- 1). Brainstorm ideas for a face-painting design by exploring the colors and patterns used by indigenous people around the world. The Kiowa tribe of Native Americans painted their entire bodies, faces and horses in one color when preparing for battle. The Seminole tribe painted a white stripe around their turbans as a signal of peace. Aborigines of Australia use stripes and circles in white to create symbols of their religion. Investigate other tribal face paint patterns to get an idea of what you want to paint.
- 2). Practice painting faces. Use a traditional design or create your own. Use smaller brushes for detailed designs and for the corners around the eyes and mouth. Play with different thicknesses of paint to see how they look on the skin. Use a damp paper towel to wipe away mistakes. (see ref 3 and 4)
- 3). Try different color combinations. Traditionally, Native Americans made face paint out of berries, roots, dirt and plants. Today's face paint brands offer a wide selection of colors that can be applied safely to the skin. Copy the Assiniboine Indians and rim the eyes in white while painting the rest of the face black or red. The Omo people of Ethiopia used red ocher and yellow clay to create cheetah masks on their faces.
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