How to paint purely from imagination

Painting is an art of converting ideas and feelings into a canvas of 2-dimensional images, with certain aesthetic qualities. It is an art of representing thoughts with pictures and images blended with multiple color schemes having appealing visual characteristics. Imagination is the human’s ability to create ideas and images. As per the words of Albert Einstein: ‘Imagination is everything.’ Painting with imagination is every artist’s dream that helps him translate his thoughts and feelings into the canvas. Imaginative art is challenging compared to reference art because there is no trace available and the artist has to draw things based on the cognitive images rather than the real ones. In this blog post, we will learn about how to paint purely from imagination in the absence of real objects.

Painting an imaginative drawing is a creative task that involves developing a clear state of mind and following some simple and fundamental techniques. These techniques involve analyzing a few details regarding the imagined scenario, developing an initial sketch and ultimately making modifications using realistic images.

The first step to create an imaginary scene is focusing on generalized things. Considering what is more important than the least one requires creativity. An artist must not dive deeply into the details of the imagination rather focusing on a few things. It is essential to consider thins like location, landforms, and light direction initially. To make the images more realistic, it is necessary to develop a background first before hammering further details into the canvas.

The next step to creating an imaginative picture is drawing an initial sketch. After discovering, a set of generic things that the image would revolve around, it is compulsory to develop a preliminary draft giving an idea before creating a final painting. This would serve as a language to the artist, explaining the details in an artistic way. Developing a sketch would not only help to add further details but would also result in crafting an initial framework before adding colors to the painting. 

The last and most important step in imaginative painting is adding details using reference pictures. Once the generic idea is brainstormed and a preliminary sketch is created, it is time to add details to develop a final picture. To add details to the draft, an artist can make use of real pictures to make the painting look exceptional. For an imaginative painting, it is not complimentary for the canvas to be completely imagined by the painter. Nevertheless, the addition of existing real images for further detailing can be made, which helps create a more beautiful and magnificent masterpiece. Thus, realism can combine with imagination to develop a fantastic work of art.

Transforming your thoughts into visuals is an art, which requires great skills, ability and a great state of mind. Since a picture is worth more than a thousand words, painting your imagination is a way to deliver subliminal messages represented by a piece of art. Such an art is not merely a motion picture but a dynamic one manifesting clear thoughts revolving around various subjects.

What does getting body painted feel like?

Every day many people ask us what it feels like to be body painted, and we completely understand why. Being nude is one of the most vulnerable states many of us can be in. While everyone should feel completely comfortable in their own skin, often, many women and men do not.  Additionally, with the over-sexualization of the female body, many people are not open to the idea of nude body painting. To get a better idea of the body painting process, we want you to hear directly from our models. The body painting process is a comfortable and freeing process that can help one feel empowered and accepting of everything their body is and its abilities. Read our model’s testimonials on the body painting process and how it has affected them.

Emma Rosche-Ritchie
“For me, being bodypainted is almost meditative- it forces you to sit (or stand) still, to focus on your body, your breath and letting go of any tension you’re holding in your muscles. It’s transformative- you literally feel like a work of art when the piece is completed- a living, breathing piece of art.”

Jin N Tonic

“Getting body painted is like a very elevated level handshake. You get to know somebody very well very quick when they’re painting your naked body. It’s intimate, fun, challenging, and often quite collaborative. The brushes themselves are quite soft albeit the paint is often a little chilly. Kind of like a brisk sponge bath. Once dry though the paint feels amazing on your skin, like a shimmering, airy bodysuit and super soft!”

Natasha Markwick

“It was a challenge, just for myself, that I really wanted to get into, you know, being comfortable with being technically naked in front a whole lot of strangers; and then on top of it, being painted. So, it was a personal challenge, but I luckily surprised myself on how comfortable I felt in the space. Mostly because you make it into a safe space, and you make sure that everyone feels comfortable, and they’re okay. And you ask obviously all the time if you know if you want to go in live or if you want to be photographed in between the scenes. You make sure that everyone feels safe and comfortable.... but you know it’s cold, that’s how it feels. It’s cold.”

Dara Swisher

“I think being body painted is a very calming experience, and can be meditative (depending on the pose of course!) The brushes are soft and although the paint is COLD it dries very quickly into a kind of second skin. Something that I didn’t know when I came into body paint was something about the paints themselves. And I think a lot of people think this as well, that they’re like liquid paints and they’re actually not. All of the colors come in these solid cake pots and they have to be activated with water in order to make them into something that you can paint on the skin and then it goes back to that solid-state on your skin. So it feels almost like you’re wearing, not clothes, but like it feels you have something on. It doesn’t feel like the same as when you’re standing there naked or mostly naked before you get painted. It feels like something is on you which I think is pretty neat.

Roberto Aguilar

Getting body painted is kind of like a maze: you know where to start and you know what it’s supposed to look like at the end. But it’s the uncertain journey in between that’s the truly exciting part from the model’s perspective.”

Zachary Koval

“It’s Like getting licked by a litter/kindle of kittens all at once all over your body.”

Kerstin Tuning

“It’s exciting, can be a bit chilly, but always fulfilling at the end.  The kabuki brush strokes are usually strong, but the details work tends to be very light.  My ears and back are always ticklish for me!  And I do have to mentally stabilize myself when my face is airbrushed.  I also love when the base coat is done because not only do I not even feel naked anymore, but I can see the pieced coming together and already feel like someone or something other than myself.”

Alexandra Peter

“Getting body painted is exhilarating, cold, and intense all at the same time. Collaborating with the artists and the other models to create something that cannot be recreated is what I love most. “

Gwendolyn Jane

“The painting process is grounding, liberating, and often healing. The sensation and focus compel a presence of mind akin to meditative mindfulness. The inherent intimacy lowers boundaries and creates a closeness between painter and canvas. More often than not, body paint pushes some physical or mental limits, and whenever an edge is met, personal capacity is expanded. After the brushwork is done, your outward appearance is drastically altered causing a sociological shift in your interactions and sense of identity among others. There is a full, immersive exploration between the first pose prep and the final shower, which often imparts a bit of inward insight and a mighty fine story.”

We hope that the stories of these two models have inspired you and created a positive impact on your perspective of nude body painting and the body painting process. Trina Merry does an incredible job of fostering a caring and non-judgmental atmosphere for her models. Head on over to our Instagram for more projects and testimonials, and tell us what inspires you most about nude body painting and what projects you would like to see next.

Artistic Body Paint Images – World Famous Artworks Take a New Form

See some of the world’s most famous pieces on a new canvas. In these artistic body paint images, Trina Merry paints the works of Picasso, Monet, Van Gogh, and Basquiat onto nude models to discuss art history for those who hate boring museums.

Claude Monet

“People discuss my art and pretend to understand as if it were necessary to understand when it’s simply necessary to love.”

Water Lilies

Impressionism was a radical art movement of the late 1800s. Impressionist artists valued modernity and preferred to create work that reflected the world around them. Artists during this period preferred to paint outside and focused on the ways light could define a moment in time and used color for providing definition to their art instead of black lines. An iconic impressionist piece is “Water Lilies” by Claude Monet. In his “Water Lilies” paintings, Monet omits the land and sky, representing their presence by reflections in the water. Monet makes it easy for the viewer to distinguish the clouds using white, but the blue water and skies become one. Monet’s “Water Lilies” series helped to open doors for abstract painting by omitting unnecessary elements and focus on vivid colors.

Merry held a contest at the Superfine! Art Fair. In her bodypaint challenge, Trina camouflages the contest winner, Marissa, into one of Monet’s “Water Lillie” paintings. Trina selected the piece as part of her Lust of Currency series, where she body paints some of the world’s most expensive art pieces. Trina uses greens, purples, blues, and whites to hide her model into the Monet’s scenery. The product is a rendition of Monet’s famous painting that is as lively and serene as Monet’s painting itself.

Van Gogh

“I put my heart and my soul into my work and have lost my mind in the process.”

Starry Night

Vincent Van Gogh’s 1889 Starry Night painting is one of the most famous art pieces in the world. To some, the composition is more famous than its creator. Starry Night is a part of the post-impressionism movement. This movement arose from impressionist artists that rejected the limitations of the impressionism movement. Post-impressionism went away from an emphasis on natural depictions of light and color and focused on symbolism and abstract qualities. One of the leaders in the post-impressionism movement was Vincent Van Gogh, and his piece Starry night is one of the most recognizable pieces from the movement.

Van Gogh painted Starry Night during his stay at the asylum of Saint-Paul-de- Mausole, where he was given a studio for painting. At the asylum, Van Gogh relapsed and fell into a depression, marking a shift in the tone of his artwork. This shift can be observed in Starry Night. Our model for the body paint challenge is Lauren Ailes, an NBC morning news anchor Trina found through Instagram. Behind a large backdrop of Starry Night, Trina camouflages Lauren into the distinctive scenery of the night sky and city in the piece.

Picasso

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.”

Les Demoiselles

Pablo Picasso painted Les Demoiselles d’Avignon in 1907 and it is one of the most famous pieces that represent Cubism. Cubism was an influential art style of the early twentieth century started by Picasso and Georges Braque. Cubism rejected the idea that art should reflect nature and artists emphasized the two dimensionalities of their canvases. To do this, artists fractured their objects into geometric shapes.

Many artworks of the late 19th century featured female bathers. The bathers were often used to romanticize the intimate act and to objectify the female body. For Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, Picasso neglected all known representations of traditional art and used the female body and geometric forms to challenge female beauty expectations of the time. The piece took Picasso nine months to complete, with Picasso creating numerous sketches along the way to prepare for the final piece. Another important aspect of the Les Demoiselles d’Avignon is Picasso’s usage of African Masks in the painting. Picasso moved to Paris in the early 1900s, where he was introduced to African art, and several of his art pieces around this time are inspired by the art. According to Architecture Digest, Picasso “became so moved by the shapes, lines, and angles of the African masks that he famously declared that he learned what painting is really about.”

In her body challenge, Trina Merry was faced with the task of reflecting a major cubism piece on a three-dimensional human canvas. With her model, Roshni, Trina recreated the same geometric shapes that Picasso uses to highlight his abstract form of female beauty. Using a female body as a canvas helps bring the artwork to life and provide a deeper meaning. Merry explains that “the nude in art history has usually been women, and it’s largely been painted by men. It was a means of not only objectifying them but also obsessing about and possessing them within private quarters.” Merry turns the male gaze on its head as she recreates this piece on a nude female body.  

Basquiat

“I don’t think about art when I’m working. I try to think about life.”

Jean-Michel Basquiat was an influential artist who rose to fame in the 1980s. Basquiat first received attention for his graffiti art that was spotted around New York City under the name SAMO. Basquiat drew inspiration from his Haitian and Puerto Rican heritage. His art consists of spray-painted crowns, scribbled words, pop icons, and bible verses. Another unique aspect of Basquiat’s art is how he portrayed African art through his work, similar to European artists such as Picasso and Matisse. Basquiat’s art was unique, meaningful, and full of emotional depth and it was essential to maintain all of these aspects when transferring it to a human canvas. For her body challenge, Trina Merry camouflaged Carolina, a New York fashion model and musician concealed in a piece titled “GRILLO” featuring one of his iconic crowns. Basquiat used crowns within many of his pieces. It is believed that they symbolize Basquiat’s view of himself, to acknowledge people who have influenced him, and his desire to become great. Onto her model, Trina recreated the figures, words, and symbols elements that are distinct to Basquiat’s work.

Each one of these pieces represents an important part of history. We hoped you enjoyed Trina’s recreation of each piece onto her models to bring the pieces to life. If you interested in these body painting challenges, check out our YouTube channel to find this challenge and others. Tell us which famous piece inspires you most and what project you would like to see Trina take on next.

Body Paint Art in Advertising- 74 Breathtaking Examples

  As the world of marketing becomes increasingly complex and competitive, brands must seek ways to differentiate themselves and their products. However, simply doing bold campaigns for the sake of being trendy and audacious is not always enough to gain the trust of potential buyers. Nowadays, consumers want to support brands that are relatable, authentic, and creative. Consumers want to see bits of themselves reflected in brand campaigns before even buying the product or service. With this being said, advertisers must seek out new ways to peak interest, drive conversation, and relate their brand to humanity.

