Easy Face Painting for Kids!!
These Quick & Easy Face Painting Ideas for Kids are just what you need to paint all kinds of fun pictures on your favorite kid’s faces this Halloween, Christmas, birthday party, or for any occasion! The free attached templates are small designs and patterns to get you started, but don't stop there - use the step-by-step instructions to paint your own ideas too!
Easy face painting tattoos can be completed in just a few minutes so they are perfect as an activity at a party, or just to add a fun touch to a Halloween costume. In this post you'll find inspiration for face painting pictures like pumpkins, unicorns, spiders, fish, flowers, and many more!
Best Face Paints to Use
The Welcome To Nanas face painting for kids free tattoo designs (download here) can be made from a simple set of face paints like you would purchase at a craft store. My set has six colors- red, yellow, green, blue, white, and black. Technically you can mix these colors to get any other colors you need, but I purchased an additional tube of orange and purple face paint to make the painting process easier and faster.
Note: There are face drawing crayons available, but personally I don’t care for them much as they require more pressure on the face to show well and the children don’t like that.
Face Painting for Parties - Halloween parties!
I’ve done this activity for a “Welcome Back” night for our children’s program, as a money raiser for my club at school, for a grandchild’s birthday party and for Halloween costume fun. Face painting for kids (and adults) is always a hit!
When painting easy face paint designs on multiple children, it is very helpful to provide a poster or printed sheet of face painting ideas for them to choose from rather than just asking what they would like. They can easily point to the picture of choice rather than trying to think things up. Trust me, it goes much faster that way. As you can see from my poster, it has been used many, many times. I need to make a new one! I'll be using these Welcome to Nanas Quick & Easy Face Painting for kids free tattoo designs next time!!
Free Face Painting Pattern Download
Attached is a sheet of easy face paint ideas to get you started, just click here at Welcome To Nanas Quick & Easy Face Painting for kids free tattoo designs to get the download. They are small face painting patterns that fit on a cheek that you can print off and paint quickly. This is a great way to learn the process and decide what techniques you would like to learn to do next in face painting.
I plan to do another tutorial on using sponges and larger face painting designs later.
Coming Up with Your Own Face Painting Ideas
Face painting one or two children is much easier, of course, and you can do more extensive designs. If the child wants a particular picture, you can Google a simple drawing and work from the picture on your phone or computer.
Note: Some children have skin that is sensitive to face paint. That is another reason I like doing face tattoos rather than the large face painting designs when working with a group, so I stay away from their eyes, nose and mouth. (That is also a good idea during these times of health challenges.) The paints linked in the supply list below are describes as safe for use on skin and body and are washable with soap and water.
Step by step instructions for easy face painting ideas
Study the easy face paint tattoo picture you are wanting to copy. Seek to find the main shape of the design. You want to keep the design to about the size of a golf ball or half dollar, depending on the age of the child.
First paint the background color of the main shape of the face paint tattoo. For example, the orange surface of the pumpkin or the white of the Hello Kitty face. Paint this on the cheek or down the side of the face where you want it placed.
A number 2 round water/acrylic/oil paint brush works well.
If doing a design with several colors, choose the one to start first that sets the design, like the white star in the center of the Captain America symbol. Continue to add the other background colors around this first one you paint, like I added the blue then red concentric circles to the white star.
Clean the brush well between colors in a glass of water.
Outline the face paint tattoo
After the background is done, it often helps to outline the face paint tattoo with a black line, like a cartoon drawing (or outline in a darker color, like blue if you desire). You can outline while the background paint is still drying so don’t think you have to wait.
Note: Many people want to start with the black outline and then fill it in with color. This sounds good in theory, but then the background color picks up the black paint and gets muddy and smeared with black. Not good.
Use a small round brush, like a number 1 round water/acrylic/oil paint brush to do the outlining. You want as narrow a line as possible.
