Published November 15, 2010 | 
The availability of temporary tattoos has made the art of face painting as simple as an instant meal. Just add water! (This is a comparison only, folks, no, you should not eat the tattoos!) Most temporary tattoos are quick and easy to apply. You place them on a cheek, cover with a cloth or paper towel soaked in water (warm works best), hold a few seconds, and voila`! You now have instant face art. The cheaper tattoos may not always come off their backing as they are supposed to, creating missing places in the picture. But there are many quality tattoos that are worth the effort. Sometimes the removal can be a bit tricky as well, requiring a bit of baby oil applied to the area and some gentle scrubbing.
While temporary tattoos can be incredible in their colors and simplicity of application, some may say they take away from the idea of actual face art. After all, anyone can apply a simple temporary tattoo, right? Many artists may be insulted to have their work compared to such a thing. Professional face painting requires a dedication, a love of artwork, skill in the drawing and painting and knowledge of supplies, and also people skills. But those who design these type of tattoos do deserve some credit, for their choice of designs and colors quantity available, and quality of the product.