         One interesting way brands can achieve these goals is through the use of body paint art campaigns. Body painting is a dynamic medium that continues to gain popularity with its whimsical use of our human bodies. Although many of us may think of body painting as the times we got our faces painted as children, contemporary body paint art encompasses much more than playful paintings upon our skin. Modern body painting has the dynamic ability to tell stories. By relating shapes, colors, objects, and themes to the human form, body paint can humanize even the most abstract concepts. This unique characteristic is one that should not be overlooked by advertisers; body painting may be one of the most dynamic storytelling tools available. This article will dive into the history of body paint advertising as well as examples of some of the most successful body paint advertisements done by major organizations. 

A brief introduction to body paint art

Before we uncover how body paint art can fulfill advertising objectives, it is important to define what body painting even is. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, body paint can be defined as “paint applied to a person’s body”. The act of painting one’s body can be traced back to indigenous people across all major continents. Body painting was a practice originally done to signify an important detail about a man or a woman. Social status, spiritual meanings, and tribal responsibilities were all different traits that could be conveyed through body art. By using natural dyes derived from plants, fruits, and pigments, indigenous people could temporarily alter their skin. Ultimately, ancient cultures around the world used body paint as a way to define who they were.

Like most artforms, body painting has evolved tremendously from its primitive origins. Body paint itself is no longer limited to naturally derived pigments. Body painters can now choose from an array of tools ranging from makeup to skin-safe silicone paint. Additionally, contemporary body painting has evolved into an artistic vehicle that allows free artistic expression. Body painters are no longer constrained to conveying ideas only about the person they are painting. Instead, modern body paint artists can use their human canvases to make statements about society, illnesses, nature, and even themselves. In fact, many body paint artists do not limit themselves to even one human canvas and instead use a multitude of human models to communicate an idea. Since contemporary body art typically uses temporary paints, it can be captured through photography, installations, and performances. 

What’s especially unique about contemporary body paint art is the fact it incorporates a human body into the composition. Like most forms of art, body painting can be used to explore almost any idea. However, by using the human form within their body paint art or performances, body paint artists allow for others to relate to the humanity that their compositions bring. For example, a realistic painting of landscape on a traditional canvas will not typically leave its audience with questions about the scene or their relationship to it. Painting a landscape onto a human, however, creates a different reaction. That landscape is now recognized as human, and we unconsciously begin to relate to the artwork at an empathetic level. Humans are naturally wired to look for patterns and humanistic qualities in non-human objects, and body paint art allows that human element to bring deeper meanings and engagement into the subject matter. Body painting is so special because it is bringing art to life and allowing the human body to tell countless stories. 

The history of body paint art in advertising

Although body paint has had a rich history, advertisers have only begun to utilize the art form fairly recently. The first marketing stunt done with body paint was at the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago. Here is where cosmetic entrepreneur Max Factor Sr. shocked the world by painting the nude body of burlesque star, Sally Rand. Although this body painting brought lots of attention, it was deemed too controversial for that era’s ultra-conservative society. In fact, Sally Rand and Max Factor Sr both got arrested for the display. Luckily, the psychedelic seventies popularized body painting as a form of personal expression. 

Image of Max Factor Sr’s body paint work done on burlesque star Sally Rand (1933)

Suddenly, in the nineties, brands began to experiment with body paint stunts again. As they were no longer worried about offending a conservative society, magazines particularly embraced the artform. In the famous 1992 edition of Vanity Fair, Demi Moore graced the magazine’s covers with a body painted suit done by body paint legend, Joanne Gair. In 1999, Sports Illustrated hired Gair to paint swimsuits on models for their swimsuit edition. The body painted swimsuits proved to be widely popular and are still featured in Sports Illustrated today. Bold stunts such as these inspired artists across the world to explore the art form. Nowadays, there are a wide range of body paint artists each specializing in their own unique styles and aesthetics. 

Demi Moore’s Vanity Fair “Birthday Suit” cover by Joanne Gair (1992) Image Source: Wikipedia

Modern examples of body paint in advertising campaigns

Below is a list of the top 20 modern body paint advertisements. We gathered examples from various industries to demonstrate how versatile body painting can be. From car companies to nonprofits, organizations across the world are understanding the impact body paint art can have. Although body painting may be seen as risque or “too sexy”, a skilled body paint artist will understand how to apply the human body in a way that best fits the message that a brand is trying to convey. Many of the examples below show that it is not necessary to have nudity or even full bodies shown at all. These examples will further emphasize how versatile, flexible, and impactful body painting is. 

1.) World Wildlife Fund

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is one of the organizations that frequently uses body paint to spread its message about wildlife preservation. By using campaigns featuring only human hands to several painted humans, WWF reminds everyone of the human-like qualities all animals have. In 2012, the WWF teamed up with Guido Daniele to turn hands into wild animals. These images have been some of the most well-known examples of body paint art even to this day. In 2016, the WWF utilized body painting again to spread awareness of illegal ivory trading. This time, body paint artist Johannes Stoetter turned three models into an elephant with the hopes that people would understand the risk these intelligent animals face. This particular example highlights how even nonprofits can utilize body paint to educate others about their cause. 

Guido Daniele’s “Give a Hand to Wildlife” Campaign. Image Source: Wabbaly

Advertising Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi Simko, Geneva, Switzerland

Creative Director: Olivier Girard

Art Director: Nicolas Poulain

Copywriter: Jean-Michel Larsen

Body painter: Guido Daniele

Information Source(s): Wabbaly

Johannes Stoetter’s “Coming Together for Elephants”. Image Source: BBC

Body painter:Johannes Stoetter 

Information Source(s): BBC, National Geographic 

2.) Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand’s “Nothing to Hide” campaign highlights how copywriting and body paint can create brilliant advertising. The airline wanted to show that it does not charge for extra services the way its competitors tend to do. The campaign included snapping photos of various airline workers doing their jobs in the flesh. Pilots, baggage loaders, and flight attendants had their typical work uniform painted on their skin to become the poster children of the campaign. What is extra special about the “Nothing to Hide” campaign is that it also included a new safety video in which all the instructors were also body painted. The video shown to passengers during take off, and it certainly created a buzz!

Poster for Air New Zealand’s “Nothing to Hide” campaign. Image Source:The Inspiration Room 

Advertising Agency: .99

Executive Creative Director: Craig Whitehead

Deputy Creative Director: Nicolas Poulain

Art Director: Janelle Herrick (nee Olsen)

Copywriter: Lara Philips

Agency Producer: Vicky O’Leary

Film Director: Kevin Denholm via Exposure Films, Auckland

Information Source(s): The Inspiration Room

3.) Nestle Coffee

Nestle recently did a body painting stunt that highlights one of the major themes that can come through with body paint: all-natural. To advertise their new, all-natural coffee creamer, Nestle painted employees of a Manhattan coffee shop. Visitors were in disbelief when they suddenly realized that their baristas’ apron and shirts were all an optical illusion made with body paint. However, the reception was positive overall. Nestle posted a video of their stunt, and it went viral with over 2.3 million views. 

Best of all, the patrons’ Nestle-creamed coffees were free (which turned out to be more unbelievable than the body painted baristas). 

Screenshot from Nestle’s ‘All Natural’ Creamer campaign. Image Source: NY Daily News

Advertising Agency: 360i

Chief Creative Officer: Pierre Lipton 

Information Source(s): NY Daily News

4.) Ford

The Ford Focus “Go Green” Campaign is a great example of how body paint can apply to objects beyond the human body. Ford partnered with Trina Merry, a body paint artist known for her camouflage body paint art. The artist painted singer Jason Mraz, actress Felicia Day, and lifestyle guru Rainbeau Mars next to a Ford Focus Vehicle. Both the electric cars and each model were painted into their natural landscape thus creating an intriguing illusion. This campaign demonstrates that products can be incorporated into the body paint design of an advertisement. Additionally, the “Go Green” campaign shows how body paint can explore topics about our relationship with nature. 

Jason Mraz and Ford Focus painted by Trina Merry. Image Source: Trina Merry

Advertising Agency: The Audience

Body painter & Photographer: Trina Merry 

Ford continued to promote its environmental values through body paint in a different campaign. As a way to advertise for the Ford Environmental Conservation Award, the automotive company used face painting, hand painting, and food to make a statement about helping nature. 

Advertising Agency: JWT, São Paulo, Brazil

Creative Directors: Mario D’Andrea, Roberto Fernandez

Art Director: Sthefan Ko

Copywriter: Fabio Leao

Photographer: Regis Fernandez

Illustrator: Sthefan Ko

5.) Coors

The alcohol industry uses body paint in their advertising campaigns fairly frequently. Coors Light Beer teamed up with body paint artist Filippo Ioco to blend in three models on a can of their beer. The iconic Coors logo was seamlessly painted onto the models, and the human canvases were also painted to look like they were made out of the same metallic texture of the beer can. This particular piece shows how body paint art can incorporate more than just flat colors; there are ways to include iridescent shimmers, glitter, and metallic texture into body paint art. 

Coors Light Beer- “Human Can” done by Filippo Ioco. Image Source: Filippo Ioco

Body Painter:Filippo Ioco

6.) BayerAspirin

In an effort to spread awareness and education about the risks of heart attacks, Bayer hired body paint artist Alexa Meade to paint three heart attack victims. Alexa Meade’s uses a style that makes her subjects and their backgrounds appear like they are part of a painting. Bayer’s campaign then went even further by allowing social media users to use an augmented reality filter to put themselves into Meade’s paintings. Bayer’s recent campaign shows advertisers that brands can combine body paint, technology, and social media to create an interactive, engaging, and informative marketing tool. 

Bayer’s #YourHiddenRisk campaign painted by Alexa Meade. Image Source: Mmm-Online

Body Painter: Alexa MeadeInformation Source(s): Mmm-Online, New Kerala, Your Hidden Risk

7.) Delta Faucets

In order to advertise the effectiveness of their In2ition Shower Heads, Delta Faucets used body paint in a really unique way. Instead of highlighting their product by putting body paint on models, Delta’s campaign took a different direction. Body painted men used the Delta Faucets to take their painted outfits off. This campaign also used a video to capture how quickly the paint melted off the models. Delta’s campaign shows how body paint can be viewed through different angles. Like Delta, some products may have a more effective campaign by taking body paint off. Consider the message you want to send and think of the different ways body paint can be used to communicate it.

Creative Agency: Young & Laramore

Information Source(s): iSpot.tv

8.) Pampaverde

Pampaverde, a Chilean meat company, used body paint to exaggerate the size of their products. By painting a giant mouth across a model’s face and neck, Pampaverde was able to exaggerate the size of their “extra big” frozen burgers. This is an excellent example of how intentional body paint can be used to convey the scale of a product and how our bodies relate to it. 

Advertising Agency: La Mesa (Santiago, Chile)

Executive Creative Director: Sebastián Katz

Creative Director: Sebastián Katz

Art Directors: Jorge Llewellyn, Cristian Toffolo

Copywriter: Cristián Zarzar

9) Nestseekers International 

Consider the case of Ryan Serhant and the property and real estate firm, Nestseekers International, was attempting to sell. By working with body paint artist Trina Merry, a body paint advertising campaign was devised to create buzz about the property. The real estate firm even went one step further by pasting a giant copy of Merry’s art against the wall of the building and in Times Square. Once the images went public, Ryan states that “everyone noticed and then we broke price records”. Even in an industry that is typically not known for its creativity, this artistic advertising campaign captivated attention around the world. 

Trina Merry’s work for Nestseekers International “100 Avenue A”. Image Source: Trina Merry

Sales and Marketing: Nestseekers

Exclusive Sales Agent:Ryan Serhant

Architect:Isaac & Stern

Branding and Graphic Design: IF Studio 

Body Painter: Trina Merry

Developer: Magnum Real Estate Group

Interior Design: Built In Studio

10.) NY Magazine-My Living Election Map

Even politics has a seat at the body paint table! During the 2016 presidential elections, New York Magazine live-streamed artist Trina Merry body painting models with the outline of all 50 US states. Almost like a human-shaped coloring book, Merry painted in each state red or blue once the electoral votes had been released. This campaign shows that body painted can even be used to live stream important information. Instead of competing with major news stations all reporting the same news in the same format, New York Magazine went a more artistic route. Those watching the live stream still got the same voting results coverage, but they were able to sit, watch, and enjoy the live painting regardless of the party they identified with. Over half a million people watched the video on Facebook, and it received over 3,800 comments and over 1,000 shares.  

