Saturday, May 29, 2010

The main advantages of using liquid latex over other kinds of body paint are duration and durability. Other body paints tend to rub off and smudge against fabric, often leaving dirty and possibly even stained clothing. Once liquid latex has dried on the skin it does not present these issues. Clothing will remain unblemished by the latex for as long as it is worn. Whilst perspiration and body heat may encourage the latex to separate from the skin slightly, the latex will not smudge or run but remain intact until the wearer removes it by simply tearing or peeling it away from the skin. Again, this does not leave a residue on the skin like many other body paints. Depending on your activities and the thickness of the applications, latex should last many hours before it begins to separate from the skin. If latex is painted entirely around body or body parts it will continue to cling to the body and can still be worn for an unlimited time. Generally, it can be worn out for an entire day or night, can be worn in water, and will last many hours through photo shoots, performances and many other activities.

There are however some minor disadvantages, nothing that should discourage the use of latex, more the need for a little common sense and preparation. Before applying latex to the body it is necessary to patch-test a small area of the skin to check for any allergic reactions. It is quite rare, most people are not allergic to latex, but a small percentage of users have reported skin irritation after coming into contact with this kind of body paint.

On occasions where liquid latex has been applied to the skin over hair it can be both difficult and painful to remove. Wet latex will bond permanently to hair as it does to fabric. The only way to remove latex with hair stuck to it is to pull it off, which of course also rips the hair off the skin. Anyone who has experienced body waxing will be familiar with the level of discomfort. The best preparation when applying liquid latex is to first remove hair from areas of the body to be painted. However, it is not always necessary as liquid latex can be removed from moderate amounts of body hair with little effort and minimum discomfort. Body hair may also be trimmed very short instead of shaving.

When buying liquid latex it is important to read the label and avoid any brand that does not specify 'for cosmetic use' or 'suitable for use as body paint'. Liquid latex is used in many other industries and you need to make sure you buy latex that does not contain toxic chemicals. Purchasing from a reputable body paint supplier is the safest way to ensure you're getting non-toxic latex suitable for skin application.

For the reasons stated above, children should be supervised by a responsible adult at all times when using this type of body paint.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Are you considering making a living (or at least a little money on the side) doing body painting? Is it even possible to make a living doing body painting? Yes, you can make good money as a 'pro' body painter, and even kids as young as twelve have made good money (like $500-$400 in an afternoon) doing simple painting techniques like airbrushed temporary tattoos at fairs and festivals.

It may be difficult to believe that there are so many different ways to make money doing body painting. I know that when I first discovered the art of body painting, I thought maybe you could make some temporary money at a party or fair. But there are many, many more possibilities, as you will see.

Here are just 10 of the ways you could get paid to do body painting:

1. Doing body painting at parties. You could hire yourself for a night or a day and get paid either by the hour or a flat fee for the event.
2. Painting party-goers before they go to a party or event. Themed or holiday parties would be a good opportunity for this. Make sure you mention that you could body paint their friends, too!
3. As a professional body painter for the theatre. You could do one show for a discount to get in the door and get some recognition, if you don't have a track record yet.
4. Travel with the circus as their 'in house' makeup artist.
5. Become the official body painter for a dance company. Again, you could work for a low fee or even free to get in the door.
6. Face painting alone opens up several opportunities: parties, festivals, fairs, and special events all are possible places for you to set up shop. Just make sure (as with all these options) that you are using proper, non-allergenic paints meant for face painting alone.
7. Special events like graduations, celebrations, fundraisers, and reunions.
8. Sports events: painting fans in their team colors and symbols has had a long tradition.
9. Festivals around the world. There are several festivals specifically for body painting around the world, but there are many more that would be a great place for body painting. Look up the festivals in your area and find out how to become a vendor and what their requirements and rules are.
10. Teach others how to do body painting. You could hold a one-time workshop, give ongoing group classes or even do an online body painting course (as I am doing).

I hope this gives you some good ideas about how you could make money as a body painting artist. Maybe you have even thought of some ways that I didn't include...great! Choose one method, research what you need to do to get started, and go for it!

Bonus Tip:

Here's a secret hint...as you are considering one of the possibilities above. Don't choose what you think would make you the most money...choose what you think you would happiest and best at doing. You will always make more doing something you love doing, in the long run!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Body art is one that involves the human body. When sold to clients, the human body is not included but only serves as advert. It is important for a client to understand what the product is, and that they are not like other products which can be counted quantitatively. Body art is all in the mind of an artist.

Sometimes called body painting, body arts have different forms. Painting and tattoos are the most common ones. In political protests, painting is used in order to gain attention. The following paragraphs will describe the product and informs the clients how they are sold through drop shipping suppliers.

Body arts are commonly used on kids or jesters. This art involves painting the whole face or the whole body for the purpose of entertainment. They don't damage or harm the skin of the wearer. When the products are sold, they include packets giving instructions on their proper use and some suggested designs that may be copied. A tattoo kit includes inks and a tattoo machine, among others.

Clay and other pigments are used by tribes of Papua New Guinea. Wet charcoal, huito and annatto are used by natives of South America. Henna is used by the Middle East and India. What the clients purchase are the different dyes used in body painting. They can be simply drop shipped by any supplier.

Body art is the most ancient form of art. If the painting is only on the face, it is called face painting. If it involves more than the face, it is called body painting or body art. Body art is still worn during ceremonies in most tribalist cultures. The brides of India and the Middle East wear body arts during wedding ceremonies.

Our movie actors and actresses around the world continue to do body painting today. They use the gentlest form of face paints known today as cosmetics.

