Snake Face Paint Ideas

Many kids would name the snake as their favorite animal. Snakes come in myriad colors, sizes, patterns, and degrees of dangerousness, from "harmless and kind of adorable" (the 4-inch, noodle-thin Leptotyphlops carlae) to "extremely deadly" (the 8- to 14-foot black mamba, Dendroaspis polylepis). Whether your child wants to be a snake for Halloween or if you just want to shake up the department meeting on Friday, focus your snake face painting efforts on the most distinctive features of snakes.

Forked Tongue

Slithery Snake image by J3TPhotos from Fotolia.com 

The snake's forked tongue is highly recognizable.

Paint a red or black forked (split) tongue flicking out of the person's mouth. Make the tongue a thin, straight line starting in the middle of the bottom lip, extending downward toward the chin. "Fork" the painted tongue just above the chin.

Fangs

If the person whose face is to be painted wishes to look like a venomous snake, such as a cobra, give her a pair of fangs. Snake fangs are long, pointy and close together (the two front teeth), unlike vampire fangs, which are smaller and spread farther apart (the canine teeth). Start the fangs from the middle of the upper lip. Paint two very narrow, pointy white triangles that go over and just past the bottom of the lower lip. For an optional accent, depict venom glistening at the points of the triangles.

Cobra Hood

Black Cobra in a Basket image by fotodewan from Fotolia.com 

Cobras used in snake charming performances are usually de-fanged.

Add character to your painted snake face by adding a cobra hood. King cobras are among the most well-known snakes because they are long (up to 18 1/2 feet long), have a flaring hood, raise themselves high when threatened, and are extremely deadly if they strike. (As "National Geographic" puts it, "It seems unfairly menacing that a snake that can literally 'stand up' and look a full-grown person in the eye would also be among the most venomous on the planet, but that describes the famous king cobra." "National Geographic" also notes that the venom in a single king cobra bite could "bring down an elephant.") Paint a downward-pointing triangular shape on the forehead, starting between the eyebrows and curving upward and outward to the hairline. Loop the lines down each side of the face, following the jawline, meeting under the chin.