Face painting proximity

[Sherry]

I was talking to a local artist who face paints seated, like I do.  To keep from bothering my back, I always have the client adjust their position.  I figure I'll be sitting there painting all day, so I don't want to be hunched forward and have my back ache later.  So I have them scooch to the edge of their seat and then lean forward and tilt their head up.  This seems to give me the most comfortable painting position.  That's in a perfect world where they're not wiggly and I don't have to chase them around or have them repeatedly get into position!   

He says that he has them lean forward and put their hands on his leg and this keeps them in a good position to paint.  For adults or older, taller teens, he has them sit sideways and turn their face toward him to paint.  He said that some people are shocked about the hands on the legs because people are conscious and sensitive to the thought of the child offenders.  I was interested that he uses this position because I collect old face painting books and in one of the older ones, they tell you to have the child place their hands on your legs.  I guess this steadies them.  He said he's been painting since then.  What are your thoughts?

[MsMollie]

I guess I better change up....I have them sitting in a swivel chair with a back so i can turn them any way I want them...my chair is a metal one with a padded seat....i have them scoot as far forward as they can so they knees are inside of mine. Sounds sort of weird...I haven't had to paint adults as much....mostly kids....and it's funnny that when you start to paint the little ones, they lean back, and back and back...so funny..sometimes, when i am doing their faces, i will put my hand behind their head so they can't lean back....they seem shocked when itouch their face with the paint, so i let them touch the sponge...so funny....
i can't imagine standing on my feet all day either....

by the way, what is the going rate their for a fee to be in a festival?...Big or small.....? In Houston, they charge the same for most large ones...about $400. per festival...i am sure that this doesn't apply to the smaller ones...but that seems a bit high to me...one manager told me that if a face painter couldn't make the fee,then he would split the sales with you....No Way Jose!...I would be doing good to even make the 400..00. I told him that was way too much to pay for a face painter i did't care how good they were...I probably should have kept my mouth shut.

[Sherry]

Yeah, I think 25% of your sales would be more reasonable, but I think it's nice that they were willing to try something different.  I know our city festivals are out of my league at around $700.  I have been hired to paint at some of their festivals, which I much prefer.  Most festivals I do are around $50 to $100.  I did one 3 day festival that I think was around $250.

The swivel chair sounds like it'd work good, but I haven't tried it.  I've had a few jump when I touch an unexpected side of their face when painting.     Now I tried to give them a heads up.  "o.k. now I'm going to paint the other eye..."

[Alison]

I hate that good people
who are really doing the job they're set up to do
are the ones that are limiting their actions because of worries about people thinking they're thinking of unacceptable sex.  I mean - how sexy would any touches be for us in five minutes in public while trying to remember how to paint 'a butterfly', a skull, a monster, whatever'?  It's ridiculous.

I think that people are involved with the relationship - they would sense whether we were getting off on it or whether we were just doing our jobs.  What about the swim instructor who holds people in his arms and has them butterfly their legs for the elementary backstroke?  (I saw that at the gym recently)

[GaFacepainter]

I have never thought about the kids putting their hands on my knees, seems like it would help with the moving. If I think about it, I usually end up with their knees inside of mine like MsMollie. Whatever works I guess. I usually end up standing a lot though, almost always when I have to start on the left side of their face.

[Sherry]

Good point Alison.  People can read into things at times.  I have a Goth Princess face and sometimes people think it's devilish, but it really isn't intended to be that.  It's just some black squigglies, black and pink shimmer and black lips, so I thought it'd be perfect to be called Goth Princess.

[Alison]

Your Goth Princess sounds cool, Sherry ~ 

And yes - people can see what is
and isn't
going on.
We don't usually run into people who are trying to make trouble for us - It's a good world.
So I don't worry about 'the dangers that might come my way'. 

I did think, though, about this thread at yesterday's event.  I noticed that I was usually gentle when I touched a client's head (we do have to touch them) - unless they needed to be held in a 'headlock' (lol).  It was normal.  And I even remembered about the advice to put the wiggly kid's hands on your knees - but I didn't do that - It was actually harder for me to try something different than to do what I already do.  Besides, I wasn't in normal chairs - I was sitting on those little lightweight folding stools - aghk. 

Pleasant day though.  But I did miss the gym.

[MandiIlene]

When I used to paint using two folding chairs, I would keep them pretty close and do the knee thing that the girls above were talking about. Now that I have a directors chair its sometimes easier and sometimes harder. If the kid is older than 2, they can usually just lean back on the canvas back and close their eyes, and I can just go to work around them by stepping left or right and they don't move much and its over quick. If the kid is short or does the "head down scared" thing, then it is hard and I may put my hand behind their neck to coax them to lean back a little.

The armrests are great for arm designs on kids and adults.

Mandi

[GaFacepainter]

I like the sound of the arm rests. I usually end up holding their arm.

[reginanewsum]

I love my tall captain's chair!  I have them hold their little hands onto the bar that goes down on the arm, this brings them closer and their heads points upward!  And if my back is taking a lickin!  I have two captains chair that are short, I set in one and they set in one!  The arms are great for doing arm designs, they just rest it on the length!