Boy Face Painting Designs Webinar with Linnéa Önnerby Novak

Ask almost any face painter what stumps them most, and "boy designs" comes up again and again. Boys tend to want something bold, fast, and a little bit epic—and they're not always thrilled about sitting still. That's exactly why we invited Swedish face paint pro Linnéa Önnerby Novak back for another webinar. Boy designs are one of her absolute favorite things to paint, and in this class she shared four of her go-to looks along with the little tricks that keep boys happy in the chair.

About Linnéa Önnerby Novak

Linnéa is a Swedish face painter and a true master of boy designs—something she credits, in part, to raising boys of her own. She's known for her bright, playful, one-stroke-friendly style, and she's the artist behind several beloved Kraze FX palettes, including the Transform palette, the Flower Bouquet palette, and her Spooky Split Cake palette. Whether it's superheroes, gaming, or scary creatures, Linnéa has a gift for designs that look impressive but come together quickly on the job.

Products Linnéa Used

• Kraze FX Transform One-Stroke Palette — Linnéa's signature palette, used for the Batman skyline, the dragon, and the grass
• Kraze FX Flower Bouquet One-Stroke Palette — Summer Leaf and Autumn Leaf for Yoshi's pipes and bricks
• Superstar Carmine Red — her favorite red for a bold pop that resists yellowing
• Superstar Line Black — for crisp outlines and details
• Diamond FX White — a waxy white base for Yoshi's face and eyes
• Fusion Body Art Rainbow Cake — the dreamy Batman night-sky background
• Superstar Soccer Stencil (#7060) — the ball and player for the sport design
• Round Filbert Brush & Finger Sponges — for shaping faces, painting the moon, and stencil work

Design 1: A Super Mario "Yoshi" Gaming Design

Gaming designs are some of the most-requested looks at Linnéa's table, so she started with the cutest green dino around—Yoshi. Using a round filbert brush, she built his rounded snout and face, layered a waxy white for the eyes, and added those signature spots in Carmine Red. From there she brought the scene to life with one-stroke pipes, brick details, and a scattering of yellow stars stenciled with a finger sponge. Her tip: gaming designs are a hit with the 8-and-up crowd, and if a child is wiggly, you can simply paint the face and a few stars, or turn the whole thing into a cool arm design instead.

Design 2: A Caped Batman with a City Skyline

When the audience asked for a superhero that wasn't Spider-Man, Linnéa pivoted to Batman just two hours before the class—proof that these designs are quicker than they look. She sponged a soft Rainbow Cake sky, added a gray one-stroke skyline, then painted a caped Batman with a few confident flicks and sweeps. Glowing windows, a sponged moon, and her own bat stencil finished the scene. It's a flexible design that works just as beautifully as an arm piece.

Design 3: A One-Stroke Fire Dragon (or Monster!)

Next up was a fiery dragon—or monster, whichever the child prefers. Linnéa loves painting bold eyes on boys with a sponge rather than a brush, since it's gentler when they scrunch their eyes shut. She then used a single one-stroke loading of the Flames colors to build the whole creature: pointed scales, a nose, gray horns, and crisp black details for an angry, scary look. Her favorite finishing trick? Painting flames on the child's fist so it looks like fire is breathing out of the dragon's mouth. Boys love it every time.

Design 4: A Soccer Star Sport Design

Linnéa closed with a fast, high-energy sport design. Using the Superstar soccer stencil with a finger sponge, she stamped a clean ball and player, then framed it with one-stroke flames, motion lines, and bright details for that "going so fast it's making lightning" feel. It's a simple design with a big wow factor—perfect for the sports-loving boys at your table.

Linnéa's Top Tips for Painting Boys

• Boys tend to wiggle more, so keep designs quick and confident.
• Paint eyes with a sponge instead of a brush—it's kinder when they squeeze their eyes shut.
• One-stroke palettes give you a huge wow factor in just a few strokes.
• Offer an arm design as an easy alternative for kids who don't want their face painted.
• A few white highlights at the end make any design pop.

Want more looks like these? Linnéa has a whole library of boy-friendly face painting classes with us—from superheroes to video games—so you'll always have a fresh idea ready for your next event.