Well-known drop shipping suppliers of body arts products will take the job readily and will not even pose a question as to the mode of shipping the client requires. Dropshipping this kind of product is a common activity for them and selling the products is a usual business.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Now personally I don’t have a tattoo although I have been thinking of getting one. My wife has a small heart just above her right breast that you normally can’t see. I like it there and if you are wanting to get a tattoo, there are many things to consider.

First you need to be tattoo smart. By that I mean you need to do a little research on them. There are many resources across the internet that can give you ideas about placement, coloring, style, design, and pro’s and con’s. From personal observation, I have noticed that certain places on the body can add to your appearance and seductivity and other places can be distracting. Depending on whether you are in the spotlight or just behind the scenes, you need to know how a tattoo will affect your everyday activities.

Most of society has begun to accept tattooing and generally don’t make a big deal about them. I myself, think they add a certain flair to your personality. They are a way of expressing who you are and how you feel about yourself. Remember, they are a permanent part of your body afterwards. They can be very enticing or they can be ridiculous. Some people have made it their objective to completely cover their entire body with tattoos. I don’t really care for this type of practice but, if that is what you want to do this, then go for it.

When and if you decide to get a tattoo, by doing the research first you will be able to make a well informed decision as to where and how you want to display your new form of self expression. Whether they are in the form of flowers, butterflies, animals, and even people, they can add to your self worth. Many of us would like to express ourselves everyday but, we just don’t how. You can through the form of a tattoo.

If you decide to go ahead and purchase a tattoo, please remember that they are expensive to install and remove depending on the size and location. Although they can be removed, there is the possibility of some tissue damage and discoloration.

I am no expert on tattoos and if I was going get one I definitely would research the subject first.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Painting the human body, especially female nudes, has remained a favourite model for the artists since the primitive age. While choosing a model for the art, the artist of various fields do it for many purposes. The painters choosing human bodies as their models keep certain theories in their minds. Take the case of the radiating paintings of Venus. The nude paintings of Venus, the Goddess of love, personify love and harmony. In many a paintings she is shown with Mars, the God of war. The idea behind such depiction is to show the effort of love and the sense of harmony to restraint the impulse leading us to war. The purpose of the artist here is to pacify the warmonger living within us.

By selecting the female nude as model for their art-pieces, the artists desire to connect themselves with the viewers emotionally. The painters wish convey the exact feeling they encounter while looking at the nude object. During the ancient time, whether it may be the paintings of Venus or work done on the alters of churches, the artists' primary motive remained the adoration of the beauty of human body, especially of the female body.

But by selecting the body of, mostly as the base for depiction of their art, the painters always encounter difficulties attached with the complexity and stigma attached with figurative painting in general and painting women in particular.

The master painter have tried depicting stories, mainly mythological through such paintings. Once we know the story depicted through the painting, the imagination that a painter had in mind becomes identified or clearer to our minds. After that the details of a paintings function as written words in a book.

The artists of the western countries, mainly European, seem unusually preoccupied with the painting of nude persons, women and men alike. They have made the human body an important, a key building block of their art. In Eastern countries, barring India, the nude paintings are still a taboo.

In modern time, the subject of 'Painting The Nude' has undergone a gradual liberation from academic constraints. However there were master painters in past, too, who painted both male and female nude figures and adorned the beauty of the human bodies.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

These easy face paint recipes show how to make homemade face paint using common household ingredients. Mix and store in baby food jars or discarded film canisters. Be ready for your next kids party or dress-up event.

HOMEMADE FACE PAINT RECIPES

Facepaint Recipe #1

1 tsp. Cornstarch

½ tsp. Cold cream

½ tsp. Water

Food coloring (variety of colors)

Mix together cornstarch and cold cream until well blended. Add water and stir. Add food coloring one drop at a time until you get the desired color.

Facepaint Recipe #2

3 tblsps. Cornstarch

1 tblsp. Flour

3/4 cup Karo light corn syrup

1/4 cup water

½ tsp. Liquid food coloring

Mix cornstarch and flour together in a bowl. Gradually stir in Karo syrup and water until smooth. Divide mixture into individual containers as needed and tint each one with the food coloring of your choice. Leave one batch untinted.

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Clown Make-up

Blend on a paper plate:

2 tblsp. shortening

5 tsps. cornstarch

1 tsp. flour

Dab of Vaseline

Add food coloring for various colors.

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Fake Blood for Halloween Party Make-up

Karo brand corn syrup

Red and blue food coloring

Milk

Add some red food coloring to the corn syrup, then just a drop or two of blue to get a more realistic dark color. Milk will make the blood appear more opaque and more realistic.

Note: This mixture is sticky and can stain clothes.

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More Fun Make-up Tips:

To lightly blacken faces, carefully burn a cork and when cool, rub on the face.

For a ghoulish look, add a dusting of flour to already made up faces.

For a stubbly bearded look, sprinkle tobacco over a thin layer of vaseline.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Nude Art

Scandalous! Shocking! Without modesty! Nudity has been portrayed without shame throughout history and has been met with varying criticism depending on the time and culture.

Early Nude Art

Ever since early cave paintings the natural human form has been portrayed in its full unclothed glory. This was just how the artists saw his fellow people, and depending on the region, people wore very little anyway. Since then societies have presented the nude form in paintings, drawing, photography, and any other media. This either demonstrates humanity's strong sexual nature, or just a propensity for making aesthetically pleasing artwork, or perhaps a combination of the two.

Perhaps no society was more naked in its art than Pompeii. This ancient Roman city would meet its doom at the wrath of Mount Vesuvius when the volcano erupted and wreaked havoc on the city below. The city would be covered and ruined by the lava flow but an 18th century find would uncover remnants of a forgotten world, including the remains of many of its inhabitants exactly how they met their fiery demise.

