What do you need to get started with face painting?

If you're just starting out with face painting, there's really no need to buy a cupboard full of paints straight away. I actually advise beginners to start small. That way you'll first find out whether face painting is really your thing. Enjoying it? Then you can always expand your collection later.

A small starter kit will take you surprisingly far. I would start with a face paint palette with a few basic colours, for example from Superstar. That paint is beginner-friendly and easy to remove afterwards. Add a separate pot of white and black from Diamond FX. Their firmer texture makes them ideal for lines, swirls and other fine details. Besides, you'll use these two colours in almost every design.

Beyond that, a few good face paint brushes and a sponge are all you need. With a couple of round brushes for details, a filbert brush for larger areas, a flower brush for little flowers and a face painting sponge for the base colours, you can already create a huge range of designs.

Enjoying face painting and want to work faster or more easily? Then a split cake, face painting stencils and cosmetic glitter are great additions. With a split cake you apply several colours at once, stencils help you create neat designs quickly, and a little glitter often finishes off a design perfectly.

Would you rather not work out which materials go well together? Have a look at my face paint starter kits. I've already put together the right combination of colours and materials for you.

Want to learn face painting properly from the start? Sign up for my free face painting tips (in Dutch): a four-day mini course that teaches you the basics step by step. And have a read of my 10 tips for beginner face painters (also in Dutch), which shows you the mistakes almost everyone makes at first and how to avoid them.