Home >> Hobbies >> Other Hobbies

How to Make Face Paint Dry

Face paint allows you to adopt a new persona in just minutes. Painting faces is an excellent rainy day activity for children, and most children love seeing unusual images on their faces. Face paint can, however, take a few minutes to dry. Children who are eager to see their new look might inadvertently smudge the paint, and no one wants to sit and wait for paint to dry before they can go about their activities. With a few simple tricks, you can speed up the drying time of the paint.

Face Preparation
- Face paint dries much more quickly when applied to a properly prepared face. Wash your face with a mild soap and warm water before painting and then pat dry with a towel. If you are painting the entire face, exfoliating beforehand can help the paint dry more evenly. Use a gentle face exfoliator, or gently rub the face with a warm washcloth.
Paint Preparation
- Thicker face paint tends to dry much more quickly. Most face paints are dry paints that require you to add water. Add only a dab of water to the paint. This allows the paint to dry more quickly and ensures a richer, more even pigment.
Paint Application
- Face paint dries more quickly when applied with a sponge instead of a brush. This technique is also more effective for application of the paint to a large area of the face. Apply paint in thin layers. High-quality face paint requires only a small amount of paint to get the appropriate color and will dry more quickly.
After Application
- After you've applied the paint, you can speed up drying time by blowing air from a hair drier on the cool setting onto your face. If you're painting a child's face, allow them to control the direction and speed of the air. Avoid sitting in bathrooms. The humid environment can slow down drying time. Similarly, excessive heat can cause you to sweat, which also slows down drying time. Sit near air conditioning or a fan if you are hot.

Other Hobbies