Tip: Rest your pinky finger on the child’s cheek to give you a steadier hand (not on top of the design of course). Paint as confidently as you can with a single line, not going back over the line over and over. Dip the brush for more paint often so it stays a solid black color.
You can place a bit of black paint on a foam plate to dip into if you don’t want to get other colors in your original container of black face paint.
Face Painting for Beginners OR Experts
Whether you are a painting expert or just starting out as a beginner, don't worry! The key here is to not get too hung up on details. Sorry my type 1 friends, this is challenging. But you will get better and better at this as you practice. If the line is a bit wobbly or not exactly on the edge of the design, keep going. Usually trying to erase the line by rubbing it or going over it again and again just muddies the picture and is frustrating. I’ve found that the overall look in the end is usually fine if left alone.
Note: Not every design needs to be outlined in black. The more cartoon like drawings look best outlined. The black defines the picture so well. The Captain America symbol does not need to be outlined, for example.
Add the extra pizzazz*!∞*
When finished with the design, it is fun to add squiggles, dots, stars, lightning strikes and circles in white or various colors around the face paint tattoo for decoration. This is a quick extra touch that adds some interest and makes the design look more complex.
There are wonderful face painting Glitter for Art Face Hair Body Nail and Gems Stickers that add a sparkle to the design. That is a great detail to add to your face painting collection now or next time!
Quick & Easy Face Painting Ideas...A Fan Favorite!
I promise that you will be the hit of the party or a hit with the grands when you pull out your face paint.
Tip: I often use a Kids Haircut Cape over the child’s clothing to protect it from paint splatters. I rarely have any issues with that, but better safe than sorry. It is also good for children to have permission from parents before painting on their faces. Who knows, they may be going for family pictures after the party!! Ha!
Again, here is the link to the Welcome To Nanas face painting for kids free tattoo designs (download here).
More ideas for fun Halloween crafts?
Looking to fill out your Halloween party craft and activity lineup? Check out these posts at Welcome To Nana's!
- Happy Halloween Free Coloring Page
- Halloween Scribble Monster Drawings
- Recycled Milk Jug Ghost Luminaries
- Mini Pumpkin Halloween Decorations
- Fun Apple Stamping Pumpkin Craft
- Halloween Trick or Treat Candy SMores
- Woodland Owl Pumpkin Carving Deluxe
Supplies for Quick & Easy Face Painting Ideas for Kids:
- Paint Brush Set (12) for Water, Oil or Acrylic Painting
- Face Paint, 6 Primary Color Set
- Face Paint, 6 Secondary Color Set
- Kids Haircut Cape (optional)
- Glitter for Art Face Hair Body Nail (optional)
- Gems Stickers (optional)
Enjoy!
If you try this craft, let me know! Go ahead and leave a comment, rate it, and tag a photo with #WelcometoNanas wherever you post.
Come join the fun at www.WelcomeToNanas.com
Quick and Easy Face Painting Ideas for Kids
Equipment
- Paint Brush Set (12) for Water, Oil or Acrylic Painting
- Kids Haircut Cape
Items Required
- Face Paint, 6 Secondary Color Set
- Face Paint, 6 Primary Color Set
Instructions
- Print off the Free Welcome To Nanas face painting tattoo patterns OR find ideas for simple patterns/pictures online.
- Study the face painting design the child chooses and paint the background color of the main shape of the design on the child's cheek (or down the side of the face). This would be the orange of a pumpkin for example.
- Add additional background color areas- like a stem on the pumpkin for example. Complete all of the background color areas.
- After the background is done, it often helps to outline and detail the face paint tattoo with a black line, like a cartoon drawing (or outline in a darker color, like blue if you desire). Not all designs need to be outlined. This would be the outline and face of the pumpkin jack-o-lantern for example.
- Finish with some fun extra stars, squiggles, lightning strikes around the design to give it some pizzazz. May also use some face paint glitter if you desire.
Leave a Reply