There are many more elaborate costumes out there but the clown makeup smile requires some direction. If you don’t know how to do it, it can quickly go from joyful to terrifying. Keep reading if you want your costume to be sunny!
This is not a tutorial for professional clowns. There are many posts about this topic. These are some of our posts on the topic.
1) How to apply clown makeup
2) Different types of clowns
3) Tramp Clown Makeup
4) Makeup Mishaps
This is a how-to for those who want some inspiration for their happy clown costumes.
Happy Clown Makeup Tutorial
- MAKEUP SUPPLIES
Let’s start with makeup. To make a fun clown face, you don’t necessarily need a lot of makeup.
Black, white, or red are the most basic colors for this tutorial.
Diamond 6 Color Palette is a great basic face paint palette. You can be a little more creative when creating your happy clown face with the additional colors.
Individual containers of TAG face paint in black, white and red could be used. TAG is great for creating smooth lines and bases. These face paints are water-based and can be used for costumes, but they won’t hold up well if you sweat a lot.
An oil-based makeup palette is a good choice if you’re just starting out as a professional clown, or if you want your clown face to last the day. This makeup will not smudge, even after hours spent clowning in hot weather. Both the Graftobian Clown Makeup Kit Whiteface and the Ben Nye Clown Makeup Kit Whiteface make great choices. This oil-based makeup requires more practice than face paint. Please read our post “How to Apply Clown Makeup”.
To add pizzazz to your happy clown face, you can also use blue, pink, green, and other colors.
Glitter can be a fun way of adding sparkle to happy faces. Mama Clown Iridescent Glitter works well with any color of makeup.
The #6 and #4 round brushes are versatile. They can be used to define areas, add character lines and color lips. You can achieve finer detail if you use a smaller number of brushes. For bolder lines, you can use a larger number of brushes.
For creating a dramatic smile and eyelids, a 1/2″ filbert brush works well
Kryvaline High Density sponges are ideal for filling in gaps or applying a consistent base. You can skip the sponge if you don’t plan to paint your face with white face paint. Instead, you can use the brushes.
HAPPY NOT HORRIFYING
You can find inspiration online for your happy clown smile. Next, take out some crayons and paper to create a personal design. This will serve as a guideline when you apply your face paint.
Beware! Beware! The clown’s happy face can quickly turn sinister. These are some ways to avoid a clown face from horror movies.
1) Choose a brighter, more blood-red color for your face. Paradise Beach Berry and TAG red are great options.
2) Don’t be too strict with the black lines. Too bold black lines can make you look serious. You can create narrower lines by using a smaller round brush. The finer the line, the smaller the number.
3) Eyebrows that have a soft arch, or “sad eyebrows”, and are turned towards the hairline are adorable. Too severe arches or pointing down towards the nose make eyebrows look creepy.
4) Red lipstick should be applied within the natural lip line. This will not make your mouth look unfriendly. You should smile big and make your lips turn up.
5) Keep your cheeks rosy! You will convey a sense of friendliness and ease with a soft blush rather than hard circles