Thick L around the outside of one eye socketAny one color. One arm runs along the brow bone to the temple, the other down the outside of the cheekbone; lid bare.
Arrow on each cheek pointing to the earsAny one color. A short shaft and an open arrowhead on each cheek, both pointing out toward the ears.
Three nested arcs fanning toward the earAny one color. Three curved lines, small to large, open from the cheekbone toward the ear, evenly spaced.
Corner marks framing a bare squareAny one color. Four small L-shaped corners frame a bare square on each cheekbone, like the corners of a photo.
Crosshatch patch on the cheekboneAny one color. Six fine lines one way and six across them in a coin-size patch on the cheekbone, fine brush.
Dashed ring around the apple of one cheekAny one color. Twelve short dashes in a ring around the apple of the cheek, like a clock face without hands.
Dot-and-dash line along the jawAny one color. Dots and dashes in turn follow the jawline from the ear halfway to the front, fine brush.
Dotted square with one dot in the middleAny one color. Twelve dots outline a square on the cheek, four to a side, with a single larger dot in its center.
Five slanted lines, each one shorterAny one color. Five slanted lines on one cheek, the longest by the ear, each one shorter toward the nose.
Ladder of six rungs up the templeAny one color. Two upright lines up the temple joined by six level rungs, evenly spaced, fine brush.
Square spiral on the cheek, five turnsAny one color. One line turns at right angles five times, winding out from the middle of the cheek into a square spiral.
Stair-step line from temple to jawAny one color. One line that steps down in five equal stairs from the temple to the corner of the jaw.
Thin ring with one dot riding on itAny two colors. A thin circle on the cheek with one solid dot sitting on its line, like a moon on its path.
Three dotted rings around one center dotAny two colors. Three rings of dots around a single dot at the temple, each ring wider, colors in turn.
Three lines with a dot on both endsAny one color. Three short level lines stacked on the cheek, a round dot on both ends of each.
Three nested arcs fanning toward the earAny one color. Three curved lines, small to large, open from the cheekbone toward the ear, evenly spaced.
Triangles and diamonds 13
Argyle patch: three diamonds, crossing linesAny two colors, white. Three solid diamonds in a row on the cheek, thin white diagonal lines crossing through them.
Band of triangles pointing up and down in turnAny two colors. Triangles pointing up and down in turn lock into one band across the nose and both cheeks.
Big open triangle framing one cheekAny one color. Three straight lines join the temple, the nose side of the cheek and the jaw corner; nothing inside.
Diamond cut into four colored quartersAny four colors. One diamond on the cheek divided by a cross into four small diamonds, each a different color.
Diamond half solid, half outlineAny one color. One diamond on each cheek; the half nearer the nose is solid, the outer half only outlined.
Diamond in a square in a diamondAny three colors. A diamond, a square inside it and a small diamond inside that, on one cheek, a color each.
Open diamond with a dot on each pointAny one color, white. One open diamond on the cheekbone, a white dot on each of its four points.
Six triangles meeting in a hexagonAny two colors. Six triangles with their points meeting in the middle form a hexagon on the cheek, colors in turn.
Solid triangle with an outline twin beside itBlack, any color. A solid color triangle on the cheek and the same shape in black outline shifted a little to one side.
Three diamonds tip to tip, shrinking to the templeAny two colors. Three diamonds touch tip to tip along the upper cheek, large to small toward the temple, colors in turn.
Three nested triangles on one cheekAny three colors. A large outlined triangle on the cheek, a smaller one inside it and a solid one in the middle.
Triangle on each cheek, both aimed at the noseAny one color. One solid triangle lying on its side on each cheek, both points aimed at the nose.
Triangle sliced into three color bandsAny three colors. One triangle on the cheek cut by two level lines into three bands, each band a different color.
Color blocks 14
Circle and square with a green overlapYellow, blue, green. A yellow circle and a blue square overlap on the cheek; the part they share is painted green.
Circle cut into six slices, two colors in turnAny two colors. One circle on the cheek cut into six equal slices through its center, the two colors in turn.
Half circle under each cheekbone, flat side upAny two colors. A solid half circle hangs below each cheekbone, flat edge up, a thin outline in the second color.
Quarter circle in each top corner of the foreheadAny one color. A solid quarter circle sits in each top corner of the forehead at the hairline, curved sides facing in.
Solid circle on one cheek, open ring on the otherAny one color. A solid coin-size circle on one cheek and an open ring of the same size on the other.
