face painting training - Jolly Good Productions (Blog)

In the amazing world of the Internet there has never been more information available to learn just about anything you can possibly think of. If there isn’t an article on it then there is bound to be a You Tube video. There was a time when researching and finding out meant a trip down to the library where you could browse through book lists and then order in what you wanted hoping your questions would be answered. Sometimes you would need to wait for weeks before your book or books to arrive. Alternatively you could locate individuals and organisations by telephone or letter requesting help. Again all very time consuming. Thank fully those days are gone and now we have information at our finger tips 24/7. We can connect to the Internet with a computer or mobile phone and find a wealth of information in seconds.

The Internet is a brilliant resource. If you plan to become a face painter then certainly you are going to use the Internet. There are so many tutorials to view and download it’s mind blowing. It’s more a question of where to start. One of the problems with the Internet is that information can be posted by anyone and you have no way of knowing what their credentials are or how appropriate it is for your purposes. You end up just trawling around and gathering all sorts of information but you’re never sure if you have got the full picture.

Face painting is a skill. Anyone seriously interested in becoming a good face painter needs to learn a range of techniques which are best taught in a practical lesson. The acquisition of good basic skills is the foundation on which to build and develop. These practical skills can’t be learnt properly from a book or a video. They need to be explained and demonstrated face to face and then practiced under supervision.

The first step in setting up as a face painter must be to find a good teacher. Although there are lots of face painters who offer face painting courses its worth searching around to find someone who really knows what they are doing. Look for someone who :

Hazel Wood

has at least ten years experience as a full time professional face painter
has developed their own knowledge over many years by attending workshops and training run by acknowledged experts
is an experienced teacher and trainer with many satisfied past pupils
paints to a high standard
is friendly, approachable and willing to share their knowledge and experience freely
is well organised, offering a face painting course with a training programme which is thorough and covers all aspects of face painting ( beware of one day or half day courses, it’s simply not long enough )
is committed to bringing the best out in you and to giving you an extremely solid foundation of knowledge on which to build.
can show you a wide range of materials currently available. Many courses will just use one type of paint. You need to know about and be able to try all of the paint types available.
Is a member of a recognised organisation such as FACE ( The Face Painting Association )

Attending a good, well organised, comprehensive face painting training course is essential if you want to learn face painting properly. It is worth giving up the extra time and money to go on the best course you can find than by trying to take short cuts.

If you go on the right face painting course you can be confident that there are no gaps in your knowledge. You will also learn the practical skills you need without picking up any bad habits and you will learn lots of tips and tricks which your teacher has acquired the hard way. In addition you will also save yourself money by not going out and buying the wrong supplies. It’s easy to spend a fortune when you are starting out by buying all sorts of things you don’t need or because you didn’t know any better. A good course will help you to decide which materials to buy to suit you.

Once you have been on a proper beginner / foundation course then you should practice regularly to improve your skills and to build up you your speed.

Applying to join an organisation such as FACE ( The Face Painting Association ) is a good idea as you will need to pass an entrance test and have your work assessed to show that you can meet certain approved standards. This is a useful form of accreditation.

Develop your kills further by purchasing books on face painting, watching tutorials on You Tube and attending face painting conventions and jams.

Look on our main web site for more information about face painting courses.

Find more information, photos and video clips about face painting