Animals
Simple animal faces are easy to achieve for any level of artist. A simple bunny, cat or dog face can be created by painting black whiskers around the wearer's mouth and coloring the nose black. Add a vertical line from the bridge of the noise down along the cleft of the lips and chin to accent the animal face. Customize the design by outlining the person's eyes and highlighting her cheeks with different colors, such as white and brown. Color the cheeks and around the eyes with bright shades like pink and blue to create a whimsical cartoon animal.
Dragons and Fairies
Dragon or fairy face-paint designs are perfect for princess-, fantasy- or King Arthur-themed children's parties. To paint a dragon, outline the wearer's eyes in a red or dark green color; follow the arch of the eyebrows with the color. Paint green and yellow scales across the face so that they appear to cover the forehead and cheeks. Finish the design with painted dragon fangs emerging from the recipient's lips as if they are sticking out of her mouth.
Create a fairy face by using pastels like lime green, sky blue or pink to paint fairy wings around the eyes. Add accents like stars, hearts or swirls to the cheeks and forehead. Complete the fairy look by painting the lips a matching color.
Shapes
According to Face Painting Ideas, many parents find that painting their children's faces themselves saves money over hiring someone to do it for them. If you find it difficult to be creative, simply paint festive pictures on your child's cheeks and forehead. Cupcakes, candles, party hats, hearts or bubbles are celebratory shapes that can be easily painted onto a child's face. Use a lot of color and keep the drawing simple for the best results. For older recipients, paint simple, small accents like stars falling from the eyes, teardrops or lightning bolts.
Clown Faces
Many people will enjoy wearing a genuine clown face for a party, particularly if the party has a clown or circus theme. A clown face is achieved first by painting the famous exaggerated red and white mouth around the lips. Follow the lips' shape and use a picture to accurately paint this feature. Above the eyes, paint large arches that stretch to just above the eyebrow. Outline the arches with blue paint and fill them in with yellow paint. Add small black teardrops below the eyes and paint the rest of the face white.
Face-Painting Tips
The website Face Paint Ideas suggests a few guidelines for people seeking ideas for this party activity. Always use water-based paint for safe and easy removal, and ask the recipient what he wants before committing to a design. If you mess up the picture, don't worry. Most people and children will enjoy the attention and activity enough to appreciate your effort. If the party is themed, learn a few theme-oriented designs to use at the party.