 “2016 Election Map” By Trina Merry. Image Source: Trina Merry 

https://www.facebook.com/NewYorkMag/videos/10154727454929826/

Body Painter: Trina Merry

Photographer: Bertrand Orsal

11.) AT&T

In 2008, AT&T wanted an effective way to advertise their international roaming services. The cellular service provider used the talents of Guido Daniele’s hand paintings to relay the news to the world. What’s especially interesting about this campaign is how the hands are holding cell phones while they are painted to look like famous landmarks and animals from countries around the world. This genius juxtaposition created a buzz, and the campaign was voted as ‘America’s Favorite Magazine Ad’ by consumers. Here is another example of how body paint can be used in conjunction with products or props to further enhance the message a brand is attempting to say. 

AT&T “Hands” campaign done by Guido Daniele. Image source: If it’s Hip, It’s Here

Advertising Agency: BBDO Atlanta, BBDO New York

Chief Creative Officers: David Lubars, Bill Bruce

Exectuive Creative Director: Susan Credle

Creative Directors: Rich Wakefield, Chuck Meehan

Art Director: Biran Locascio

Copywriter: Bridget Prophet

Body Painter: Guido Daniele

Photographer: Andric 

Awards: Voted ‘America’s Favorite Magazine Ad’ by Consumers, Magazine Publishers of America 

Information Source(s): It it’s Hip, It’s Here

12.) Centro de Valorização da Vida (Sucidie Prevention Center-Brazil)

Serious topics like mental health can also spread awareness through body paint. The Centro de Valorização da Vida (a Suicide Prevention Center in Brazil) wanted to explore how depression can look. In this campaign, models burrow their faces into hands that are painted into happy faces. The campaign reminds their audience that depression can have many faces-even unexpected ones. This campaign uses hand paintings to convey two emotions: the sadness of the person crying into them, and the happiness shown to the world. 

Image Source: Ads of the World

Advertising Agency: Seven Comunicação Total, Blumenau, Brazil

Creative Director: Juliano Tejada

Art Director / Illustrator: Mário Sérgio Ferreira

Copywriter: César Noda

Retoucher: Kado Digital Art

Photographer: Shutterstock

Information Source(s): Ads of the World

13.) Motor Accident Commission of South Australia

Body paint and sculpture can be combined to create beautiful artwork. Emma Hack, body paint artist, was commissioned by the Motor Accident Commission of South Australia to create a jaw-dropping, effective public service announcement. Hack positioned and painted her models to appear like a wrecked vehicle. In an effort to stop reckless speeding, the public service announcement reminded their audience of the lives involved in each car accident. The composition took 17 painted models to shape themselves into the car, but the message is very clear and powerful

Emma Hack’s body paint art for the Motor Accident Commission of South Australia. Image Source: My Modern Met

Commission Agency: Clemenger BBDO Adelaide

Body Painter: Emma Hack

Information Source(s): My Modern Met

14.) Apetit

As a way to encourage people to incorporate more vegetables into their diets, Finnish food manufacturer Apetit worked with body painter Riina Laine to spread their message across Finland. Laine created a stalk of broccoli, a carrot, and onion out of craftily positioned human models who were subsequently painted to mimic the veggies. The people of Finland were captivated by the artwork once the campaign went live online and on the television. The food and restaurant industry has a unique opportunity to utilize body paint for their products since our society recognizes that “we are what we eat”. 

Riina Laine’s body paint illusions for Apetit. Image Source: Riina Laine

Body Painter: Riina Laine

Photo: Aleksi Koshinen

Concept and Production: Hasan & Partners

Information Source(s): Rinia Laine

15.) Kimberly Clark 

Kimberly Clark, a conglomerate who owns well-known cleaning and personal sanitation brands, used hand paintings to emphasize how important it is to wash our hands. By positioning and painting hands to look like monstrous germs, Kimberely Clark emphasizes how dangerous our hands can become if we don’t take proper cleaning measures. Additional copy in the ad explains that one out of every four soap refills contains harmful bacteria, but Kimberly Clark guarantees their soaps are safe. By using body paint and copy, Kimberly Clark’s campaign effectively made a statement consumers will remember.

Advertising Agency: Ogilvy 

General Creative Director: Nicolás Schumacher

Creative Director: Ronny Villalobos

Copywriter: Alonso Cortés

Illustrator: Rodrigo Piedra

Photographer: Ricardo Quirós

Art Directors: Roberto Leitón, Daniel Lopez

16.) Secretaria Estadual Da Saúde

Similar to the example above, the Secretaria Estadual Da Saúde in Brazil made a public service announcement about hand cleanliness. Once again, body paint allowed for simple human hands to transform into ferocious, bacterial monsters. PSAs like these show how body paint can relay information about different parts of our body.

Advertising Agency: Agência Matriz, Porto Alegre, Brazil

Creative Directors: Roberto Philomena, Telmo Ramos

Art Directors: Jorge Appio, Paulo Moraes

Copywriter: Magali Moraes

Illustrator: Fescher Neoilustração

Photographer: Raul Krebs

17.) Marriott London Sevens Rugby Competition 

Sports can always be given an artistic perspective to engage fans even more into the game and its players. The Marriott London Sevens, a major Rugby event, commissioned Carolyn Roper to paint several rugby painters as safari animals. However, each player was painted as the animal that best represented their strengths. For example, those whose speciality was speed were painted like a cheetah. This campaign shows that body painting can highlight individuality in a fun and interesting way for fans to engage with. The campaign was a success and received buzz from the Daily Mail and The Sun. 

Ruby Sevens promo done by Carolyn Roper. Image Source: Carolyn Roper

Body Painter: Carolyn Roper

Information Source(s): Carolyn Roper, Independent

18.) Gold’s Gym

To show how freakin’ powerful our bodies are, Gold Gym turned human bodies into powerful vehicles with body paint. Athletic models were painted into a tank, a bulldozer, and a crane. What an awesome way to explore how mighty the human form can become!

Advertising Agency: jotabequ GREY, Costa Rica

Creative Director: Alexander Obando

Art Director: Héctor Acuña

Photographer: Noelia Badilla

19.) Conservação Internacional

The Brazilian division of Conservation International, a nonprofit promoting wildlife conservation, used body paint to turn lips into animals. A cheetah, a crab, and a bee were created from human mouths as a way to give these creatures a voice. Body paint can truly be utilized in the smallest ways, yet the impact is equally enormous! 

Advertising Agency: Africa, São Paulo, Brazil

Creative Directors: Sergio Gordilho, Flavio Waiteman, Humberto Fernandez, Rafael Pitanguy

Art Director: Gabriel Jardim

Copywriter: Vinicius Bandeira

Illustrator: Paige Thompson

Photographer: Paige Thompson

20.) Breast Cancer Foundation

The Breast Cancer Foundation is always trying to get women to understand the risks of breast cancer. The “Are you obsessed with the right things?” campaign used a combination of illustration and body paint to demonstrate how women are oftentimes concerned with the “wrong” things. Obsessing over stray hairs, pimples, and the sizes of their bottoms, the illustrated women are ingeniously created with the breasts and torso of the body paint model. This campaign not only spreads awareness but creates a relatable story through the bodies of women. 

Advertising Agency: DDB, Singapore

Executive Creative Director: Joji Jacob

Creative Director: Thomas Yang

Copywriter: Khairul Mondzi

Art Director: Andrea Kuo

Account Director: Rowena Bhagchandani

Account Executive: Ng Ling Kai

Illustrator: Andy Yang Soo Kit

Digital retoucher: Agnes Teo

Photographer: Allan Ng / Republic Studios

The future of body paint in advertising <

The future of body paint advertising is extremely bright and full of possibilities. There are plenty of trends across industries that can highlight opportunities for possible body paint advertisements. With movements such as body positivity on the rise, it won’t be surprising to see brands utilize body painting in future campaigns. Social media is starting to embrace body acceptance, so body painting can become a key opportunity for digital marketers to offer relatable content to their target markets. With this in mind, it is important to remember how much consumers value inclusivity and body diversity. Therefore, marketers must ensure that their body paint campaigns are authentic, imperfect, and unique. 

Another future opportunity lies in the realm of fashion. It is not uncommon to hear about A-list celebrities strutting the red carpet in custom, body paint couture or accessories. Even if they aren’t a fashion brand, advertisers can capitalize on this trend by teaming up with celebrities and/or influencers for a body paint fashion campaign. Although fashion may seem limited, it is important to consider the idea with an open mind. Brand/product colors and logos can be designed into the outfit or accessory; custom painted bikinis, for example, can be created to target a specific market. This flexibility gives non-fashion brands the opportunity to make their own public statements. Much like the way NASCAR sponsors advertise their brand on a racecar, body paint fashion may become an increasingly popular way for viewers to see their favorite stars wear particular brands or messages. 

On the other hand, the beauty community has been an industry that has consistently embraced body painting in its advertising. In an effort to show makeup pigmentation, color variety, and durability, many beauty brands use face painting and other body paint methods to differentiate their products. This trend will likely increase as the beauty industry also becomes increasingly competitive. Brands and beauty influencers must create looks that have never been done, and body paint offers the opportunity to create these showstopping pieces. As the line between makeup and art dissolves, it is likely that more beauty brands will continue to use body paint as an advertising method. Although most body paint art in the cosmetic industry currently focuses on face paintings, it is likely that brands will begin to incorporate more of the human body into their pieces in an effort to differentiate themselves. 

Finally, the increasingly competitive landscape of digital marketing presents a unique opportunity for marketers to utilize body paint in their advertising. As the pressure to develop viral ads grows stronger, marketers must understand that effective advertisements should be powerful enough to strike the intrigue of their target market and even the press. Although ad popularity isn’t always easy to predict, unique ad campaigns seem to attract inevitable attention. The list of advertisements highlight successful ads that were featured across several online news and social media channels, and the effects of body paint art on social media will likely only become more apparent. As more advertisers begin to understand the powerfulness of body paint, it is likely that more digital advertisements will begin to utilize body paint in unique new ways. 

Overall, there are many avenues that advertisers can take in order to promote their brand, products, or services. However, body paint is an alternative method that has proven to capture the attention of a wide range of people. By combining body paint and advertising, marketers can utilize the human form to convey a message to their audience. Body paint does not need to be limited; any section of the body can be used as a canvas, and multiple bodies can be used as well. A good body paint artist knows that the skies are the limits. As it is becoming harder for brands to become noticed, marketers must understand that their ads must be effective, creative, and special. Body paint art tends to turn heads, so marketers must also brainstorm how their ads can incorporate the same levels of intrigue. Body painting allows for anything to have a human identity, and perhaps this is the competitive advantage that brands need to utilize in their advertisements.  

Need a Smile? 114 Binge-Worthy Bodypaint Videos

Distractions for Social Distancing “Shelter in Place” Quarantines

So it's been a week (or more) of mandatory social distancing... how are you holding up? I'd love to hear from you.

The feedback we've been getting from family, friends, clients & fans is that they are desperate for some distractions.  So without further ado, take this as your bullet point swipe file to grab some great bodypaint amusements.

Art has the power to heal & we're ready to dish out some medicine!

Things to Read —-

• NY Post Article: "Bodypainter's Works Are Welcome Distraction from Coronavirus"

• This Week's Blog: 17 Social Distancing Ideas That Don't Suck

List of Binge-Worthy Bodypaint Videos ----

We've also been seeing a surge in time spent on YouTube.  Here are 119 of our bodypaint videos (alphabetized) that are short, sweet and packed full of art & inspiration!  Remember we post new content Monday, Wednesdays & Fridays so subscribe to our channel & keep coming back for more! 

(This Friday we will post a very special bodypaint meditation video.)