The society shows no sign of bashfulness in its many frescoes and surviving statues. In them you'll find depicted sexual acts, more sex, sex, and just plenty of nudity. Being an ancient Roman city, they often depicted gods and goddesses in their art. The most risque probably being Priapus, the god of fertility. Also of interest are the many statues from early Pompeii, which today may raise a few eyebrows. These are no Michelangelo's "David," if you know what I mean.

Erotica

Further through art history, namely long after the invention of oil painting and when art drifted away from a dominant religious tone, nudity was a common thing. Retouching on the ancient themes, pederasty in Roman mythology in paintings and sculpture, carnal love, and in general sexuality (sometimes not so delicate) were painted time and again. This was perceived usually as good taste. Of course, that wasn't always the general consensus.

In Michelangelo's career, he painted the human form realistically and without apologies. The subtle homo-erotic tones of the Sistene's ceiling probably went straight over the head of the pope and any other religious leader for that matter. The musculature of the male form painted in detail and the poses of the many male figures probably would have been omitted from a religious painting. The olives resembling certain parts of anatomy were perhaps there as a joke or subtle reference.

In the case of Caravaggio, his pubescent cupid displayed in "Amor Vincet Omnia" or Love Conquers All , would in these days be met with hostility, and the artist considered a pedophile. But in those days, the nude form young and old was nothing to shy from, and the boy was simply another model paid to pose. Caravaggio's painting is characteristic of his work, steering clear of the idealized subjects, instead showing a common street boy, crooked teeth and all.

Much modern debate has come over Amor's primary owner keeping the painting behind a curtain. While some say that he was embarrassed of the supposed eroticism and kept it hidden, others say that covering a painting is meant to keep it as a piece de resistance, to be uncovered only after the rest of the artwork was shown, as the best of show.

Borderline Pornography

It probably wasn't until the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe, particularly Victorian times of the 19th century when nudity in art started to seem inappropriate. In an age when even in the summer one must cover themselves with layer upon layer, and sexual matters altogether were strictly taboo, its no wonder the paintings were more G rated. This isn't to say that the subtle was absent. Take the Fragonard painting The Swing. It was also called "The Happy Accidents of the Swing." Humorously showing a glimpse up a dress, an unquestionable infidelity, and a cupid statue with a "hush" gesture all show this French painting's sexual symbolism.

Tame by today's standards, The Swing was quite sultry in its day. Going further into the beginning of the nineteenth century, Goya would make a breakthrough in erotic art and paint the first showing of pubic hair. Take "The Naked Maja" which was the complement to the Clothed Maja. Both paintings are wrapped in mystery, as to who the model is and who the intended recipient, but most people conjecture Fransisco was romantically involved with the sitter. Either way, it would get the artist into much trouble. It even got him fired from a lucrative court position, as a result of the Spanish Inquisition deeming the painting obscene.

Later we continue to have scandals resulting from a repressed mass of people. This John Singer Sargent painting called "Madame X" was originally painted with one shoulder strap off and on her arm. Mothers cover your children's eyes, they'll be scarred for life! Sargent later had to repaint the strap in it's correct position, to appease the prudish public.

In the nineteenth century, the "Father of American Painting" Thomas Eakins would be in hot water for removing the loincloth of a nude model in an art class. One of the girls promptly told her parents of such a horrible thing, which would lead to Eakins' removal from professorship at the Pennsylvania Academy. Eakins wasn't ashamed of the naked human body and frequently shot many nude photos, even posing nude himself on the other end of the camera as well. His paintings sometimes had nudity in them as well.

Subtle Undertones?

Modern photography is rife with naked forms ranging from the sexually charged to the artistic erotica. Modern advertisement also has subliminal sexual undertones for its psychological value, portraying people in borderline explicit poses and gestures in an effort to maximize effectiveness. Sex sells!

Speaking of sex selling, the paintings of Rembrandt van Rijn have been known to contain subliminal messages to reach the subconscious. The Dutch word for sex has been found in the underpaintings of several works written in large, barely visible letters. The painting of the Militia of Captain Cocq could possibly have a deep subconscious image. The shadow of a hand on the other man's crotch? Captain who? Interesting.

Modern and Contemporary Nudity

Painting in the modern day, especially at art schools involves the female nude for a variety of reasons. Besides its classical and/or romantic value, the female body is generally a good subject to paint for its curves and contours, giving the student valuable practice in form and shape. One may say that society has come a long way since Fragonard's Swing painting. But at the same time it is not that probable that a painting of a school teacher skinny dipping with his students would be generally accepted, at least not in modern America.

So times change, as well as views on sexuality, nudity, and the human body. Each society and culture has its own views, and inside each has subcultures with differing views and values, such as nudist camps. It also matters which part of the world you're from, as a nudist beach in France is more the norm than a nudist beach in New Jersey.

No matter what day and age, boys will be boys and seek the naked drawings in art books, erotically charged paintings will turn us on, subtle sexual undertones may touch our subconscious and we will always have nude paintings on our walls for whatever the perceived value.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Henna tattoos are an ancient custom in India: girls and women are body painted before ceremonies, like marriage. They painted complicated patterns on their hands and feet to symbolize their fertility.

Henna (or 'Mehndi', the Indian name) is made from the henna plant (Lawsonia Inermis). The leaves of the plant are dried and ground. The powder gets mixed with water and you get a sort of green-brownish mud. If you put that mud on your skin, let it harden, and then peel it off, you will notice it has left an orange color.

