Making Faces
Making Faces: Face Painting for Kids and Adults
Face painting and body painting have been used throughout time for a variety of reasons – for hunting, military, religious and cultural purposes. Today, face painting especially is commonly found at theatrical events, county fairs, theme parks, along streets in tourist destinations and at open-air markets. Throughout the world kids – and adults – love the fun and excitement of wearing face paint. It imparts the feeling of part costume, part disguise, and a whole new experience.
Depending on the situation, there are many different kinds of face paint, including:
• Designs that feature cartoon characters, symbols and emblems of favorite sports teams, or other endearing designs
• Graphics and symbols – dramatic designs that appeal to all ages
• Costume or ‘masquerade’ type designs that can transform the wearer into an animal, a different person, etc.
Many people are beginning to catch the excitement of face painting and body painting, and are incorporating face painting at children’s birthday parties or other children’s parties. Adults love it too – face painting and body painting are fun activities for all ages.
How to Face Paint
Face painting and body painting are easy and fun to learn about. Within a few simple steps anyone can create designs as intricate or as vibrant as they want. Budding artists and novices will discover the appeal and mechanics of face paints, face paint colors, face paint and body paint brushes, and face paint designs.
• Colors: A good starter palette includes the primary colors (red, blue and yellow) and also includes black and white. From this basic palette you can mix and create an incredible number of colors and shades to create unusual and stunning effects. Once you have played with the paint and created a few different face paint and body paint designs, you can determine if there are a few colors that you use over and over. Then you can purchase pre-mixed amounts of these colors to save time and leave more space on your palette for mixing other colors. Green and orange are used often and are good additional colors to have on hand.
• Brushes: Thin brushes are exceptional for creating fine lines and details. Medium and thicker brushes cover larger areas and lay on a greater amount of the face paint or body paint. Sponges, foam brushes and stippled sponges can create effects like beards or feathering and really open up the artist’s ability to create designs.
• Designs: There are many different resources for face painting and body painting designs – online, in stores, and often companies that sell face paint and body paint also sell kits and/or designs to get you started. Or you can always start out exploring your own designs and then seek out body painting kits or face painting kits as you get more comfortable applying paint and trying new designs.
• Hygiene: Always be careful when applying face paint or body paint. Do a test patch on a small area of skin to ensure that no allergic reaction occurs. If someone has open cuts or sores or other skin condition, do not paint them. And always wash out your brushes after every use so they can be ready to go the next time you and your imagination are.