How to Start Making Money as a Face Painter: A Beginners Guide

Face painting is a fantastic way to earn money while expressing creativity and bringing joy to people. Whether you want to do it as a side hustle or turn it into a full-time business, getting started the right way is essential. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to begin making money as a face painter, from getting supplies to finding work in your local area.

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1. Invest in Quality Supplies

When you’re just starting, it’s tempting to go for the cheapest paints and tools, but this is a mistake. Low-quality face paints can cause skin irritation, they don’t blend well, and often look patchy. Instead, invest in a few good essentials:

    •    Face Paints: Start with primary and some secondary colours (red, blue, yellow, green, purple, and orange). A black and white paint is also necessary for line work and highlights. Brands like Fusion, Global, Diamond FX, and TAG are great professional options. I get mine from Magic box facepaints - they're a good trusty supplier in the UK.

    •    Brushes: A round brush (size 3 or 4) for details, a larger round brush (size 6 or 8) for filling in areas, and a flat or filbert brush for blending.

    •    Water Pots & Sponges: Essential for cleaning your brushes and blending colors smoothly.

    •    Split Cakes (not essential): A single split cake can create beautiful gradients and rainbow effects, making your designs look professional without extra effort.

    •    Glitter: White or silver glitter is a great addition that makes designs pop! Always use cosmetic-grade glitter, as craft glitter can be dangerous for the skin and eyes.

These basics will allow you to create stunning designs while keeping your kit affordable and manageable.

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2. Research Your Local Market

Before you start taking bookings, you need to know what other face painters charge in your area. You don’t want to undercharge and devalue your work or overcharge and lose potential clients.

How to Research:

    •    Join local Facebook groups (such as Newbie face painters help group, Face It Face Painting Training Academy, Super Fast Face Painting (1 minute of less), I need a Face Painter UK) where other face painters post tips, tricks and tutorials to help you learn. There are also a lot of event pages for different regions to help find gigs and find out about events and whats on in your local community.

    •    Check competitor websites and social media pages to see what they charge for face painting at parties, fairs, and public events.

    •    Ask in online communities for advice on pricing in your region.

By doing this research, you’ll get a clear idea of the standard rates in your area and can set your prices accordingly as well as learn how to perfect your craft.

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3. Practice, Practice, Practice!

Even if you’re naturally artistic, face painting is a skill that requires practice (as someone with a degree in fine art, i can vouch for this, face painting is an art in itself and doesnt come naturally even with years of painting expereince behind you). If you don’t have a willing model, there are a few ways you can practice:

    •    Practice heads: These are a great option but can stain easily, so clean them immediately after painting or research safe cleaning chemicals you can use on them.

    •    Practice boards: Reusable and great for trying out designs, you will find a lot of professional painters use these. They can be pricey.

    •    Cardboard: If you don’t have a practice board, cardboard works surprisingly well and super cheap! It absorbs paint, allowing you to practice brush strokes and blending techniques.

The more you practice, the faster and more confident you’ll become, which is key for working at busy events.

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4. Find Work in Your Community

Once you’ve built some confidence in your painting skills, it’s time to find work. learning on the job is the best way after all. Here’s where to start:

    •    Local Schools: Schools often host fairs, fundraisers, and end-of-term events where face painting is a hit. Reach out to PTAs or school offices, let them know who you are and what you offer.

    •    Village Halls: Many local events, birthday parties, and community gatherings happen in village halls. Check their event schedules and offer your services.

    •    Town Councils: Councils organise public festivals, market days, and seasonal events. Getting in with your local council can lead to recurring gigs.

Reaching out to these organisations can be daunting and cause you to feel embarrassed, especially when trying to put together a professional email, so stay tuned for an example email template to help you pitch your services professionally - I will be posting one in my next blog post.

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5. Networking & Promotion

Once you start booking jobs, or even before, you want people to remember you and recommend your services. One of the best ways to do this is by using business cards.

    •    Hand them out at every event you work.

    •    Leave a few with event organizers or party hosts so they can recommend you to others.

    •    Give them to parents after painting their children – they may want to hire you for their next party!

Social media is also a powerful tool for marketing yourself. Post your work, engage with local community pages, and encourage happy clients to leave reviews. sell your personality as well as just your skills - what makes you stand out?

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6. Know Your Worth & Never Undersell Yourself

It’s tempting to lower your prices when starting out, but this can backfire. If you charge too little, people may assume you’re not a professional, and other face painters in your area may see you as undervaluing the industry.

    •    If an event can’t afford your rate, offer fewer hours instead of lowering your price.

    •    Charge a fair rate that reflects your time, skill, and the cost of your supplies.

    •    Remember: You are not “just painting faces”—you’re providing an experience!

Face painting is a valuable skill, and people will pay for quality work.

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Final Thoughts

Starting a face painting business takes some initial investment and effort, but once you’ve got the right supplies, done your research, and started networking, you’ll be on your way to making money doing something creative and fun!

Stay tuned for my next post, where I’ll share an example email template you can send to schools, councils, and event organizers to help you land gigs.

Are you just starting out as a face painter? Let me know in the comments if you have any questions!