Ch'um Nich wears face paint on most days she goes out. The reds are made from red ochre or achiote seeds, and the whites from crushed limestone– suspended in either cottonseed oil or water. She has one of her servants paint her face and neck for her, using a rag for big swathes of paint, and a brush for details. (I ignore whatever differences there might be between human skin and anthro fur in applying the paint!)

The simpler designs make more sense for her typical days overseeing the market, and the more elaborate ones for days when she oversees tribute, festivals, or has an important meeting. There's more nuance to all of these designs as originally depicted, of course:

Sources:
1-4: Chiik Nahb murals, Calakmul
These face paint designs are shown on the Chiik Nahb murals– mural paintings showing scenes of what appear to be market activity (though the scenes might be idealized or reflect a special event like a civil/religious ceremony or festival.) Of particular note are Design 1, the face paint on the iconic but unlabeled "Lady in Blue", and Design 4, the face paint on a lady labelled ix ikaatz ("she of the jewels/bundles/cargo/loads/tribute"). The same term is part of a mysterious name phrase, ix ikaatz bolon tuun ("Lady of the Cargo 9 Stone"), painted between the phases of murals. I highlight these (if elusive) details because they form a key point of inspiration for Ch'um Nich's character– I see her as an ix ikaatz who oversees much of the daily operations of the market, and the figures in the paintings (with the likely exception of "The Lady in Blue" might not be of particularly high social status, corresponding to Ch'um Nich's common birth. These are the sort of pattern that I could see Ch'um Nich wearing on her usual work days.

5: me

6: Ceramic figurine from the Princeton Art Museum
I've seen this figurine variously described as depicting a noblewoman, a courtesan, or a serving lady in charge of administering enemas (alcohol, tobacco, and/or hallucinogenic toad venom would be administered via enema in contexts that I don't understand well at the moment.) It's clear, however, that this pattern of paint is beautifying– the floral motifs by her nose indicate sweet, pleasant breath (and/or speech?). It's possible Ch'um Nich might have been a "serving lady" or courtesan at some earlier point in her life, so this face paint pattern would make the most sense for that point in her career.

7-8: Classic Maya vases (K2573, K2695)
9: Bonampak murals, Room 1
All three of these are face paint patterns shown on royal ladies. While I'd be tempted to assume that noble adornment would be different from that of commoners– or perhaps even restricted by sumptuary laws of sources– it's worth noting that all three seem to have much in common with other, less explicitly noble face paint patterns in this image. Perhaps motif, rather than the color or expanse of face paint, is the key factor– compare the "sweet breath" floral motif of Design 6 with the lunar motif of Design 8. But there's not really enough evidence to say.

Ultimately, I take a number of liberties; many designs require the painting of both lips, but on an anthropomorphic cougar, I found that I preferred painting just the lower lip. Ultimately, aesthetic concerns are also a part of what face paint patterns I might use for future illustrations with Ch'um Nich, but I think it's nice to at least lay out the historical evidence to the extent I can. (I'm not a historian– just an enthusiast!)

Description updated in February 2026 to include explanations of each set of designs.