Clowns are a popular costume choice for birthday parties, Halloween parties, and for trick-or-treating. They're highly recognizable and easy to create with a few simple materials and tips. Follow these steps to face paint a clown face that is sure to be an amusing hit with friends and family of all ages. Choose the right materials for the job at hand. If face painting outside where it's hot, use oil-based paint to avoid running and streaking. Many birthday parties and similar events are held outside when the sun is hot and shining down on your clowns-to-be. Sweat causes smearing and streaking of traditional water-based makeups and will eventually cause your perfectly painted clown faces to appear sloppy. On the contrary, if the clowns you're painting are likely to be inside an air conditioned atmosphere for the majority of the event, water-based makeups are fine to use and work just as effectively as their oil-based counterparts. Paint a base of white over the entire face. Outline the shapes on the clown face with a waterproof cosmetic pencil. The basic clown face is usually white or a similarly light color. Sponge on the base color of your choice, carefully covering the entire face and being careful around the eyes. To set the base coat, lightly brush on a matte powder in white or translucent. This will help to prevent smearing during the application of other makeup details. With an eyeliner pencil, trace the outlines of desired shapes around eyes, cheeks, and lips. Have fun with these designs, creating various expressions by drawing the mouth into a wide smile or a droopy frown. Play with the ideas of bright, happy eyes or furrowed brows above squinted eyes. The possibilities are limitless. Use colorful face paints to complete the look. Fill in your outlines with bright colors and add finishing touches such as hair pieces, hats, and a nose. There's no set rule that says your clown's nose has to be red, just as there are no rules concerning eye color or the best shape for cheek details. Paint stars or circles, diamonds or swirls on each cheek. Fill in your stenciled outlines with blue, green, red, yellow -- any color the clown chooses is the right one. Add a floppy hat, sparkly glitter, or a curly-haired wig for the final touch.