You can get your henna at an eastern shop or a 'souk' in many different colors. There's orange, mahogany, brown and black. The orange one is the traditional henna. The black henna is synthetic. It contains PDD (P-phenylenediamene) and can cause allergic reactions. Even if it doesn't cause irritations, it's still unhealthy. Moreover, in the past, black henna at your wedding was considered a disgrace.

Henna Recipe

With one pack of henna, you'll have enough to body paint the entire football team. Put the henna in a bowl and gently pour some lemon juice and boiling water in the bowl. Don't use too much water, the mud has to resemble the thickness of sate sauce. The purpose of the lemon juice is to help the color hold better on your skin.

Your skin should be clean, dry and not fat. If you want to color your nails too, they shouldn't have nail polish on them. Make sure you really want this, because your nails will be orange for about 2 months. It doesn't come off! When the henna is cold, you can get to painting.

If you want to paint your foot soles, which is a traditional custom in Marokko, make sure you have a pillow of some kind to keep your feet off the floor, before you know it, the henna mud is everywhere! You can apply the henna with all sorts of instruments, what works best is a syringe (without the needle of course).

Symmetric and geometric shapes work best. Don't make the lines too thin, the color won't come on to your skin very well. The bigger the surface, the brighter the color will be.
Now: the annoying part: Waiting...

Let the henna dry in the sun, the warmth of the sun will get your color deeper into your skin. You can also use a hairdryer.

If you make a mistake in the picture your painting: ACT QUICKLY! If you wipe it off too late, the henna will leave a red spot.

After a while, the henna will start to burst. Don't peel it off yet! The henna has to stay on for at least two hours. Then you can start removing the crusts of mud.

DON'T remove the henna with water! Just scrape the crusts of your skin, you can do this with a bold knife. Don't let your body painting get in touch with water for the first couple of hours. Right after you scraped off all the crusts, rub your skin in with olive oil. It will make the color brighter and help keep the color on as long as possible. Your henna painting will survive for about a month or so.

Also nice to know: Swimming, body peeling, scrubbing your back, and bodyscrub products will make the henna tattoo deteriorate faster.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Halloween is such fun for kids of all ages, and adults too. Here are some face painting ideas to get you in the Halloween spirit.

Halloween face painting idea 1: pumpkin

A bright orange pumpkin painted on each cheek. Black paint used to paint eyes, nose and mouth. A light grey would be used to show the ridges of the pumpkin as well as its outline.
An alternative would be to do a full face pumpkin with an orange face base (blending a darker orange shade over cheekbones), black triangle shape over the eyes (extending above and below the eye area), a black nose and a large black mouth (need to cover more than just the lips).

Halloween face painting idea 2: skull

A full face design. Has a white face as the base, large black 'panda' eyes, black and white vertical stripes on the lips (with the white stripes wider than the black ones) and a trickle of red from one side of the mouth (to indicate blood).

Halloween face painting idea 3: vampire

A full face design. A white face base, bright red lips, fangs coming out of each corner of the lower lip (outline is light grey, fill is white, and tip is red to denote some blood), eye lids are smoky grey (right up to and over eye brows), eye brow then exaggerated with black sweeping strokes.

Halloween face painting idea 4: bat

A full face design. A white face base, bat's face painted on forehead above the nose (it's in black with light grey for eyeballs, and for some definition in ears); the bat's body is painted in black on the nose and ends at the base of the nostrils (use different shadings of black; the bat's wings extends out from head and body and covers the eyes curving up towards the temple and down the outside of the eye to mid cheek (again use different black shadings and some fine dark grey strokes to paint some definition into the wings); the lips are painted in dark grey with an exaggerated upward curl at the corners.

Friday, May 14, 2010

At my daughter's first birthday party, I was fortunate enough to have a cousin who is an artist and she whipped out her face painting kit and paint the older kid's faces and whole upper torsos. My nephews were completely done as the Hulk and Aquaman, the girls had their faces painted up as princesses and small cute butterflies and balloons.

Kids love face painting, they are fascinated by seeing others get their faces painted and wait in anticipation to see their face design. My daughter's fifth birthday is approaching and I was desperately, wanting a crash course on how to do it myself, so that I wouldn't have to hire a face painting artist to do my party.

The key is to start with easy face painting designs. The face designs should easy enough to be able to use small sponges cut into circles, triangles, rectangles, diamonds, dab them into the face paint and place it on the skin, leaving a base design that you can build upon or finish off with a little highlight, lowlight, or shading. Use a different sponge for each color; you will need multiple sponges in the same designs for each of the colors you are using.

A great time to practice face painting designs is at Halloween. On a night of horrors, the little odd wavering of a line will be hidden in the dark of trick or treat. If you are unsure of your ability practice on your own hand, close your hand into a fist and paint the top of it. Halloween is the most popular time of the year for face painting. The face painting design include, vampires, ghouls, witches, and ghosts.

Face painting ideas should be simple, fun, and something you have practiced. The more you practice the faster you become and the more faces you can paint.

Face painting design supplies should consist of good paintbrushes. Good paintbrushes will have the bristles securely fastened into the brush end, otherwise, the bristles will fall out and become part of the face painting design. You will spend several minutes pulling bristles out of the design. Good brushes cost between $3-10, and they will last you a long time. Invest in sponges and cut them into different designs like circles, stars, triangles, rectangles, ovals, and any other shape you can imagine. Remember to disinfect all items between faces to keep things sanitary. All face paints should state on the labels that they are face paints and they are okay to use on the skin, start out with two or three paint brushes, and a small range of colors, the basic palettes have white, black, green, red, yellow, purple, and orange. Other fun items to use with the face paints are glitter, stick on gems, stencils, and face painting stamps.

