ENTER ARTICLE BODY TEXT HERESkin Painting with a Professional
Suzanne Robbie Hay Explains Her Craft
© Alina Bradford

Feb 2, 2008

Suzanne Robbie Hay explains her passion for the art of skin painting and how others can start painting on skin.
If you thought that face painting or painting on skin was just something that is done at birthday parties and county fairs, think again. Skin painting has become an art form. "Once you start painting on skin, there is no turning back to regular canvasses," says artist Suzanne Robbie Hay.

Hay started painting on skin when her son, Jason, started his own entertainment agency. “When he couldn't handle the paperwork he got me involved,” says Hay. “When I went out to the various festivals and fairs and saw what those face painters were doing, I thought, gee, I can do that! And I did.”

Now, Hay goes to face/body conventions and teaches classes on how to paint on skin. She is also the author of a book on face painting. “It is such fun, I cannot imagine my life without painting on skin,” says Hay.

How to Paint on Skin

To get started, Hay says that you must use make-up that is especially made for children's skin, such as Ben Nye, Mehron, Krylon, Graftobian, and Wolfe Brothers, that just glides easily on the skin. These types of paints are FDA approved, hypo-allergenic, and heavily pigmented make-ups.

Hay uses what she calls the “coloring book method” to apply the pigment to the skin. “Shape-drawing is how I teach cheek-art, half-face, and full-face painting,” says Hay. “My method is drawing the outline first, then applying the make-up with either a sponge or brush. Many of the other artist's apply the paint first, then draw the lineage on top of the color. Either way, the results are dramatic.”

Stencils are generally used by the airbrush artists, but there are some face painters that use stencils. Hay says this is the sign of an amateur. “All my work, and most of the other professional face painters, free-hand their work.”

Hay On Developing Style

“I've been at it since 1994,” says Hay, “and I have heard some say ‘Oh, yeah, that's a Mark Reid, or Jackie Green's, Jinny's, or a Robbie's work’.” Hay says that every face and body painter develops his own style after painting a few years.

Hay on Becoming a Professional

Hay suggests reading books, such as her Face Painting for Fun and Profit, to get a good feel for painting skin. Next, go to a costume store and buy a small kit, and start to painting faces at a church or school.

On-line there are several sites that give great tips and instructions on face painting. Hay suggests www.fbpaa.com.