What's not to admire in Karen Harvey-Huwen's amazing floral designs? Each colorful example of her work is a lovely combination of spontaneity and skill, so when the Swirly Girlies collaboration group which I'm part of chose a challenge with Karen's style as our inspiration, I had a wonderful time giving it a go. I hope this floral Easter design inspired by her work and geared toward moms and teens will be useful not only for your holiday parties, but also for your spring and summer events.
Materials
• Brilliant small split cake (Global Sydney used in photo)
• White face paint (Diamond FX or Wolfe white)
• Light blue face paint (TAG pearl and Paradise)
• Dark purple face paint (Global dark purple used)
• Magenta face paint (Global magenta used)
• Green split cake (Global Borneo used in photo)
• Iridescent white cosmetic grade glitter
• Magenta cosmetic grade glitter
• Medium angle brush
• 3/4-inch or 1-inch flat brush
• Petal brush (Loew Cornel Flora #6)
• Small petal brush
• #2 round brush
• Sponge
Tutorial
Sponge a combination of Paradise light blue and TAG pearl blue over the eyelid area and up into the temple.
Load your flat brush from the Global Sydney split cake and create five petals originating from near the outer corner of the eye. For this design, I used the light color on the inside of the flower and the dark color on the outside of the petals.
Flip the flat brush and create several teardrops coming out from above and below the flower.
Load your angle brush from the Global split Borneo (or your favorite green split for leaves) and create several simple leaves above and below the flower.
Load the Flora petal brush with white and dip the tip in Global dark purple. Make a press flower in the center of the larger one-stroke flower.
Load the small petal brush with white and dip the tip in magenta and make several rows of small, cascading petals coming down over the cheekbone and up onto the side of the forehead.
Use your #2 round brush to add some purple and magenta lines coming from the center of the flower and around the flowers. These are light, quick strokes which will have an impressionistic, loose feel when you're finished.
Repeat with white, and also add center dots to the flowers and more small dots and little starbursts around the design.
Add iridescent white glitter to the center of the flower and magenta glitter to the magenta and purple parts of the flower to finish it up and enjoy!
Beth MacKinney is the owner of and primary face painter for Face Paint Pizzazz in Elgin, Illinois, and her artwork has appeared in The Colored Palette and SkinMarkz magazines. She services the western and northwestern Chicago suburbs, Chicago’s north side, and the eastern and southeastern suburbs of Rockford. Stop by Clownantics.com to enjoy more of Beth’s face painting tutorials.
