creativity – Wonderworks

In my years working as a face painter, I’ve noticed that some of the same questions come up over and over. Kids are known for being inquisitive, but even among adults I have recognized a pattern of questions that come in. So I’m addressing some of them here, in case you have a curious mind too!

How long have you been doing this?
I bought an inexpensive face paint palette and began practicing on myself in the middle of 2018. By the end of the year, I came up with a name for my business and opened social media accounts. I offered my services on a volunteer basis until I was sure it was something I could be good enough to charge for. At first, only friends and acquaintances were booking me. I was so excited when strangers began finding me! I was also getting jobs through the amazing connection I made with Miss Rainbow at Rainbowland Arts, and through local entertainment companies like BAM Entertainment. My business has been growing steadily ever since, which leads me to my next question…

Is this your full time job?
Yes! Well, sort of. My kids are my full time job, and my schedule as a children’s entertainer works beautifully with my family life- especially since I’ve got a great support system. Some seasons are busier than others, but fortunately I stay booked up enough throughout the year to call this my job!

How did you learn to face paint?
During my first few years in this profession, most of my learning took place on YouTube and TikTok. I watched countless face painting videos and practiced on my arm and my own face. Since repetition is the key to getting better at anything, I noticed improvement as I worked my way through *lots* of birthday parties and public events.

Once I established my business, Miss Rainbow started telling me about the children’s entertainment conventions she’d been attending. I decided to join her for the Midwest Artist Xtravaganza (MAX) in 2023. Learning from the industry’s most respected artists in person leveled up my work and was a huge source of inspiration. I even had the incredible experience of having MY face painted by some of my favorite artists! So I’ve assigned myself a continuing education requirement of attending this convention every year since then. 🤩 Bringing these skills back home to my community is something I take great pride in!

Are you an artist?
I’ve always been intimidated by the fine arts. I love a good gallery visit and I do appreciate art, but when it comes to making it, I prefer a laid-back, low pressure approach. Face painting gives me creative freedom, because it’s just for fun and is meant to be washed off at the end of the day anyway. I’ve always identified as more of a crafty girl. Maybe it’s imposter syndrome, but I still have a hard time calling myself an artist even though I literally do art for a living!

I thrive on the interactions I have with people. Painting them to match their imaginations, then showing them in the mirror, is where the magic is for me. So my work might never show in a gallery, but I believe the memories made in those moments are priceless in their own way.

What’s your favorite thing to paint?
My favorite designs are the ones that turn out to be EXACTLY what the person in my chair wanted! Many face painters live for the “mirror moment,” when our subjects light up at the sight of themselves. It is so rewarding! So if the kid loves snakes, my favorite thing to paint is a snake. If they have the heart of a unicorn, nothing would satisfy me more than to make that happen. If it comes down to purely my own preferences, I enjoy painting dragons, butterflies, flowers, and spiders.

What designs do you paint the most?
My top-requested face paint designs are tigers, butterflies, Spiderman, unicorns, and dragons. If I had to narrow it down to just one, the tiger is probably the most popular choice. I sometimes tell kids that you haven’t really made it as a face painter until you can paint a good tiger. 🐯

Why don’t you paint the faces of children under three years old?
The reason many artists won’t paint the faces of younger kids is because our insurance requires us to use products as labeled, and they’re all labeled for use on children three and up. Although I’ve never had any skin reactions reported or problems that I know of, using my materials in a way that would be covered by my insurance policy provides added peace of mind for myself and the families of the kids I paint. When younger children wish to participate, I’m happy to offer an alternative, such as a small design on their arm using the same safe, professional-grade paints.

What did you do before this?
In the years leading up to my job as a children’s entertainer, I had a fulfilling career at the Tulsa City-County Library. Some of my responsibilities included leading weekly storytimes for babies and toddlers, planning events for various age groups, and training teen volunteers. I even had my first face painting experience during a summer reading kickoff party in 2014! To find out more about how I transitioned from a library girl to a ukulele-playing face painter, check out this post.

My first time face painting at the Schusterman-Benson Library in 2014.

I’m so content with where I am right now, and thankful for all the birthday mamas, church workers, PTO volunteers, school staff, local organizations, and entertainment agencies that have supported my business over the years. ♥️ Let me know if you have any other questions!

Raise your hand if you sometimes let a distaste for messes get in the way of trying out fun activities… ✋✋✋ I place a very high value on creativity, so I always pictured myself as the kind of mom who would provide ample opportunities for artistic ideas to unfold. But in reality, I find that cleaning up little messes all day makes me feel less-than-excited about doing things that would create even bigger messes.

However, my artistic ways are winning over and I’m slowly letting go of the expectation that things should always be tidy and perfect. Now that my son is 2.5 years old and mostly through the eating-crayons phase, I figured we should start making art a part of our routine. I found something that worked perfectly for us, with easy clean-up and colorful results, so I thought I’d share.

The Perfect Low-Mess Painting Project for Little Artists

painting1

Materials:

Paper- Any kind, really, but we used marker and watercolor paper.
Washable Paint- I used Watercolor Magic, but any washable liquid paint would work.
Paintbrushes
Table covering- Protect your work surface using newspaper, an old tablecloth, cardboard, or a cut-up paper bag.
Tape (optional)
Stickers (optional)
Smock or play clothes

Early childhood art supplies

Instructions:

Prepare your work surface. Protect your table by laying down newspaper or whatever you have on hand. I used a paper grocery bag taped to the table, then taped the marker paper on top of that, which kept everything in place even if the art session got really active (which, of course, it did).
If you like, you can put some stickers on the paper before painting to make your picture a little more fancy or create a scene.
Give your child a paintbrush and explain how to use it to spread paint onto the paper. Drop some of the liquid paint onto the paper and let your child brush it around. Dropping the paint directly onto the paper kept things fairly neat, for us.
Once you’ve painted with one color, allow your child to choose a different color. We kept going this way until my son declared his work of art complete.
Cleanup is super easy for this project- just rinse the paint brushes and put away your supplies.

Low-Mess Painting Demonstration — Here’s a little video of this project in action!

Allow the paint to dry, then proudly display your new artwork! These are great to give away to family because they are bright, cheerful, and quick to make. My little artist usually cranks out 3-5 paintings each time we do this.

paintings

Other Tips for Making Art with Littles:

Rather than telling young kids what NOT to do, remind them of what they SHOULD be doing. A young child’s brain has not yet developed the ability to control impulses, so focus on the desired behavior and don’t give them any bad ideas. Instead of “Don’t paint on the table,” you might say, “Make sure the paint stays on the paper,” for example.
If you have any white crayons laying around, you can add an extra step to this project by drawing some designs with white crayon before you begin painting. The crayon marks will resist the paint, leaving fun designs on your project. Older kids might even enjoy making secret messages!
When using watercolor cakes with young children, buy a cheap set (Crayola makes some that are inexpensive but surprisingly vibrant, and I’ve also seen watercolors at the dollar store). Then don’t worry about the colors getting mixed up, and let your young artist go wild.
If you can get your child to wear a smock- that’s awesome! My kid refuses. He will, however, let me slip an old T-shirt over his head with no problem. 😉

What kind of stress-free artsy things do you like to do with kids? I’d love to hear your ideas!

Tag: creativity

Frequently Asked Questions

Low-Mess Painting for Little Artists