JEM Body Art is keen to promote good standards of face painting. It has come to our attention that people requiring a face painter are not always aware of what to look out for when trying to book a reputable painter. We have, therefore, issued the guidelines below illustrating good and bad practice to enable potential clients to reach a decsion. Ultimately you will get what you pay for and good quality, safe face painters will cost more than the fly by night operative.
Please as a parent or person tasked with booking a face painter consider the information below before making a decision. If you decide to go for a painter who uses bad practice remember that you may be putting your child or the children at your event at risk. Click on headings below to open menu Good Practice
Below is a guide to good practice when selecting a face painter. Depending on the painter some of the practices may vary slightly but ultimately should involve "good practice". A reputable face painter should have some or all of the following documentation available: Must have: Insurance - The face painter should have public liability insurance of between £2M and £5M. A good face painter will if requested be able to show proof of public liability cover and will be happy to do so. Disclaimer - The face painter should have a disclaimer available for participants on the day of the event. This should be visible/available at their face painting stand.
May have: Health and Safety - The face painter should have printed health and safety guidelines available. Booking Form - The face painter should supply a booking form to ensure they have the correct details for the event, for example, how many children are attending, date of event, venue etc. This may form part of an agreement/contract to book the painter for a particular event. Terms and Conditions - JEM Body Art supplies terms and conditions to its customers, other face painters may or may not supply this kind of information.
A reputable face painter will use the following kit: Face Paints - Good quality face paints such as Snazaroo, Grimas, Fardel etc should be used by the face painter. Although probably well used they should look as clean as possible. Sponges - The face painter will only use one sponge per child and a "slop" bucket for dirty sponges will be available. Good face painters also always boil their sponges or wash them in a washing machine hot wash after each event to try and ensure that sponges are clean for the next participant. Water - Clean water should be available for every child regardless of who they are. A good painter will have clean water available in some sort of container. They will also have a "slops" bucket for dirty water. This method may vary slightly depending upon the painter. Brushes - Will use good quality brushes and have a selection for different techniques that are well looked after. Mirror - Will have a mirror to show the participant the finished art work. Reputable face painters will not paint children under 2, with cuts on their faces or with an obvious skin condition or children that are known to be sensitive to things such as face paints. However, for a child whose face may not be painted a good face painter may offer to do an arm instead. Bad Practice
A bad face painter may or may not have the following: Insurance, Disclaimer, Booking Form, Terms and Conditions, Health and Safety Guidelines.
A bad face painter may use the following kit: Face Paints - dirty paints as illustrated below indicate bad practice in face painting. These in this picture happen to be reasonable quality face paints but have been poorly looked after and maintained. However, you should also be aware that bad painters have been known to use acrylic paints, poster paints and other forms of paint. These are not acceptable for face painting.  Water and Brushes - dirty water and brushes as illustrated below will also indicate bad practice in face painting.  Sponges - Likely to be using one sponge per colour and very dirty. Using this method also means that the sponges will be used on more than one child. Mirror - Could most likely possess a broken piece of mirror for displaying the finished art work! Having read the above and made your decision JEM Body Art as a reputable company looks forward to receiving your booking. |
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