How to Do the Joker's Makeup

The Joker's appearance is that of a very simple clown.

The Joker is one of the most colorful villains related to the Batman series of comics, TV shows and films. Portrayed on screen by Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger and Cesar Romero, the character is known for an unnerving psychotic personality. The Joker is also known for his crazed clown-like makeup. In each version of "Batman," the joker's makeup is slightly different. When trying to recreate the look, the first step is deciding which Joker you want to be.

Things You'll Need

• White face paint
• Red face paint
• Black face paint
• Makeup application sponges
• Cosmetic brushes
• Shower cap
• Paper towels

Instructions

1. Cover or tie back your hair using hair clips, or preferably a shower cap. This will keep you from getting the face paint into your hair and makes the final image look neater.

2. Apply the white face paint all over your face using a large cosmetic sponge. Larger sponges help to speed up the process. Be cautious around the eyes and lips and perhaps use a fine brush for these more intricate areas. Apply the paint thickly for the look portrayed by Cesar Romero and Jack Nicholson. Apply more thinly for the cracked look created by Heath Ledger's portrayal.

3. Paint thick rings around your eyes with a small cosmetic brush, using the black face paint. These rings can be neat or slightly smeared into the white base color. The appearance should be panda-like and matches the Heath Ledger Joker. This step is not needed for other Joker versions.

4. Cover the lips with the red face paint to get a clown-like smile. Taper the red coloring to sharp upward points at either side of the mouth. Use a fine brush for this. For the Romero and Nicholson Jokers, try to keep the lip shape neat. For the Ledger Joker the lips can have a more smeared appearance and do not need the sharp points.

Tips & Warnings

• When painting around the eyes, it may be safer to let a friend do it for you.

• A green wig or dyed green hair completes the look, along with a colorful Joker-like costume.

• Thin cracks in the white base coat give an appearance like the Heath Ledger Joker.

• A smooth and thick white base coat creates the Nicholson or Romero Joker appearance.

References

• The Face Painter: How To's
• IMDB: The Joker