Great items for amateur face painters are stencils and face painting stamps. The face painting stamps are made of rubber and you place in on your face painting paint pad and you have an outline of the design, then you fill in the stamp design with color.

Stencils are outlines of shapes; they are picture version of the ABC's your child might use to learn to hold their pencils in nursery school. You mix and match the designs and use a base color and dab the small areas of the stencil or the entire stencil. Next, you put on the highlights and final touches. Hint, girls love glitter and body gems after all they are princesses!

Where can you put your new talent of face painting to work? Your child's next birthday party, the next fundraiser at your child's school, fairs, Fourth of July, parades, festivals, or you can start your own business.

Practice your simple face painting designs, and you are ready for your first party. Start out with your child's birthday, kids love their faces painted and will be uncaring if it's not perfect. Use thin first layer, wait until it is fully dry before beginning final designs. Hint: to pop the designs outline your design with a thin line of black around the face designs.

Starting a face painting design business begins with volunteering your services at charity events, your child's birthday parties, and very shortly, it will morph into a steady business with a line of kids waiting their turn to get their faces painted.

Face painting at charity events allows you to work on your face painting designs and develop your painting speed. Once your speed increases, begin by setting up a small canopy on the Fourth of July or Good Friday at the fair and paint away. The best way to advertise your new face painting design business is word of mouth. Build your face painting design portfolio with testimonials and photos of face designs of which you are especially proud.

When you are ready to graduate from charity events to paid business, you now need to research your area and find out, how much are face painters paid? Is a face painting design booth less money per face then private parties? Do not price yourself out of the market and remember it just might help to have lower prices to bring in clientele. Have your business cards ready to give out to anyone who asks if you do private parties. Business cards can be made at home with the help of Avery products.

Another avenue for face painting is at restaurants, as they might have a kid's eat free night and have special entertainment throughout the meal. Children's museums and creative art facilities or a community center will be a great place to begin looking for business. Another avenue for marketing could be at your significant other's corporate picnic or event.

If your community offers summer camps, where kids are, face painting will be a hit! Your child's school, fundraising events, and carnivals are great sources of income. Craft Shows are great place to have a booth. Bookstores sometimes want to launch a child's book and a great way to draw children to children's books is to hire a face painter. Theme parks and cruises ships are also great places to look for new business and the latter will give you a free exotic vacation too!

My cousin, who brought out her face painting kit on my daughter's first birthday, is a real artist and she is sells her paintings at our local galleries, however, she uses her artistic talents to make money through face painting. Or perhaps you are a stay at home Mom who wants to make money and be available to her kids after school is out, face painting could be for you.

Whether you are looking to learn face painting design for your child's next birthday or as a new, fun way to have some pocket money, remember, face painting is fun and you can make wonderful memory's for your own child and someone else's too.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Body Painting - The Intricacies

The origin of body painting is unknown, but its use has been widespread - sometimes as an art form, sometimes as a part of tradition, and the other times, as a necessity. The evidence of body painting is found in ancient practices across various cultures and remains a popular fashion statement in the present times. There is no set style or technique for body painting. It can be a localized design or a fuller one, covering the entire body in some cases. The color pigments used can be natural or synthetic. Similarly, it can be a work of an expert or an amateurish hand of a novice. However, unlike permanent tattoos, body paints are temporary or semi-permanent in nature.

The Geographical Spread
Painting the body was prevalent in ancient Egyptian civilization, where Pharaohs and high-class individuals painted their faces in red ochre & white pigments, and eyes in kohl. The Himba group of Namibia also generously uses red ochre. These people paint their entire bodies in the uniform pigment, as a traditional practice. In India, body painting is an elaborate work of expertise, which requires training and a lot of experience. One of the best examples of this art is the make-up of Kathakali dancers that involves the use of white, red, black, and yellow colors against a base of bottle green color, on face.

The use of 'henna,' a natural plant extract, is very popular among the Indian women across the country and is again, done by trained experts. Henna is used for decorating the hands and feet in beautiful, complex designs. Native Americans use streaks, concentric circles, and other patterns of colors, which include red, white, yellow, blue, and black. The indigenous Yolngu people of Australia use detailed and painstaking technique to embellish their bodies. It is an inspiration for many other art forms and a job that only the experts can do.

Painted faces have been a trademark of comedians and mimics, throughout the history of performing arts. Body painting has found as much use in military operations, as in local communities. Facial colors, particularly in nature tones are heavily employed as camouflage by almost all armies in the world. Now days, this art has become a fad, especially among the youth and is treated more as an avant-garde fashion accessory, rather than as a religious belief. Across the US and Europe, body painting is used in theatre, cinema, fashion, carnivals, and body painting festivals. Despite facing criticism and rejection from various corners, this art continued to grow and is still evolving!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Major Beverage Manufacturers are getting creative and are body painting attractive promo girls to boost their sales. Painting their brand's logo on a sexy promo girls body has been boosting their brand's image like no other marketing tool ever used.

Miller lite Girls are getting their bodies painted and getting more attention for the Miller lite brand than ever before. Have you happened to see how beautiful a girl looks after she has had her body painted?

Body Painting an attractive promo girl with a hot body is able to stand out among all the advertising noise in the market place. Marketing companies are getting creative by painting their logos on a girls breast to grab the attention of the beverage manufacturers targeted audience.

Beverage Manufacturers have to pocket out $1000 minimum to get a great body paint artist to paint their promo girls. I had 2 Miller lite girls at Dinah shores in Palm Springs and they had their bodies painted to resemble a Miller lite body. The art work was amazing and not to mention the girls bodies really made the body paint artist look really good.

