You don't have to be a Picasso or even a Laura Mercier to appreciate the beauty of face painting cheek art. Whether you consider yourself an artist or not, you can rest assured that this intriguing concept will have you building your portfolio in no time.
About Cheek Art
Consider cheek art a young girl's first foray into the magic of makeup. The difference, of course, is that boys, girls and parents alike adore cheek art. Transforming a blank canvas into a colorful, inventive and often playful design requires the skilled hand of an experienced face painter, but anyone can dive right in and start experimenting.
Cheek art is just one element of the broader art of face painting. Face painting is an activity that enjoys great popularity during the last few months of the year, when holidays and big parties begin to fill social calendars. While face painting usually involves the entire face, cheek art obviously encompasses a much smaller area and is thereby a bit quicker to apply, too. Kids love to have their cheeks painted at county fairs, where experienced painters man the booths and apply fun, attention-grabbing designs to young faces.
Kids' parties are also prime face painting events. Parents may choose to hire a "cheek artist," or someone who can paint a number of faces in short periods of time. For example, parties with 40 or 50 kids running around may require a painter who can do at least 30 faces in an hour (which is an average figure for an experienced painter).
Face Painting Cheek Art Ideas
This is a wonderful opportunity for you or your children to express your creative sides. Common themes for cheek artwork include comic book characters, like Spiderman and Batman, and floral designs, such as roses entwined on a terrace. However, there are hundreds upon hundreds of other designs that can lend any look an inspired, fresh and head-turning look. As Halloween approaches and kids and adults begin to plan costumes, it's wise to consider whether face paint will help achieve an authentic look.
- Take inspiration from your favorite work of art. If there's a particular element that you are drawn to (such as a color scheme), consider incorporating it into your cheek art design.
- Kids may want to flip through their favorite picture books for characters or elements they particularly love.
- Television shows, movies and other forms of entertainment serve as popular inspiration for contemporary face paint designs.
Beginners
If you're new to the world of cheek art, don't fret - you'll be wowing everyone with your skills in no time. The key is to start with simple, basic designs and work your way up. Easy designs include hearts, stars, rainbows, leaves, smiley faces, spiders and rosebuds. If you don't have time to practice, or just want to make the process as easy as possible, invest in rubber face painting stamps. Available at any fully stocked arts and crafts supply store, these stamps make any face look professionally painted! Designs vary, and they couldn't be easier to use. Press the stamp into a water-based ink stamp pad, apply it in a "rolling" motion over the cheek so that all portions of the stamp touch the skin, lift and fill in with your own choice of colors. Stamps easily make complex designs much more effortless to achieve.
Party Planning
If you're planning to paint a number of faces, invest in a face painting kit. These contain non-toxic, water-based makeup palettes in various colors, brushes, sponges and face-painting guides. Many kits include enough makeup for as many as 50 people, and these, in combination with rubber stamps, will make the painting process easy for even the novice cheek artist.
Cheek Art for Adults
Even adults may want to join in on the fun! Inspiration can be found in the MAC Cosmetics Halloween collection. Each year, the company releases a set of wildly artistic templates that boast bold, colorful cheek art designs. The looks typically range from ethereal and lighthearted to dramatic and ghoulish. There's something for everyone, but these looks aren't usually easy to recreate at home. Fortunately, MAC makeup artists are available to do the work for you. If you're having your face painting cheek art design done for Halloween, be sure to call and book your appointment in advance.
