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If you've been wondering how to create those adorable K-Pop Demon Hunter designs that kids are going crazy for, this webinar is your guide. Face painting artist Maiya Kim breaks down the techniques for painting popular characters like Rumi, Zoe, Gino, and Derpy in a way that's accessible for painters of all skill levels.
About Maiya Kim: Maiya is an experienced face painting artist who has taught workshops internationally. Known for her character work and practical approach to design, she specializes in making complex designs achievable for face painters at any level. Her teaching style emphasizes adaptability and real-world application, helping artists build confidence with character painting.
Understanding K-Pop Demon Hunter Designs
The K-Pop Demon Hunter trend shows no signs of slowing down, with Netflix investing heavily in the franchise and a sequel already in development. These characters have become as popular as Frozen was for Disney, making them essential additions to your face painting repertoire.
Maiya explains that these designs are incredibly versatile. The same basic head shape and technique she uses for K-Pop characters works for Pikachu, Stitch, Grinch, and countless other popular characters. You're simply changing colors, eye styles, and adding character-specific details. Once you master the foundation, you can adapt to whatever trend comes next.
Demon Marks: Quick Designs That Kids Love
Demon marks are the perfect option when you're working with a line of kids or have limited time. These simple stripe patterns take just minutes to complete and create an impressive UV-reactive effect when paired with neon paints and a blacklight.
Maiya demonstrates two main styles: Rumi's pink demon marks and Gino's purple marks. The key difference is that girls' marks typically stay above the nose, while boys' marks from Gino's design cross over the nose. Using a one-stroke technique with neon paints, you can create these marks quickly while following the natural contours of the face.
The technique follows the same flow you'd use for superhero masks, with stripes going from the top of the head and chin toward focal points. Maiya emphasizes keeping marks aligned with natural facial anatomy, particularly the cheekbones, for the most flattering results.
Creating Character Heads: The Foundation
The secret to successful K-Pop character painting is starting with a large, round head shape. Maiya stresses making the head as big as the child's forehead allows, which makes the entire design easier to execute and more visually impressive.
For character heads, the basic structure remains consistent. You're creating a rounded shape with an ear loop on one side, positioned to show the face in a three-quarter view rather than straight-on. This angled perspective is what gives these characters their distinctive cartoon appearance.
Eyes That Bring Characters to Life
Maiya shares her favorite eye technique that works across multiple character types. The eyes don't need to be symmetrical since you're painting the face at an angle. One eye will naturally be smaller than the other due to the perspective.
For quick designs, she demonstrates a simple two-flick technique that creates a smiley expression. When you have more time, you can add full eyes with highlights, blush, and other details that make characters come alive. Adding a small dot of colored paint to the pupil, she notes, takes just seconds but dramatically improves the character's appearance.
Painting Rumi: Step-by-Step
Rumi, one of the most requested characters, features purple hair styled in a braid. Maiya uses a one-stroke technique that creates highlights and shadows simultaneously, making the process faster while adding dimension.
The hair flows from the ear toward the center of the head, with flicks radiating outward to create texture. For Rumi's signature braid, you're creating a rose-like spiral at the crown, then flowing the braid down past the eyebrow. The braid doesn't need to be perfect; adding loose strokes around the face creates a natural, windswept effect.
Once the basic character is established, outlining with black paint makes everything pop. Maiya adds stripes to the hair for a more dynamic look, then finishes with white highlights on strategic areas. If time allows, pink lips and rosy cheeks complete the transformation.
Derpy the Cat: Full Face and Forehead Options
Derpy offers flexibility with both a full-face mask option and a quicker forehead design. Maiya personally prefers the forehead version because strong blue face paint can stain skin, but she demonstrates both techniques for different situations.
The forehead design focuses on creating Derpy's distinctive features: orange-rimmed eyes, pink ears and nose, an open mouth with pointed teeth, and characteristic swipes on the forehead and cheeks. The small tongue detail inside the mouth adds personality that kids appreciate.
For the full-face mask, you're essentially creating a rainbow shape between the eyebrows, adding triangle ears at forty-five degree angles, and covering the space beneath the eyes. The technique is similar to painting a butterfly or Captain America mask, making it familiar territory for most face painters.