1. 3 Easy Last-Minute Halloween Makeup & Costume Ideas

2. Aflon's Story: Becoming Her Obsession

3. All Bodies Are Beautiful in Dallas

4. Ask Trina: Episode 1

5. Ask Trina: Episode 2

6. Awesome Bodypainting for a Studio 54 Party

7. Behind the Scenes: Astrological Symbols

8. Behind the Scenes: Gordon Biersch "Art in a Bottle"

9. Behind the Scenes: Have You Ever Blended into a plane?

10. Behind the Scenes: Objectified Dallas Dollhouse

11. Behind the Scenes | Bodypaint at St John the Divine NYC

12. Behind the Scenes | Bodypaint Blending into Big Ben

13. Behind the scenes | Bodypaint Camouflage into the LA Skyline

14. Behind the Scenes | Camouflage Bodypaint in Brooklyn (DUMBO)

15. Behind the Scenes | Edge of Wonder: Human Microbiome (Bodypaint Illustrations)

16. Behind The Scenes | Human Motorcycles (Bodypaint)

17. Behind the Scenes | Ice Cave

18. Behind the Scenes | James & Ally’s Bodypaint Engagament Photoshoot

19. Behind the Scenes | Kate Weiser Chocolate x Trina Merry = Living Bonbons (Bodypaint)

20. Behind the Scenes | Objectified at Untitled Space Gallery

21. Behind the Scenes | Performance of “Tea Party” at YouTube NY

22. Behind the Scenes | Pop Art Bananas

23. Behind the Scenes | Silly Bob Ross Paint-A-Long Experiment

24. Behind the Scenes | Time Out Magazine NY Presents Trina Merry

25. Behind the Scenes | “This is Pain” with Trina Merry

26. Behind the Scenes- Human Temple

27. Behind the Scenes of "Cancer" (Astrological Symbol)

28. Behind the Scenes of "Objectified" @ Works San Jose

29. Bob Ross Bodypaint Series FAQ

30. body dysmphoria ON pink

31. Bodypaint-a-long to Bob Ross

32. Bodypaint at Machu Picchu

33. Bodypaint Blending Challenge: Basquiat

34. Bodypaint Challenge: Blending into Frida Kahlo’s Portrait

35. Bodypaint Challenge: Bringing Monet's Water Lilies to Life

36. Bodypaint Challenge: Bringing Warhol’s “Marilyn” Monroe to Life

37. Bodypaint Challenge: Picasso’s “Les Demoiselles d'Avignon”

38. Bodypaint Challenge: Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”

39. Bodypainting at the Trump Tower

40. Bodypaint on Easter Island

41. Bodypaint Vs Antiquities?! Performance at the Getty Museum

42. Bodypaint Vs Antiquities?! Performance at the Getty Museum

43. Bodypositive Influencers in a Special Bodypaint Performance

44. Camouflage Bodypainting at Gapstow Bridge

45. Camouflage Bodypainting at Machu Picchu

46. Camouflage Bodypainting at Petra

47. Camouflage Bodypainting at Stonehenge

48. Camouflage Bodypainting at the Colosseum

49. Camouflage bodypainting at the Pyramids of Giza

50. Camouflage bodypainting into Basquiat's "Untitled"

51. Camouflage Bodypainting into Easter Island Moai

52. Camouflage Experiment 01

53. Case Study: Vintage Circus Animals Party

54. Case Study | FORD x Jason Mraz x Trina Merry

55. Case Study | FORD x Trina Merry

56. Case Study | See How Awesome Human DNA is with This Special Facepainting

57. Commission: How do you sell a building that doesn't exist? (FT. Ryan Serhant)

58. Commission: Watch as we make a car disappear into RBC bank

59. Exhibition | "Objectified" at Untitled Space Gallery

60. Exhibition | “This is Pain” at Oculus World Trade Center NYC

61. Gloria's Story: Engagement Boudoir with a Painty Twist

62. Here’s what happened when we bodypainted at the World Trade Center on 9/11

63. How Art Can Change the World

64. How To | Camouflage Bodypaint Demo

65. How to | Choose Your Bodypaint

66. How To | Easy SFX Makeup Inspired by “It” Pennywise the Clown

67. How To | Melty Unicorn Sherbert Halloween Makeup

68. How to Be Unique & Stand out. Interview with CAROLINA

69. How to Bodypaint with Liquid Latex

70. How to Overcome Body Issues & Have Freedom with Bodypaint

71. Interview | How to Overcome Your Insecurities with Bodypainting

72. Interviews for Trump's Cabinet

73. Meet the Team: Emma Vega

74. Meet the Team: Erica Ensminger

75. Meet the Team: Luisa

76. NERF Super Soaker Commercial "Camo Battles"

77. News | The Morning Show Australia

78. Objectified: Watermill Center's "Devil's Heaven"

79. Oculus NYC Camouflage Bodypainting

80. On the Road: Camouflage Bodypaint Adventure in Toronto

81. On the Street: Camouflage Bodypainting at the Brooklyn Bridge Waterfront

82. Opening Reception

83. Opening Reception at Lemon Frame Gallery

84. Original Film | A NYC Bodypaint Musical

85. Performance | "Delicate" at WORKS San Jose Gallery

86. Performance | "Drool" at WORKS San Jose

87. Performance | "Momentum" with Andy Goldsworthy at San Jose Museum of Art

88. Performance | "Pink Petal Lipstick (Lead Ingestion)"

89. Performance | "Reflections" at WORKS San Jose

90. Performance | Bop Along to these Bodypainted Pop Art Bananas

91. Performance | Objectified: Black Chairs

92. Performance | Objectified: Pink Couch

93. Performance | Objectified: Pink Dollhouse Boudoir

94. Performance | Objectified: Purple Couch

95. Performance | Objectified: Special Valentine's Day Performance

96. Performance | Objectified at Untitled Space Gallery NYC

97. Performance | “Glass on painted bodies”

98. Performance | “Objectified: Black Couch”

99. Performance | “Objectified: Cream Chair”

100. Performance | “Objectified: Red Couch”

101. Performance | “Objectified Solo: Rat on a Chinese Vase”

102. RTL Television Presents New York Bodypainter Trina Merry

103. Tess’s story: Lighting Her Heart on Fire (with Bodypaint)

104. The Power of Vulnerability: Interview with Nude Bodypaint Model Dara Swisher

105. Trending for 2020: Check out Our Top 10 Viewed Videos of the Year

106. Trina Merry's Bodypaint Reel

107. Trina Merry presents "Shrouds of Our Sisters"

108. Unique Surprise Bodypaint Proposal in Times Square

109. VOTE happening at Federal Hall

110. What is it like getting boudoir bodypaint? (lingerie)

111. Will NYC notice this girl’s clothes are really bodypaint?

112. “Lust of Currency” Series Announcement

113. “This is Pain” Patient Stories

114. “You Are a Masterpiece” (Paris Fashion Week)

17 Social Distancing Ideas that Don't Suck

Self-Distancing Ideas for Quarantine

The world is in the midst of a global emergency due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID 19). We need everyone to do their part by self-distancing from each other to control the spread of the virus. According to the CDC, the elderly and those with severe underlying medical conditions such as heart or lung diseases and diabetes are at higher risk of developing severe complications from exposure to COVID-19.  While there currently is no vaccine to prevent COVID-19, but the best way to prevent illness is to avoid exposure. The disease is believed to spread between people in close contact with each other (about 6 feet). Furthermore, the virus is spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and respiratory droplets land on the mouths, noses, or are inhaled into the lungs of those nearby. In addition to practicing self-distancing, everyone should make sure they are practicing efficient hygiene practices such as:

• Washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds

• Using hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.

• Avoid touching the eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands

• Avoid close contact with other

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces such as handles, tables, phones, toilets, sinks, and light switches, doorknobs, and keyboards

Many restaurants, retail stores, and other public places have closed to protect the general population and their employees from contact with the virus. During this time self-distancing, many people may suffer from anxiety or just plain boredom from being stuck at home. We have a list of ideas of things that you can do to pass the time and maintain your sanity.

Trina Merry Youtube Channel

You can take this time to catch up on some of Trina Merry YouTube videos. From the Bob Ross art series, bodypainting challenges, to behind the scenes videos, there is content to keep you entertained for hours. Hopefully, we can inspire you to take on your own body painting project. Just make sure to take careful steps to make sure your paint and equipment are free from bacteria and debris. 

Spring Cleaning

With a little bit of extra time, you can take the time to clean and disinfect areas of the homes that may be a bit neglected. Amid the COVID-29 pandemic, bathrooms, kitchens, and bedrooms should be first to receive the extra attention. While it may be a bit harder to find major brand cleaning products from Clorox or Lysol, you can always make effective cleaners at home. This article from Good House Keeping lists several combinations of effective homemade cleaners. 

Redecorate with some Bodypaint Art

After getting your home clean and tidy, you can take the time to redecorate your house for the new season. Bring some new life to your home with Trina Merry’s bodypainting art. Use the discount code 25MARCH in our online shop to receive 25% off your order at www.trinamerry.bigcartel.com

Online Courses

To keep your mind busy, give time to take an online course, and learn a new skill. The internet is filled with endless knowledge; websites such as Udemy, Skillshare, and Lynda are filled with classes over any topic you could ever want to learn. From learning a new language, learning to code, and even refining your art skills, there is something for everyone 

Board Games

This is a great time to pull your boardgames out of the garage or attic to play with family. Better yet, you may even have the time to make sure that you are playing the boardgames correctly. Many people make up their own rules to game such as Scrabble, Uno, or Monopoly (although we understand entirely, monopoly is a very long game). If you have lost the instructions to your board games, don’t fret! You can find them online at Board Game Capital. 

Start a Side Hustle

The internet is filled with ways that you can make money on the side. And with COVID-19 causing economic distress for a large population in our society, there is no better time than to look into other ways to make some money. YouTube and many blogs are great places to start if this is something you are interested in. 

Make Crafts

Find unique things to make on your own or with the kids. Crafting is fun and can help keep your mind in a positive state. You can paint for the spring, put together gift baskets for your loved ones, or even create fun graphic t-shirts. Pinterest is a great place to find fun and unique crafts to make. 

Stream Movies Through AMC

Stream some of the latest released movies through AMC On Demand. While theaters may be off-limits for a while, you can stream some of the biggest 2019 releases online. Some movies that are available to watch are Frozen II, Joker, and Spies in Disguise. 

Donate

During this crisis, many organizations could use donations to help support small businesses, health care workers, and of course, victims of the COVID-19 virus. Additionally, if you are not able to donate any money, please consider donating blood, as there is a shortage in many areas. Below are some great organizations to donate to:

World Health Organization – COVID-19 Response Fund

American Red Cross Blood

Connect with family and friends through text, phone calls, and social media

Reach out to your family and friends, especially your elderly loved ones. This virus is affecting us all, but you can make anyone’s day by letting them you know that you had them in your thoughts. A little bit of kindness and positivity can go a long way.

Practice Recipes

Surf through the youtube, Pinterest, and your favorite blogs to find recipes that you may want to try out. For example, check out these art palette cupcakes that we have been dreaming about. 

Journaling

Journaling is an excellent exercise that many people use to reduce their anxiety, stress, and to organize their thoughts. Writing down your thoughts is also a great way to evaluate your wants and goals and develop clear guidelines to reach them. 

Send Cards to COVID-19 Victims

Many people affected by the virus, especially elderly people in nursing homes, are in isolation with no one to come to visit. Reach out to your local nursing home and rehabilitation centers to see if they will allow you to make and send cards to cheer up the patients. It is a priceless way to put smiles on the faces of people going through tough times.

Make or Revaluate Household Budget

Many companies are lowering hours or laying off workers. This may be time to evaluate your budgets and make a plan for your family. Make sure to reach out to your various lenders, utility providers, and banks to see what options they may have for you during this time. 

Go to parks and enjoy nature

If you are tired of being cooped up all day, take advantage of public parks and trails. The weather is warming up outside, and trees and flowers are beginning to bloom. Take your mind off of the stress of everything by taking a pleasant stroll by yourself or with your loved ones (especially your furry family members). 

