A Clown's Most Recognizable Hallmark

The origins of whiteface clown makeup are attributed to Joseph Grimaldi, an english actor. He began by painting a white base over his face, neck and chest before adding triangles on the cheeks, thick eyebrows and large red lips set in a mischievous grin. Grimaldi's design is used by many modern clowns. Some say the true origin of whiteface makeup was the character of Pierrot in the latter part of teh 17th century.

With horror movies and related media getting a lot of attention these days, the clown design, which was already seen as uncanny by some, has taken a darker twist. Scareactors in haunted houses and attractions add SFX blood and intense contacts to really drive into the fear clowns give to some individuals. Pennywise is a beacon of the horror clown trope, mixing fear, mayhem and silliness into one.

Today, the clowncore trend has swept through the internet. Individuals have found a way to modernize and stylize clown makeup into a way that fits a 'casual' manner. Youtube content creator IzzzYzzz, who focuses primarily on internet lore, is a perfect example of this. Often when recording themselves they will display clownesque designs in a modern makeup fashion. We highly recommend checking out #clowncore on any social media site to see what other designs individuals are coming up with.