Facepaint UK Wiki

Our customers love us!

We thought it would be nice to share what they've said - so here is some 100% genuine feedback (newest at the bottom). If you want to send us some click here.

You can also leave us a Google review if you wish by clicking this link here.

We do get some negative feedback, let's be honest! However, this is usually restricted to problems with Royal Mail, and we once...

Aggie used to be our resident Agony Auntie. We’ve reproduced the questions and answers here as not much changes in the land of face painting! Everything she covered is just as pertinent now.

I have found lately that I am being asked to face paint at lots of fund raising and charity events, where do you draw the line and do you have any good tips on how to deal with this without losing out...

The movie sensation of the decade has given us yet another popular design for face and body painters. It was almost made for us! Except it’s harder than it looks because the face shape has changed so much, which we can’t easily achieve!

We have some tips and ideas to help you achieve the best results without feeling like you've opened Pandora's box!

We’ve found it easiest to start with the lighter blue base (Grimas 302 or Diamond FX Light...

We have been concerned for a long time about problems with baby wipes that a lot of people use to remove face paint. These should not be used on the face, they sometimes contain alcohol and can sting or bring on a rash.

Some contain oils which will interfere with your paint application. Some smell like rotten eggs when exposed to air (we’ve noticed this primarily with Johnson’s). Often people think they or their child are allergic to the paint...

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR BRUSH

Every painter feels like a kid in a sweetie shop when they see an array of brushes to choose from, but they can be expensive and it can be difficult to know which flavours you will like!

If you look after them well, your brushes should last for years and become your best friends.

Brushes come in 3 shapes at the base: flat, round and oval. This is the shape of the top end...

It is very important that you always have a contract before you set out on a job. The contract should set out your agreed fee, where you will be working, and contact phone numbers at the very least. Being clear about arrangements helps both you and your client.

If you are working through an agent they should confirm the job by sending you a contract but if you have been approached directly you may need

to draw up a...

For those concerned about the safety of these products due to the labelling, we have the following statement from Diamond FX:

UV regular Colours or Neon-UV colours are available in limited range of colours which are :

With these "Day Glow" Colours, the dye is embedded in a resin and has no direct contact with the skin.

Regular Neon colours have never been officially approved for cosmetic purposes...

This document is available in laminated form from our shop. We have reproduced the text here in case you would like to make your own.

Notice for Parents, Guardians and Carers

Children must have permission to be painted and be accompanied by an adult. - For the safety of our customers we regret we will not paint anyone who, in the opinion of the face painter working here, appears to be suffering from a cold...

We have revised our previous article which was called “To CRB or not the CRB” in the light of changes to legislation.

DBS stands for Disclosure and Barring Service, and is roughly the equivalent of what used to be called a CRB check. This was always a contentious subject, with many agents and corporate employers demanding that face painters have one before they would give them work.

DBS was created by combining and replacing the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB)...

DVDs can be a fantastic way to learn the techniques and designs of respected professionals in the comfort of your own home. Here are the details of some of our favourites from Mark Reid and Raphaelle Fieldhouse:

On Your Mark, Get Set ...PAINT by Mark Reid 2 Disc DVD

Since 1994 his work has won him numerous accolades and awards. His energetic style of painting and blazing speed, captivates his audience and is truly a perfomance...

We are pleased to stock these little book of designs by Suzanne, an inspirational artist if ever we saw one. There are sweet stories about each fairy illustrated, and althought the book is small, the pictures are clear and the designs simple enough not to need any further explanation, which is good because there is none! A book for every facepainter's kit we think, and compact enough to take with you!

Suzanne Mykolajenko grew up on...

If you're not sure what you need to set up we have collated detailed information on the facepainting kits available at Facepaint UK. All are based on the Grimas stacking system that keeps your set up neat and tidy, and can be built upon if you find you fall in love with facepainting, as so many do. We are called, variously, facepainting addicts, tackle tarts and worse. Don't worry about that, just enjoy!

We have recently reorganised our kits, and...

We are constantly on the lookout for unique and helpful products. Here's a section about them, with extra details.

GET ORGANISED!

We have found some swish deep black cases, one is A4 and suitable for all paints, one small A5 size which is great to house your split cakes. Both come with 12 little velcro dots to secure your paints in place. We are full of bright ideas!

SPONGES

Sponges are almost as important as your precious brushes...

After the umpteenth request for information on what to use to paint a body gold (or silver), and how to apply it, we've decided it's time to give definitive set of instructions! It's obviously a very popular effect, and we agree it can look fantastic, if done properly. I do recall seeing a dreadful version on TV once which is a shame as it's actually quite easy to do well, even for a novice.

2 lovely girls by...

Grimas Make up in the little grey pots that stack so neatly has

probably been one of the most popular brands of water based make up amongst professional face painters, yet it has remained amazingly uncommercial

and even difficult to find in the UK. We were privileged to be the guests of the small Dutch company that owns Grimas and we spent a delightful couple

of days exploring the product and being shown around.

...

If you are looking to hire a professional face painter, it can be confusing and difficult to select who would be best for your special event. Here are a few guidelines to help you decide on who to choose:Look at the photos of their work; this will give you an idea of their style and skill.

If you have just started looking for work as a face painter you need to be prepared to do some voluntary work to start with. This will help you to speed up, get yourself known and give you practice with all the popular designs. If there are other face painters in the same area talk to them and become friends, don't try to undercut them as you will end up working for peanuts and they will hate you...

It is pretty essential that face painters are covered by Public Liability Insurance if they are working professionally, but not a legal requirement.

Even a friend may feel like suing you if you spill black paint over their white shag pile. Insurance is not there to compensate people who develop an allergy, it is to compensate for accidents and accidents can happen.

Insurers will expect you to use professional products that are designed for application to the skin, in the...

You may not be familiar with what's needed for a commercial invoice. Here is a useful explanation, and a sample invoice.

All invoices need to specify the following:

The title INVOICE

The company or person being invoiced, and their address

Your name (or trading name)

Your address

A number. These are supposed to be sequential to your invoicing system, so your first ever invoice will be no.1 and your 10th, no.10. However, there is nothing to stop you from starting...

Start with a white base. You can use ordinary white face paint, but Grimas Cake White will give...