A
Acrylic – Artist’s paint that you should NEVER use on skin. Here’s why.
Agent – Someone who does all the crummy, boring parts of booking gigs and hires you to do the fun part: painting! 😉
Arty Cake – Silly Farm’s brand of one stroke cakes.
B
BAM – Acronym for a stencil brand name, “Bad Ass Mini“
BAS – Acronym for a stencil brand name “Bad Ass Stencils“
Base Blender – TAG’s name for their large split cakes.
Blacklight – A type of light that some paints fluoresce when exposed to. Click here for more info.
Bling – Glitter, Rhinestones, and all things sparkly!
Booking Fee – A sum of money required by artists in order to book an event on their calendar. Usually applied to the final total due.
Brush Tub – A brush rinse water holder made by Loew-Cornell with ridges in the bottom.
C
Chapstick Sushi – A sushi cake made in a chapstick holder. Click here for how-to.
Cheek Art – Designs created to fit on one cheek. (Check out the Facebook group) Click here for an article with suggestions for achieving small details quickly!
Coffee Water – A term for dirty brush rinse water.
Contract – Something all professionals should use or aim to create in the future. Click for more.
Corporate Gig – A job done for a large company.
Cosmetic Glitter – Glitter that is approved for cosmetic use.
Craft-n-Go – A brand of case that can be used to hold supplies.
D
Dagger Brush – A brush with a long, pointed angle, great for painting whiskers!
Dauber – A round sponge attached to a stick/handle (aka Pouncer)
Deposit – A sum of money required by artists in order to book an event on their calendar. Usually applied to the final total due.
Detailz – A brand of detailed painting tool by Mehron.
DFX – A face paint product brand name, aka Diamond FX
DJ Hero Case – A video game accessory case often converted into a paint kit.
Double-Dip – A technique used to create two-toned shapes like flower petals.
Dotting Wand – A sponge tipped brush for creating dots.
Director’s Chair – A tall chair preferred by artists who like to stand while painting.
E
Exposure – A useless “incentive” painters are often presented with in leu of payment. Also, something you can easily die from, especially here in Minnesota in winter.
Eye Design – A design created to go on or around the eye area.
Eyelash Adhesive – An adhesive often used to attach rhinestones and other things to skin.
F
FABATV – Subscription based online learning resource
FABAIC – Acronym for Face And Body Art International Convention.
FDA – Food and Drug Administration (USA) – may approve certain ingredients for use in cosmetics. Click here for more information about the FDA and neon makeup with uapproved pigments.
Fixer / Fixing Spray – A product sprayed on a painted face to help it last longer. There are also fixing/setting powders.
Filbert – A brush shape: flat with a rounded cut.
Finger Dauber – A dauber with a base that can slip over your fingertip.
Full Face – A design that covers the majority of the face.
FunStroke – A brand name of Global’s one stroke cakes.
G
Gig – A face painting job/event.
Gigmasters – A website that connects clients looking for entertainment with artists.
GigSalad – A website that connects clients looking for entertainment with artists.
Glitter Dust – A super fine glitter powder. Fine enough to dispense with a glitter brush.
Global – A face paint product brand name.
Glycerine Based – Makeup that is more transparent and good for blending and shading. Examples: Mehron’s Paradise, Kryolan’s Aquacolors, FAB and Snazaroo are glycerine based.
Grease Paint – Makeup that is not water based; requires a makeup remover to take off.
Guitar Case – A case formerly for a guitar, often converted into a paint kit.
H
HAS – Acronym for a stencil brand name “Half Ass Stencils“
Hourly Gig – A job you are being paid hourly for.
Hypoallergenic – A marketing buzz term that you should be wary of, because there is no science or regulation behind it.
I
INtense Pro – A brand of powders created by Mehron.
Independent Contractor – An artist who is hired out by agents but is responsible for their own taxes, etc.
Invisible Glove – A product designed to keep your hands from getting stained from paint.
J
Jam – When artists get together to practice and share with each other. Also good on toast.
Jewelry Trays – Plastic, sectioned trays often used by face painters to store and organize paints.
K
Kabuki – A big, fluffy brush.
Kit – A face painter’s tool box. Also a constantly evolving obsession of many artists!
