Surviving Facepainting Competitions

This is an entry sent in for our monthly Competition!

“Thoughts on Surviving Facepainting Competitions”
By Robbie Pack

I’ve entered a few facepainting competitions. I’ve even won a few on them. Some I thought I might have a chance of winning. Some I never would have guessed I would have won. It took quite a while to even consider entering, but with fear and trepidation I decided to force myself to enter competitions from time to time.

I found that different kinds of competitions have provided different experiences. On-line competitions are less stressful when I’m producing the artwork since if an idea doesn’t come out the way I wanted it to, I’d try again another day. There are no time constraints when paintng, only a deadline for entry of the work. Also involved are the extra factors of photography skills to document the artwork and computer skills to submit it.

On-line competition artwork tends to live on for long periods of time. That can be an asset, or not, depending on how you feel you fared compared to other entries & if your skills are progressing way beyond what you submitted. Some on-line competitions allow for the artist to remove their entry for a fee.  Depending on the competition, the time involved between submitting the artwork & finding out who the winners are, can be short or quite long (even over a year).

Competitions at conferences can be very stressful due to limitations on production & sometimes setup time. Some allow spectators to watch the=2 0competition. Usually there is a relatively short time between the competition & the announcing of winners, a few days at the most. Having well organized competitions helps to decrease the stress on competitors. Good light, space, & environmental control, or lack of them, can affect the competitor. Clear rules, judge type & criterion posted well before the conference are assets.

The first time I entered an on-line competition; I nearly hyperventilated as I pressed send! LOL! I wasn’t laughing then. It was so intimidating to me. I still stress, but less each time, as it is getting easier and easier emotionally, though my new computer is challenging me to get the best level of quality within the range allowed. I always seem a few units over the range or way below. I will conquer that challenge eventually.

On site competitions were always exceedingly stressful to me, especially line work, as I always shook. I never felt I could do my best. The only time I didn’t in the past was one competition in which we could paint whenever and wherever we wanted as long as we presented our model at the given time. I painted in an isolated lobby casually chatting with the model and his wife. There were no time pressures. I was able to feel like I was jamming, rather than competing.

Over the last 2 years, I forced myself to compete at each conference I attended, trying to desensitize myself. More than one person had told me that you never relax. I=2 0believed them until last month at FABAIC. I was a little anxious before the competition started. However when I started painting an age progression, I was finally able to relax. I had a wonderfully encouraging and cooperative model, but I had had great ones before as well.

Was it because I chose a type of technique that I didn’t think had any chance of being considered a winning entry since it was so limited in color range?

Was it because I chose my design as a learning experience and challenge for myself rather than looking at it as something that might appeal to the majority of the type of judges there? (At some competitions the judges were professional instructors, at others my peers at that level, at others many beginning painters, advanced painters, or a mix of levels.

I took the preparation and process seriously, but actually found myself smiling and even laughing sometimes during the FABAIC competition. All those things were factors Mostly, I think I finally competed for the joy of the experience. If I had placed, it would have been a bonus. But the process, among so much inspiration and talent, was the reason to be there. I was finally able to enjoy it. I encourage everyone to press through too and be part of competitions in the near future.

Robbie Pack, Fairfield, CT
www.robbiespack.com

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Thank you for sending this in Robbie! I’ll be posting the rest of the entries until the end of August when I announce the winner.

Please leave a comment if you want to ask questions, or just want to offer encouragement!

Happy Face Painting,

Philadelphia Tivoli

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