Popular Character Designs with Pam Kinneberg Webinar

Master the Characters Kids Can't Stop Requesting

Ever feel like you're scrambling to keep up with what kids are asking for at your face painting events? Pam Kinneberg, one of the most organized and talented face painters in the industry, joined us to break down four of the hottest character designs that are flying off the request boards right now: Stitch, Mercat, Sonic, and Pikachu. Whether you're working a birthday party or a festival gig, these face painting designs will have you prepared for whatever walks up to your chair.

About Pam Kinneberg: Pam has been a cornerstone of the FacePaint.com community for years, creating weekly video tutorials and building a reputation as both an exceptional teacher and the undisputed queen of stencils. Her organized approach to face painting classes and willingness to share trade tips make her webinars essential viewing for professional face painters at every skill level.

Product List:

1. FAB Pastel Blue - Essential for Stitch's signature eye color
2. Paradise Teal - Perfect for Mercat's face base
3. Superstar Purple Rain - Used for Mercat's mermaid scales
4. TAG Canary Yellow - Pikachu's base color
5. Prime Pink Sorbet (Fusion) - For character accents and details
6. Blazin Brushes #8 Filbert - Pam's go-to for quick coverage
7. Mama Clown Iridescent Glitter (Ice Blue & White) - Add sparkle to every design
8. Art Factory Boomerang Stencil #B26 - Hawaiian leaf details for Stitch

Stitch: The Blue Alien Everyone Loves

Stitch from Disney's Lilo & Stitch continues to be a crowd favorite, and Pam's approach makes this seemingly complex design totally manageable. The key is building your design strategically, starting with placement of those iconic big ears before filling in the rest of the face.

Pam begins with pastel blue around the eyes using a petal sponge, creating Stitch's distinctive large eye shape. The secret? Angle your sponge work outward rather than straight up for a more authentic look. Next comes the pink inner ears using Prime Pink Sorbet, positioned high on the forehead to ensure you have room for the full character. The brilliant blue face color fills in around these anchor points, and don't forget that characteristic notch in Stitch's ears.

To elevate this design beyond the basics, Pam adds Hawaiian-themed details that reference the movie's tropical setting. Using an Art Factory boomerang stencil, she adds tropical leaves in a darker green blend. The finishing touches include tropical flowers created with a lily petal brush triple-loaded with white, magenta, and dark blue, plus white highlights that give the design dimensional depth. And of course, a spritz of holographic glitter brings everything together.

Pro Tips for Stitch:

• Always paint the pink inner ears first to establish proper placement and ensure you have room
• The notch in the ears is a must-have detail that makes the character instantly recognizable
• Keep the nose high between the eyes rather than down on the actual nose for better proportions
• Hawaiian elements are optional speed-up skips when you're pressed for time

Mercat: The Newest Sensation from Gabby's Dollhouse

If you haven't heard of Mercat yet, you will soon. This character from the newly released Gabby's Dollhouse movie was the breakout hit at Pam's recent event, with kids requesting it nonstop. The design combines cat and mermaid elements into one adorable face painting design that works beautifully for quick line work.

The structure starts with a pink starfish accent positioned at the forehead, followed by purple rain for the mermaid scales section. Paradise teal creates the cat face base, but here's Pam's clever technique: instead of painting straight across the bottom, she leaves a small muzzle area to give it that authentic feline shape. A pink heart sits perfectly on the nose tip.

The mermaid scales can be painted freehand or stenciled on quickly. Pam uses a stencil with a light pink wash over white to create subtle, pretty scales that don't overpower the design. Black outlines define all the elements, and the character comes to life with simple details: rounded starfish tips, cat ear outlines with purple centers, and just a touch of white highlighting to make everything pop.

Why Mercat Works So Well:

• Quick to execute while still looking detailed and impressive
• The combination of cat and mermaid appeals to a wide range of kids
• Easy to adapt to different face shapes and sizes
• That little muzzle detail makes all the difference in the final look

Sonic: The Speedy Blue Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog remains eternally popular, and Pam's streamlined approach makes this character design fast enough to keep your line moving. The foundation is brilliant blue applied with a half-inch flat brush, which allows you to create those distinctive spikes with pointed edges.

The eye treatment uses the same petal sponge technique as Stitch, creating white areas that angle outward for that characteristic Sonic look. The middle spike starts larger and fatter, with two smaller spikes flanking it on each side. Yellow fills the inner ears, and optional lightning bolt accents using a stencil add that electric energy Sonic is known for.

Pam demonstrates an important technique for soft edges: instead of leaving hard lines where the blue ends, she uses a sponge to tap and blur the paint outward, creating a natural fade. This small detail makes a professional difference. Black outlines vary in thickness for visual interest, and white highlights on the spikes and ears add dimension. A tiny nose and optional smirk complete the hedgehog's personality.

