Sugar Skull Face Painting Techniques Webinar with Lamar Garcia

Sugar Skull Face Painting Made Simple (and Stunning)

Sugar skulls are one of those designs that come back around every fall, and if a mom walks up at a party asking for one, you want a version you can paint fast and beautifully. In this face painting class, artist Lamar Garcia walked us through three sugar skulls: a quick on-the-job half face, a masculine "shark skull," and a full-face design worthy of a private appointment. Whether you're brand new or you've been painting for years, there's something here to add to your kit.

About the Artist

Lamar Garcia, known online as Fab Faces by Lamar, is a working face painter with a warm, practical teaching style and a real love for community. She makes all of her own split cakes, paints from real on-the-job experience, and isn't afraid to share the little tricks that keep you efficient at a busy event. You can find her online as Fab Faces by Lamar.

Products Used in This Class

• Mehron StarBlends pressed powder (fast, soft white base)
• Mehron Paradise Makeup AQ in White (water-activated base that doubles as a primer)
• Elisa Griffith Pro Palette (shimmer shadows)
• GTX Face Paint(for homemade split cakes)
• Wolfe FX Black and White (all line work)
• Face Painting Hub angled brushes(3/4" and 5/8")
• Rosemary #4 round brush
• Pros-Aideadhesive and a rhinestone/gem kit

Design 1: The Fast On-the-Job Sugar Skull

For a skull you can knock out at a birthday party, speed is everything. Lamar started with StarBlends white on a little lollipop brush to lay down a soft half-face base. StarBlends is a pressed powder, so it goes down quickly without that heavy clown-white look, and you can build it lighter or heavier as you like.

From there she added a touch of light lime green near the corner of the eye, building out to a darker shade, then switched to a GTX split cake for the flowers using a half-inch angled brush. Her rule for petals: keep them simple, loop-and-wiggle shapes framing the eye. Then it's all about the black line work with a #4 round brush — map the eye socket and temple with a C-shape, add dainty teeth with little flick-up, flick-down strokes, and finish with a delicate nose.

To make it pop, she added clean white polka dots (let your black dry first!) and a little liquid bling. A dot of red on a disposable lip wand pulls the whole thing together. Quick, efficient, and still beautiful.

Design 2: The Masculine "Shark Skull"

Masculine sugar skulls can feel intimidating, so Lamar shared a personal one: a shark skull dedicated to her late aunt. She swapped to Mehron Paradise on a kabuki brush for the base, blending in little swirling motions so the white melts into the skin instead of sitting on top.

A tip worth writing down: painting white over the eye area acts as a primer, so any powder shadow you layer on top pops far more. She tapped dark blue shadow around the eye, added shadow under the cheekbone and at the temple, then built the shark itself with a 5/8" angled brush and a homemade gray split cake. The trick to a fierce shark? Keep the face pointy, not round — round reads as a dolphin. Black outlines, a hint of red in the mouth, angled teeth, and a few white highlights bring him to life.

Design 3: The Elegant Full-Face Sugar Skull

For a private appointment, Lamar reached for Paradise white again for better coverage and longer wear, cleaning up the edges with a damp sponge. She layered pretty pinks and burgundies from the Elisa Griffith palette, kept the color tight around the eyes, and added a soft blush and a mustard-yellow highlight on the lids.

The big traditional flowers went down with a 3/4" angled brush loaded in a purple-teal-blue-green split cake, balanced top and bottom with leaves in between. Black line work framed the eyes with that all-important thin-to-thick variation, plus cheek teardrops, teeth, and swirls. For a private client she'd finish with gems set with Pros-Aide (use a wax pick-up tool, never tweezers near the eyes), but glitter gel and a shimmer powder work beautifully too.

Her biggest takeaway across all three: keep your focal points simple, let each face guide how much you fill, and remember they're "sisters, not twins." Confidence is what sells the design.

Ready to Try It Yourself?

Sugar skulls are a must-have in your fall lineup, and these three give you options for every situation — from a lightning-fast party skull to a full-face showstopper. Grab your paints and play along. If you're hungry for more face painting classes, we've got a whole community waiting.