Square of three bands, dark at the bottomThree shades of one color. A square on the cheek made of three level bands, darkest at the bottom, lightest on top.
Square on one cheek, circle on the otherAny two colors. A solid square on the left cheek and a solid circle of the same width on the right.
Square split corner to corner in two colorsAny two colors. A square on the cheek divided by one diagonal; one triangle half in each color, no outline.
Staircase of three blocks from jaw to templeAny three colors. Three square blocks step up from the jaw toward the temple, corners touching, a color each.
Tangram square of seven piecesAny seven colors. A square on the cheek cut into five triangles, one small square and one slanted block, a color each.
Thick arch with a bare arch insideAny one color. One thick arch on the cheek, legs down, with a smaller arch of bare skin left inside it.
Thick L around the outside of one eye socketAny one color. One arm runs along the brow bone to the temple, the other down the outside of the cheekbone; lid bare.
Three hexagons meeting at one pointAny three colors. Three solid hexagons meet at one point on the cheek, each a different color, sides touching.
Two upright blocks side by side, one tallerAny two colors. Two upright blocks on the cheek sharing one edge, one taller than the other, flat brush.
Symmetrical patterns 13
Arrow on each cheek pointing to the earsAny one color. A short shaft and an open arrowhead on each cheek, both pointing out toward the ears.
Bars down each temple, longest in the middleAny one color. Seven short level bars stacked down each temple, the middle one longest, so each side outlines a diamond.
Comb lines hanging from each cheekboneAny one color. A level line along each cheekbone with five short teeth hanging from it, like a pair of combs.
Diamond on each cheek joined over the noseAny two colors. A solid diamond on each cheek; one thin line joins their inner points across the bridge of the nose.
Four corner triangles pointing at the noseAny one color. Four solid triangles, one at each temple and each jaw corner, all pointing in toward the nose.
Half rings opening toward each earAny two colors. Three half rings on each cheek, open side toward the ear, colors in turn; both sides match.
Open hexagon on each cheek, a dot insideAny two colors. An open hexagon on each cheek, flat side up, one solid dot in the middle; both the same size.
Open squares with diagonals leaning togetherAny one color. An open square on each cheek with one diagonal line; the two diagonals lean in toward each other.
Six dots: temples, cheekbones, jaw cornersAny one color. One dot at each temple, one on each cheekbone and one at each jaw corner, the two sides level.
Slanted bars leaning out on both cheeksAny two colors. Two slanted bars on each cheek lean out toward the ears; the left pair mirrors the right.
Square brackets at the ends of the cheekbonesAny one color. A square bracket stands at the outer end of each cheekbone, the two opening toward each other.
Square-hook border along each cheekboneAny one color. One unbroken line of square hooks, four hooks long, along each cheekbone; both sides match.
Twin spirals turning opposite waysAny one color. A round spiral on each cheek, the left turning clockwise and the right the other way, so they mirror.
How it works
These geometric face paint ideas are 53 patterns with no picture in them: 13 of dots and lines, 13 of triangles and diamonds, 14 color blocks and 13 that mirror from one side of the face to the other.
Read the full guide
Clean edges without a ruler
A flat brush pressed down leaves a clean-edged block, and its thin side pulls a straight line. Staircase of three blocks from jaw to temple is three such blocks. Dots come off the handle end of a brush, as in Dotted square with one dot in the middle.
Patterns that mirror
The Symmetrical patterns group holds 13, and each matches across the nose, so work in pairs: both temples, then both cheekbones, then both jaw corners. In Twin spirals turning opposite ways the second spiral turns the other way, or the two will not mirror.
Questions and answers
What is geometric face paint?
Face paint built from shapes with no picture: dots, straight lines, triangles, diamonds, circles and flat blocks of color. Big open triangle framing one cheek is three lines. Thin ring with one dot riding on it is a circle and a dot.
Which geometric face paint designs are simplest?
The ones with the fewest marks. Two shapes make Solid circle on one cheek, open ring on the other. Two more make Triangle on each cheek, both aimed at the nose. Three lines with a dot on both ends is nine marks.
What shapes are in a tangram?
Seven: five triangles (two large, one medium, two small), one square and one parallelogram, which fit together into a square. Tangram square of seven pieces paints that square on a cheek with a color for each piece.
What paint do you use for geometric face paint?
Face paint sold for use on skin, not a craft paint or a marker, however sharp its line. The US FDA says to follow all directions and not to decorate your face with things that are not intended for your skin.