Face painting sounds like, and largely is, a fun career to pursue, However, before you really get into it, it’s perfectly normal to wonder how face painters make their money.
There are several ways face painters make their money, including:
Even with all of these options, though, there are more ways that face painters make money.
In this article, you’ll learn more about how face painters make their money and the best ways to maximize their profits. Read on to learn more about the business side of this fun and creative career path!
Making money as a face painter isn’t as easy as you would think! The field can be extremely competitive.
Face painters often make most of their money at big events like carnivals or parties. However, tips, word of mouth, and a cool or unique slogan can all bring in more money for a face painter.
Events are the most lucrative way for most smaller freelance face-painters to make money. For things like parties, they usually charge an hourly fee of anywhere from $50-$200. Most of the time, you won’t see them charging a per-customer fee. However, if it’s something like a carnival, they might make a smaller hourly wage as well as being able to charge a per-customer fee to ensure that they can cover the cost of their supplies and their time.
Big events can provide even greater opportunities for a face painter to make money, though, as they can provide exposure and bring in customers for other gigs as well as tips.
Face painters that sit in kiosks at malls or in booths on a board walk often rent that space themselves. These are high-traffic areas, so having the expense of renting a space is worth it. Typically, you’re more likely to see face painters in places like this on the weekends rather than during the week since that’s when it’ll be busiest.
If they’re renting a space, word of mouth isn’t as important as pure traffic is. They’re likely to get business regardless of whether or not the locals think they’re good just because they’re there. If you’re looking to become a face painter yourself, you should always aim to be able to do something like this, at least occasionally.
Another big way face painters make money is through doing smaller commissions. Not necessarily large-scale events. For example, if your kid was having a birthday party and wanted their face to be painted for their party so they felt special. Or if it were the holidays and you wanted to take a photo for your annual holiday card, you could commission a face painter.
Small commissions are also great for:
Perhaps the one of the most important ways face painters make money is through tips. Tipping a face painter is the best way to show them that you loved that they shared their work, their attitude, and their time with you. Many might not think you need to tip a face painter. However, especially if you’ve just found a smaller one randomly, it’s important that you do.
If you’re attending a party and there’s a face painter present, you don’t need to tip them like you would if you were paying for the service yourself. If you can, that’s awesome, but they won’t be offended if you don’t. But, if you’re one on one with a face painter, a tip would be nice!
Many face painters don’t have super steady work and are just picking up some gigs wherever they can. One way face painters gain notoriety and build a larger clientele is through word-of-mouth. Perhaps you saw a face painter at a party and loved their work. Telling your friend who is looking for a face painter for their kid’s birthday party is a great way to help them get the gig.
Face painters obviously know that organic business like this is great for them as it provides loyal customers. As a result, they often do things to make themselves stand out more to spectators. This could be through wearing unique and quirky clothing, like a big hat or a bow tie, or by speaking with a fun accent.
Some may even take it a step further and offer their clients something after they finish painting them, like a lollipop, a glow stick, or a stamp.
Creating a brand is essential for a face painting artist who is seeking to grow their business organically. Make yourself memorable, have a “trademark” thing that makes you stand out, and base everything off of that. For example, you can always wear a big hat and have said hat be part of your logo.
Invest in business cards. Hand them out to your customers with aftercare instructions. If nothing else, they’ll think you have your life together and recommend you to their friends! If you want to take it a step further, a face painter could even invest in cute little branded items, like lollipops or moist towelettes to remove the paint.
You, as a customer, can definitely help a face painter make money. Doing this is not only kind, but it can help them stay in business; without a big enough income, they won’t be able to continue face painting. If you’d like to help, you can:
Face painters can make money in a lot of different ways, from doing big parties to building up a loyal, local customer base to renting a space in a high-traffic area. If you get a face painting and love what you see, leaving a tip and posting about your experience on social media can really help!