Sonic Speed Tips:

• Vary your line weight with thick and thin strokes for a more artistic appearance
• The soft fade technique at the bottom prevents harsh ending lines
• Lightning bolt stencils are optional but add fun character quickly
• Ask if they want glitter since this tends to be more popular with boys who may prefer it without

Pikachu: The Pokémon That Never Goes Out of Style

Pikachu requests never stop coming, and Pam shares her game-changing trick for getting those iconic long ears onto even the shortest foreheads. The base is straightforward: TAG canary yellow applied with a rounded sponge, keeping the top edge low enough to leave room for ears.

Here's Pam's brilliant ear solution that solves the forehead space problem: instead of stopping the ear outline where the yellow forehead ends, she extends the black outline down into the yellow face area. This creates the illusion of longer ears without requiring more forehead space. The black ear tips are essential character markers that make Pikachu instantly identifiable.

Red half-circle cheeks sit on the sides where the yellow ends, and optional accent details can include comic-style marks or a little tuft of hair at the top. The minimal black nose keeps things simple, and white highlights bring the whole design together. This is truly one of those face painting designs where less is more—the simplicity is what makes it so effective and quick.

The Pikachu Ear Trick:

• Extend black ear outlines down into the face rather than stopping at the forehead edge
• This creates long, recognizable ears even on limited forehead space
• Black ear tips are non-negotiable for character recognition
• Keep the overall design simple for maximum impact and speed

Universal Tips from a Pro

Throughout this face painting class, Pam emphasized techniques that apply across all character work. Her organized approach includes preparing supply sheets for each design, making it easy to grab exactly what you need without hunting through your kit mid-design.

On the stencil front, Pam is unapologetically a stencil enthusiast, even cutting her oversized stencils in half to fit her organized carrying case system. Her logic is sound: stencils make you faster and more consistent, which means better service for your clients and more money in your pocket. She organizes stencils by category in compact cases—textures, animal prints, glam accents, girl designs, boy designs, superheroes, and more.

The glitter application technique Pam uses deserves special mention. She sprays her glitter in a fine mist bottle, and when a bottle stops working properly, she simply replaces it rather than trying to fix it. These inexpensive bottles make glitter application quick and even, and having backups means you're never stuck with a clogged sprayer mid-event.

For darker skin tones, Pam and the webinar community shared valuable advice: use light blue highlights over your darker blue base colors, always include white highlights for definition, and consider outlining with white or light yellow to make colors pop. Really good paint coverage matters tremendously on all skin tones.

The Business of Character Designs

Understanding which characters are trending and having them ready to paint gives you a competitive advantage. When Pam mentioned that Mercat dominated requests at her recent Gabby's Dollhouse party, it's a reminder to stay current with kids' entertainment. New movies, shows, and games constantly introduce characters that become instant hits.

These four designs represent different categories that cover your bases: classic Disney (Stitch), trending new releases (Mercat), video game icons (Sonic), and timeless favorites (Pikachu). Having a solid version of each type in your repertoire means you can handle whatever comes your way.

The webinar also highlighted the importance of adaptability. Every design Pam demonstrated included optional elements that can be skipped when time is tight. Stitch's flowers, Mercat's scales, Sonic's lightning bolts, and Pikachu's accent marks all enhance the designs but aren't essential. This flexibility lets you adjust to your specific event's pace and requirements.

Essential Supplies for Character Face Painting

Pam's kit choices reflect her professional experience. She relies heavily on Blazin Brushes Filbert brushes in sizes 4 and 8 for quick coverage, Art Factory round brushes for detail work, and Kraze FX for fine lining. Her paint palette included FAB Brilliant Blue and Pastel Blue, Paradise Teal, Superstar Purple Rain, Prime Pink Sorbet, TAG Canary Yellow, and Diamond FX White.

The petal sponges Pam uses for eye work are game-changers for getting smooth, even coverage in tight spaces around facial features. These specialized sponges give you control that regular round sponges can't match. And those Art Factory boomerang stencils provide professional texture effects in seconds.

For glitter enthusiasts, Mama Clown holographic glitters in ice blue and white iridescent proved perfect for adding that extra sparkle kids love. The fine spray application method keeps glitter application fast and even without over-saturating the design.

Join the Face Painting Community

This webinar drew face painters from across North America and around the world, with professionals sharing tips and asking questions throughout the session. The collaborative spirit of the face painting community shines through in these educational events, where experienced painters like Pam generously share the techniques they've refined over years of professional work.

Whether you're painting your first Pikachu or your thousandth, there's always something new to learn. Pam's systematic approach, from her organized stencil cases to her strategic design sequencing, offers a masterclass in professional efficiency. These aren't just face painting designs—they're proven systems for delivering consistent quality while keeping your line moving.

The characters kids love may change with every new movie release and trending show, but the fundamental techniques Pam demonstrated translate across any design. Master these core skills, stay organized, and keep your ear to the ground for what's popular, and you'll always be ready to paint exactly what walks up to your chair.