Global Colours Halloween How-To’s: Skull

Home / Global Colours Halloween How-To’s: Skull

by | Sep 7, 2021 | Uncategorised

We are almost there, every Face Painter and Makeup Artists favourite time of the year… Halloween!

In this ‘Global Colours Halloween How-To’, I’ve recreated one of the most requested looks I get booked for as a Makeup Artist by clients for Halloween, a Skull/ Skeleton face. Follow along with me, step by step and create your own!

What you will Need: 

-Global Colours BodyArt Cake Paint in White

-Global Colours BodyArt Cake Paint in Strong Black

-Global Colours BodyArt Cake Paint in Stone Grey

-Global Colours Optillusions FX Palette

-Short Flat – 3/4 inch Springback Artist & BodyArt Paint Brush

-Blending – Small Springback Artist & BodyArt Paint Brush

-Filbert – Small Springback Artist & BodyArt Paint Brush

-Round – # 6, #5, Springback Artist & BodyArt Paint Brush

-Detail Liner – Small Springback Artist & BodyArt Paint Brush

-Water, Sealer or Mixing liquid to activate your BodyArt Cakes

-Black Kohl Pencil or Eyeliner for the Waterline

-Makeup Pencil (Lip Pencil/ Eyeliner) if you want to draw on your skull guidelines

Instructions

Step 1- Draw your skull outline

Firstly, I always like to draw on a bit of a guideline using a makeup pencil ( I like to use a colour thats not too dark), so I can make sure my skull proportions fit the face I’m working on, and also to check that the ‘Skull look’ looks effective from the side profile of the face and the front.

I also like to angle the brows down on the eye sockets for Halloween to make the skull more sinister. Remember, you are drawing something 2D onto something 3D, so always check that the design will fit the specific angles of the face you are working on.

Step 2- Fill in your skull

I like to paint the white top half of the skull first (using #6 round brush and 3/4 Flat Brush) as white is a lighter pigment than black, and this way it will keep my black edges crisp, and avoid them turning grey. I use a small amount of Stoney grey to define under the skull cheekbones, and on the brow expression lines this helps me identify where to place my shading (if I painted my whole face white, it would be trickier to follow my original guidelines as they can get lost in the fill)

Step 3- Paint in the cavity’s

Using my Black BodyArt cake ( #5 Round Brush), I fill in the eye sockets, the jaw and nose cavity and around the hairline. I would suggest really ‘working’ the black paint into the hairline as it will create a nice frame for the white part of the skull, and make the look ‘pop’ more when you are finished (as an option as this stage you could add black to the waterline do darken and define the eye using a black kohl pencil or eyeliner).

Step 4- Add your teeth

Next, you want to draw in your top row of teeth all the way along the top jawbone using your black paint and your ‘Fine Detailer’ Brush. Try to ignore where your lips sit, and just position the teeth where they would be if you had no skin. Take your time, and if you need, reference some pictures of teeth to make sure you get the right shapes (remember that after your incisors the teeth become more of a molar shape). I like to add some fangs in for ‘Halloweeny-ness’.

Step 5- Render your skull, by adding shading

We are going to add some shading with our Optillusions palette to render the skull shape and give more dimension to the look. Firstly, I’m using the Pale Grey with my ‘Small Shading’ brush to deepen all the way around the edges on the white skull, and then the edges of the nose, eye sockets, and cheekbone cavity.

Step 6- Define and add detail to your skull by adding shading

Using the Dark Charcoal from the Optillusions palette and our ‘Filbert’ brush we are going to start sketching in some detail, firstly with the definition of the top cheekbone cavity.

And then moving on to the expression lines, nodules on either side of the nose, definition to the eye sockets, cheekbones and teeth ridges.

Step 7- Add your back molars

Using the ‘Warm White’ in the Optillusions Palette, I’m going to go in using my ‘Small Shading’ brush to add the illusion of disappearing molars and teeth shafts to the back of the top jawline, this will help to create a 3D effect.

Step 8- Highlight your skull details using white paint

At this stage, if you think your look needs a bit of a lift, you can come in with your ‘#6 Round’ or ‘Fine Detailer’ and add white paint highlights to key areas, such as the highpoints of your expression lines, cheekbone and teeth ridges.

Step 9- Paint in your bottom jawbone

Fill in your bottom jawbone with your white paint (#6 round brush)

Step 10- Add your bottom row of teeth, and add the detail to your lower jawbone

Draw in your bottom set of teeth with black paint, and shade in your detail with ‘Pale Grey’ around the edges and then ‘Dark Charcoal’ for detail (jawbone definition, chin divots and teeth grooves).

Step 11- Paint your neck black

Paint under your jawbone Strong Black and if you like you can bring it all the way down the neck.(#5 Round brush and 3/4 Flat Brush)

Step 12- Add details

At this stage if you want to add some more detail you can add some ‘cracked’ effects to your skull using your Strong Black paint and Fine Detailer brush (when painting on cracks, I think about the way a tree branch grows and sprawls and try to mimic its’ shape).

Step 13- Add flair

 If you would like to add any ‘flair’ to your your skull, this would be a great time to experiment with glitter, rhinestones, other colours, blood, contact lenses, further bone details- go nuts! ( I’ve added some dirt smudges and yellowing using Optillusions’ Burnt Umber, Sepia and Bright Yellow and my blending brush).

Give it a go yourself! Try experimenting with placement and expression, maybe you could try half a skull with the other side as beauty makeup, or using different colours to create a neon skull, maybe a bloody version where the skin has been ripped away- don’t be afraid to get creative!

Whatever skull path you decide to go down, a skeleton face paint is always a popular Halloween look and for good reason- it’s so much fun! We would love to see your version of this look, so please share you works of art with us by hash tagging #globalcolours or tagging us @globalcolours.

Please keep our eyes peeled for our next Halloween How-To!

 Spook ya later!

Happy Halloween, 

Emma 

& Global Colours

By Emma Court

By Emma Court

Emma-Lee Court is a Sydney-based makeup artist & body painter who has owned and operated The Makeup Wardrobe for 9 years. With over 18 years experience creating looks for individuals, events, brands, theatre, fashion, film, TV, media and print publications, Emma can help your makeup dream become reality! Amongst a galaxy of performers, photographers, productions and individuals who come to Emma to help create their vision, Emma is also a fully-qualified makeup educator, with over 7 years experience teaching students makeup, hair, special FX & body painting.

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