Temporary Tattoos in Place of Face Painting

The availability of temporary tattoos has made the art of face painting as simple as an instant meal. Just add water! (This is a comparison only, folks, no, you should not eat the tattoos!) Most temporary tattoos are quick and easy to apply. You place them on a cheek, cover with a cloth or paper towel soaked in water (warm works best), hold a few seconds, and voila`! You now have instant face art. The cheaper tattoos may not always come off their backing as they are supposed to, creating missing places in the picture. But there are many quality tattoos that are worth the effort. Sometimes the removal can be a bit tricky as well, requiring a bit of baby oil applied to the area and some gentle scrubbing.

While temporary tattoos can be incredible in their colors and simplicity of application, some may say they take away from the idea of actual face art. After all, anyone can apply a simple temporary tattoo, right? Many artists may be insulted to have their work compared to such a thing. Professional face painting requires a dedication, a love of artwork, skill in the drawing and painting and knowledge of supplies, and also people skills. But those who design these type of tattoos do deserve some credit, for their choice of designs and colors quantity available, and quality of the product.

The world has become fast-paced and face painting has evolved with it in the creation of the temporary tattoos. Not only sold as facial stickers, they can also be airbrushed onto the face, which requires a bit more knowledge and investment. Stencil designs are used to bring ease of application. Airbrushed designs transform the image into a face-clinging mask! They can be applied quickly with experienced artists being able to paint as fast as one person per minute.

Markers are a big help also for applying a face painting image. These are available in the crafts section of many hobby stores and drugstores. For great detail work, you can use an eyeliner pencil, which helps if you need to outline. Artists who are good at detail can make their designs look like a temporary tattoo. You can draw inspiration for face art from tattoo magazines.


If you just want something quick for your children to play with, these tattoos are fine. They have become more popular with the young teens that are not of an age to actually receive a real tattoo. Many times these low-cost face stickers can be found in gumball machines outside stores or in pizza parlors or children's fun centers.

You can hire artists who specialize in the application of temporary tattoos, such as the airbrushed type. Many adults enjoy the non-permanent aspect. The artists who apply such a tattoo are often extremely talented individuals.

For the type of tattoos that are applied with water, those that last longest are water-resistant and removed with alcohol. They can last up to 7 days if made of quality materials, applied properly, and worn gently. Make sure you choose temporary face tattoos that are made of non toxic FDA approved materials. Also, apply on clean skin with preferably no acne or sores in the area to be covered.