Curtain of hanging vines across the foreheadGreen, dark green. Thin vines of different lengths hanging from the hairline, none past the brows, a leaf at each tip.
Camera with a long lens and a bird in viewBlack, gray, red. A camera on the cheek, its long lens pointing to the temple, a tiny red bird perched just ahead of it.
Elephant-ear leaf as big as the cheekGreen, dark green. One arrow-shaped leaf covering the cheek, tip toward the jaw, a strong center vein, five side veins.
Bamboo stalks rising along one side of the faceGreen, dark green. Three jointed stalks from the jaw to the temple, a dark ring at each joint, narrow leaves in pairs.
Banana leaf with a pale rib and torn edgesGreen, yellow-green. One long leaf slanting across the cheek, a pale rib, side veins, two ragged splits in the edge.
Bromeliad on a mossy branch with water in its cupGreen, red, brown, blue. A branch along the cheekbone, a rosette of stiff leaves on it, a red center, a blue dab inside.
Cacao pods growing straight from the trunkBrown, yellow, orange. A trunk up the side of the cheek, three ribbed oval pods hanging right off the bark.
Curtain of hanging vines across the foreheadGreen, dark green. Thin vines of different lengths hanging from the hairline, none past the brows, a leaf at each tip.
Elephant-ear leaf as big as the cheekGreen, dark green. One arrow-shaped leaf covering the cheek, tip toward the jaw, a strong center vein, five side veins.
Fiddlehead fern frond still curledGreen, light green. A stem up the cheek ending in a tight spiral at the cheekbone, tiny leaflets along the curl.
Giant water lily pad filling the cheekTwo greens, blue. A wide round pad on the cheek, veins spreading from its center, blue ripple lines beside it.
Heliconia with red and yellow bracts in a zigzagRed, yellow, green. A stalk hanging along the cheek, red boat shapes left and right in turn, yellow at their tips.
Leaf with a long drip tip and one falling dropGreen, blue, white. A pointed leaf on the cheek whose tip stretches toward the jaw, one blue drop below it.
Liana looping from the hairline to the jawBrown, green. One woody vine hanging in two loops along the side of the face, three heart-shaped leaves on it.
Three leaf layers with the darkest at the backThree greens. Three overlapping leaves fanned on the cheek, the darkest painted first, the lightest on top.
Vine wrapping one eye socketTwo greens. A vine circling one eye on the brow bone and upper cheek, lid bare, small leaves pointing outward.
White orchid on a bare branchWhite, purple, brown. A white bloom at the temple with a small purple lip, on a thin brown branch, one root dangling.
Jungle animals 14
Baby elephant spraying water from its trunkGray, pink, blue. A small elephant on the cheek, trunk curled up, blue drops arcing toward the temple, pink in the ear.
Blue poison dart frogBlue, black. A small bright blue frog on the cheekbone, toes spread, black specks on its legs.
Elephant from the front with its ears spread wideGray, white, pink. A head on the cheek, two big fan ears, a trunk hanging in the middle, two short white tusks.
Giant anteater with a long snout and a bushy tailGray, brown. A long low animal along the jaw, a tube snout at one end, a huge brush of a tail at the other.
Gorilla sitting with a leaf stalkBlack, gray, green. A sitting gorilla on the cheek, heavy brow, gray face, a green stalk held in one hand.
Monkey peeling a bananaBrown, tan, yellow. A sitting monkey on the cheek, tail curled behind, a banana in both hands with three flaps of peel.
Monkey swinging by its tailBrown, tan, green. A small monkey hanging from a green vine by its curled tail, arms reaching toward the jaw.
Mossy sloth hugging a trunkBrown, tan, green. A sloth wrapped around a trunk on the cheek, shaggy strokes for fur, a light green wash on its back.
Okapi with white stripes on its legsDark brown, white. A long-necked animal on the cheek, a chocolate brown body, white rings and stripes on all four legs.
Orangutan hanging by one long armOrange-brown, tan. A shaggy ape on the cheek hanging from a vine, one arm far longer than its legs, a tan face.
Quetzal with long green tail plumesGreen, red, white. A small green bird at the temple, a red belly, two long tail plumes trailing toward the jaw.
Sloth hanging upside down from a branchBrown, tan, green. A branch along the cheekbone, a sloth hanging under it by all four limbs, long claws, a sleepy smile.
Tapir calf with stripes and spotsBrown, cream, pink. A small round animal on the cheek with a short trunk nose, cream stripes and dots along its side.
Three little monkeys on a branch seen from behindBrown, tan, green. A branch along the cheekbone, three small monkeys sitting on it, backs turned, tails hanging.
Rivers, rain and treetops 12
Log bridge over a gorgeBrown, green, blue. Two green cliff edges on the cheek, one brown log laid across, a thin blue line far below.
Mist drifting between tree trunksGray-green, white, brown. Four thin trunks on the cheek, white sponge wisps laid across them in two bands.
