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4 Army Face Paint Designs & How To Apply
Dragging a few diagonal lines of army face paint across your features may not give you Scharzenegger-like superpowers to fight the Predator, but there’s something about it that makes you feel the part.
If you’ve always wanted to know how the pros put on army face paint to look like your favorite action hero but just weren’t sure how to pull it off, you’ve found the right guide. Below, you’ll find inspiration, tips, and advice on four common types of army face paint designs and how to apply them.
What Is the Purpose of Army Face Paint?
Before we discuss the four main army face paint designs, it’s important to consider why soldiers use face paint in the first place. The concept behind face paint actually stems from a strategy that snipers use to blend in with their surroundings and escape detection.
What may have first started out as a way to disguise themselves with natural resources in their environment has led to army face paint you can buy off the shelf to better hide your features in multiple scenarios.
Indeed, army face paint isn’t just a cosmetic detail but a critical survival skill. Trudging through enemy territory with your outline clear against the horizon paints a clear target on your back, but swiftly moving through vegetation and surprising your opponent practically ensures a victory.
Army face paint makes a difference whether you’re infiltrating enemy territory as a soldier, stalking your prey as a hunter, or taking your next military simulation (mil-sim) game to the next level.
4 Army Face Paint Designs
Army face paint designs focus on subduing the shininess and structure of the human face, replacing it with natural colors and the messiness that exists in nature.
The primary objective is to make prominent features seem flat and lift shallow areas to achieve the same effect. If you’ve heard of the term “Ghost Face,” the idea is to mimic that two-dimensional black-and-white visage.
Generally speaking, there are two schools of thought when using army face paint: starting with either the darkest or lightest paint and then moving across the spectrum.
Regardless of your starting point, the idea is to place the darkest colors on the highest areas of your face — including your nose, eyebrows, cheekbones, chin, ears, neck, and the middle part of your lips — and the lightest colors on accent areas like your eyelids and the sides of your chin. It’s vital to cover your ears, neck, and up to your hairline to leave no bare skin exposed.
1. Woods
Here are the steps required to apply army face paint that resembles the forests and woods:
- Begin by applying the darkest color in your palette to your face's most prominent features, including your nose, brow, chin, and jawline.
- Next, take the second-darkest color and fill in a few spots around the paint you’ve already applied.
- Continue applying face paint with the next-lightest color until you’ve used all the colors available to you, saving the last lightest shade for a few subtle accent points around your face.
One of the easiest army face paint designs to start with is the woods design, which uses various shades of green and brown paired with black. Although diagonal patterns can help make the woods design feel more dynamic, too much can make the harsh lines stand out among the upright trees of a forest.
Looking around your environment and noticing the patterns around you can help you decide if you want to apply the paint using lines, blotches, or a combination of the two.
2. Desert
Although it may seem like applying army face paint for a desert scene or grassy plains environment requires less detail, the opposite is, in fact, true.
A lot can go on in the forest without passersby noticing it unless they’re genuinely observant, but an anomaly in the desert sticks out worse than a prickly cactus. Yet, using similar face paint application techniques can help you blend in with the arid landscape.
When applying face paint for the desert, follow the same technique of moving from the darkest color to the lightest. However, instead of using stripes, splotch the paint on so the application seems more patchy than following a straight line.
If you’re attempting to blend in near a grassy plain, use subdued greens and tans rather than vibrant colors.
3. Jungle
Applying army face paint to blend in with the jungle can seem easier to accomplish than disappearing into the forest.
However, in some ways, a lack of color can make you stand out more than a few vibrant strokes of paint. If you are applying face paint for a jungle setting, pay attention to your surroundings to pick up on lines and colors.
While a blotchy or patchy application may suffice for the jungle, adding in a few stripes or lines can help break up your profile. The diagonal lines on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s face in The Predator may be a bit harsh, but slightly more horizontal lines tend to achieve a better effect.
Depending on your skin tone, leaving some of your bare skin exposed can also work in your favor.
4. Snow
The bright whiteness of snow can make anyone’s eyes go blind, especially when the sun is at its peak. However, blending into the snow requires more than just a stick of white paint. Instead, you have to take cues from your surroundings and incorporate more blues or grays as the terrain dictates.
In some cases, snow might be the hardest army face paint design to achieve. Working with only a few colors on what appears as a blank white canvas can make it challenging to disappear into a snow drift.
However, if you can master the techniques listed up to this point, all you need is a little practice.
What Are the Main Types of Army Face Paint?
Most army face paint is either oil or clay-based. Oil-based face paint tends to go on a bit smoother, but it can easily smear once it’s dry and as you sweat. Clay face paint will stay dry once it’s on, but getting it to apply well for full coverage can be a challenge.
Most army face paint comes in squeeze tubes, sticks, or compacts, and some may actually have some sunscreen incorporated into them. Squeeze tubes can make it easy to apply the face paint, similar to camo sticks that look more like chapstick tubes than anything else.
Compacts typically come with a mirror to use while applying the paint, but not all compacts (or their mirrors) are made equal.
Among the different types of army face paint, the pigments that come in squeeze tubes tend to go on the easiest but also sweat off easily. Compacts tend to offer better coverage and may include a wider array of colors that match your environment. Face paint sticks may need to be warmed up before application, and a little tends to go a long way.
What To Keep in Mind When Applying Face Paint
The best army face paint designs can elevate your mil-sim attire and make your gameplay seem more realistic.
For example, you can pair your new face-painting techniques with these LBX Tactical Assaulter Pants, especially if you like digital camouflage patterns.
The multicam TMC Cordura Half Face Mask also makes for a solid addition to your gear, along with these GK Tactical Warrior Gloves.
Here are a few other tips to consider when applying army face paint for your next airsoft game:
- The idea is to use colors that best fit the environment around you and remove any hard transition lines, as they tend to appear unnatural.
- The sloppier your face paint looks, the better, as long as you don’t have harsh transition lines or a face that’s only one color.
- Color palettes for multiple army face paints will often specify a terrain, such as arctic or jungle.
- The starfish application method, an alternative strategy for applying face paint, centers on applying face paint to the center of the face and working outward.
- Experiment with different striping patterns, alternating between diagonal, vertical, or horizontal stripes.
- The poor man’s method of face paint is charcoal, mud, and any other natural materials that help you blend into your surroundings.
In comparing countries and how they apply army face paint, the United States tends to stand out for its complete coverage and splotchy application method. The South Korean army style tends to use less paint, with bold diagonal striping that breaks up natural shadows on the face.
In addition, the UK/British pattern favors less heavy-handed coverage that centers upon the nose and moves outward.
For airsoft players looking for British Army-specific gear, GK Tactical has you covered. The GK Tactical British Army Style S95 Windproof Combat Trousers, GK Tactical British Army Issue Windproof Combat Smock, and GK Tactical British Army Style S95 Combat Field Shirt should get you started.
How To Remove Camo Face Paint
Removing camo face paint can be a challenge, especially if you’ve covered practically every inch of your skin. However, most makeup remover products can help cut through most of the face paint. Makeup remover wipes are a popular solution.
When all else fails, a good scrub with a fresh bar of soap should do the trick. If you still have a few stubborn patches of face paint that won’t go away, try a baby oil-soaked cotton ball. Just remember to moisturize your face after.
How Airsoft Players Can Use These Face Paint Designs
RedWolf recognizes the need to play the part when it comes to taking your airsoft game to the next level. We hope you enjoyed this guide on how to apply army face paint and got inspired to try a few new ideas the next time you go to the airsoft field. RedWolf has everything you need to make your next airsoft game memorable and fun.
Sources:
How Military Snipers Work | HowStuffWorks
