How to Face Paint a Clown

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: December 12, 2021 References Tested

Clown faces are among the most popular face painting designs. There are countless styles and each face painter and clown has their own unique look. Painting a happy clown face for a birthday party or terrifying one for Halloween can be relatively quick and easy. All you need are some face paints, brushes, and sponges.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Making a Simple Clown Face

1
Make thick arches over your eyebrows with white face paint. Dip a wide face-painting brush, with a width about equal to that of your thumb, into a container of white face paint. Start painting the arch at the inside end of your eyebrow and continue until you cover its entire length. Extend the bottom of the arch to your eyelid, just above your lash line, and the top of the arch 2 centimetres (0.79 in) above your eyebrow.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- Position yourself and your face-paint kit in front of a mirror so you’ll be able to see your face as you paint it.
- You can find face paint and brushes at most craft stores and online.
2
Use a thin brush to paint a white outline around your mouth. Shape the outline around your mouth so that it looks like an exaggerated smile. Keep the top of the outline about midway between the top of your lip and the bottom of your nose and the bottom line 3 centimetres (1.2 in) or so below your bottom lip. Extend the side edges outward and upward to the bottom of your cheeks.^{[2]
X
Research source}

Advertisement
3
Fill in the area between your mouth and the outline with white paint. After drawing a white outline around your face, use the same brush and white paint to cover any exposed skin between it and your mouth. Use the finest brush in your kit to fill in the area right next to the edges of your mouth for a crisp look.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- It might be helpful to use a small, handheld makeup mirror with magnification for this step and when painting other small details.
- Rinse your brush in a small bowl of water once you’re done applying the paint, before the paint on the brush has a chance to dry.
4
Redden your cheeks with red face paint and a slightly damp sponge. Start by getting a face-painting sponge slightly damp. Get some bright, ruby red face paint on it and dab the red face paint onto your cheeks in the shape of a circle.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- Apply the paint to an area that’s around the size of one of your eyes.
5
Draw a red circle on the tip of your nose. Dip 1 of your finest brushes into a container of bright red face paint. Paint slowly and carefully to get the circle as perfectly round and even as possible.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- Start by making a small circle and extend its edges outward until you get a circle you like the look of.
6
Coat your lips with the same shade of red. Once you’ve finished making the circle on the tip of your nose, use the same brush and shade of bright red face paint to brighten your lips. Add small circles to the corners of your mouth to create an even happier look.^{[6]
X
Research source}
7
Add black eyebrows above the white arches you drew earlier. Make the eyebrows slightly thicker than your normal eyebrows. Angle them upward to complement the clown’s smiley face. Extend the outside end of the eyebrow around the top of the white arch.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- Try not to leave any skin exposed between the bottom of the eyebrow and the top of the white arch.
8
Paint thin, black vertical lines above and below the centers of your eyes. Dip one of your finest brushes into a container of black face paint. When painting the vertical lines, align the top and bottom lines directly above and below your pupil. Start the bottom line just below your bottom eyelid and extend it ¹⁄₂ in (1.3 cm). Center the top line in the middle of the white arches, and make it slightly shorter than the bottom line.^{[8]
X
Research source}
- Be careful when painting around your eyes so that you don’t get any paint in them.
9
Outline the bottom of your mouth with a thin black line. Adding a thin black line between the bottom of your bottom lip and the white outline around your mouth will help the red color on your lips pop. You’ll want to keep the line relatively thin so that it’s not too noticeable to the eye.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- It’s probably best to use the finest brush in your face-painting kit to make this line.
10
Dab some red glitter gel onto the red circle on your nose. Adding a little red glitter gel will make your nose sparkle and add extra sparkle to your clown face. To add the glitter, just put some onto the tip of a fine brush and gently dab it onto the red circle.^{[10]
X
Research source}
- If you’re happy with your look, you can go ahead and skip this step.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Creating a Scary Clown Look