The Miller lite promo girls received $300 per hour for this one weekend event. I have since seen many companies use hot body painted models to gain the attention of their consumers whether at a car show, trade show or a new club grand opening.

These Beverage manufacturers are budgeting millions of dollars towards this type of advertising.

They see the return on investment as an unmeasurable success. I did a casting in Hollywood for 4 girls to get their bodies painted for a major liquor and I had over 200 girls show up. The amount of beautiful girls in Hollywood that wanted to have their bodies painted was astounding. I even had girls that wanted to get their bodies painted for free.

If you would like the opportunity to have your body painted for a major liquor company and make up to $300 per hour, you must have a great body and be willing to expose your body to a crowd or people.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Body adornment has always included body painting, tattooing, and other kinds of body art, this has been the case over the ages; but in recent times, body art has become more varied and endlessly creative. It now includes variations such as, Face Painting & Body Art, Gestational Painting (or Pregnant Belly Art), and Temporary Tattoos: Glitter, Henna & Body Illustration. It is now so popular that it is common practice for a body artist or a face painter to be invited to a social gathering like a party or a wedding, corporate events and promotions, so that the guests can take home a unique memento to remember the party by.

Body art is that art which is made on, with, or consisting of, the human body. It also includes scarification, branding, scalpelling, shaping (for example tight-lacing of corsets), full body tattoo and body painting.

Primitive and tribal societies have some marvellous (if painful looking) examples of body art, such as earlobe stretching among many African tribes, and many other kinds of piercings.

Tattooing was a method of identification for old timers in India, when illiterate people would typically have their own name tattooed on a visible part of the body such at the back of the hand or the forearm.

The significance of henna at wedding ceremonies in India is now well known, with one entire pre-wedding event dedicated to what is known as the 'mehndi ceremony'. All the females in the bride's entourage would typically gather to have henna artist make intricate, elaborate and beautiful henna patterns in the hands, arms and feet as part of the wedding celebraions.

The World Body Painting Festival is held in Austria in the third week of July, which is the biggest festival of its kind. There are different categories of competitions, brush and sponge, airbrush, and special effects. A UV effects contest is also part of this festival. All models must be wearing underpants while painted, but female models can go topless if they want. It is a singular experience to be used as an artists' canvas, so many participants of the festival offer themselves as models without any charge.

The Australian Body Art Carnivale is an event that celebrates the creative genius involved in body art and body painting and will be held this year over the coming weekend in September in Edmundi. "This "Festival of Colour" drawing together cutting-edge artists from around the globe, who will create masterpieces before your eyes using the human body as their inspiration - and canvas!Aside from the spectacular full body art and some serious face painting, the Carnivale will also include traditional Aboriginal body painting, pavement art, a wearable art competition and parade, photographic competitions and a visual art exhibition called "Art of the Body" as well as life drawing and sculpting workshops."

Body art as a method of beatification has been around literally for millennia and will doubtless be around for centuries more; what form it will take; well that is your guess being as good as mine.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

If you are just getting started in body painting or face painting, one thing you may not have considered is how you are going to get all that paint off again!

While your client may like being a zombie or a tiger at a party, they may not want to go to work looking like one. In any case, they will want to get cleaned up before going to bed or doing pretty much anything else, and you will be expected to know how to remove the paint you put on them safely and painlessly.

Here are 7 quick tips for removing body paint from the skin, and also for staying clean and neat while you are working.

1. Check your paints and packaging.

Always use safe paints that have been made specifically for face painting and body painting. They should explicitly say that is what they are for. Read what they say, either on the label, or on the website, about how to clean them up. Some body paints are made to be cleaned with water; others may use a special kind of remover that you will have to buy. Be sure you are cleaning them off skin using the methods the packaging says to use.

2. Use warm water, sponges, and cloths.

If your body painting or face painting supplies say to use only water, or mild soap and water, then follow those instructions. Use warm water if possible to make cleanup nicer for your clients, and easier paint removal. Sponges (the same kind you use to apply body paints) and soft cloths are the best tools; you can use paper towels, but why not save the environment a bit and use something re-useable? And using the same types of sponges you use to put paint on will give you the best kinds of shapes for removing it as well.

3. Use non-allergenic, natural, safe skin soaps.

If you've chosen your face and body paints correctly, you have made sure they are meant for face painting and body painted and are almost guaranteed not to cause an allergic reaction. Be sure your clean up soaps follow the same standards. Natural bases like glycerin and castille are good; try to avoid perfumes, artificial colors, and chemicals. If it says 'natural' or 'hypo-allergenic' on the label, you may still want to check the ingredients, they may still include scents or high amounts of alcohol-stearates, which can cause sensitive skin to react.

4. Be careful around the eyes.

Watch cleaning around the eyes especially - of course ask your client to close their eyes, and go slowly. Some makeup suppliers (Mehron, for example) carry special cleaners especially made for cleaning around eyes; you may want to try one of those. You could also look at makeup suppliers for smaller tools meant for cleaning around eyes. The skin around the eyes (and of course the eye itself) is more sensitive than the rest of the skin, so what works on the rest of the skin may not equally well around the eyes.

One good trick is to clean the other areas entirely first, and leave the eyes for very last - that way you will not be getting more paint near the eyes once they are clean, and will only have to clean them once. That way you can avoid repetitive cleaning (and irritation) of the eye area - as well as extra work on your part.

5. Baby Wipes are great, but use the right ones.

Baby wipes are great to have on hand, but remember they were formulated for wiping a very different area of the body than the face. This means they have probably not been tested for facial safety and irritation. I would recommend getting baby wipes that are 'natural,' but again, check the ingredients on the back. You want no fragrances if possible, and no dyes. Sometimes you can get them especially for 'sensitive skin,' again, read the labels. Then try them on your face to see how they work before using them on others.

