Flower Face Painting for Children: Designs, Tips and Tutorials

There doesn't seem to be any doubt that when it comes to face painting and children, a flower or flowers is by far the most popular design chosen.

This is especially true of girls, who always have an affinity for flowers, but whom also sometimes want other design elements added to the flowers to complement them.

Face painting and flowers go together well because of the way they interact on the face; many times seeming to be that they were made for one another.

And when using the face as a canvass for flower art, every part of it is used at different times. There are those that like to have flowers strewn across the forehead; others around the eyes; still others on the cheeks; or a combination of all the above.

Whatever the choice, they always look great on children, and should be always considered an option at the special events they are associated with - including fairs, Halloween or other special occasions.

Just about any type of flower or flower color is part of face painting design for children, including some that aren't necessarily based upon a real flower.

Some of the extra elements included in many flower designs are butterflies, hearts, stars and leaves.

But as for overall design, the use of a scrolling look is by far the most popular and used for children; and adults too for that matter.

Once you get painting the flower down, from there is a simple matter putting flowers and other elements together to create the final look.

Here's a quick explanation of how to design a flower. As mentioned, once that is mastered you can them make as many as you want - both small or large - around the face, and then add other design elements if you choose.

The best way to start is to paint a flower on the cheek. That's the easiest place to do it, providing a nice and easily accessible canvass for you.

So first, take a small brush, and with your color of choice, work on creating the petals of the flower first. White is a good choice because you can add color over it later once the petal design is completed.

Once the flower petals are finished, from there you can add a stem using green face paint.

After that you can now choose whatever color you want the finished petals to be, and paint that over the original petal color. Painting over a base gives a fuller look and covers the skin better.

To get the idea of giving the flower a somewhat realistic look, take a color and fill in the center of where you painted the petals. That gives the appearance that the petals are connected to a central point.

Once the petals are colored, you can then come back with a lighter color and fill in around the petals to make it stick out better. Remember, this is assuming you colored over the original petals with a darker color.

From there you can add all the fun things you want, such as glitter and other fun elements children love so much.

This first image of a flower face painting is an excellent example of how you combine themes to create a wonderfully compelling design.

What's not to like about the beautiful butterfly and its antennae appearing to be flying towards the string of flowers on the other side of the face.

And what even adds more to it is the use of a scrolling design to the flowers to enhance the overall look of the job. What little child wouldn't want to look like this when the work is done?

Here we see why using a flower theme for face painting is so much fun. The vibrant colors just leap out at you, and then the design is changed with the large flower placed over the eye; a very popular choice for many people.

Notice how easy it would be to draw the petal shape of the flowers and then add a touch of color within the petals, as shown below, to create that gorgeous look. Also take note of the simple stems and leaves added to complete the overall look. Very nice.

Finally, the inclusion of the lines going out from the eye without the flower on it shows how simple little design elements can make such a major impact on the image on the face.

This particular photo was included to show a very simple but effective way of applying face paint to a child's face.

Notice the pink underneath? All you have to do there is dab it on with a sponge before doing anything else. That sets the stage, not only for the flowers, but as a built-in backdrop as well; providing two purposes with one step.

All you have to do next is make the petals with white paint (or whatever color you choose), and apply it over the pink foundational color.

Next add the round color in the middle of the flower and the short lines coming out and you have an awesome flower design.

You can do it with a scrolling design as you see below, or try some other creative options to create a completely different look. Just have the idea in your head of what you or the child wants before you start the work.

If you like other color combinations, again, picture in your brain what it would look like when overlapping as in this face painting design, and you'll know what to expect.

Next we'll look at several face painting video tutorials for children using the flower as the central theme.

Together the offer a nice variety for those who learn better by a visual medium, showing different techniques and designs that will appeal to, and help, those with different painting styles.

I thought the cute pink and yellow flower painted on the cheek below was another good example of simplicity, but quality face art.

At first glance it may appear to be very simple to make, but take a closer look at the way the flower petals were designed. It includes the light pink filling in most of the flower petals, but includes that nice dark pink dot in the middle of the petal, as well as that compelling white, curved line on the side of each flower to give the appearance of it shining. It works great.

And just add that smiling sun and little leaf sticking out of the top and it's a fantastic flower that would be quick and easy to make, but still looks great.

In this example it's unique in that it includes two large flowers painted on the face with nothing else included. It really gives a different look that the other flower paint designs.

It's pretty cool how the flower was painted over the eye, with the center taking on a pink color, with the petals painted a beautiful white and pink. The pink lines over the white really look good.

And using a pink flower motif on the other cheek is very cool, magnified by the way the flower petal extends onto the lip of the little girl. Pretty cool effect. I wonder what it looks like when she opens her mouth to smile? It would instantly change the flower design, but in a way I think would be captivating.

I could see this working well with flowers that are releasing seed, and having it placed in a manner that when the mouth opened the seed appeared to be flying off.

But whether you want to get that detailed or not, the flower pattern and designs below are very well done.

After looking through this group of photos and video tutorials, you can see why the flower is such a popular choice among children and adults for getting them painted on their faces.

You can use any color choice you want and it would work fantastic. Then there are the design options and additional elements that can be used to complement the flowers. Things like the scrolling seen above, the flower over the eye, and the multitude of little touches that make them so compelling and unusual in looks from face to face.

Whether for Halloween, county fairs, birthdays, or other special occasions, using flowers as a face painting theme is a choice you won't regret and can't lose with. And best of all, your children or grandchildren will love it.