1
Apply flesh tone face paint to cover your eyebrows. Dab a slightly damp sponge into a color of face paint that most closely matches your skin tone. Cover your eyebrows as best you can with a thick coat of this paint by dabbing the sponge over your eyebrows.^{[11]
X
Research source}
- Covering your eyebrows like this will help conceal them after you apply white face paint to your entire face.
2
Cover your entire face and neck with white face paint. Once the face paint you applied on your eyebrows dries, get another sponge slightly damp and then get some white face paint on it. Dab the white paint onto your face until your entire face is covered in a thick, white coat of paint.^{[12]
X
Research source}
- Be sure to cover your neck, ears, and lips, as well as any areas of skin on your face.
3
Draw a pair of angry eyebrows with a fine brush and black paint. Start by drawing a “J” shape between the top of your nose and the inside edge of your eyebrow. Then, extend the line upward over your eye before curving it down toward the outer edge of your eye. Create a mirror image of this over your other eye.^{[13]
X
Research source}
- Using a #1 liner brush would work well for this step.
- You can draw a different style of eyebrow if it gives the clown’s face an angry look.
4
Add some frown lines at the inner edges of your eyes. After you finish drawing your angry eyebrows, you can enhance the clown’s angry look by drawing some frown lines. To make these, use the same black paint and fine brush you used to make the eyebrows, and draw 3 faint lines in the shape of crow’s feet coming out of the inner corners of your eyes.^{[14]
X
Research source}
5
Underline each of your bottom eyelids with a thin black line. Use the same black paint and fine brush you used to paint the eyebrows and frown lines. Carefully add a thin black line right below your eyelid, from your eye’s inner edge to slightly beyond its outer edge.^{[15]
X
Research source}
- Make the part of the line that extends beyond your eye’s outer edge slightly thinner.
- If you’re painting the clown face on a small child or on someone who has trouble sitting still, you can skip this step because it’s easy to accidentally hit the eye.
6
Paint your lips and surrounding areas a dark red color. After using a fine brush to coat your lips with dark red face paint, extend the paint line below your bottom lip to create an exaggerated bottom lip. Then, paint an exaggerated cupid’s bow right above your top lip. Finish by extending the sides of the mouth outward.^{[16]
X
Research source}
- Make sure the coat of paint is thick enough to give your lips a deep, blood-red look.
7
Draw thin, red lines from the corners of your mouth to your forehead. Once you’ve finished coloring your lips, use the same brush and red color to paint thin lines up to the black line you drew below your bottom eyelid. Add a slight curve to the lines to give them some definition. Then, extend the lines from the top of your upper eyelids to an inch below your hairline.^{[17]
X
Research source}
- Try to make the 2 lines as even as possible to give yourself a symmetrical look.
- These lines will give your clown the same look as Pennywise from the 2017 movie It.
8
Brush some red paint onto the bottom of your nose. Use a thick brush and the same dark red color you used on your lips. To apply the paint, put the brush on the bottom of your nose and flick it upward to create a fade. Cover the bottom ¹⁄₂ in (1.3 cm) of your nose with the red paint.^{[18]
X
Research source}
- Flicking the brush to create a fade will give the top of the red section a frayed look, which will give your clown face a look of wild unpredictability.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I set the makeup?

Community Answer

Buy makeup setting spray. You can get it just about anywhere they sell makeup. You should be able to find a decent one for about $10.
Question

Can I apply prosthetics?

Sylghouls

Top Answerer

Sure! Assuming you're talking about applying a clown nose, you should wipe off the makeup from the tip of your own nose first, then apply a light coat of glue/adhesive on the clown nose and place it onto the tip of your own nose. Remove it from your nose and apply more adhesive to the clown nose. Apply more adhesive to your own nose along the marks of glue where you first adhered the clown nose to your face, then stick the nose on and hold it in place until your glue dries.
Question

Is there a certain brand of face paint to use?

WikiHowCollaborator

Community Answer

Try to find a reliable brand that fits in your budget. You don't have to get an expensive brand, but be wary of cheap paints. Vet the brand you will buy, too. Check the reviews to make sure the paint won't sweat or wipe off too easily or cause a reaction with your skin.