Basketball with curved seamsOrange, black. An orange circle mid-hand, one seam straight across, one down, and a curved seam each side.
Bear face with an ear on two knucklesBrown, tan, black. A round brown face mid-hand, a tan muzzle with a black nose, an ear on the second and fourth knuckle.
Four jigsaw pieces in four colorsRed, yellow, green, blue, black. The back of the hand as four linked puzzle pieces, a color each, outlined in black.
Globe in blue and greenBlue, green, white. A blue circle on the back of the hand, green land shapes on it, a white curve of shine.
Ice cream cone pointing at the wristTan, pink, white, brown. A pink scoop below the knuckles, white shine; a tan cone crossed with brown lines to the wrist.
Pineapple with its leaves fanning to the knucklesYellow, brown, green. A yellow oval mid-hand crossed with brown diamond lines; spiky green leaves fan to the knuckles.
Rainbow that fades out halfway across the handRed, yellow, green, blue. Four bands start at the wrist bone, arch over the hand and thin to nothing before the thumb.
Red race car driving toward the fingersRed, black, white. A side-on car mid-hand, two black wheels, a white number circle, three speed lines behind it.
Robot hand: gray plate and a rivet on each knuckleGray, black, white. A gray plate on the back of the hand, black joint lines, a rivet with a white shine on each knuckle.
Rose from one curled brushstrokeRed, pink, green. Short curved strokes spiral out from the middle of the hand; two green leaves point at the wrist.
Spider with legs reaching the edges of the handBlack, white. A round body in the middle of the hand, eight bent legs reaching the edges, two white eye dots.
Striped tropical fish swimming toward the thumbOrange, white, black. An oval body across the back of the hand, three white bands edged in black, a fan tail.
Sunflower filling the back of the handYellow, brown, green. A brown center mid-hand, pointed petals reaching the knuckles, a stem running onto the wrist.
Sunset over water on the back of the handOrange, pink, purple, white. Three sponge bands from knuckles to wrist, a white half sun on the lowest, two ripples.
Watermelon slice with the rind along the knucklesRed, green, black. A green rind curve under the knuckles, the red wedge pointing at the wrist, black seed dots.
Wrist bands 14
Band of hearts fading from red to pale pinkRed, pink, white. Seven hearts in a row around the wrist, each a little paler than the one before.
Fall leaf band, stem to tipRed, orange, yellow, brown. Leaves in three colors lie end to end around the wrist, each with a brown center vein.
Garland of pink blossoms on a green vinePink, green, yellow. A vine line around the wrist, five five-petal blossoms spaced along it, a yellow dot in each.
Gold cuff set with three colored stonesGold, red, blue, green, white. A wide gold band, three oval stones on the top of the wrist, a white shine dot on each.
Green slime dripping toward the handGreen, white. A wavy green band around the wrist, five drips running onto the hand, a white shine on each.
Holly band with red berriesGreen, red. Pointed holly leaves tip to tip around the wrist, three red berries where each pair meets.
Leopard cuff: tan band with broken brown ringsTan, brown, black. A tan band around the wrist, broken brown rings on it, a black dot beside some.
Night-sky cuff with stars and a moonDark blue, white, yellow. A sponged blue band around the wrist, white dot stars on it, a yellow crescent on top.
Piano-key cuffWhite, black. A white band around the wrist; short black keys in twos and threes along the edge nearer the elbow.
Rainbow cuff of six stripesRed, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple. Six thin stripes side by side around the wrist, the red nearest the hand.
Strawberry vine around the wristGreen, red, white. A green stem winds once around the wrist, three strawberries hanging from it, white seed dots.
Sunrise band from yellow to pinkYellow, orange, pink. One sponge band around the wrist, yellow at the hand side blending through orange to pink.
Three-row dotted cuff from a cotton swabAny three colors. Three rows of dots around the wrist, one row a color, each row sitting over the gaps of the last.
Wave band with one fish leaping from itBlue, white, orange. Curling blue crests circle the wrist, white foam tips; one small orange fish jumps toward the hand.
Forearm 16
Candy-cane spiral from wrist to elbowWhite, red. A white sponge base on the forearm, red stripes slanting around it all the way up.
Climbing vine with three rosesGreen, red. A green vine winds from wrist to elbow; three red spiral roses along it, a pair of leaves at each.
Control panel with a dial and three buttonsGray, red, yellow, green, black. A gray panel on the inner forearm, a dial near the wrist, three buttons in a row.
Fire truck with its ladder up the armRed, gray, black. A red truck near the wrist, two black wheels; its gray ladder stretches toward the elbow.
Flames from the wrist toward the elbowRed, orange, yellow. Tall red flame shapes start at the wrist, orange inside them, yellow at the base.
Giraffe whose neck runs the length of the forearmYellow, brown. The body sits by the elbow, the long patched neck runs down the arm, the head rests at the wrist.
Guitar neck with six stringsBrown, white, gray. A brown strip from wrist to elbow, six thin white strings along it, gray fret lines across.
Mermaid tail with the fin at the wristTeal, purple, white. A tail lies along the forearm, wide at the elbow, a forked fin spreading over the wrist.
