting]

Practice, practice, practice and go searching the net for new designs to learn and try. Some many members have videos to watch. It's a big help.

[Sherry]

I agree with Sophies, it comes with practise.  I also think better brushes helped me as well, but the main thing has been time and practise.  Keep painting, keep getting gigs and you will see the improvement.  I've seen much of my improvement come from large events.

 When you're swamped with lines and you get the same faces repeatedly.  You can see what you need to work on or you may have a face that you're not happy with and then voila, the very next person may want the same face, so you instantly have the opportunity to watch what you're doing and improve on it.

[purple_dragon]

Thanks guys thats what I have figured! I do feel like Ive been picking up new looks and improving my faces each gig.
But I also think its a new excuse to go out and but new supplies!!