Want to get perfect designs with stencils every time? No bleeding, no smudged paint? We have a secret.
Why stencils go wrong
Stencils can add brilliant detailed texture that customers think you painted yourself, or a cartoon character you would struggle to paint freehand. Such a great add-on to your face painting, but only if they work the way you want them to.
A common experience is that the image bleeds. The paint creeps under the stencil and smudges the design, when what you want is a crisp, perfect outline. You tried a brush, and that was a disaster, because the bristles dipped under the stencil and it looked terrible. So you used your face painting sponge, and that still looked awful.
The secret is smoothie blenders
Use a make up smoothie blender. Smoothie blenders are designed for make up, so they pick up less paint and lay less paint on the skin. That is not ideal for face painting, but it is perfect for stencils. Less paint means less chance of bleeding, and less chance of colour creeping under the edges of the stencil. The sponge itself is a different density to a face painting sponge, so you will find it works much more easily.
Try these: the Mini Smoothie Blender Dauber Sponge for small, detailed stencils, the Regular Smoothie Blender Dauber Sponge for everything larger, or the Make Up Smoothie Sponge Dud Stick if you would rather work with a handle.
Our favourite stencils
Our favourites are the Heart Face Art keyring stencils. With a huge range of textures, images and more, these stencils are amazing value, and Heart Face Art stencils are exclusive to The Face Paint Shop. They are fun, modern stencils designed especially for face painters, and you will find Christmas themes, Frozen, butterflies and heaps of unicorns. At great pricing, Heart Face Art is a perfect stencil for your face paint kit.
Browse the whole range in Face Paint Stencils, or start with the Stencil Keyrings if you want something that clips straight onto your kit.
Has this changed how you stencil? Let us know in the comments below.