Kryolan – A face paint product brand name.
L
Laptop Case – A plastic case for paints that is about the same shape/size as a laptop.
Linework – Term for the fine outlines done on a design. Wax based paints like Wolfe are great for linework.
Line Manager – Person in charge of keeping the line of kids in order and ending it on time.
Liquid Bling – Amerikan Body Art’s brand of glitter gel.
Load – The act of picking up paint with your brush.
Lollipop Blender – A foam pad on a stick, often used to apply powders.
M
Mehron – A face paint product brand name.
Menu – A board or book that shows what designs a painter can do.
N
Neon – Term used to describe fluorescent makeup. Click here for more info.
Newbie – Someone who consider themselves new to face painting.
O
One Stroke – A technique of loading one brush or sponge with multiple colors and applying them in one stroke of the brush/sponge. Click here for a book on this topic.
One Stroke Cake – A cake with multiple colors, sized to be loaded with a 3/4″-1″ wide flat brush.
P
PainterTemplate – Wipe-off face painting practice boards by Paintertainment
Paradise – A face paint product brand name.
Paypal – A payment processing site that many artists use to collect payment.
Pay-Per-Face Gig – An event where you charge each customer for their individual face.
Petal Brush – A brush with a unique shape designed to create petal shapes.
Petal Pot – Small paint pots designed for double dip petals. Click here for a how-to.
Petal Sponge – A sponge cut into a petal or teardrop shape.
Poofer Bottle – Small, plastic bottle with a nozzle, often used to “poof” glitter on the face.
Pouncer – A round sponge attached to a stick/handle (aka “Dauber”)
PPF – Acronym for “Pay-Per-Face”
Practice – makes perfect!
Practice Head – A mannequin head used for practicing designs.
Professional – Someone who is paid to face paint. Click here for a more in depth article.
R
Rainbow Cake – Another name for a split cake.
Rake Brush – A brush with gaps between bristles to create multiple lines at once.
Realism – The practice of painting realistic images. Also, a book you can find here.
Retail Rate – The hourly rate that you charge the public when you book gigs on your own.
Ruby Red – A face paint product brand name.
S
SBS – Acronym for “step-by-step”
Script Brush – A long, narrow brush used for creating thin lines and scrolls.
SFX – Acronym for “Special Effects,” often refers to adding fake skin, blood, etc for realistic gore.
Smoothie Blender – A foam “brush”, often used for powders, with a handle like a brush.
Snazaroo – A face paint product brand name.
Speed Painting – Grueling conditions in which some painters may work (for an extra fee).
Special Request – A design requested by a client that is not on the menu.
Spirit Gum – A latex-free adhesive used to attach gems, google eyes, etc. to skin.
Split Cake – A cake of paint with multiple colors in it.
Square – A brand of credit card reader that some artists use to accept payment.
Starblend – A makeup made by Mehron that can be applied wet or as a powder.
Stipple Sponge – A coarse sponge often used to add texture.
Sushi Cake – A round split cake. Click here for instructions to make one.
T
TAG – A face paint product brand name.
TAP – A brand name of stencils.
Teardrops – A shape that is used in many designs and practiced by professionals.
Tempera – Craft paint that you should NEVER use on skin. Here’s why.
Thick-to-Thin – Process of painting a teardrop shape starting on the thick end and ending on the thin end.
Thin-to-Thick – Process of painting a teardrop shape starting on the thin end and ending on the thick end.
Thumbtack – A website that connects clients looking for entertainment with artists.
Travel – The fees charged for travel to/from a job.
U
Undercut – Purposely charging much less than the going rate to win jobs from other artists.
UV – Ultraviolet – Term used to describe fluorescent makeup. Click here for more info.
W
Water Based – Makeup that is activated by and cleaned up with water.
Wax Based – Makeup that is more opaque and good for linework. Wolfe, TAG, Cameleon and Diamond FX are examples of wax based makeup.
Wholesale Rate – The reduced hourly rate that you are willing to work at for an agent.
Wolfe – A face paint product brand name.
Wolfe White/Black – An elusive product sought out by many and often sold out by many
Word Menu – A menu of designs displayed as words instead of pictures. Design one here.