6. Protect clothing while painting - and washing up.

Paints made for face painting and body painting should never stain the face, but the same can't be said for clothing. Even water based body paints can still stain clothing. Keep clothing away from the paint as it is being applied, of course - but you will want to watch it when you are cleaning up as well. Soaking paints with water and washing them off can be a drippy process, and colors are even more likely to get on clothes then than when painting. Consider using covering cloths while you are cleaning, even if you didn't when painting.

7. And Last But Not Least: Don't Scrub!

Don't scrub the skin, even if the paints are not coming off properly. Scrubbing can cause bad reactions even if everything else is safe for skin. If your paint is not coming off quickly, be patient, let it soak a bit and try again, gently. Try using something else to clean such as baby wipes or a cloth with a little soap squirted directly on it. You may also want to take a look at the paint's instructions on cleaning up again - maybe you missed something on cleaning up. In any case, don't get frustrated and scrub! Your client will appreciate it.

So that's it - 7 best tips for cleaning up safely and easily after face painting or body painting. You may want to print these out as a reminder sheet to include in your painting supplies, that way if you have a cleaning problem, you can consult them quickly!

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Dragonmen, Alien Mermaids, Fantastic Fire Dancers, Barebacked Santas, and even a Painted Labrador Retriever; you can see all these and more at the fantastic body painting festivals now occurring annually around the world.

There is a wide range of body painting festivals today. All include painted bodies, of course, and all include some kind of competitions; however there is a quite a range of skills and size among the different festivals, and some are more 'family friendly' than others.

Here's a quick look at the top 6 body painting festivals, where they happen and what you can expect to find there:

1. The World Body Painting Festival

This festival includes some of the most stunning professional body painting to be seen in the world today. A 3 day program includes dance, music and fireworks displays, as well as many competitions. Many of the body paintings here should fall under the category of 'fine art' with some of the dancers body paintings simply defying belief. A very large event and certainly worth traveling for.

Where: Seeboden, Austria
Duration: Three days
Events Include: World Championships in 3 categories; night contest for UV effects, Special Effects awards; classes and workshops; BodyCircus (fantasy ball); music and dance performances; an international photo contest; and a huge fireworks show.
Artistic Range: One of the very best, with stunning range of styles and surprising themes.
Family Friendliness: Not clear, but it is in Europe, so not likely to ban under 18. However this body painting festival does not advertise itself as family friendly, as some others do.

2. The Canadian Body Painting Festival

This is another body painting festival that showcases simply stunning artists and finished work. The quality of the art here is similar to that seen at the World Body Painting Festival. The Festival is themed from year to year, with the recent theme being "It's A Jungle Out There." Also includes the Canadian Body Painting Championships.

Where: Nanaimo, British Columbia
Duration: Two days
Events Include: Competitions in overall body painting, brush and sponge, and airbrush; includes the Canadian body painting Championships
Artistic Range: Most stunning, and one of the best overall. Very life-like and fantastic double-take images.
Family Friendliness: Not stated - would be worth making a call first.

3. The International Body Painting Festival

This festival takes place in Mainz, a city with over two thousand years of history. It is located on the river Rhine, has strong Celtic roots and may have been founded by the Romans as early as 13 BC. One can imagine that body painting has a long history here, if you remember the Celtic tradition of painting their bodies before going into battle. Once again, the artistic ability and range is stunning at this International festival.

Where: Mainz, Germany
Duration: Weekend festival
Events Include: Competitions include special effects and face painting
Artistic Range: Very stunning; high artistic skill.
Family Friendliness: Not known but again, it's in Europe. I would call ahead.

4. Welsh International Body Painting Festival
This festival is a bit younger and less established than the top 3, although it has some impressive artwork considering that they are just getting started. Also the atmosphere is more 'fun' orinted, less 'high art' and family participation is strongly encouraged. A good festival to consider if you want to make it a family outing and see some amazing work in the process.
Where: Wales (of course)
Duration: Two days
Events Include: Hands on demonstrations; horror specialists and flower specialists
Artistic Range: High, and impressive for a smaller sized event; not as subtle or creative as some of the others
Family Friendliness: Very good; in fact they encourage families and camping, with an 'all ages' atmosphere and events designed for younger participants

5. The UK Body Painting Festival

This festival showcases some of the least impressive - although most amusing - body painting, although it should be said that it is not presented as a stuffy 'high art' affair, but more a circus or county fair type outing for the entire family. Fun, relaxed and un-selfconscious atmosphere allows for some of the more surprising and purely 'fun' body art to be seen. If you're not a supermodel and would like to get your body painted without worrying about snide comments, this might be a good option for you.

Where: Ashford, UK
Duration: Two days
Events Include: Family-oriented face painting, body painting competitions for professional and amateur categories, craft fair, children's activities, workshops, and a 'bouncy castle.'
Artistic Range: Fair; more of a family outing with a lots to do than a showcase of spectacular art.
Family Friendliness: Very high; advertised as family event. Lowest cost of all the body painting festivals - comparable to a movie ticket.

6. The US Bodypainting Festival (or New Mexico Body Painting Festival/US Bodypainting Competition)

There is definitely some impressive body painting to be seen at this festival, and a lot of creative innovation with hair and unusual designs that you won't see anywhere else. One example that springs to mind is a model dressed in racecar theme with red, white and blue hair sprayed out behind her as though flying in the wind. Also, if you're in the US this festival obviously doesn't require a plane ticket. However this is not a family outing, as it explicitly bans anyone under 18.

