My FP Kit Contents

Common threads on the face painting chats and forums are questions about what products, tools and equipment we use.  I figured I’d list here what I have in my kit (give or take as things change regularly!)

1. Kit container:  I currently am using a shopping trolley – a nice big one I found at Winners for $19.95.  There were two others there at the time and I have been kicking myself ever since for NOT buying at least one extra.  I did find one that is smaller at the Co-op for $8.88 so I bought it – haven’t decided what to use it for specifically but was thinking of using it for a glitter tattoo kit.

I use a small plastic shoe drawer for transporting the bits and it fits in the bottom of the trolley, and sits on the table when I work to hold the lids and things I’m not using.

2. Table cover and towels:  I buy the large plastic tablecloths at the dollar store and my towels are bargain ones that I pick up when needed.  I am currently using dark green.  I cover the table (client supplied) with the tablecloth then lay down a green bath towel on top of the tablecloth.  I set-up my palettes on the towel… handy to blot things, soak up drips and protect from spills.  I have a couple of matching hand towels and a wash cloth as well.  I cover my lap with one hand towel and the others are for blotting, wiping and emergencies.

3. Signage:  Depending on the size and type of event I have different displays.

I always have my table top signs out (see above photo). The acrylic stand with the business card holder is my general disclaimer and the other one is my age disclaimer.

I have an a-frame floor sign that I use for all public and corporate events.  This sign has sliders so that I can post event specific information.

I have a table top display unit for large festivals and corporate events.

The back of this table top unit is also used, the side panels have locker mirrors and other information.

I have a light weight display board that I use this for my “Fast Faces” display for high volume events. You can read about how I made this here.

I have a binder with laminated sheets for small events and parties where the larger display and signs would be too much.

For some outdoor events I am able to park my car right beside my shelter – it makes a good wind break as well as a great billboard.

4. Face paint:  I am currently using a Snazaroo pro-palette, a Snazaroo round palette and a Loew-Cornell “Paint Saver” to hold my products, as well as a couple of single split cakes in their original containers.

The paint saver palette (top left) contains 10 split cakes I made out of various brands – the centre two are a rainbow (I used two of the DFX mini-rainbows to fill the hole) and my own “peacock” combination; the rest are common blends – brown shades for animals, pink/purple/white combos for butterflies, blue/white combo, dark/light green combo – just made what I though would be useful to me.

The round Snazaroo palette contains Wolfe UV orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and pink(magenta?) as well as metallic gold and the centre two holes (the large ones) are Wolfe red and white.  The rest of the tray is Kryolan Interferenz in Mozart Pink, Strauss Wine, Bach Blue, Bronze and the purple one (can’t remember the name), Kryolan Metallic copper, and Grimas Pearl silver (looks white) and silver.  One hole was left empty for mixing purposes.

The large Snazaroo palette is a combination of brands – I’ve got lots of Snazaroo (it did come full of it) including ALL the sparkles and metallics, Kryolan, Funky Foxes, and some DFX at the moment.  I filled the holes up from other cakes I had and as I use up a colour I replace with similar if I don’t have the same.  Or if I am not using something I will remove and replace with something I am more likely to use.

Then I have a single DFX neon rainbow (it was a gift).

I also have a bottle of Fardel liquid black.  It is in a two-ounce squeeze bottle and I use it on public gigs where it is easier to dispense the black onto a palette to use for details as I need to reload a lot and need to meet health requirements.

5. Sponges: I use mainly tack sponges (tack as in for cleaning leather tack such as saddles.)  They are soft, firm, durable and resist staining for the most part.  I have some that are 10 years old and still going strong.  They are less than half the price of the “face painting” sponges and can be found online and in tack stores.

Tack Sponges

I also use a variety of other sponges. Fantasy Worldwide has green sponges that are the same size and shape as the tack sponges but are much softer… they are very nice.

Fantasy Worldwide green sponges

I transport the sponges in ice cream pails with lids.  I have an empty bucket for putting the used sponges in.

6. Brushes: I use just about anything but am partial to #4 round kolinsky sables.  I buy my brushes at art supply and craft stores – water-colour brushes in natural and synthetic hair.  I keep them in a small acrylic vase on the table.

7. Water: I add water to my cakes and use dry sponges and brushes so I carry a 4-ounce squeeze bottle of water for this (see the above photo.)  I carry water for filling my water tub in a gallon jug (recycled fruit juice jug).

I use a “Brush tub” for cleaning and rinsing my brushes, and for standing them to dry.

8. Other basic stuff:  Tissue, wet wipes, four colours of dry glitter (in small jars), a couple of colours of glitter gel in squeeze bottles, hand sanitizer, q-tips, 70% isopropyl alcohol for sanitizing my brushes, container for the alcohol, soap (bar of Ivory in the yellow soap dish for washing the brushes before rinsing and sanitizing), metal duck-bill hair clips, hand mirrors (two as one is a back-up because accidents happen), and a small dish of clean water to wet sponges/brushes when using the split cakes.

9. Miscellaneous:  I also carry scissors, rope, surveyor’s tape, duct tape, tylenol, spare cakes of black, red and white, some lick n’stick tattoos, foldback clips for holding the table cloth to the table on a windy day and bug spray.

So that’s about it.  Sometimes I will take along all my Liquid Bling, or additional split cakes in different combinations, depending on the theme or season.

And all of it fits in the trolley as it is shown at the beginning!!