The keys to hiring the right person for your event comes down to having all the information needed to make your decision. Do not be shy to ask questions. Here are some you may ask when looking for a face painter:
How many kids can you paint per hour?
First tell them the type of event you have, if a festival or birthday party, as most face painters adjust their designs to the event type.
Be aware that not every child in attendance will want their face painted, some are too young or grown up for it.
Can you paint custom designs?
If you have a birthday party with a custom theme, you may need someone who can customize their designs to your theme. This works best if you tell them the theme ahead of time or when doing the booking.
Most face painters do not take custom requests at parties. I will tell you why: some requests are detailed and require more time than allowed at a party setting. You may find an image online that took 45 minutes to paint, and here you have a face painter who has a line of kids and only has 5 minutes at the most for each child, so it is not realistic to expect them to accept the painting request.
Secondly, most face painters are familiar with the designs on their board, and to master a new one would require practice ahead. Personally, my answer to a custom request while at a party is: “It depends” and it does! It depends on the picture itself, on whether there is a line of kids waiting, and how simple or complicated the request is. (is it a pencil drawing portrait, a sports team logo, or a detailed cartoon?) In the right circumstances, I have painted custom, random requests like these:
In short, some face painters feel comfortable doing custom requests but most do not, for the reasons explained above.
What brand of paints do you use?
A professional face painter will have no qualms to answer this, we actually feel proud of the paints we use. I probably spend more in one color of paint, than the cost of an entire kit from a craft store. If you hear brands like Fusion, diamond Fx, Global, Tag, Fab. You are ok, but research the brands they tell you to make sure. If you can find the brand they told you in a website that sells only face painting supplies (Jest Paint, clownantics, Silly Farm.,.) you are good.
However, if you hear something like: “non toxic paints”, that usually means they are using craft paints meant for wood or craft projects, some people think that because they say “non toxic” on the label, that it means they are skin safe, they are not! Professional face paints must be labeled as cosmetic grade, to be safely used on the skin.
Do you bring your own table or do I need to provide one?
Depending on how many tables you have or plan to rent, it is a good idea to know whether your face painter will need one or not. I personally prefer to bring my own.
Can I see pictures of your work?
Most professional face painters will have a portfolio of their work, so they should not have a problem providing you one. Beginner face painters may not have one yet though.
Are they reliable?
Lastly, a word of advice: if you get several quotes, and one of them is significantly lower than the rest, you may be seeing a beginner face painter, or scammer. Nothing wrong with going with a beginner route if that is the only thing your budget allows. Just be warned that amateurs can be flaky, since this is not their regular income. Several times I have gotten last minute phone calls (on the event day) from people who had asked for a quote before, chose someone else, and that person cancelled or did not show up for the event. Most of the time I cannot go as I am already booked by then.
Face Painting by Glenda in Houston, TX 