How to Make the Joker's Scars

Creating the signature scars that the "Joker" character is known for can be easily done using only three colors of face paint.

The "Joker" character from Christopher Nolan's comic book adaptation film "The Dark Knight" is one of the most popular characters for kids and adults alike to dress up as for Halloween. The greenish-yellow hair and white makeup mixed with shocking red scars on the sides of the mouth make for a recognizable and fun costume. Creating the "Joker's" signature scars can easily be done with the use of face paint.

Things You'll Need

• Red, black and white face paint
• 4 high-density face-painting sponges
• Fine face-painting brush

Instructions

1. Cover the subject's entire face with white face paint using a sponge. You might need to apply more than one coat of paint to cover the entire face.

2. Draw a red line extending up from both corners of the subject's mouth, using a fine face-painting brush. The line should reach just above the nostrils of the nose. Using the sponge, apply and smudge more red face paint around the line. You can be messy, as the effect looks better the crazier the smudging.

3. Draw a black line in the middle of the red smudgy scar-line with a fine paint brush. The line should extend from the corners of both lips, up about two-thirds of the red scar on both sides. Feel free to slightly smudge up the black line, so it is not too sharp.

4. Smudge the entire face with a clean sponge to lose any harsh edges, and give the subject that messy "Joker-like" appearance.

Tips & Warnings

• To complete the "Joker" make-up look, darken the area around the eyes with black paint and add black wrinkles around the eyes and scars using a fine brush. The costume also can be be accentuated with a green-yellow wig and a purple suit.

References

• Face Paint Heaven: The Joker - Creepy Clown Face Paint
• IMDb: The Dark Knight