Halloween, as well as the Day of the Dead (in Mexico) is a celebration that has become global. That is why many look for costumes or ways to put on makeup. If you are a creative and want to surprise everyone, why don't we tell you how to paint a catrina?
There is no better canvas in this case than a real model, to be able to give free rein to your creativity but following the basic steps so as not to go beyond what is known as catrina. Shall we start?
What is a catrina
Have you ever wondered where catrina comes from? Well, the truth is that it is originally from Mexico and it is said that in 1910 the caricaturist José Guadalupe Posada created a drawing that he titled La Calavera Garbancera. In reality, it was a female skull wearing a hat.
Years later, in 1947, the muralist Diego Rivera painted "Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Central." And what stood out most was that, in the center, was the drawing of a female skull with a hat, the same one that Posada had painted.
Thus, she began to become famous and her name was changed to La Catrina.. And little by little it has become a costume.
How to paint a catrina
Since we don't want to make you wait and we want you to be able to enjoy the result of painting your Catrina, here are the steps.
Clean and clear
The first of all is going to be clean the skin to be able to use the paints that are needed. But, also, to prepare it so that you don't have problems with it later.
This is important because a Catrina's paint is usually abundant, and can clog the pores of the skin, causing it to suffer. So if you spend a little time preparing it you will not have negative consequences later.
Delimit your eyes
Once you have the skin prepared, it is time to Take a black pencil to outline the eyes. This will normally be a different color than the rest of the face, and that is why it is marked before so that you don't go overboard.
You can make two large circles in the eyes, but you can also go for shapes. The most traditional thing is to use two circles, but the modern style has meant that you can now find hearts, clovers, stars, triangles...
And how can you make that circle? You see, you have two ways:
- Using the eyebrows as part of the border of the circle.
- Including the eyebrows in that circle.
This way you will be able to know how big the circle will be. And we already tell you that there are many options.
Triangulate your nose
Another point to take into account is the nose. This one has a triangle that will be in black, and not white. Therefore, you have to draw it before starting to use white all over your face.
Some leave a small triangle, others take the entire lower part of the nose as the base of the triangle and then outline the other sides upwards.
Paint white
Another step to paint a catrina is to use a white base for the entire face (and even for the hands, neck, etc. if you also need it). Only the eyes and nose remain unpainted inside those circles or triangles you made.
The rest, all white.
Of course, we advise you to use a little translucent powder so that the white does not run, for example if it is too hot where you go. Nor so that it stains others.
skull features
Once you have a white face, it's time to apply the features of a skull. That is, you will have to outline the part of the cheeks (black looks good) so that your face appears thinner and the shape of the lips has a more intense effect.
What others do is draw the lines upward from the junction of the lips and then draw vertical lines that cross those lines.
eyes and lips
As you know, we have left the eyes before, as well as the lips. In the case of the eyes, the circles should be painted black, as should the triangle on the nose.
For its part, you can paint the lips in black or white but drawing vertical lines (in black) that go through and look more like the teeth of a skull than a lip itself.
In fact, You can even draw teeth with gums and everything.
Finally, you can decorate your entire face with some decorative elements. These are best done with black eyeliner.
Variations
Taking into account that Catrina has been with us for a long time, the truth is that her painting has been changing and now there are many more versions.
The modern ones preserve the white tone (although some change it for other different colors, or even leave the skin tone).
In the eye part, as we told you before, there can be circles, but also other shapes or even figures. In fact, On the edge of the circles they tend to decorate with color such as red, blue, or others. The goal is for it to be striking enough.
Below we leave you some videos on how to paint a catrina so that you have examples and see the differences.
The disguise
Once you have finished decorating your face, It is important that the dress you wear is appropriate. Although the most important thing is not so much the dress, but rather the arms, neck and legs. If you want them to look like a skull, you will have to spend some time painting them and creating that stylized effect as if you had bones. In fact, there is a video on YouTube that can help you do this:
Believe us if we tell you that this way you will achieve a better result.
As a finishing touch when painting a catrina, You could try to find a hat similar to the original one that the illustration had, or do it yourself, with the aim of making it look as similar as possible to the real La Catrina. Do you dare to do it?