25 Quick Halloween Face Painting Designs

A small cheek design can finish a Halloween costume without a full face of paint. Choose one main shape, two or three colors, and a few details you can repeat. Practise the design once before the party so you know which steps to keep.

Small cheek designs

1. Pumpkin. Paint an orange oval, add a green stem, then use a fine brush for three curved lines. Give it a face if there is room.
2. Ghost. Start with a white teardrop. Add a wavy bottom and two black dots for eyes.
3. Spider. Make one small circle and one larger oval. Add four legs on each side with a fine brush.
4. Spiderweb. Draw three lines that meet at one point, then connect them with shallow curves.
5. Bat. Paint a short body, spread two wings out to the sides, and add pointed ears. Keep the wing outline broad enough to read from a distance.
6. Witch hat. Put a triangle on a curved brim and add a contrasting hatband.
7. Candy corn. Divide a rounded triangle into white, orange, and yellow sections.
8. Crescent moon. Paint one curved shape and add three small stars beside it.
9. Black cat silhouette. Join a round head to an oval body, then add ears and a curling tail.
10. Haunted house. Use a rectangle and a pointed roof. Two bright windows and a crooked door finish the shape.

Costume details with a few brushstrokes

11. Cat whiskers. Add a small nose shape and three short lines across each cheek. Skip a full base.
12. Tiger stripes. Use an orange cheek patch with tapered black stripes. Leave space between stripes so they stay distinct.
13. Vampire accent. Paint a small pair of fang shapes on the cheek beside a red crescent. This works as a cheek illustration without painting the lips.
14. Monster bolts. Paint two grey bolt shapes near the jawline and outline them with black.
15. Frankenstein stitches. Draw a short line on the cheek and cross it with four or five little strokes.
16. Skeleton cheek. Make a white patch, a curved black line, and short vertical marks for a row of illustrated teeth.
17. Pirate scar. Draw a thin zigzag with a few crossing lines. Add a tiny skull on the other cheek if time allows.
18. Robot panel. Outline a square on the cheek, then add painted screws and a row of colored buttons.
19. Alien spots. Use a green or blue patch with dots in a contrasting color. Keep each dot separate.
20. Dragon scales. Arrange small curved shapes along one cheek. Outline only a few scales to keep the design quick.

Colorful Halloween choices

21. Purple pumpkin. Follow the pumpkin shape with purple and teal instead of orange and green.
22. Rainbow ghost. Paint a white ghost and add a short rainbow trail behind it.
23. Friendly monster. Make a round cheek shape, two horns, and a crooked smile.
24. Autumn leaves. Paint three small leaf shapes in warm colors, joined by a thin stem.
25. Moon and stars. Pair a yellow crescent with white dots and one larger star. Keep the shapes grouped on the cheek.

Keep the kit small

Choose paint intended for face or body use and follow each product's label, including where it can be applied and how it should be removed. Read our face paint safety guide before painting.

A small palette, a round brush, a fine detail brush, and a sponge cover many of these ideas. Set out only the colors needed for the design you chose. A Halloween stencil can help repeat a shape; practise with it before painting someone else.

For a party, offer a short menu of the designs you have practised. Keep a photo of each finished example beside your kit so the person choosing can see the size and placement.

Browse the Halloween Shop for paints and supplies, or use our Halloween costume paint guide to plan the rest of your kit.