Gino: Adapting the Technique for Boys
Boys often request Gino, and the main difference from girl characters is the hairstyle. Instead of starting at the center of the head like you would for symmetrical girl hair, you shift the starting point to one-third of the head's width.
Using angled, triangle-shaped flicks, you create a more masculine, spiky hairstyle. The hair naturally falls across the forehead in a way that reads as boyish. Adding Gino's demon marks and his characteristic open mouth with teeth completes the character.
The Mysterious Bird with a Hat
In a delightful moment of improvisation, Maiya tackles a viewer request for the bird character despite never having painted it before. This spontaneous demonstration perfectly illustrates her teaching philosophy: once you understand the fundamentals, you can adapt to any character.
She creates a small black bird design that could work under the eyebrow or on the cheek, using metallic black and silver paints for depth. The quick adaptation shows how face painters can handle unexpected requests by applying basic principles to new subjects.
Products and Tools
Throughout the webinar, Maiya relies on several key products. She uses GTX homemade split cakes for the vibrant pinks and purples in demon marks and character hair. Fusion Body Art black split cake provides crisp outlines and details. Her brush selection includes a Banana Gum detail brush for precision work, a Verona one-stroke brush for hair and large areas, and angle brushes for mask work.
Neon paints play a starring role in these designs, particularly for demon marks. When paired with a UV flashlight, these marks light up dramatically, creating an effect that thrills both kids and parents. Maiya notes this simple addition transforms a quick design into something memorable.
- GTX Homemade Split Cakes (Pink/Purple varieties - used for demon marks and character hair)
- Fusion Body Art Black Split Cake (for character outlines and details)
- Detail Brush #00 (for precision line work)
- Verona Face Painting Pop 1.5 inch One-Stroke Brush (for hair and large areas)
- 3/4 inch Angle Brush (for mask work and quick coverage)
- Neon Face Paint Collection (UV reactive paints for demon marks)
- Metallic Orange and Yellow Split Cakes (for Derpy character designs)
- UV Flashlight/Blacklight (to showcase glowing demon marks)
Disclaimer:
For any products mentioned or used by the artist that are not available on our website, we will provide you with an alternative or a suggested brand that we carry.
Tips for Success
Maiya emphasizes several practical considerations throughout the session. She encourages painters to make heads as large as possible, which paradoxically makes the work easier rather than harder. She recommends keeping eyes simple when pressed for time, using her two-flick technique instead of detailed work.
For character recognition, color choice matters more than perfect accuracy. Kids will recognize Derpy from the blue and orange combination, even if every stripe isn't perfectly placed. The same principle applies to demon marks—similar patterns work across different monsters since there are so many variations in the show.
When painting boys versus girls, adjust your expectations and details accordingly. Boys often prefer the demon marks and more angular designs, while girls gravitate toward the full character heads with elaborate hair. Having both options in your repertoire ensures you can accommodate different preferences quickly.
Why These Designs Work
K-Pop Demon Hunter designs succeed because they offer scalability. You can create a simple demon mark design in under three minutes, or spend ten minutes on an elaborate character head. This flexibility makes them perfect for birthday parties, festivals, or any event where you need to balance quality with efficiency.
The designs also capitalize on current trends while teaching transferable skills. The techniques Maiya demonstrates apply to countless other characters, so you're not just learning one specific design but rather a approach that adapts to whatever becomes popular next.
Building Your Character Painting Confidence
Face painting classes like this one help you expand beyond basic cheek art into character work that commands higher prices and creates more memorable experiences. Understanding how to break down complex characters into manageable steps removes the intimidation factor from painting popular media characters.
Maiya's teaching style makes clear that perfection isn't the goal—creating recognizable, appealing designs efficiently is what matters in real-world face painting. Her willingness to improvise the bird character on the spot demonstrates the confidence that comes from understanding fundamental techniques.
Whether you're painting at children's birthday parties, community festivals, or corporate events, having K-Pop Demon Hunter designs in your repertoire gives you contemporary options that resonate with kids right now. As the franchise continues growing with Netflix's investment and upcoming sequels, these characters will remain relevant requests for the foreseeable future.