Set up a self-care routine

The most important thing for everyone to do right now is to take care of themselves. Setting up a self-care routine can help everyone mentally, physically, and spiritually. There is no right routine, it is all about doing the things that make everyone feel good. That can consist of creating art, making a schedule, exercising, meditating, listening to music, watching your favorite movies shows, and taking care of skin, hair, and nails. 

Netflix Party

Social Distancing does not mean you still cant get together with your crew and catch a movie. With the Google Chrome extension Netflix Party, you and your friends can sync your favorite Netflix shows and movies and talk to each other through the group chat. Some great movies to catch on Netflix are The Dark Knight, Her, and Moonlight.

Remember to stay safe during this time. Practice good hygiene habits and try to limit the number of public interactions that you have. Staying home does not have to be a bad thing, and hopefully, you will take some of our suggestions to keep your mind busy during this stressful time. Keep up with us on social media to see what we are doing to pass our time. Reach out and let us know what you are up to social distance yourself.  

Camouflage Bodypaint at MoMA's PS1 Rockaway Beach House

A heartbeat means energy. A heartbeat means strength. And a heartbeat means life. So, while it may seem silly to some, with body painting I am addicted to the fact that my canvas has a heartbeat - that it's alive. Every person I paint is breathing and moving as I transform their bodies into works of art.

Even if it’s not an actual “heartbeat,” every car, home and building has its own rhythm of activity. That was the case with an old abandoned building I came across on New York’s Rockaway Peninsula a few years ago.

The structure, part of Fort Tilden, was featured in 2014 during “Rockaway!” a public arts festival. The festival was sponsored by a number of local art organizations to celebrate the reopening of Fort Tilden after the devastation of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. As part of the exhibit, German artist Katharina Grosse painted a site-specific installation at the decaying aquatics building.

As I approached the structure from a distance, I knew it had a heartbeat. Even those it remained a shell of a building, all hollowed out inside, with nothing but sand as a floor and the beach breeze blowing through where the windows should be, Katharina had brought it back to life. Maybe it was the vibrancy of the color or the way the painted waves created an aura of movement, but even those I couldn’t put my finger on it, this building spoke to me.

I could hear its heartbeat.

As I moved closer, it felt like when I first came to New York. I was extremely lonely and was struck by this feeling that I could just fade into the background and no one would even know where I went. It was that image I took with me that day to Rockaway Peninsula.

It was actually that same feeling that lured me to body painting in general. I am absolutely in love with the fact that body painting is here for one moment and then gone the next.

As many of you are aware through my social media sites, my specialty is blending people into the different architecture of New York. I literally make them stand out by having them blend in. That was the case at Rockaway Beach. I was delighted to mimic Katharina’s sweeping use of red, orange and white that represents the colors of the sunset at the beach.

As I painted those shades on my model, I could feel a number of heartbeats: Hers, mine, Katharina’s, the building’s, the waves. It was a unique experience.

As a body painter, I’ve realized that there is so much more that you can do outside of four white walls with the Internet and I'm really interested in the possibilities of that. I hope that my work makes everyone think about the power of their own bodies and helps them develop a more positive body image by accepting their body as it is – cellulite, freckles, age spots, scars and all.

35 Female Body Painting Designs (Amazing Photos)

Everything You Should Know About Body Painting 

While Roman and Greek statues are life-like, body painting literally brings the artwork to life. Body painting has been around since the beginning of humankind as a form of celebration, preparation for war, and funerals in ancient tribes. But in recent years, body painting has become a feminist niche in contemporary art. 

Now, body painting is used to celebrate body positivity and the normalization of nude bodies. Over time, female body painting has become increasingly popular, with many female body painters gaining traction on social media. So let’s dive into it. Here is everything you need to know about body painting! 

What is Body Painting? 

Even though many people are familiar with face painting, the connection between body painting and face painting is usually never made. This is because face painting is typically associated with a quick 10-minute face painting at a carnival. While body painting, on the other hand, is a more refined and impressive form of art that is a much longer process and can take hours. Although they are widely different in purpose, the idea of using the human body as a canvas is relatively the same. 

Body painting is similar to face painting, but it extends to the entire body. While body painting is typically done nude, it does not always entail fully naked bodies. Some men and women decide to wear undergarments or even costumes as part of the art. 

Body Painting as a live Art

Body painting is live art somewhere between a performance and traditional art such as paintings and photography. In body painting, there are sometimes a few different ways that the audience views the art. The first is when a model is painted out in public. This part of body painting can be considered a performance since people who pass by can watch the art being created. The second occurs after a photograph of the body art is taken. The audience has changed from people who viewed the body painting in-person to those looking at a finished photograph. 

How Body Painting Became Popular as an Art Form 

Paintings of women’s bodies have always been popular throughout history, but the first modern full female body painting was first created in 1933 by Max Factor Sr. at the World’s Fair in Chicago. Unfortunately, his body painting didn’t get the reaction he wanted. It was considered more of a jarring statement than a form of art respected by the public. Although this incident didn’t popularize body painting as an art, it inspired future artists to utilize his techniques of putting women in body paint. 

Body painting actually became popular during the 1960s when people who started to fight for women’s rights would paint their bodies as a social and political statement. These body painters were labeled “hippies,” but the art form was starting to grow as fine art as well as a political tool. 

What Type of Paint is Used for Body Painting

Artists use a few different types of body paints, including water-based paint, latex paint, and alcohol-based paint. Water-based paint is best for projects that don’t take as much time since it is easy to rinse off but does not stay on for a long time. Latex paint is good to use since it sets really quickly, but the artist needs to make sure the model is not allergic to latex before starting. Finally, alcohol-based paints are the longest-lasting, but they can be difficult to clean. Each type of body paint has its own pros and cons that make them unique, so it is best for the artist to consider all factors for a project before picking a body paint. 

To learn more check out How to Choose Your Bodypaint Guide

Different Types of Body Painting 

Within body painting itself, there are many different styles of body painting. If you are looking for body paint ideas, check out the different types of body painting that you can do. 

Illusion Body Painting 

In illusion body painting, the artist can manipulate the body so that the art appears to be like something else. Artists can use either the entire body and disguise it as an illusion or use parts of the body such as a hand.  

Camouflage Body Painting 

When it comes to camouflage body painting, the artist picks a specific environment and can blend the person into the environment. The person can be set in a cityscape or landscape. 

Fine Art Body Painting

Fine art body painting is when the artist uses their artistic vision to create delicate art with their specific style. This art movement usually has a certain harmony between the different shapes and colors. 

Character or Creature Body Painting 

If you have ever seen a person painted as a specific character, whether it be from a movie, video game, or mythology, you have seen character body painting. 

Fashion Body Painting 

Fashion body painting is where body painting is incorporated into a model’s outfit. This type of body painting can be found in fashion shows or photoshoots. 

How Body Painting Embodies Female Empowerment 

It may initially feel intimidating for models to have their entire body painted since they may feel exposed and vulnerable, but most women who decide to get their body painted end up wanting to do it again. This is because body painting is a great way to celebrate body positivity since artists want all types of bodies to be painted. 

Women who model body painting feel the sexiness of the strength and empowerment to be vulnerable enough to allow someone to paint directly on their bodies. Body painting allows women to feel like they can step into their power and claim it for themselves. They realize that their bodies are beautiful and can be pieces of art meant to be cherished. This is why body painting is extremely powerful in political, social, and sexual climates. The power that comes from body painting is often harnessed in critical human rights movements. With body painting, artists declare that women’s bodies are a statement of empowerment. They deserve to be seen, normalized, and celebrated.  

Art is the language that fuses creativity and pictures to drive a message home.  Popular modern artists like Trina Merry has using art to depict various emotions, appearances, and actions of people. Female body painting is one of the most used approach and here are the 35 most intriguing female body painting designs that create realistic impressions.

1.       The Goddess Bodypaint- Kali

The Goddess avatar is a famous female body painting design that depicts a Goddess.

2.       Animal Body Paint Tiger

Body painting art animals are popular choices. The portrait paints a woman in fabulous and wild black and orange tones.

3.       World Map Painting

This impressive full-body art design features maps and navigation on a female body.

4.       Body painting festival

This impressive female paint design from Riina Laine was the winner at the World Bodypaint Festival. Pictures of female body painting contest are very popular with the media.

5.       Non toxic body paint for pregnancy

This is body paint animal art design of a mother and child giraffes creates a tender moment against a sunset basecoat.

6.         Flower body paint

This sexy female body paint image depicts a woman painted in white flowers to form a tropical gaia mother earth image.

7.       Abstract female body painting

This abstract female body painting image combines colors and textures for a dynamic image.

8.       African body paint designs

The painting showcases tribal body paint using African body paint designs

9.       Spiderman cosplay body paint

A female painting design depicts a sexy spider man cosplay, perfect for female body paint halloween costumes or alter ego play.

10.   Metallic Sexy body paint

This couple’s embrace is made even sensual by the light reflected off the silver metallic body paint.

11.   The Galaxy Woman

The universe is inside us and we are all made of stars in this blacklight body paint pics

12.   Anatomy body painting

Pictures of female body painting contest- female anatomy is depicted in this beautiful body paint.

13.   Lion Body Paint

Body art animals are stunning and this illusion bodypaint lion delights.

14.   Sexy Chinese Dragon Body Paint

This warm-toned Chinese dragon snaking on paintings of women's bodies

15.   Avatar cosplay bodypaint

In this Neyitiri cosplay bodypainting (Avatar) the model can really step into character for Halloween.

16.   Native American body paint

Tribal body painting art

17.   The Cheetah woman

This female painting design depicts a woman painted like a cheetah.

18.   Female body outline painting

This abstract female body painting combines sexy body paint with mask lace elements to blur the lines of where the model’s body paint begins and the satin fabric ends.

19.   Chinese artists body paint

This China Doll style dress body painting was created for a MAC in person experience but can help bring out an exotic alter ego or geisha body paint cosplay.

20.   Thermal female body painting

Thermal painting has gained virality for its depictions of heat across the body. This abstract body painting highlights the body in a sexy way.

21.   Tree branch fairy body painting

This nymph twists and turns with branches outlining the bodies curves. If you are looking for a design inspired by mother nature, this is a fabulous style that looks great on your wall.

22.   Illustrative style body paint: blacklight floating lanterns

Blacklight body paint pics- this floating lantern piece could have been inspired by the movie Tangled.

23.   Body paint wedding

Could you imagine your wedding in full body paint? This beautiful bridal female body painting design portrays three happy women and their grooms in bodypaint.

24.   Typography body paint

This typography body painting says “talk less, say more”, in this

25.   Waterfall nymph in the form of a Female Body Art

26.   Cleopatra body paint

Ancient woman goddess body painting.

27.   Hand Painted Lingerie Body Art

Perfect for sexy boudoir photography sessions.

28.   Camouflage body paint into cherry blossoms

This body painting in NYC has a model blending into the cherry blossoms in Central Park

29.   Robot Cyborg body paint

This airbrush body painting has enormous stencilled details transforming the model into her cyborg alter ego.

30.   Mother Earth bodypainting

This body paint for pregnancy combines various gaia and nature elements to show the beauty of giving birth, creation and the connection to the planet.

31.   Jean Grey X Men cosplay body painting

What a fantastic Female body paint halloween costumes

32.   Camouflage soldier body paint

This brown and green illusion body paint pattern makes this body painted woman look like she’s actually wearing a shirt!

33.   Pop Art Body Painting

Inspired by the likes of Roy Litchenstein, this women in body paint creates a living pop art painting with her custom painted backdrop.

34.   Sexy Dallas Cowboys sports jersey body paint

This artistic and stunning female painting creates a sexy tribute to the Dallas Cowboys. A perfect surprise gift for a sports fan spouse or significant other!

35.   Dia De Los Muertos Body Art

This bodypainting combines the macbre with the beautiful in stunning textures and colors!

Conclusion

These are superb and blazing female body painting designs that will leave you wooed. Have a look and decide which ones to add to your photo gallery.

Is Bodypaint Safe to Use?

