Kabuki makeup (kesho) may be separated into two distinct types: the standard makeup employed for the majority of characters and "kumadori", used for superheroes and villains and seen most frequently in the aragoto acting style.
As Kabuki developed as an art, so too did "kumadori". At one time there may have been over one hundred different types in use. Today there are far fewer, with only ten or fifteen being commonly seen. Styles range from the subtle lip rouge and eye highlights of the "mukimi-guma" style for the famous role of "Sukeroku", to the more complex nihon suji-guma for "Gongoro", the hero of "Shibaraku". After the lines are painted on with a brush or the fingertip, the hard lines are smudged with the finger to soften and blend them into the white base.