Party Arty: NYC’s Best Face-Painters

Bookmark this page! You're gonna need one of these NYC face painters sooner or later.

By Rachel Sokol September 16, 2015

Resistance is futile: if you’ve got a kid, at some point in their festive lives, you’re going to have to hire a face-painter. NYC is home to tons of talented folks ready to turn little party animals into a princess, a tiger, a superhero — you name it. And because we live in a creative capital, many have backgrounds in fine art, makeup artistry, performance, etc. (All of the artists featured here use FDA-approved, water-based hypo-allergenic paints, as well as skin-safe glitters.) Click through to see our roundup of NYC’s best face-painters, and note that many come with their own squad for face-painting en masse!

Melinda’s Children’s Parties

When she’s not painting cute little faces, Melinda Prom, owner of Melinda's Children's Parties, teaches painting classes for kids at the Eloise Shop at The Plaza Hotel. She paint faces at The Plaza after class or for parties booked at the Plaza, in addition to private events. “Our face painters are detailed, professional artists who are amazing with kids of all ages,” she says. Prom's clients include Giorgio Armani, Kidville, Inc., Citibank, Circle Line, American Express and many more. She adds: “We love transforming the kids into whatever they can imagine, from a Lego character to Elsa or the latest superhero or cartoon character.” Melinda started out in the theater world, where she worked as a director, performer, stage manager and make-up and special effects artist. “I brought my skills from the theatrical setting into the everyday kid’s party world,” she said, adding, “I once dressed up as Henry Higgins from My Fair Lady to surprise a little girl on her birthday, so we do lots of unique requests! We have tons of experience and it shows.”

Good to know: Trained in special-effects artistry, Melinda can also transform your kid into a super "realistic" zombie, and she recently painted a space galaxy for another tiny client.

Melinda’s Children’s Parties
917-446-9315
Online: childrenspartiesnyc.com

photo: courtesy Melinda Prom

Cover photo: Face Art by Melissa

Do You Have a Favorite Face-painter in NYC? Share with the group in the comments below!

– Rachel Sokol