Do you remember the scene in James Bond’s “Gold Finger,” where Jill Masterson dies from skin asphyxiation after having her body painted gold? While iconic, the scene is scientifically inaccurate. Asphyxiation by bodypaint is nearly impossible since we breathe through our mouths and noses. While that is excellent news, we are still not out of the clear. There are some important safety concerns to consider before getting started, such as learning about the safest body paint choices, choosing the right bodypaint for your skin and project, ensuring proper ventilation, and maintaining hygienic equipment.

 There are several variations of bodypaints, each having their own purposes. The most common types of bodypaints are water-based, latex, alcohol-based, silicone, metallic, glitters, cream-based, henna, and acrylic. Some people may have allergies to titanium, latex, metallic makeup, etc. so skin tests should always be performed before a painting session.  Some bodypaints should be used with caution or entirely avoided, such as black henna. Black Henna can contain unlawful amounts of toxic chemicals that can leave the skin scarred. Water-based bodypaints are produced under strict FDA guidelines, meaning that most water-based bodypaints are non-toxic, hypoallergenic, and easily removable from the skin. Water-based airbrush bodypaint is considered the safest body paint when used correctly under proper ventilation conditions.

 Proper ventilation is essential for artists that are regularly exposed to solvents, isocyanates, pigments, and other additives in paints and coatings. Some materials can cause toxic effects immediately, producing symptoms such as headaches and nausea, while some materials present symptoms after long periods of exposure. An independent study done by Barry A. Miller and Aaron Blair revealed that artists that are frequently exposed to these materials have a higher chance of developing health issues such as cancer, leukemia, and heart disease. Artists should practice using appropriate safety equipment such as respirators, spray booths, eye safety wear, rubber or latex gloves, and coveralls. Secondly, artists such ensure that they are practicing appropriate ventilation techniques including, filtering out harmful chemicals towards an exhaust and diluting contaminated air with fresh air (dilution ventilation).

 In addition to ventilation, keeping brushes clean is a critical aspect in preventing injury while bodypainting. Dirty brushes can promote breakouts and harmful infections. Brushes need to be brand new or boiled before your painting sessions. New bodypaints should be applied to a palette or put in a cup to avoid spreading fungus and viruses. This is important because some fungi and viruses cannot be removed by traditional brush and makeup cleansers (which only remove makeup and some bacteria). Contrary to popular belief, 70% rubbing alcohol will only kill some of the bacteria present on brushes, and any percentage above 70% causes the bacteria cells to close and form a protective shell and does not kill them. Only bleach, heat (boiling water or sterilization ovens), or freezing will completely kill all fungus, viruses, and bacteria that are harmful to humans. It is recommended that artists clean their brushes several times a week to prevent build-up that can clog pores, spread bacteria, and aggravate your client’s skin. In addition to maintaining clean brushes, bodypaint should not be applied to wounds, rashes, herpes breakouts, canker sores, etc. which can also promote skin infections.

 With safe and cautious steps, bodypainting can be harmless and a beautiful way for artists and clients to express themselves. What do you consider the safest body paint and what precautions do you make to keep your clients safe? Comment below and let us know!

Why Did Picasso Paintings Have Distorted Faces?

Picasso is an 1881 Spain born legendary and influential artist. As the most talented 20th century painter, he left behind over 1800 paints some of which have distorted faces. While his mighty creations have left many wooed, the paintings with distorted faces are a mystery to many.  So much has been speculated about the reasons behind Picasso’s distorted faced paintings. Though we really cannot tell his real motivation behind creating paintings with distorted faces, we will surely help you get an idea of his actual motivations.

Picasso wasn’t an average imaginative painter. He went far beyond the ordinary to create paints from multiple angles of approach and by use of different styles. One of the painting styles he loved and perfected so much was the Cubism. He loved Cubism as a painting style because he could easily pass his messages by creating portraits that could easily drive home the message in a unique way.

One popular portrait that mixed realism, talent, and cubism styling was the Guernica. He created this portrait in the days of the Spain Civil War. It’s one of the portraits that emphasized the use of distorted faces. His motivation for creating the portrait is linked to the bombing of a small Basque town. This portrait was a real win for him since it was commissioned by the Spanish Republic for pavilion at the Paris International Exposition in 1937.

In the painting, we can see a hyperactive fusion of a horse, bull and six humans housed in a long-ceiling.  He never said anything about the six figures, but speculations have it that he was trying to explain the bombing situation.

Life Experiences

Most people consider life experiences one of the core drives behind Picasso’s distorted faces. Picasso as a painter claimed that his paintings were mostly motivated by his thinking rather than what he saw.  It is rumored that the sufferers of the small Basque town bombing had shared their experiences with him and he created the Guernica portrait based on what he thought about their experiences during the bombing.

Personal Drive and Inspiration

Some people have also speculated that Picasso’s distorted faces in his paintings were inspired by his desire to educate his audience on his personal views about different people.  Like in the case of the portrait called the Weeping Woman, many say that he was trying to depict his own view of what real unhappiness and pain appears like. He was trying to explain the thoughts, struggles, and emotions of the crying woman in a simple and single portrait.

Art is always open to interpretation from any angle and viewpoint. So, everyone could have their own reasons as to what really motivated Picasso to add distorted faces on his portraits. Even if he was asked, he less likely would have given an explicit answer. And so, we are left with no option than to conclude that chances are high Picasso’s distorted faces on his portraits was a personal style to reach out to his audience in a more explicit way concerning different life experiences and happenings.

How You Can learn about Bob Ross's Legacy in 5 Minutes

Officially known as Robert Norman Ross, Bob Ross was an iconic artist who not only introduced some of the elements in modern art but also left everyone entertained. Bob Ross created and hosted The Joy of Painting, one of the television programs that the PBS aired from 1983 to 1994 in Latin America, United States, Europe and Canada. He possessed innate painting talent and cerebral personality that left many of his followers laughing all through the sessions he ever aired a TV program.

The Legacy Bob Ross Left Behind

Bob Ross’s portraits are part of contemporary culture. Tons of his images have been used in video games, shows, and films. His image has been spoofed in video games such as the Family Guy and films like the YouTube series Epic Rap Battles of History. In October 2012, Google celebrated his 70th birth anniversary using a Google Doodle, which depicted him painting the letter ‘’G’’ with a background landscape. In 2015 during the launching of the Twitch Creative, Twitch held a 9-day marathon about The Joy of Painting series by Bob Ross. Also, an addition to his legacy was the addition of his series Beauty is Everywhere to the Netflix Lineup.

These 30-minute episodes were got from his seasons 22, 21, and 20 of The Joy of Painting Series.  The New York Times conducted research to know more about his paintings and they discovered that they were held by the Kowalskis. Upon this discovery and extreme pressure from Ross’s Fans, the Smithsonian American Art Museum took a few of Ross’s paintings, which they placed on exhibition at the Museum.

How His Legacy and Portraits Impacted Modern Artists?

Bob Ross used the wet-on-wet oil style in most of his paintings.  The style is about adding more paint over wet pain instead of waiting for hours for a layer to dry before you add another one. His painting programs employed the use of simple colors and tools, ensuring viewers didn’t have to invest a lot to paint their favorite portraits. By the use of this technique, which was then not used by many painters, he was able to paint clouds, water, trees, and mountains within seconds.

All of his paints had three versions. He painted the first version before taping, which was used as a reference. The second version was painted after the filming and program, while the third one was painted as a smarter reflection of the second version.

Bob Ross’s painting style and portraits have been emulated by a whole lot of modern painting artists. For instance, Trina Merry, a renowned New York, and internationally celebrated body painter recently did a series of 62 Bob Ross paint-a-long paintings on people. He is certainly one of those hobby watercolorists who taught the art of painting pretty colors and plants. He never charged for his paintings and that explains why most people got to learn the art of using watercolors to create impressive portraits. Some like Trina Merry is widely celebrated for adding uniqueness to the technique Bob Ross used so they can create impressive portraits on humans.

How to Ventilate Your Studio for Airbrush and Aerosol Painting Guide

Serious Health Risks to Artists:

Artists use solvents, isocyanates, pigments and other additives in paint and coatings.  According to the EPA, Isocynates, for example, are the leading cause of occupational asthma in the United States.  Toxic materials can exert their harmful effects immediately (acute effects) or after a long period of exposure (chronic effects). Minor acute effects such as nausea, lightheadedness, or irritation are generally brief and reversible, but acute effects can also be as severe as death.

Artists who have chronic exposure to certain chemicals and art materials are at greater risk for developing health problems, including cancer, leukemia and heart disease.  An independent study by Barry A. Miller and Aaron Blair highlights the increased risk of exposure to carcinogens amongst artists.

Personal Safety

Artist should use personal safety measurements appropriate for their mediums such as respirators, spray booths, eye safety wear, rubber or latex gloves, and coveralls when spray painting.

Proper Ventilation:

Ventilation is one aspect of handling art materials properly that is vital to maintaining a healthy workspace. Unfortunately, studio ventilation is routinely ignored or misunderstood. It is often overlooked by artists who rely upon open doors or windows, an air-conditioning unit or a ceiling fan to circulate the air in their studios. In many cases, this is simply not enough. Without proper ventilation, chemical fumes can rise and pool at the ceiling, even when there is no detectable smell. This lingering cloud of chemicals can not only cause physical injury with chronic exposure, but potentially start a fire in your studio.

• Know your materials. Each medium has its distinct hazard with different safety demands. Research the particular safety protocol, and ventilate properly. Make an inventory of the products in your studio. Keep the details and the contact information for your local Poison Control Center in a binder that is easily accessible in the studio.

• Substitute hazardous materials with less toxic alternatives whenever possible.
  If you can, enclose any harmful substances to create a barrier between yourself and the source. Spray boxes and booths with an outside exhaust system are excellent for glazing or airbrushing.

• Keep dust to a minimum cleaning surfaces religiously and by vacuuming and wet mopping rather than sweeping.

• A healthy adult is more resilient to exposure than children, pregnant women, the elderly and small animals. If you work in a home studio, keep the area off limits to your family members and pets.

OSHA states that paint booths must be designed to filter out flammable contaminants and move air currents toward an exhaust for proper ventilation. There must be some sort of independent exhaust system in place to discharge outside of the building. The ventilation system must be running at all times during and after spraying. Exhausted air should not be recycled back into the spray booth as this can cause contamination.

The EPA has very specific guidelines regarding spray booth ventilation. Filters with at least 98% capture efficiency must be installed on all paint booths, and spray booths used for motor vehicle refinishing “must be fully enclosed and ventilated at negative pressure or up to 0.05 inches water gauge positive pressure for booths that have seals on all doors and other openings and an automatic balancing system.”

Risks of poor paint booth ventilation

There are many hazards associated with a paint booth that is not properly ventilated. Among them include:

1. Toxic fumes - Perhaps the most obvious consequence of a poorly ventilated spray booth is the risk of inhaling toxic fumes. Solvents and other chemicals used in the paint booth contain VOCs (volatile organic compounds) which, over time, can be harmful to your health and the health of your employees. Keeping your paint booth properly ventilated helps keep health and safety in check.

2. Fire - Due to the amount of hazardous materials and equipment used in a paint booth, fire is a very real risk. If paint fumes come in contact with electrical discharge or reactive chemicals, a fire can start in seconds. We do have fire suppression systems available for purchase, and they’re definitely worth the investment. However, it’s also important to take the necessary precautions to prevent fires from occurring in the first place — and that starts with proper ventilation.

3. Poor finish quality - A poor ventilation system will be less likely to capture dust, dirt and other contaminants, resulting in low-quality paint jobs. On top of that, having a poorly ventilated spray booth affects your employees’ ability to do great work. A well-ventilated spray booth will help you achieve higher quality finishes to reduce costs and cycle time and improve customer satisfaction.

Dilution Ventilation

Dilution ventilation (also known as cross-ventilation) introduces large amounts of clean air into the studio where it mixes with used air before being exhausted out. This method alters the balance of fresh air and used air so that contaminants are kept at a safe level. This can be accomplished with two windows on opposite sides of a room, and two industrial window fans. Similar to box fans, but more powerful, these types of industrial fans have sizes based on cubic feet per minute (CFM). Fans range in CFM from 20 to more than 2,500. Choose an industrial fan that produces as large an air volume as your space can handle. The fans can be purchased at big box stores like Home Depot, Lowe’s or Wal-Mart.
n a small studio using this system, the artist’s position is very important. Ideally, the fan pumping in fresh air will be behind the artist, blowing fumes away from the artist’s face and toward the fan exhausting the air outside in order to create a continuous stream of clean air for the artist to breathe in.

