Face Painting by Claire

I'm Claire. I have been face painting for over 7 years. That special 'mirror moment' when a child sees their painted design for the first time is the best thing about my job! I also apply glitter and ink tattoos and have begun to offer basic balloon modelling.

I have painted at private parties, youth theatre, and for Council run events such as Food and Drink Festivals, International Women's Day events, and the Batley Carnival 4 Life / Batley Festival. I have also worked on behalf of several entertainment agencies for stores such as Asda and for corporate family fun days.

I am a member of the entertainer's trade union 'Equity' and hold Public Liability Insured to £10m. I work to strict health and safety standards - using regularly-cleaned brushes, fresh sponges for each child and changing water frequently. I use only water-based paints strictly designed for use on the skin, including Superstar, Cameleon, Wolfe, TAG and Diamond FX.

I provide a fun, friendly service, always striving to improve my skills and be polite at all times. I aim to meet all client requirements, including painting to a theme when required. 

Face painting should be an enjoyable experience for everyone, I will talk to children and have a joke with them. If a child is a little hesitant at first I will show them my paints and paint a little on my own hand first to let them see that it's nothing to be scared of, I sometimes even let them have a quick go painting me so they can be set at ease.

A NOTE ON EXPERIENCE...

I am often asked if I can 'do it any cheaper' and my reply is usually 'no'. I am sure you can all understand that this is my business and I need to cover all my costs - this includes insurance, materials replacement, travel, training, tax and all the 'behind the scenes' aspects of arranging and preparing for your bookings - telephone calls, postage stamps, time spent emailing and researching new designs etc.

There is however one thing that I am coming across more and more frequently and that is people contacting me and questioning my rates because they can apparently get a lower quote from someone else (I have seen some advertising as low as £30 for 2 hours). I am now adding this here to highlight some of the reasons why pro painters charge what we do in a bid to help you understand what isn't always immediately obvious:

My rate reflects my years of experience and training (and is actually on the lower end of the scale for prices in this area, ensuring affordability AND quality for all). You pay for the speed, quality and experience. You also pay for the professional attitude, politeness, good time keeping, reliability, positive interaction with children etc.

Many beginner or hobby painters do not have the business skills and experience to cover all types of booking, nor do they hold insurance (which whilst not a legal requirement is, in the view of all pro painters, an absolute must have). I am not knocking beginners - we all had to start somewhere - but if you do choose to hire someone with less experience because your budget doesn't allow you to hire anyone else, please make sure you do your homework first and ask lots of questions... Do they have insurance? What sorts of hygiene practices do they follow? How many full faces can they paint, on average, per hour? (a good average is between 8 and 12) What would happen if they needed to cancel at short notice?

Professional painters are always improving: we regularly get together at networking events called "jams" where we share our techniques and learn from each other; we attend training classes (in person or online); we practice, practice and practice some more. We can handle queues with the inevitable bickering that ensues from having to wait (children get bored!), we can calm a nervous child, we operate good practice and choose not to paint babies, sleeping children, those with contagious illnesses... That is what you are paying for - a pleasant, enjoyable and safe experience for all involved.

So please, when contacting myself, or any other painter, do ask relevant questions, but don't insult us by asking us to work for less than half our usual rate. We understand not everyone has the funds available for what they wish to have done, and most of us are willing to negotiate slightly if we can in order to make everyone happy, but please ask politely and be honest - we respect honesty and good manners and will be more likely to want to help you. Thanks for reading...