During my studies in Venice I applied a few times to be a part of the “truccatori” (face painting artists).
It’s almost a tradition for the students that have a firm hand and some artistic skills to make some extra money and at the same time be a part of the “Carnevale di Venezia”.
Well, the thing that most of the people do not understand is that behind the artist standing there is a long day and the person will stay there, perform the whole day, during each and every day of the Carnevale and much likely freeze each and every day.
Well, the money is good, but at the same time the suffering in the humid cold Venice is something you should consider if you want to experience this in Venice – and yes, you need a permit in order to be able to stand there and paint the “trucchi”.
It’s not an easy task to choose a good “truccatore”. The thing is that you need to see how the artist performs and you need to check if the colors that are used are body painting water colors free from chemicals, pigments and chemicals that might harm your skin! Keep in mind that if the day is a sunny one, you have a good chance that the sun activate some of the components of the paint (if not a proper one) creating an unpleasant skin reaction.
The red color is the one that in my opinion is the wrong choice to use as base color (I’ve seen a lot of people walking around with red-ish “remains” of the paintings days after the Carnevale). Another thing that you have to keep in mind is the glitter that might enter the eyes! They are nice but you don’t want to have anything really near your eye – especially if the painted person is a child!
Still, freezing or not, the job is lovely, it’s a fantastic feeling to be able to paint on people! I love that! The skin is such a fantastic “canvas” and I could write a lot about the skin quality in different countries! Yes, it’s very different! 🙂
To see a happy customer is the best reward! It’s when the magic begins! 😀
I did this for 3 years and the last time I worked at the “Piazza San Marco” in Venice was in 2003 or 2005…. I can’t remember! 😀