The dilution method is adequate in scenarios where there are fumes are of low toxicity, or there are very small amounts of moderately toxic vapors. This includes painting, black and white photo developing, and small amounts of adhesive, ink or shellac. It is not appropriate for controlling dust. Do not employ this method when using aerosol cans or spray paint. In these situations, and in environments where moderately or highly toxic substances are present, you will need to use local ventilation instead.

General exhaust ventilation systems usually consist of an exhaust fan mounted in the ceiling or wall, that pulls air out of the workroom and discharges it outdoors.  Replacement air is brought into the work area by either natural means such s windows and vent.  This is known as “dilution ventilation” because it dilutes vapors by rising them with cleaner room air. This is the preferred method for more airbrush body painters working with water based paints.  This is also recommended for oil and acrylic painters, painters using inks and other similar mediums.  These are not recommended as the sole source of ventilation when hazardous vapors such as alcohol based airbrush paints, acrylic paints, dusty mediums like charcoal or pastels or when aerosol paints are present.

Local Exhaust Ventilation

Local exhaust ventilation is the best method for removing large amounts of particles and vapors, and for controlling moderately toxic and highly toxic fumes. Through a hood placed over or very near to the source of pollution, this system exhausts contaminants and carries them away through ducts. Often the ducts will connect to an air cleaner that filters the air before pumping it outside. For high dust situations, where painting with pastels, grinding, plaster mixing and carving, sculpting, local exhaust ventilation is a necessity. Art processes such as silkscreen printing, acid etching, paint spraying, welding, woodworking operations and photographic development often use local exhaust ventilation to protect artists.

Hood design and use often determine the effectiveness of the system. Some hoods, such as spray booths, completely enclose the source. Others consist of slotted hoods, canopy hoods, or flexible or fixed duct pipe systems that are positioned adjacent to the source. Artists should position their work as close as possible to a slotted hood because the contaminant-capture efficiency drops dramatically with distance. When working within a hood that encloses the source, work as far back into the hood as practical. Regardless of its type, a hood must be strong enough to draw air and pull it away.

A local exhaust ventilation system removes chemicals and other contaminants at their source.  These systems are recommended for controlling hazardous vapours because, if designed properly, they remove the vapors before workers are exposed to them.  They consist of three basic components:

• A hood (exhaust vent or special duct end) installed as close a possible to where work is performed, to capture the vapors;

• Ductwork to transport the vapors from the good to outside the building; and

• A fan located downstream of the hood to draw air away from the work area, through the hood and ductwork, and discharge it from the building.

Here’s an example of industrial grade ones you can purchase: https://www.paint-booths.com/category/woodworking-spray-booths.html

Recommended Use:

The EPA recommends using a combination of general and local ventilation systems simultaneously. 

How Body Paint Can Explore Gender Equality: Interview

Trina Merry, an artist known for her innovative work in contemporary fine art body painting, is taking on gender equality and body image in one of her recent works.

Merry’s urban camouflage series paints over bodies so they merge with the surrounding landscape. 

Recently, Merry merged Meara Rose, a body-positive influencer, into the landscape of The World Trade Center Oculus in New York City.

The Oculus--a bright, light-filled, architectural beauty--serves as a transportation hub located at Ground Zero, where the twin towers fell during 9/11. It invokes hope, redemption, and freedom.

The architect,  Santiago Calatrava, intended the structure to look like, “a bird being released from a child’s hand.”

Merry’s work takes a topless Rose and paints her into the Oculus, the outline of her body just visible. She becomes the Oculus but is still embodied within herself. 

The work was meaningful to Rose.

She thought it was an act of “desexualizing nudity.”

New York City is one of 14 cities in the U.S. that has been, “top tested,” according to Gotopless.org, meaning it’s one of 14 cities that women have been topless in without persecution.

Since 1992, it’s been legal for women to be topless in New York State wherever a man is allowed to be topless.

Rose, who is a plus-sized model, described the work as a form of empowerment. “It's okay to have a body and no matter what it looks like, it's still beautiful,” she said of her experience working with Merry. “We are all art.”

The work not only normalizes Rose’s body, it celebrates it by melding Rose into the Oculus, an already famous piece of art.

Rose touches on Merry’s purpose as outlined in her artist’s statement. 

Merry herself was a model for body painting before she took her own to brush to others. She was struck by lightning while driving in Los Angeles. The effect made being around electricity painful. 

While she healed, musician Amanda Palmer suggested that Merry participates in the opening act for Palmer’s then band (the Dresden Dolls). 

Merry stood on stage, nude, and was body painted. The experience gave her a new perspective on art. “Art had a heart beat. Art could be vulnerable. Art was… happening,” writes Merry in her artist’s statement.

Since then body painting has played a central role in Merry’s work. 

By using a living canvas, Merry feels as though her art is more effective when discussing issues such as race, gender, and body image, according to an article from The Argonaut. Painting nude women, in particular, allows her to reclaim the feminine body from the male gaze.

Rose stated that as soon as she found out about Merry’s art she knew she had to work with her. According to Rose, there still isn’t a huge demand for plus-sized modeling in New York City.

While being painted into the Oculus, she felt free and liberated. “And to be camouflaged and immortalized into this building felt really, really, cool and important because I'm not used to seeing architecture like that in my daily life,” she said.

How to Avoid Coronavirus and Lawsuits on Bodypaint Projects Guide

Why does Hygiene Matter?

Cleaning your makeup brushes is one of those things you always hear you're supposed to do, but not everyone does it. And how many times have you used a tester at a cosmetics store without cleaning it first? Or grabbed a swipe of a friend's mascara? Chances are, you've probably done something similar once or twice.

In a time when we are becoming hyper-aware of cleaning, but also reopening the country, how do you know what is the right way to ensure your safety from coronavirus and avoid infecting your clients?

According to The Mayo Clinic, staph infections are caused by staphylococcus, a super commonly found bacteria. Sometimes, the bacteria causes an infection of the skin, and can be treated easily with antibiotics most of the time. It is possible, however, for a staph infection to escalate and become deadly if it's left untreated or if it spreads to the lungs, bloodstream, joints, bones, or heart. So yeah, they can get pretty serious.

In a lengthy caption that she called "a letter to makeup artists and those getting their makeup done," Page explained that she observed some not-so-hygienic practices from the makeup artists while she was getting her makeup done. "I do feel my safety concerns were dismissed as if it was part of my job to put up with these unhealthy conditions," she continued. After a visit to the doctor who diagnosed her infection, Page said she wanted to share her story in order to bring more awareness to the issue of makeup hygiene and warn others about what can happen when products are shared. (And apparently, this isn't the first time this has happened to her, either.) "If you are getting your makeup done or using any testers, check everything has been cleaned to your standard even if someone scoffs at your concerns."

“ “I do feel my safety concerns were dismissed as if it was part of my job to put up with these unhealthy conditions,””

— Page

Julie Russak, M.D., FAAD, Board Certified Dermatologist and founder of Russak Dermatology Clinic and Russak+ Aesthetic Center in NYC, explains why it's so important to wash makeup brushes regularly: "Dirty makeup brushes are one of the main causes of acne concerns for women. When applying makeup, you are using the same brush every day that has left over foundation, powder etc. on top of what you are applying. This can clog up pores! If you don't wash your makeup brushes enough, you spread dirt and bacteria from your face, to your makeup, then back to your face. Bacteria and dirt builds up, leaving you with stiff bristles that can really aggravate your skin. This can cause infections on the face."

Generally, experts recommend cleaning your personal makeup brushes once or twice per week using a gentle cleanser of your choice, depending on the type of brush. Not only will this help you avoid infections, but it will also decrease your chances of breaking out and prolong the life of your brushes.

Most dermatologists will tell you to soak your tools, especially foundation and concealer brushes, once a week — at minimum — to prevent product buildup. Because these brushes are used on your face, the cleaner, the better, says Bobbi Brown. "Brushes that are used around the eyes should be cleaned at least twice a month," she says. "All others can be washed once a month."

Our System to Keep You Healthy

Starting last year, we adopted a new standard for the highest hygienic practices in the body painting industry making us different from 99% of the bodypainters. Each of our team models receives a personal bodypaint kits and follows an inexpensive 3 step process to remove bacteria, viruses- including dangerous ones such as Coronavirus, STDs and Influenza- and stubborn fungi - Sanitation, Disinfection, and Sterilization.  This practice should be followed on any product used on your body including makeup, makeup brushes, nail kits, and more.

Sanitation:
Sanitation is the process of making something clean, to make it healthy. When we sanitize we
are killing the one-celled vegetable micro-organism we call bacteria. There are hundreds of
different types of bacteria, they are divided into two groups: Pathogenic (harmful) bacteria and
Non-pathogenic (beneficial or harmless) bacteria. We sanitize things most commonly by
washing them. But keep in mind that sanitation will not destroy some spores and viruses.
To make our hands sanitary we need to wash them for 20 seconds with soap (preferably
antibacterial) and water as hot as can be comfortably tolerated. How long is 20 seconds?
Remember the ABC song from your childhood? Sing it while you wash, it lasts 20 seconds.

How to Sanitize Your Brushes:
Rinse brushes until they have the majority of the paint off of them. Apply some dishwashing
soap to the palm of your hand, briefly run your brush under the tap and then swirl your brush in
the palm of your hand. This will gently clean the bristles through the entire brush. rinse under
luke-warm water. Do this until all paint has been removed from the brush and the water runs
clean. Lay brushes on a towel to dry. Some body painters swear by washing brushes 3 times to
fully sanitize and fine artists wash their brushes until the water runs clean- it’s up to you.  Obviously you should set aside a day to wash them when you know you're not going to be using them. Less obvious, however, is how you should set your brushes up to dry properly. You never want to stand your brushes upright when they're wet; the water will potentially damage the handle and dissolve the glue, leading to brush shedding. Instead, either lay them flat or — better yet — hanging upside down to help the bristles keep their shape and to keep the water from dripping down the handle. You can place them on a paper towel or clean washcloth to dry, or better yet, hang them from a drying rack for brushes such as this one or this one.

Disinfection:

To disinfect something is to render it free from pathogenic organisms or to make them inert.
That is, to kill the germs and bacteria or to render them harmless.
In the salon this is most commonly done by immersion in a liquid solution. Some of these
solutions include: Alcohol, Quats, or a Phenol compound. To be effective these solutions must
be prepared according to instructions and the items to be disinfected should remain in the
solution at least 10 minutes. Most disinfection solutions are weakened or rendered inactive by
contamination by organic material such as skin or nail dust, they should be replaced daily or
according to the manufacturer's directions.

How to Disinfect Your Brushes:
Pour a little 70% rubbing alcohol into a small jar or cup. Place brush tips into the container and
leave for 10 minutes. Wipe off any remaining alcohol and lay flat to dry.

How to Disinfect Your Makeup and Bodypaint:
Wipe down your paint pods with a baby wipe. Pour alcohol into a small spray bottle. Spritz
alcohol directly onto bodypaint & coat completely. Soak a cotton swab in alcohol and wipe
down your containers. Make sure you also do this for your plastic pouches.

Sterilization:
Sterilization is to completely eliminate microbial viability . This process kills all non-pathogenic
and pathogenic spores, fungi, and viruses. This is what we strive for in our practices.

In the salon, sterilization is not really necessary, this process is only required on instruments
entering the body cavity or coming into contact with body fluids (for example if you have a cut or
are painted nude). This procedure is normally used in the medical and dental field. Some
salons, however, do use heat to sterilize metal instruments. In the state of Texas and Iowa,
salons are required to use a dry heat sterilizer (as opposed to a UV sanitizer oven).

If you want to go an extra step, you could purchase a dry heat sterilizer oven. However, there are really two primary methods for sterilizing brushes which work-
10% bleach (+90% water) or boiling water. While we have used a 10% bleach process in the
past, it doesn’t combine well with alcohol (it smells really toxic) and it irritates skin. Since we
paint around especially sensitive areas like the eyes, it's not recommended for our purposes and we recommend boiling brushes instead.