Octopus arm curling from the elbow to the wristPurple, pink, white. One tapering arm winds down the forearm, pink underside, white sucker dots, a curl at the tip.
Paintbrush leaving a four-color stripeBrown, gray, red, yellow, blue, green. A brush near the elbow; its stripe of four colors trails down to the wrist.
Penguins sliding from elbow to wristBlack, white, orange, light blue. A pale blue ice slope along the forearm, three small penguins on their bellies.
Shark swimming up the forearmGray, white, blue. A long gray shark, nose toward the elbow, white belly, a fin on top, three blue wave ticks behind.
T. rex walking toward the handGreen, yellow, white. A side-on dinosaur fills the forearm, head near the wrist, small arms, white teeth, yellow belly.
Tall cactus with a pink flowerGreen, pink, white. A cactus stands along the forearm, base at the wrist, two side arms, spine ticks, a flower on top.
Tulip with a stem as long as the forearmRed, green. A red bloom near the elbow, a straight green stem to the wrist, two long leaves.
Zipper half open on a rainbowGray, black, red, yellow, blue. Zipper teeth run along the forearm and part near the wrist; rainbow bands in the gap.
Fingertips 16
A heart on each fingertip pad in five colorsRed, pink, orange, purple, blue. One small heart on the pad of each finger and the thumb, a different color each.
Bee fingertips with two black bandsYellow, black, white. Each fingertip yellow with two black bands; a tiny white wing on each side.
Birthday candles: a banded finger each, flames on the padsAny two colors, yellow. Two bands of color around each finger; a small yellow flame on each fingertip pad.
Colored bulbs on the fingertips, one wire acrossGreen, red, yellow, blue. A bulb shape on each fingertip in a color of its own; a green wire loops across the knuckles.
Five small fish, one swimming up each fingerOrange, blue, yellow, white. A fish on each finger between the joints, heads toward the tips, a bubble dot above each.
Five yellow ducks, one on each fingertipYellow, orange, black. Each fingertip yellow to the first joint, an orange beak and a black dot eye on the pad.
Frog fingertips with white eye bumpsGreen, white, black. Each fingertip green; two white dots at the very tip with black centers, a curved mouth below.
Ghost fingertips with two dot eyesWhite, black. Each fingertip white to the first joint with a wavy lower edge; two black dots for eyes.
Ladybug fingertipsRed, black. Each fingertip red, a black line down the middle, a black cap at the tip, two dots a side.
One-eyed monsters, a different color on each fingerFive bright colors, white, black. Each fingertip a color, one large white eye with a black dot, a zigzag mouth.
Pair of cherries on two fingertipsRed, green. A red cherry on the tips of the first two fingers, green stems meeting at a leaf on the knuckle.
Pumpkin fingertips with green stemsOrange, green, brown. Each fingertip orange with two curved rib lines in brown; a short green stem at the tip.
Rainbow fingertips, a different color on eachRed, yellow, green, blue, purple. Each fingertip painted to its first joint, one color a finger, thumb to little finger.
Snowman on the thumbWhite, orange, black. Three white dots stacked up the thumb, largest lowest; orange nose and black hat on the top one.
Strawberry fingertipsRed, green, white. Each fingertip red with white seed dots; a green leafy cap around the first joint.
Toadstool fingertips: red caps with white dotsRed, white. The tip of each finger red like a cap, three white dots on it; the bare finger is the stalk.
How it works
These 61 hand face painting ideas fit the back of a hand (15), a wrist (14), a forearm (16) or the fingertips (16), each sized to its patch of skin.
Read the full guide
Arm face painting ideas that use the length
A forearm is long and narrow, so its designs are too: Shark swimming up the forearm, Giraffe whose neck runs the length of the forearm, Guitar neck with six strings. Fire truck with its ladder up the arm parks the truck by the wrist and lets the ladder do the reaching.
A hand, a wrist or five fingertips
The back of a hand holds one picture: Sunflower filling the back of the hand, Bear face with an ear on two knuckles. A wrist band such as Piano-key cuff goes all the way around. Most fingertip designs repeat five times: Five yellow ducks, one on each fingertip.
Questions and answers
What do you paint on a child who does not want their face painted?
Offer the back of a hand or a forearm, where the child can watch the brush the whole time. Basketball with curved seams, Red race car driving toward the fingers and Globe in blue and green are single pictures for the back of a hand.
What are easy hand face painting ideas for a line of children?
Sunrise band from yellow to pink is one pass of a sponge, and Three-row dotted cuff from a cotton swab is dots and nothing else. No drawing at all goes into Rainbow fingertips, a different color on each.
What can you paint around a wrist?
Wrist bands holds 14, each circling the wrist like a bracelet: Rainbow cuff of six stripes, Gold cuff set with three colored stones, Holly band with red berries, Night-sky cuff with stars and a moon.
What face paint do you use on hands and arms?
Face paint sold for use on skin, never a marker or craft paint. The US FDA suggests trying a dab of a new product on the arm for a couple of days, to check for an allergic reaction, before it goes on a face.