Whether it’s a Halloween party or a face painting contest your kid is going to attend, a painted face done correctly will really make him stand out from the crowd. There are a variety of designs that you can do, but animal face painting is one of the more popular choices. For one, there are a number of fun animal designs to choose from. And one great thing about animals is that they can really reflect your personality. But just like everything else, there are a few guiding principles which you can follow to improve your skill as a painter. Here are a few tips on how to do animal face painting.
It might seem a bit challenging at first. But really it is not rocket science. Like most things, it is a skill that can be learned. By investing a little time learning how to do it, you will surely learn how to do this in no time. First, in painting animal faces, keep in mind that it protrudes more than a human face. You can create this illusion by playing with light and dark colors. The contrasting colors will really bring forward some features. For example, when you are painting a dog, you can paint the nose in the area of the mouth using a lighter color. Doing so will make it appear snout-like. However, if you want to paint a monkey, you can concentrate more on exaggerating the nose, mouth and eyes. This can be done by using chocolate brown paint to draw on these additional features. Monkeys are in some degree similar to human faces, whether we like it or not, so it won’t be hard to paint a monkey face. Monkeys generally have a more compressed face and bigger features. By using a darker shade of brown on the upper part of your models’ forehead, you can give the illusion of a smaller and more compressed monkey-ish face. Then you can finish it off by putting in a lot of creases in varying shades of brown and orange.
Another thing you should keep in mind is that the nose should be shaped carefully and precisely. Since noses are found in the center of the face, it is usually the first thing that people notice. An irregularly shaped nose will just throw off the entire look. Also picture out precisely what animal you are trying to paint. Different animals also have different noses. For example, if you want to paint a tiger, you can first sponge the nose with yellow paint spreading outward to the cheeks. Next, apply white paint on the skin just below the nose. This will help bring it forward. Then, using black or dark brown paint, apply a straight line following the triangle-like contour at the edge of your nose and color it in.
When it comes to painting animal faces, another thing to remember is that it can show the mood or personality of your model. So before you paint in those remaining details, first think: What emotion do I want my model to convey? What do I want my finished product to look like; a friendly puppy, an angry tiger, or a mischievous monkey? When it comes to art such as face painting, details are vital. They can either make or break your look. But how do you convey emotion? It’s pretty simple. It is all in the eyebrows. If you are going for an angry or menacing look, draw the eyebrows close together forming a V-like pattern. If you want a surprised look, draw them higher on the forehead. And if you want a happy look, draw them a bit apart in an inverted U-shape.
These are only a few tips on how to do animal face painting. Once you get started, you will eventually develop your own style and discover your very own niche for animal painting.