How to Sterilize Your Brushes:
Boil some water. Dip the hair of your brushes for a few seconds into the water and then lay flat
to dry. Do not submerge it over the ferrule- the metal part which contains glue and holds the
bristles in place, and never put the whole handle because it makes them twist into really funny
shapes. The same goes for a dishwasher- it unfortunately does not work well with wooden
objects like brush handles. There is no way to sterilize bodypaint which is why you have
individual bodypaint kits.

Special Note: Do Makeup, Face Paint and Body Paint Artist’s Need to Wear Gloves?:
It is not necessary to wear gloves when applying makeup or bodypaint unless coming into contact with open wounds, body fluids, etc as there is a long brush handle. It is the models and client’s responsibility to communicate any potential germs that could be passed to the artist & to reschedule a session (anything from a common cold to a herpes outbreak).

Conclusion:
There are very few things in life that are 100% free of germs and we acknowledge this applies
to performance art and bodypainting. However, with this 3 step process we are ensuring the
highest safety compliances that are FDA approved.

*****

Addressing Some (Change) Concerns from Other Bodypainters:

The first one usually goes something like:

“I dont’ want to spend money on product.”

“I’m a poor artist!”

“Or ______ brand sponsors me and I don’t want to ask them for too much product!”

1) When I started bodypainting there was hardly any product to buy.  We are super blessed that there are now so many body paint companies offering amazing products.  We are thrilled to support these brands and help keep them in business.  Make sure to add a materials or kit fee to your commissions.  It’s a logical itemized expense and businesses will be thrilled to pay to maintain a safe environment for all (not to mention, their legal team will appreciate it!).

2) Hire the same models over and over and get them a bodypaint kit like I do.  The more you work with them, the more experienced and professional they become, which leads to improved quality in your work.  Also if you pay them consistently to work for you, they are creatively fulfilled as performers and able to live their dream too.  Suddenly- BAM!- there’s a fully thriving bodypaint industry.  Many bodypainters have been too greedy and either not paying models at all or paying models what they’re worth.  And to add insult to injury, they’re passing seriously dangerous bacteria, viruses and fungi to them.  Eeek!  I know you don’t want to harm others, especially people who are trusting you with their bodies.

3) Here are some practical ways to save money on bodypaint and observe safe practices for your clients, especially for private clients: purchase only what you need and try the paint brands that are around $5-6/color like TAG, purchase & customize kits in smaller containers (ie wolfe fx and cameleon), break pods down and put them on palettes like makeup artists do (Kryolan is great for this), or if you’re painting several people trying using liquid paint and pouring them into cups (or make your own in a blender- I’ll post this in an upcoming blog).  Royal & Langnickel sells some of the best inexpensive brushes out there and don't forget to try the sales at your local brick & mortar art store. 

The Second one usually is: “Well no one has sued me for passing them an STD”.  

To which I reply “...yet.  The science is sound & now you know better.  How you choose to ethically behave with this knowledge is up to you.”

****

Every industry has a best practices compliance policy.  Bodypainting is still a new and small niche industry.  My team will be moving forward with the best hygiene practices possible that 99% of the bodypaint industry has yet to adopt and comply with.  We have the best interest of our models, our bodypainters, our private clients and our commercial clients (who don’t want to be sued) and before they even know to ask, we are ensuring their safety.  It's simple, inexpensive, and it helps to create a thriving body paint economy.

Three Art Activations For Alice & Olivia Review

As a body painter, I have the unique honor and privilege of being a part of shows that resonate with me. Back in 2017, I did three art activations for Alice & Olivia, a New York-based contemporary fashion company, one in Tokyo, and two in New York. One of the activations was at the NY Fashion Week, and the other was a live painting done at the Bloomingdale's on 59th Street. Even though it has been three years, I still remember the excellent feeling of working with Stacey Bendet and being a part of multiple displays that were empowering to women all over the world.

New York Fashion Week

During the New York Fashion Week of 2017, Stacey Bendet revealed her fall collection. The story behind the reveal was an incredible one. For her birthday, someone had given her The Enchantress Of Florence by Salman Rushdie (who, incidentally, was present). She loved the story of being able to command your destiny and chart a course as you see fit in life. That became the theme of her fashion show.

To create a magnificent piece of art around this theme, Stacey wanted a mural from which the enchantress would spring to life. Body painting is a fantastic medium for this type of art - where you want to blur the lines between what's real and what's not, and how we exist with our surroundings. It's also a wonderfully empowering art, showing how we live and become part of our environment but also remain distinct from it. Much like the enchantress, through body painting, we recognize and shape our surroundings to create the art we want!

The result was a magnificent art activation that highlighted the powerful statements that Alice & Olivia were making, which resonated with me!

Bloomingdale's

One of the best aspects of body painting as an art is that it can turn heads, as well as evoke feelings of curiosity and wonder. I had the privilege of being able to do a live activation for Alice & Olivia's new availability in Bloomingdale's. During this installation, I painted a model live in the window of the store. After the painting, the effect was a surreal juxtaposition of beautiful fashion and the human body blending in with those surroundings. It was a fantastic, empowering display that helped showcase Alice & Olivia's latest offerings.

Tokyo: Fifth Anniversary Activation

To celebrate Alice & Olivia's fifth anniversary in Tokyo, I did a unique live painting at the store there. As a camouflage painting against an abstract backdrop painting of Tokyo and Alice & Olivia's place within the city, this art activation required quite a bit of detail to get it to look right. The result, however, was a fantastic piece of art that evoked curiosity and publicity for the brand.

A Continuing Partnership

I have been very proud of the partnership that I have had with Alice & Olivia. We're both lovers of Pop Art, which makes for a special bond. More than that, though, we're both equally passionate about women empowering other women. When this happens, phenomenal fashion and equally fantastic art ensue!

Meet the Team : Bodypaint Assistant Erica Etcetera Interview

Help Wanted:

Painter needed – and not to help paint walls! New York artist is looking for painting assistant to join her team. The ideal candidate should be comfortable with the human body and have experience painting live models. Candidates will have the ability to remain steady under pressure and be accepting of nude bodies, thongs and pasties. You will be painting directly on human bodies. No need to apply if you are awkward around other people’s nipples.

Chances are if I ran that ad, I may not get any responses, but if I did, the one reply would probably come from Erica Etcetera.

Erica joined our team as a body paint assistant two years ago. While she is a talented makeup artist and body painter, she also has a bit of a wild streak. Erica is unafraid. She tackles all types of projects without fear and is always up for a challenge.

One of her favorite projects include the Harper's Bazaar shoot we did in October 2018 that featured not just models, but all women, including photographers, editors and makeup artists. Another choice assignment was painting female models to look like statues placed in Central Park.

Erica just rolls with the punches and never acts surprised by anything we ask her to do. We traveled for a project in Los Angeles last year and I think she was one of the first ones packed and ready to go. She’s a world traveler, having grown up in Virginia and London.

It’s easy to tell that Erica been an artist her entire life. She has a great sense of color and an enormous amount of creativity. She never ceases to amaze even if she didn’t really set out to be a body painter.

Erica said she was always attracted to fine art, drawing and painting mostly. But ever since her 12th birthday, her attention turned to makeup. It wasn’t until after she earned her BFA in Painting & Drawing and Art History from James Madison University that people started asking her why she wasn’t a makeup artist. After hearing that for the millionth time, she decided to merge her world of paint and body paint.

I met Erica at her makeup graduation from MAKE UP FOR EVER Academy in SoHo, NYC. Her final was a head-to-toe body painting and I was so impressed with her work and the manner in which she went about it that I went right up to her after and the graduation and said, “Hey, I think you'd be a really great addition to my team!”

Erica is a wonderful addition to our team. I love her outlook on life. In a YouTube video we recently made, she said that one of her favorite things about humans is how contradictory we are.

“So, I really love body painting because it is both amazing because it's both so public and intimate at the same time,” she said.

That unique perspective is why we are thrilled to have Erica on our team!

Empowering Women in the Age of Donald Trump: Video

Meet Trina Merry, with over 12 thousand Instagram followers, the New York based artist is highlighting the problems within femininity and gender equality at a time when President Trump has made so many Americans feel invisible. Trina’s latest series in New York aims to face these issues head on, using bodypainting to create a simple yet powerful statement that contrasts landscapes of power with human reality.

Right outside Trump Tower itself, Trina’s boldest project in the series featured two nude, female models as she once again created new images in the framework of something much greater, this time exploring femininity within the context of Trump Tower and everything it stands for.

Captivating and discreetly bold, Trina’s artwork blends in to stand out.

Camouflaging her two models using Trump Tower as their backdrop, Trina’s Fifth Avenue piece was a reaction to the meeting between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. What started as artwork showcasing gender equality through the top free act and questions surrounding women’s rights, transformed into something much greater and posed the question to Trump - Are Americans invisible to you?

Each of Trina’s female models stood nude and proud as she covered the front of their bodies in red paint - a deliberate nod to Trump’s Republican stance. Their chests read the hashtag #AreWeInvisible, highlighting so many unanswered questions about women, Americans as a whole and democracy. On their backs, Trina replicated the physical view of Trump Tower, as her models gradually became camouflaged within the setting and their bodies became part of the structure. In light of Trump’s troublesome past with the female body, Trina’s body painting showed two striking messages - the invisibility of felt by many and the demand for answers.

“A lot of people came up and took pictures of what we were doing and really wanted to engage with us on social media”

One thing’s for sure, Trina’s message and her models were not invisible that afternoon. Her amazing artwork caught the attention of passersby and sparked conversations about her intervention. This reaction continued on social media where people discussed their opinions about Trump and Putin.

Trina believes that while she has the ability to express herself, it’s important to not stand down and take action over what’s currently happening in America. The unconventional medium of her artwork places emphasis on the problematic and often overlooked issues surrounding not just gender, but power, control and the right to have a voice in America. In her series, women are opposing landmarks of power around New York City, juxtaposing the hard lines of the architecture and what these buildings represent, with the soft curves of the female body and the interesting dialogue these buildings create for us.

You can keep up to date with Trina’s latest projects by following her on Instagram @trinamerryart where you can get involved in the conversation and see more of her masterful bodypainting around the world.

What's the Best Kind of Bodypaint for Sensitive Skin? (Q&A video)

If you’ve ever been curious about the art of bodypainting and what goes into it, this interview with Trina Merry, an accomplished New York City artist, will answer some of your questions. 

What is technically the most challenging aspect of bodypainting?

I mean when I'm doing my camouflage body paintings outside.  Definitely time is the hardest aspect of what I have to deal with as well as things like changing light, environmental factors like weather or other people. Technically the hardest aspect about body painting is that you're painting on a person and that person can be fidgety, they can be ticklish, they can need to use the bathroom, they can sweat, they could have not eaten or drank too much alcohol the night before and you have to sort of babysit them. When you just want to paint. So I think working in community is.. can be challenging sometimes but it's so richly rewarding and I love that every piece of artwork that we make has a heartbeat and a twinkle in the eye. So I think that the technical difficulties that we sometimes have to encounter in a human being is 100% worth it.

How long does it take you to bodypaint?

It takes me anywhere between one and three hours to do the camouflage style body painting. So really fast at those and then human sculptures can take anywhere from two hours to 18 hours. The longest body painting I'd ever did was the yellow human sport bike and that took me about 18 hours to accomplish. So it really varies wildly.

What’s the best kind of bodypaint for sensitive skin?

So for sensitive skin I definitely recommend the hypoallergenic water-based body paint and then I recommend testing for any allergies. So you could just take the inside of your wrist have your painter do some different paint tests on you and within 15 minutes usually you'll know.  I definitely recommend that you stay away from any metallic paints like any metallic powders or anything like that because I find that people even with regular skin are breaking out in rashes with it. So stick to hypoallergenic water-based body paints and you should be okay but again do a test just to make sure. Well that's all the questions we got this week. Do you have a question about body paint that you would like answered?  Leave it below in the comments and maybe I'll choose your question next week. Thank you so much for your curiosity and if there's a way that I can help you please let me know.