Start up tips: Always work with a clean canvas, keeping wet wipes on hand is always helpful when face painting kids.
Tools for Painting Clown Faces
- 1 medium flat brush
- 1 medium round brush
- Applicator sponge (such as a white cosmetic wedges or high density face paint sponge)
- Water-based face paint colors in red, black and white
- Fresh water and cup of water for rinsing brushes.
Now that we have our tools and a clean face, let’s get painting a clown face!
Step 1 on How To Paint A Clown Face: Set the Base Color
The white is applied first as a base color. Use a spray bottle to wet the white cake or use a damp sponge, rubbing the sponge in the make up to coat the sponge thoroughly. Cover the entire face, stopping at the jaw and hair line. Remember to get underneath the eyes; this is best achieved by having your subject look up at the ceiling with their eyes only then applng the makeup under the eyelash line.
Step 2 on How To Paint A Clown Face: Apply the Clown Smile and Nose
Using the flat brush and red make up, apply the smile and the nose. The nose is done by just coloring the tip of your subjects nose. For the lips, paint in the full bottom lip and then just below the lip line. Using the edge of the flat brush continue a line past the edge of the mouth and curl it slightly upwards. The upper lip makes an “M”; color that in and blend into the lip line.
Step 3 on How To Paint A Clown Face: Completing the Clown Mouth
Finish the smile of with a circle at the end of the smile line. You can do this by using the brush handle to gauge an invisible line from the center of the eye down to the smile. This is where we add the circle completing the clown mouth.
Step 4 on How To Paint A Clown Face: Add Details to the Mouth
This is a lovely effect but not necessary for your clown face, especially if you have a long line of children waiting to be painted. Get a small amount of red make up or a little dry rouge on a dry sponge, have your subject smile big with the mouth closed to raise the cheeks. Starting with the round "apple" part of the cheek, gently rub on the red across the cheek and continue downward with a slight curve accenting the smile. This gives the clown a soft glow.
Step 5 on How To Paint A Clown Face: Face Painting the Eyes
Using the round fine tip brush, make the arc over the eye. Starting at the inner eye, paint the line up and over the eye brow ending at the outer edge of the eye. Tracing lightly the first time and then go over a second time to fill in often works the best.
You now have a great little white face clown; remember you can always accent with hearts, stars or other small designs to change the look.