What exactly is body painting?

Body painting is an art form, a passion, an entertainment and a feast for the eyes. This practice consists of transforming human skin into a canvas in order to create a real walking work of art. But don't worry! The paintings are not permanent!

Body painting: an ancestral art

Body art or body painting is the act of painting the artwork of your choice using the body as a support. This practice is not done just any old way; certain techniques must be mastered to obtain an optimal result. It is also crucial to use the appropriate accessories so that the paints can hold on the body. The body painting make-up results from an alchemy of complicity between the painter and his/her  models. The latters represent an emotion, a character or a precise idea depending on the message to be transmitted. The idea is that the person used as a canvas can give life to the art produced. It is a form of artistic expression currently used in various fields (advertising, sports, etc.). It has been around for a long time, with most of its features being derived from ancient techniques.

The paints used for body painting

Each artist has his or her own way of doing body painting. You can obviously use water-based paint to create your artwork. This tool is easy to use, but it is also less resistant. Although it is acrylic, this paint dries out the skin very quickly. Latex is also very popular. It allows you to make different figures that are a bit complicated. However, latex is messier than the previous model and can also cause allergies in sensitive people. Alcohol-based inks are much more practical. However, make sure you can handle it properly before you start! Loose and compact powder is distinguished by the comfort it brings to the body. This paint is comfortable to wear and helps impress everyone with its natural effect. Although it takes time to apply, the results are clear for all to see! 

Techniques used for perfect body painting

Body painting is a way to express your creativity. You can use your fingers or a sponge for the basic application of the paints and a fine brush will do for the details. Once you have applied the background colours, you can fill in the areas that allow you to detail the image. Modern techniques can help, if you can get suitable tools. An innovative marker, for example, makes it easy to make small drawings with its tiny tip. The result is similar to that of a real tattoo. You can draw your sketches first on life-size paper in order to have an overview of the shapes to be reproduced on the skin.