It’s October! How did that happen?! The holiday season is fast approaching! And, now that our September Shower Baby Week is over, I’m eager to dive in to all things fall & Halloween! So, we’re kicking things off today with a super easy Halloween craft project using Mod Podge! Seriously, even those of you who say you’re not crafty can TOTALLY make this DIY Halloween canvas art!I recently received a whole box of crafty Mod Podge goodness in the mail! I LOVE how many different Mod Podge varieties there are– something perfect for just about any project you’re working on. Some of them are especially great for Halloween, like the antique matte, glow-in-the-dark, and crackle varieties! There’s even a kids version (for easy wash out) that I’m excited to try with the boys! Of course, the biggest question when presented with lots of crafty goodness, is “what to make?” My mind has been swimming with all kinds of ideas, but finding time to execute them lately has been challenging (what with the newborn and all). So, I wanted to do something easy, that wouldn’t take a lot of time and this project delivered on both counts! Here’s what you’ll need to make your own DIY Halloween Canvas Art:
Halloween Face Paint Tutorial: 10 Steps to Become a Character from Avatar!
Halloween is a time when everyone can face their fears by dressing themselves as ghoulish monsters and happy haunts. The night is filled with exciting frights, lots of yummy treats and of course, iconic costumes. Halloween is a great time to become a famous historical figure, silly item or legendary movie character! Cristina MonDragon created this glowing look that was inspired by the infamous movie Avatar. She will be walking you through all the steps needed to transform yourself into a Na’vi from Pandora.
Step 1: Clean Face and Body
You’re going to be painting your face, neck and shoulders, so make sure that you’re wearing something suitable for this. If you have long hair, now is the time to tie it back and away from your face. Make sure your skin is a blank, clean canvas ready for painting! Pick out the colors you will be using. For this Avatar makeup, you will need Blue, White, Black, Green and Yellow.
Step 2: Apply Paint for a Blue Avatar Face
Using a sponge, dab blue paint from the Arteza Face Paint Kit onto your face, neck and shoulders. Make sure to cover the entire area as evenly as possible. This will serve as the base for our face paint and will give you the signature Na’vi look.
Step 3: UV Reactive Paint
Now use the white paint from our UV-reactive paint kit to begin creating some details. Starting with the forehead, create vertical lines in the center accentuated by lines around the sides of the face. You’ll want your lines to be slightly irregular so they look more like natural stripes. Work your way around the face but avoid the cheeks.
Step 4: Paint the Base for the Eyes
Now it’s time to add some other signature Na’vi details to your face paint! Gently apply the UV-reactive yellow paint to the eyelids, stopping at the crease of the lid. This will be the base for the eyes and will provide a surreal look that will have people believing you can see into the heart of the Pandora forest.
Step 5: Apply Paint to the Lips and Nose
Apply a UV-reactive pink paint to the lips as well as around the nostrils. This will make your facial features look more like the Na’vi’s.
Step 6: Paint Pupils Onto the Eyes
Make sure the yellow paint on the eyes is dry before moving onto this step. We’ll be adding more details to our eyelids with a detail brush. This will make the eyes more life-like and truly bring your Na’vi character to life.
Step 7: Add Dots and Glitter to the Face
Use a round detail brush to add white dots around the lines drawn on the forehead and sides of the face. Take blue or white glitter — or both! — to add some sparkle to your design. Lightly dampen either your finger or a sponge to pick up some Arteza Glitter and apply it to your face and neck. Be sure to limit the amount of water that’s used so you don’t wash away your hard work.
Step 8: Draw in the Necklace
Known for their esteemed friendships, the Na’vi wear what’s known as the Anurai necklace. This is passed from friend to friend as a show of devotion, and this is what you’ll be painting next. Use black face paint to draw a line for the necklace around your neck. Draw a circle using UV yellow paint at the center of the black line to create a pendant. Paint two smaller circles on either side of the pendant, then add highlights to make the beads and pendants seem three-dimensional.
Step 9: Add Some Details to the Eyes
Add more details to the eyes with black paint. Using a round brush, outline the edges of the eyes to make them more defined. Here you can even add in some eyelashes to make the eyes of the facepaint seem truly real.
Step 10: Check for Any Blank Spots
Shine a UV light on your face to check that your paint has been applied evenly and that everything is as defined as you need it to be. If you find some blank spots or places that need a touch-up, feel free to return to an earlier step to add some further details and fine-tune the look.
