Just in time for 🎃 Halloween 🎃, our Artist Spotlight features Anna Wilinski, a face paint/body paint artist and co-owner of Jest Paint. Anna was kind enough to take time during the busiest part of her work season to talk to us about her career and experiences.
How long have you been painting?
I have been painting
faces since I was 10 years old. I started face painting as a part of a clown
troop that my mom and another mom started at my school. I paid for college by
painting at parties. I did my first full bodypainting when I was 26 for an
international competition in Florida.
What do you enjoy most about face painting?
I love the social aspect
of face and body painting. I can be creative and I get to make human
connections at the same time. It has given me an opportunity to spread
happiness to children and adults though beautiful and wild transformations.
What are some of the challenges of face painting and body
painting?
Face painting can be
challenging when you have to try something new right on the spot. I don’t stick
to a design board, so a lot of times kids will ask for things that I never
heard of or painted before, and I have to just wing it! Face painting also
requires you to work very fast and in all types of weather. Sometimes if feels
like your line will never end, and closing the line is definitely the hardest
part of the job! Body painting takes a
lot of endurance as well. I usually spend 3-6 hours painting someone, and
sometimes you realize that even that isn’t enough time for what you hope to
accomplish. It is also hard for the model to stay still for that long. The
challenges are nothing compared to the amazing feelings that you get from the
positive of feedback from your colorful clients and lasting images that you can
take with your camera.
Do you have a favorite design or project?
I have a few body
paintings that I really love. One was a guy my husband and I painted in
hundreds of individually shaded scales. It took a long time and a lot of
patience, but it was so worth it. He was totally transformed into a wild lizard
monster and every move he made freaked me out!
What kinds of paints do you use?
I use Global Colours BodyArt water based face paint cakes the most. The colors are really bold and I
love the consistency as well. They feel comfortable when on and wash off with
soap and water at the end of the day. You just activate them with a wet sponge
or brush and they even have cakes with multiple colors which helps speed up
your designs and blending. My husband and I help Global come up with new colors
and new rainbow cake combinations throughout the year. Their paints are Vegan
and Cruelty free and very hypoallergenic.
Do you have a favorite Dynasty brush? What do you like about it?
I have been having a ton
of fun painting with the Black Gold brushes that come with crazy shaped
bristles. My favorites are the Butterfly Shader, Whale’s Tail, Hat Trick and
the Wave. I can make all sorts of cool flowers, palms, leaves, butterflies,
branches, snakes and even sharks with these brushes. I love using them the most
when I am painting sugar skulls. I can make so many cool patterns and floral
designs with them.
Do you have any advice for those who are interested in trying
their hand at face painting or those painters who want to pursue this as a
career?
If you like being around
people, and you like art, then face painting might be a really fun hobby or
career. Make sure to buy professional supplies and get entertainers insurance
to make sure that you and your customers are protected. YouTube is filled with
amazing tutorials. (Click here for Anna's YouTube channel!) I have a couple blogs with a lot of good information for new painters that
explain in detail a lot of things to consider when trying to decide how much to
charge for your services and the break down of all the products out there. I
own a face paint supply store called Jest Paint and we have very active
customers that review a lot of our products to help other painters decide what
they might like. If you can find painters in your area that get together and have
jams, you will learn so much. You can also take classes or head to face
painting conventions to get a lot of hands on learning. The best way to learn
and see if this is the thing for you is to get a small palette of paint and
volunteer your services for a family party or school event.
 |
All photos in this blog post appear courtesy of the artist.
|
Thank you to Anna for participating in our Artist Spotlight! If you are interested in seeing more of the magic Anna creates with paint, you can follow her and Jest Paint in a number of ways:
Comments
Post a Comment