How to Paint the Face for a Scarecrow Costume
Scarecrows were traditionally used to scare birds from fields full of crops, but today they are most commonly seen at Halloween when they decorate front lawns and their likenesses are used in costumes. Scarecrow costumes are popular because of their cultural link to the holiday and due to their simplicity of design. Most people have the makings for a scarecrow costume in their closets at home, and what cannot be found at home can be purchased with a quick trip to a craft store and a second hand clothing store.
Things You'll Need
- Face paint (yellow, white, black, brown, orange, red)
- Sponge
- Face painting paint sticks
- Thin paint brush
Instructions
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1
Apply a layer of light golden yellow paint. Dab the paint on with a sponge until the face has been covered with an even coat. Cover the mouth, eyebrows and eyelids.
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2
Extend the lines of the mouth to make it appear wider than it actually is, using either a thin brush or a black paint stick. The line should curve upward in a smile.
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3
Cross the lines extending the mouth with two or three small hatch marks on both sides, using the thin paint brush or a black paint stick.
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4
Have your subject close his mouth. Using the thin paint brush or a black paint stick, make three X shapes that cross over the line of the mouth so that the top half of the X is on the upper lips and the bottom half of the X is on the lower lips.
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5
Paint an orange or red triangle over the nose. Using a black paint stick or a thin paint brush, make crisscrosses overlapping the perimeter of the triangle, to create the effect that the nose has been sewn on.
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6
Create arching eye brows above the subject's actual eye brows, using a brown or black paint stick, or with a thin paint brush dipped in paint.
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7
Create the effect of eye lashes by using a black paint stick or a thin paint brush to make four or five soft black curling lines protruding from the lower eye lids.
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8
Add a few stray crisscrosses (overlapping) to the face to increase the effect that the figure is made out of straw and sewn together parts. Add the crisscrosses to areas around the face like the cheeks or the forehead. Do not overdo this step: use the crisscrosses sparingly as decorative touches, nothing more.
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Tips & Warnings
Use caution any time you're painting on someone's face in the vicinity of the eyes. Take care not to poke or scratch the eyes with your tools or hands, and avoid getting makeup in your subject's eyes.
