Today's challenge was painting a koala mask face paint design, while keeping the eye, nose and mouth area free of paint! And that turned out to be a real challenge 😁! 

Of course you can elongate the koala's nose up to the tip of the real nose and make it more characteristic, or you can leave it like this, for all the little ones that dislike having their eyes, nose and mouth painted just like my son.

Whatever you choose, as long as it is grey and has big fluffy ears, the kids will be happy!

Supplies:

Paradise White
Paradise Storm Cloud
Paradise Black
Paradise Light Pink
Superstar Steel Black Shimmer
PartyXplosion White
PartyXplosion Black
Loew Cornell Gold Grip #3 Round Brush
Kryolan wide chisel brush
Aqualon Filbert Wisp Brush (1/2")
Silly Farm Little Drop Filbert Brush
Tattoo Pro Wiser's Graffiti Madness Stencil Kit
Regular Sponge

Step 1: Sketching the Outlines

I started this design with a quick sketch, to find the proper placement for the koala mask. For the sketch I used a glycerin based white in a watery consistency and a small round brush (#3).

The facial anatomy of a real koala is very different from ours, and that means I had to look for the best placement for the ears and nose in order to keep the characteristic koala look.

Step 2: Filling in the Base

Using a wide chisel brush and glycerin based paint, I filled in the entire mask shape. Starting with the grey, next the white, followed by a little bit of pink.

Step 3: Adding Texture and Contrast

Using a small filbert brush loaded with metallic black, I painted the nose, keeping the middle part white as a highlight. Next I darkened the corners of the ears with the same brush and paint.

To add some texture I used a dot stencil and a regular sponge, loaded with a mixture of grey and glycerin based black. Using the same technique, I then added more dots but this time in a lighter color, a mixture of grey and glycerin white paint.

Step 4: Enhancing the Contrast

To create more depth in the design, I loaded the small filbert brush with glycerin based black paint and painted over the contours of the nose once more. Again keeping the middle part open to mimic the highlights on a real koala's nose.

With the same brush, I darkened the inside of the ears a bit and added a very soft contour line around the entire mask, including the ears.

Step 5: Adding a bit of White Fur

Using a wisp brush loaded with regular white paint, I painted some fluffy white hairs on and in the ears and the side of the mask. 

Next I added a soft white outline all around the mask using the same brush and paint.

With regular black paint and a small round brush, I then added a little bit of black on the inside edge of the ears. And with the same brush and paint, I further deepened the color of the nose on the edges to enhance the contrast even more, and added a little wrinkle line above the nose.

Step 6: The Finishing Touch: Highlights

With a small round brush and regular white paint, I painted a few more hairs in the ears.

Last but not least, I added some highlights around the eyes and on the nose.

All done! A kid-proof and easily adaptable koala mask face paint design! With a flower and some eye-lashes, you can change it into a more cute girl design too!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. And if you try it, please tag me! I love to see your versions!

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Want to have Annabel as your personal instructor? Take a Class at the International Face Painting School.  

Annabel Hoogeveen is the owner and founder of 'Blije-Snoetjes Kinderschmink', a Facepainting company and school in the Netherlands. She is painting for about 10 years and is passionate about teaching others how to facepaint, 'because the more face painters there are, the more kids we can make happy'.