I have been using the rainbow cakes for butterflies for a while, but that is about the only split or rainbow cake that I have used. After seeing these two videos, I think I need to try out the TAG paints and their one stroke designs.
The first is a great dragon face on a young boy. It starts with a base coat of orange and yellow and then adds in the dragon split cake.
This shows three butterflies. Each begins with a base coat over the eyes and then one of the split cakes for the edge of the butterfly wings.
People always want to know how long a balloon creation will last. Sometimes, it seems like they only last a few minutes. Balloons last longer indoors. The outdoors have too many sharp edges from plants and concrete. When I do balloons, I try to take into account the conditions and try to make the balloons a little softer when working outside or on very hot days. But, sometimes, the balloons just seem to pop. Usually, the kid is swinging it around or trying to prove they know how to make balloons and put a few extra twists in the balloons.
But, if a balloon happens to survive long enough to make it home safely, it can last for days or weeks. I do get a few kids who come back and tell me they still have the balloon I gave them a few weeks ago.
From time to time, I bring balloon home and deposit them in my basement where they will remain, undisturbed for weeks at a time. I found a few balloons in my basement and decided to prove that balloons can last a long time.
Monkey in a palm tree…
or how it would have looked when it was brand new.
Dragon…
or how it would have looked when it was still a new balloon.
I know that I am not the best balloon twister out there. I have a good collection of balloons that I know how to make and can usually find something to satisfy a picky child. I am lucky to live in an area with other, more experienced balloon twisters. I host a monthly jam and have the opportunity to see what the others like to make and to share some of the things that I like to make.
When I learn a new balloon, I need to practice and make it several times in order to really remember how it is done. Some balloons, I can remember the “gist” of how it is done, but forget the minor details. If I find something that I really like, I try to take a picture and then refer back to the picture to see how the balloon is supposed to look.
I learned how to make a ladybug at a convention last year. I have seen many variations of the ladybug balloon, but this one uses a red heart shaped balloon for the body/wings (black 260 for the legs, red heart for the head/wings, 5″ round white for the eyes, and a scrap for the antenna). Most of the other ladybug designs I have learned use the tail of the balloon used for the legs as a strap on a bracelet, but this balloon uses it to hold the wings in place. It is easy to remember the gist of this balloon, and I had made it several times after learning this variation. It wasn’t until I returned to the picture of the original ladybug balloon that I realized that I had been missing the ear twist on the heart balloon to make the ladybug’s head. This is am important twist as it makes the heart shape a little smaller and easier for the strap to hold the wings in place.
The same thing happened when I first learned the turtle balloon. I remembered the gist of the design (green 260 for the head and legs, 5″ round white for the eyes, and a 5″ orange round for the shell) but forgot how the head looked. The first few times I tried to make the turtle, I had to refer back to the picture to get it right.
When you learn a new balloon, take a picture or two. If you have problems remembering how it was made, you will be glad you did.
The Internet is a great resource for finding inspiration for face painting designs. There are a lot of face painters who post images and videos of their work, but there are even more parents who post pictures of their kids after getting their faces painted at parties, festivals, or while on vacation. If part of a blog, you can find valuable insight from the parents about the experience.
When looking on YouTube, I like to find the vacation photos instead of the tuitorials by face painters. Again, these are real people and not the kids of a face painter who has had their face painted hundreds of times.
Here is a video of a young boy getting his face painted like a tiger at the Animal Kingdom.
Welcome to the new Face Painting and Balloon Twisting Blog at FaceAndBalloonArt.com. This is a website project by Mike Becvar. This website has been on the drawing board since the spring of 2010 and is finally beginning to take shape.
I hope to use the website and blog as a resource for the professional face painter and balloon twister. I plan to post articles related to industry news, new products, or upcoming events.
In 2009, I started another website project, The Clown Network, where I am creating a resource for the professional clown. One of the challenges that I faced with that website is the fact it is hand coded and not using a database to manage the content. It means it takes a little more effort on my part to maintain and update the content. I am hoping that by using a WordPress Blog template, that it will be a little easier for me to manage this website.
There is still a lot of work to do, but this project is finally off the ground.
Welcome and let’s hope for a long and successful future.
Looking for a balloon twister for your events? Check out Balloons By Mike, he enjoys making balloons and entertaining kids of all ages in Northern Virginia.
http://www.BalloonsByMike.com/
