Perfect Practice Makes Perfect

"Perfect practice makes perfect" - Marcela Murad

I was putting together some designs for ¿PINTAMOS? Magazine, a spanish-language face painting magazine. I wanted to do several fairy designs and I figured out a great way to practice the standard designs. I sponged on the rainbow base on the face template first, let it dry and THEN put it in report covers (you know, the ones we used to use in school with the plastic spines. I had found a whole box at a thrift store and hadn't used them until now.)

They are a little easier to use than the sheet protectors because you can open them, but sheet protectors would work great also. And I also found out that you can nest them again (like when I did a fancy stencil and didn't want to have to re-do it) and go over the top of that and I could still see the design to paint. It's fabulous for trying different kinds of line work patterns or trying different paint color combos. It's kind of like those overlays that cartoon illustrators do.

Using overlays to try different aspects of a design...AND save paint

I created these blank faces from a template I got in Marcela's class when she came to Salt Lake City. I edited them to have open eyes and closed eyes and have different skin tones. They are available in several face painting Facebook groups like New Face Painters & Face and Body Painters. If you would like a PDF with all of them, email me. It includes a white version if you don't have a color printer, you can it to a copy center and print it on different skin tones. I like having different tones so that I can see my white line work and it makes it seem more realistic.

Face printed on color paper

I've also laminated a few faces for quick line work practice. It works surprisingly well if you have your paint consistency right. If you don't, it will bead up if it's too wet and streak if it's too dry so that is helpful too. If you are on a tight budget, you can get a tube of white and black craft paint and cheap paper at the Dollar Tree (or recycle some paper or even magazines) and practice your tear drops, tiger stripes and swirls with that. It's also good for practicing brush calligraphy....BUT NOT FOR REAL FACES!!! You wouldn't do that, now would you. :)