Where: Alberquerque, New Mexico
Duration: Three days
Events Include: Demonstrations, workshops, competitions in body painting
Artistic Range: Good to poor - there is a mix of very impressive artistic works and things better left unpainted here; although it's all 'interesting.'
Family Friendliness: Not at all. We are in the US remember; no one under 18 allowed.

So that's my brief overview of the top 6 body painting festivals in the world. Would you like to take a vacation this year that's not your ordinary 'hum-drum' trip? Pick one of these festivals and you can pack light (you know, you could just bring a can of paint and a paintbrush for evening wear)!

Friday, May 7, 2010

Ready to get started body painting, but don't know what to use, how to get started or where to find the right supplies? Here's the 3 steps to finding and using good body painting supplies.

Step 1. Know what kind of body painting supplies you need:

There are many kinds of paint out there, and most are not for body painting. If you use the wrong kinds of paint, you may end up with you (or whoever you paint) having a mild to severe allergic reaction to the paint.

A mild reaction could be hives or a body rash. A severe reaction could be difficulty breathing. So don't take this lightly, and get the right paints to start with.

The right kind of body paint is tested for use on human skin and safe to use for overall body painting. They say they are for body painting specifically. Personally I would not go for the 'cheap' good deals on body paint, but would get the best to start with. It's not much more money, and you may as well be safe.

You will also want to get some good brushes and sponges for body painting. You don't need to invest in very expensive brushes, but I would suggest using natural fibers and not the very cheap kinds of craft brushes that will have the hairs falling out as you are using them. Also, cheap stiff brushes will be uncomfortable for the person you are body painting. So get some soft brushes, of 3 different sizes to start with:

- 1 very small with a pointed tip for fine detail
- 1 about a half inch wide
- 1 'fan' brush for blending

You will also want to get some sponges for body painting, in order to put light coats on and also for covering large areas quickly. You can find sponges in the same places you will find body paint. Which brings us to our next 'secret'...

Step 2. Know where to find materials for body painting:

There are two best suppliers for body paints and body painting that I have found.
If you look either of these names up on the internet you will be able to find the right kind of body painting supplies. (You are not likely to find these locally unless you live in a city that happens to have a body painting store or craft store that carries body painting supplies).

Snazaroo is marketed mostly for face painting, and in particular face painting for children. This is because Snazaroo fully complies with FDA and child safety guidelines. This are the only face paint that holds a "child toy safety rating." So if you are looking for the safest paint this would be a good choice.

The other two face and body painting suppliers that have great reputations out there are Kryolan and Mehron.

Kryolan mainly specializes in theatrical and professional body painting supplies, and Mehron is a pro makeup company that also specializes in body painting needs. You will find everything from paints to sponges to paint removal supplies at any of these suppliers, and the best way to find them is online.

Step 3. Know what kind of supplies will best fit your needs:

The main difference between these 3 face and body painting companies is that Snazaroo leans more toward kids and face painting supplies, While Kryolan and Mehron are marketed toward the adult, professional and theatre face and body painting crowd, and you will find a few more, higher grade options there.

Think about what you want to use your face or body paints for. Are you mainly going to be painting kid's faces at a birthday party? Or are you hoping to go into business as a pro body painter for a dance company?

If you're on a budget and want to just get started without investing too much, yet have good quality safe body paints, go with Snazaroo; if you're professional (or want more pro options) and are willing to spend a little more on your body painting, go with Kryolan or Mehron.

So that's it - go take a look and see what supplies would work best for you!

Bonus Tip: Get some baby wipes (natural ones, not the perfumed ones) to remove the paint quickly and easily.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Did you ever want to be a cowboy? Maybe a rain forests? What about trading your skin in to become a seductive tigress ready to pounce on fresh meat? Well, whatever your adult fantasy may be, adult body painting may be the temporary and fun solution.

Though this art form has been around for centuries, many people haven't tuned-in to this creative outlet. Some people claim that body painting is actually the oldest art form (Considering that people were painting their bodies pre-anno domini. Just think of early century Egyptians). And, with adult body painting companies and artist all around the globe, one would probably have little difficulty finding an artist close by.

Adult body painting is an art that uniquely transforms your everyday skin into a beautiful picturesque scene or life form. How? Glad you asked. By using safe, FDA approved make-up, oils, and other various paints and applying it directly to your skin. Any part of your skin. Oh yes, that's right, any part. Body painting artists are extremely professional and willing to cover any part of your body that you so desire, from head to toe. Or, if you can't make your mind up on which body part to paint, you can have your entire body brushed with a plethora of colors that completely disguises the real you underneath. Unless, of course, you really are Smokey the Bear. Which can be done. By method of airbrushing, painting, and drawing, your body can soon be entirely transformed into your fantasy.

Depending on the piece of art you choose, the process can take from a few minutes to a few hours. The Hanging Gardens weren't grown in fifteen minutes and either is the mastery of adult body painting when given the task of turning you into a fire-breathing dragon. Which can also be done.

However, don't misunderstand. Not all body painting means having to get nude. In fact, any small portion of your skin can be painted into a beautiful piece. For instance, many people who want to see what a tattoo would look like on the arm, hand, foot, shoulder, neck, or elsewhere often choose to have their body painted first to make sure they will like it for the rest of their lives. Others just appreciate the art and have paintings done on parts of their body for display or to be kept private. Whatever the case may be, there really is not a limit to what a person can have painted on their body. A butterfly or the Sears Tower, or anything in between.

Body painting typically will last for a couple of days and can easily be removed. Because body painting is not permanent, you have the option to become many things over the course of time. The only thing that should be holding you up from getting painted is choosing what you want to be next!

 

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