Face painting is the form of art, which refers to painting the face of a person with the cosmetic paints. These are specifically made water-based cosmetic paints; therefore, you must be very careful in purchasing them. Any other painting stuff such as Acrylic and tempera craft paints or watercolour pencils or markers, should never be used on the skin as they are prone to cause allergic reactions to many people.

Face painting is very popular since the ancient times. It has been in use for the purpose of hunting, religious reasons and military reasons such as camouflage or to designate membership in a military unit. Face painting regained popularity in the late sixties during the hippie movement. Young women used to paint flowers on their cheeks as a symbol of peace for the anti-war demonstrations.

For several decades, face painting has been a widespread entertainment at county fairs, large open-air markets (especially in Europe and the States), and other locations where children and teenagers are. Face painting is very trendy among children at theme parks, parties and festivals, throughout the Western world.

Though the mainstream of face painting is geared towards children, many teenagers and adults take pleasure in being painted for special events, such as charity fund raisers. There are many kinds of face painting designs, including designs that include the insignias of much-loved sports teams, cartoon characters and other designs that are “cute” or otherwise attractive to the young; also, outstanding designs that appeal to all ages. In addition, there are designs that make an effort to colour the face in such a way to point out harmony with a cause, usually the outcome of a sporting contest or membership in a group.

Some most famous face painting designs are:

Tiger: Tiger design consists of a body of orange and yellow paint, with black stripes painted on. Fine points comprise of bushy eyebrows and a muzzle or whiskers, alongside a black painted nose.

Clown: It consists of a body of white painting. With shapes and features, such as a red nose or bright eyes, the model is made to take on the characteristics of a circus clown.

Spider-Man: It is a body of red dye with white eyes and spider-like black patterns on the face, parallel to that of the mask worn by Spider-Man.

Dog: Generally this design is that of a Dalmatian, so it is white with large black spots on the eyes and cheeks. A black nose is extra, along with whisker pores. A tongue is added to it to give the effect of an actual dog.

Butterfly: A design consisting of the body of the butterfly being painted on the nose and the wings, added across the cheeks.

Cat: There are many options for the design of a cat. It could be a simple black tabby cat or a wild leopard. Either way, it generally consists of a neutral body of paint with bushy eyebrows and a muzzle.

Almost all of the theme parks have a face painting booth, where you can easily have your face painted. Instant tattoo is another thing like face painting, which are generally paint or ink-based, that can be easily applied. They are very easy to remove as well; they can be removed with water, alcohol, soap or another mild solvent. Other tattoos can be made with the help of stencils and airbrush equipments. Glitter tattoos are a common rage these days. These are made by filling a stencil (or freehand painting a design) with prosthetic adhesive, followed by coating the adhesive with cosmetic-grade glitter.

To learn how to face paint and to buy Face Painting kits, visit our website.