Face painting is an art that allows you to express your creative personality.
Face painting is often enjoyed by children and adults at fairs and carnivals. A lot of people use face painting for Halloween, rather than using a mask. With the variety of colors and washable face paints available, and a little imagination, you can paint original works of art on anyone's face.
Face Painting Basics
Regardless of the design you paint, the basic technique for painting faces remains the same. Besides the actual paint you'll use, an eyeliner pencil will be necessary. Before you paint a face design, draw the face you will paint over the person's face you'll be painting on. Use a light colored eyeliner for this process to keep it from interfering with your design. You'll also need light powder for helping to set your design and to keep it from running. You can purchase cosmetic paints from a hobby shop. They are safe for the skin and are the paints to use.
Animals
Use a photograph of your favorite animal and recreate the animal face on someone's face. A tiger, lion, snake, wolf or leopard make good choices. Paint the animal's base color on the face first, then use black or dark brown to bring out the details of the eyes or add the whiskers and scales. Blend light and dark shades of color to get a more natural color effect.
Monsters and Mythical Creatures
Monsters and creatures from mythology make good subjects for face painting. These designs involve a range of colors, from white to green. Blending colors allows you to create better creature effects. For instance, if you want to paint a Frankenstein face, a layer of green paint with black mixed in can add a scarier, more realistic effect than using a bright green. Fairies, leprechauns and butterfly people are fun to create as well. Use a little glitter on these designs (applied while paint is still wet) to add a sparkly touch.
Face Paint Props
Props work well with face paint designs and help to bring the design to life. If you paint a princess or butterfly face, a sparkling tiara or magic wand might make a good addition. For animals, claws on the fingers can help bring the face paint design to life. Use face paint on the hands to make them match the design on the face.
