For a description on how to apply tilaka, one should refer to the Hari-bhakti-vilasa (4.66-98). It is stated in Padma Purana, Uttara-khanda: “A practitioner should decorate his body with twelve marks while chanting the names of the Lord such as Keshava.” The process for decorating the twelve parts of the body with the twelve tilaka marks is as follows:

lalate keshavam dhyayen narayanam athodare

vakshah-sthale madhavam tu govindam kantha-kupake

vishnum ca dakshine kukshau bahau ca madhusudanam

trivikramam kandhare tu vamanam vama-parshvake

shridharam vama-bahau tu hrishikesham tu kandhare

prishthe ca padmanabham ca katyam damodaram nyaset

tat prakshalena-toyan tu vasudevaya murdhani

urdhva-pundram lalate tu sarvesham prathamam smritam

lalatadi kremenaiva dharanan tu vidhiyate

http://nitaai.com/nitaiveda/adikhanda_15_150.html

that can be applied to any lengthy thingy you wanna learn, right? great

http://www.deityworship.com/temple_worship/temple_ready.htm

gives a little more elaborate way.

Note:
Acc to Vasudeva Upanisad this is how grhasthas (5B) should do it while brahmacaris apply tilak only to forehead, chest, neck and shoulders (5,6). Sannyasis apply it to head, forehead and chest, but with their forefinger (7). 'A paramahamsa should say the sacred syllable Om and place Vaisnava tilaka on his forehead.' (10)

(This numbering is from a V.Up. edition probably translated by Kusakratha P. I've seen another shorter version (1-11 in Kusakratha's edition which has 28 texts) without openly Vaishnava teachings, probably censored out by advaitists.)