FALL SCARECROW IN THE SUNSET PAINTING SUPPLIES
- 9″x12″ Canvas Paper* (taped to a sturdy surface) or 11″x14″ canvas, aligned vertically.
- Tracing paper (for transferring stencil)
- Charcoal pencil (for transferring stencil)
- Palette, palette paper or plate for mixing paint
- Sharpie marker
Brushes
- ¾” Flat Wash Brush
- #10 Flat Shader
- #0 Detail Round
Paints
- Mars Black Acrylic Paint
- Primary Red Acrylic Paint
- Primary Yellow Acrylic Paint
- Primary Blue Acrylic Paint
- Titanium White Acrylic Paint
- Acrylic Paint Basics
FALL SCARECROW IN THE SUNSET PAINTING STEPS
Follow these step-by-step instructions on how to paint your very own fall scarecrow staring at a sunset painting.
Scarecrow Autumn Field Acrylic Pain.
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Want the Full Tutorial + Traceable stencil (with no ads)?
If you want to get the entire step-by-step painting tutorial (without ads), printable supply list and stencil for 3 standard canvas sizes, check out this painting printable here in my shop.
STEP 1: Using your flat wash brush, load it with white paint mixed with equal parts water. Begin to brush this onto your entire canvas, coating it completely.
Easy DIY Halloween Canvas Art
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It’s October! How did that happen?! The holiday season is fast approaching! And, now that our September Shower Baby Week is over, I’m eager to dive in to all things fall & Halloween! So, we’re kicking things off today with a super easy Halloween craft project using Mod Podge! Seriously, even those of you who say you’re not crafty can TOTALLY make this DIY Halloween canvas art!
I recently received a whole box of crafty Mod Podge goodness in the mail! I LOVE how many different Mod Podge varieties there are– something perfect for just about any project you’re working on. Some of them are especially great for Halloween, like the antique matte, glow-in-the-dark, and crackle varieties! There’s even a kids version (for easy wash out) that I’m excited to try with the boys! 
Of course, the biggest question when presented with lots of crafty goodness, is “what to make?” My mind has been swimming with all kinds of ideas, but finding time to execute them lately has been challenging (what with the newborn and all). So, I wanted to do something easy, that wouldn’t take a lot of time and this project delivered on both counts! Here’s what you’ll need to make your own DIY Halloween Canvas Art:
- 8×8 canvas
- 12×12 sheet of Halloween paper (I like the ones that look more like real pictures)
- paper cutter (or scissors)
- Antique Matte Mod Podge
- “BOO” letters (I used my Cricut to cut them out)
- Paint brush
- *Mod Podge Crackle Medium
- *Orange paint
*Note: The last two supplies are optional. I wanted to try the crackle effect, which is cool. But you would have a nice art print even if you skipped those extra steps!
First up, size the paper to just wrap around your canvas. Then, apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the canvas and apply the paper to the canvas. Wrap the paper around the edges just as if you were wrapping a present. Next up, apply a thin coat of the Antique Matte Mod Podge over the paper to adhere the “Boo” letters (or another saying if you so choose)–make sure you also go over the letters as well. The Antique Matte helps gives the white letters (and the moon) a more vintage look! Let everything dry and at this point, you could be done. The whole process (minus drying time took maybe 10-15 minutes total). Super easy!
I decided to take it a little further though because I wanted to try the Crackle Medium. Because the print is so dark, it’s not quite so noticeable all over. But, on the moon, the lighted part behind the house, and the letters, it turned out pretty cool! Definitely adds to the vintage, spooky look! 
Once the canvas seemed pretty dry, I painted over it with the crackle medium– following the directions carefully. Then, I left it to dry for an hour (as per the directions). Once dry, I mixed some orange paint with a little water and covered the canvas with it. I left the paint mixture on just long enough that I thought it was soaking into the cracks, but not long enough to dry. Then, I wiped the whole thing off with a paper towel. The end result gives subtle detail, making the print seem somehow that much more “finished”. 
Allow everything to dry and then decide where to put your cool new Halloween canvas art print! We just started getting out the Halloween decorations yesterday (I just can’t bring myself to do it before October) and I’m excited to have something new that looks really cool! Until you get close up, it looks like a painting! Pretty awesome for maybe only about 20 minutes of work (not including drying time)! 
For more info on everything Mod Podge (and Plaid crafts) be sure to follow them on facebook, twitter, and Pinterest. And if you’re looking for more crafty, Halloween projects, check out these awesome ideas:
Disclosure: I wrote this post as part of a paid campaign with Plaid and Blueprint Social. However, my opinions and project are entirely my own!
