Ocean animals are huge hits with kids, so whether it's turtles and dolphins or sharks and sea horses, you should have a few on your board. For children who would rather have a mask than cheek art, the Big Nose Buddies can help complement your other options at events with an underwater theme. 

Materials

• Lime green face paint (TAG)
• Medium green face paint (TAG)
• Yellow face paint (TAG)
• Pearl light/sky blue face paint (TAG)
• Light blue face paint (Paradise)
• Black face paint (Diamond FX)
• White face paint (Wolfe)
• Cosmetic grade glitter in white or light blue iridescent (Mama Clown Ice Blue)
• Reptile stencil (HAS Organic)
• Sponge
• Small filbert brush
• Medium filbert brush
• #2 round brush
• #4 or #5 round brush

Tutorial

Begin by sponging a combination of TAG pearl light blue and Paradise light blue over the forehead area, leaving a spot in the center where the face and body of the turtle will be.

Use your filbert and/or #4 or #5 round brush to fill in the turtle body and head shapes as shown in the image below. I used the light greens for the body and head, medium green for his flippers/legs, and yellow for the stomach area. I used white to create the eyes after the other colors were in place. 

Using a sponge or dauber, add some turtle texture to the head and upper shell.

Outline the body with your #2 round brush and add any other details. I wasn't sure if I liked the more realistic eye shape for the turtle, so feel free to change this if you prefer a traditional round cartoon eye shape. 

Finally, add highlights, dots, and starbursts as always. In addition, to make it more of a complete mask look, I placed teardrops by the corners of the eyes.

Enjoy, and happy painting!

Beth MacKinney is the owner of and primary face painter for Face Paint Pizzazz in Elgin, Illinois, and her artwork has appeared in The Colored Palette and SkinMarkz magazines. She services the western and northwestern Chicago suburbs, Chicago’s north side, and the eastern and southeastern suburbs of Rockford. Stop by Clownantics.com to enjoy more of Beth’s face painting tutorials.