Camo Face Paint Questions

[Chachi]

I was just curious what the general thought is on camo face paint and the best way to apply it. I have done some research that talks about applying a cold cream before putting on the camo paint, making it easier to take off at the end of the OP. Any tips, advice, or brands that work well would be helpful. I have worn a full face mask in the past, but I recently had my ESS goggles converted by BitterEnd to a mesh goggle, and I was thinking of using some camo face paint to further disquise my face. My white, pasty face doesn't blend into the woods quite as well as my MARPAT!

[Voodoo Man]

Standard issue paint is great and i always use that but some people use burnt cork (old school technique). Best way to apply as I've been told is putting dark on the places highlighted in natural lighting (nose, ears, forehead, eyelids. Some people call the area to apply the darkest paint "the T" or the "cross" because thats typically how you start) but other than that you're attempting to blend with natural veg. so use whats necessary in necessary amounts.
Anything thats going to make it easier to come off will probably have it coming off during the game, keep that in mind. Besides, going to DQ in camo with a green face ranks an 8 out of 10 in awesome.

[ogrejager]

This is from 20+ years of duck hunting--not airsoft. Buy the brand that comes in 3 little toothpaste tubes--don't buy issue, and especially don't buy the little makeup compact that has all 3 colors in it. The tubes are by FAR the easiest to apply.

As far as removal--two words--baby wipes.

I don't claim to be an expert in application styles or whatnot for that cool, "milsim" look, but I have been wearing paint for decades.

[Haloeclipse]

In basic we used baby oil before, it made the stuff that came out of the issued metal tube come off more easily, but it will make it more likely to come off during play

. Like mentioned above, baby wipes are the only way to go when it comes to removal.

[Steve]

+1 to both the camo in toothpaste tubes and to baby wipes for removal.

The objective with face paint is to break up the recognizeable features of the face. Typically, the nose and chin and cheekbones all protrude, whereas the cheeks and eye sockets are recessed. The forehead is a flattish plane. Dark colors generally applied to the higher areas to subdue them and brighter colors applied to sunken areas to heighten them will change the features to let you blend in. With the three-color paint sets, typical use wil be to use black to flatten out features, green to raise them, and brown as a breakup color to remove symmettry by applying squiggles, lines, and dots.

Alternatively, face paint has historically been used by multiple cultures as a form of psychological warfare. Symbols, designs, and colors were all employed to bolster the morale of the wearers and intimidate their foes.

In more modern times, face paint has been used more to blend the facial coloration into the colors and patterns found in both nature and on the uniform. The goal (aside from concealment) is to dehumanize the appearance of the wearer so that the enemy is confronted with a faceless, inhuman foe. One of the only things that (IMHO) ACUpat uniforms and gear do really well is to remove the individual characteristics of body shape, age, hair color and gender so that the wearers appear to be identical cogs in an unstoppable war machine.

[Sleepy]

This is from 20+ years of duck hunting--not airsoft. Buy the brand that comes in 3 little toothpaste tubes--don't buy issue, and especially don't buy the little makeup compact that has all 3 colors in it. The tubes are by FAR the easiest to apply.

As far as removal--two words--baby wipes.

I don't claim to be an expert in application styles or whatnot for that cool, "milsim" look, but I have been wearing paint for decades.

This.

I've used two different "Compact" styles, and they're a phony pony to apply in any meaningful fashion.

Don't worry too much about any sort of pattern, you just want to smear a few colors around to break up your outline. Make sure to get it on any exposed skin, and make sure to get your wrist if you're wearing gloves. Get the back of your neck. Don't be afraid to have a buddy help you put your makeup on.

And don't leave it til the last minute. I was applying my facepaint in Thompsons sideview mirror when I should have been at the brief for Grid 18.