One giant tree rising above the canopyBrown, green. A row of low round crowns along the cheekbone, one tall trunk rising past them with a wide flat top.
Rain dripping from leaf to leafGreen, blue. Three leaves stepping down the cheek, a drop falling from each tip onto the next.
Raindrops on a wide leafGreen, blue, white. One wide leaf on the cheek, six round drops sitting on it, a white dot of shine in each.
River bend seen from aboveBrown, green. A brown river winding from the temple toward the jaw, round green treetops packed along both banks.
Stepping stones curving across a blue streamBlue, gray, green. A blue band across the cheek, five gray stones in a curving line over it, grass ticks on both banks.
Storm cloud over the canopy with slanted rainGray, blue, green. A gray cloud above the cheekbone, slanted blue rain lines, a strip of round treetops under it.
Sun rays slanting through the leavesYellow, green. A fringe of leaves along the hairline at one temple, five pale yellow rays slanting across the cheek.
Tree with wide fin-shaped rootsBrown, green. A trunk on the cheek that flares into three flat fin roots near the jaw, a tuft of leaves at the top.
Treetops seen from aboveThree greens. Round bumpy tree crowns packed together on the cheek, a darker gap line between each.
Waterfall dropping from the temple into a poolBlue, white, green. White and blue strokes falling from the temple to a round pool on the cheek, leaves on each side.
Explorers 13
Backpack with a rolled mat on topGreen, brown, tan. A pack on the cheek, a tan roll strapped on top, two brown buckled pockets on the front.
Binoculars with a leaf reflected in each lensBlack, gray, green. Two joined circles on the cheek, a strap line looping below, a small green leaf inside each lens.
Camera with a long lens and a bird in viewBlack, gray, red. A camera on the cheek, its long lens pointing to the temple, a tiny red bird perched just ahead of it.
Canoe on a brown river with two paddlesRed, brown, tan. A long canoe along the cheekbone, pointed at both ends, two paddles crossed inside it, ripple lines.
Canteen with a screw cap and a looping strapGreen, gray, brown. A round flask on the cheek, a gray screw cap, a brown strap looping down toward the jaw.
Field notebook with a sketched leafWhite, brown, green. An open notebook on the cheek, a green leaf drawn on one page, pencil lines on the other.
Flashlight beam catching two eyes in the leavesYellow, gray, green, white. A flashlight near the jaw, a pale beam up the cheek, two round white eyes among dark leaves.
Lantern with short raysYellow, black, orange. A small lamp on the cheek, a wire handle on top, an orange flame inside, short rays around it.
Log raft with a leaf for a sailBrown, green, blue. Five logs tied side by side on the cheek, a big leaf on a stick as a sail, blue ripples under it.
Magnifying glass over a beetleBlack, brown, green. A round lens with a handle on the cheek, a green beetle inside the lens, six short legs.
Signpost with arrows to RIVER and CAMPBrown, white. A post on the cheek, two arrow boards pointing opposite ways, RIVER on one and CAMP on the other.
Tent tucked under two big leavesOrange, green, brown. A small triangle tent on the cheek, two wide leaves arching over it, a brown peg line each side.
Tree house with a rope ladderBrown, green, tan. A small hut in a tree crown at the temple, a ladder of tan rungs hanging along the cheek.
How it works
These jungle face paint ideas are 53 rainforest designs: 14 of leaves, vines and flowers, 14 jungle animals, 12 of rivers, rain and treetops, and 13 for explorers.
Read the full guide
The layers of a rainforest
A rainforest grows in layers: the forest floor, the understory, the canopy and, above it, a few giant trees called the emergent layer. One giant tree rising above the canopy paints that top layer. Tree sloths live mostly upside down, hanging in the trees, as in Sloth hanging upside down from a branch.
Plants painted as they grow
Cacao flowers open directly on the trunk and older branches, so Cacao pods growing straight from the trunk hang off the bark. Many bromeliads hold water in a cup of overlapping leaf bases: the blue dab in Bromeliad on a mossy branch with water in its cup. A liana is a woody vine that climbs trees toward the sunlight.
Questions and answers
What are easy jungle face paint ideas?
Fiddlehead fern frond still curled is one stem and a spiral, Raindrops on a wide leaf is a leaf and six dots, and Rain dripping from leaf to leaf is three leaves and three drops. Greens, blue and white cover all three.
What jungle animals can you face paint?
Monkeys, sloths, elephants, an orangutan, a gorilla, a tapir calf, a giant anteater, a blue poison dart frog, a quetzal and an okapi, the forest relative of the giraffe with white-striped legs. Each is a small picture, not a whole face.
How do you paint a vine around an eye?
Keep it on bone. Draw the stem over the brow bone, around the outer corner and along the top of the cheekbone, leaving the eyelid bare, then add small leaves that point away from the eye.
What paint do you need for jungle face paint?
Face paint sold for use on skin, in two or three greens, brown and blue. The US FDA says to be careful to keep makeup from getting into your eyes.