Body Painting Examples

Recommended World Naked Bike Ride Chicago body painting. Examples from past year WNBR Chicago body painting, and a few other related examples, showing recommended art, combining simplicity and coverage. The essential elements are coverage and simplicity. Specifically cover nipples, and think broad, organic, elegant, and fast. Bikes and icons are great, but leaves and vines and big flowers are more reality tolerant. 2010 theme: Decorations relating to ecocide, and on oil murdered sea and bird life are encouraged, or even just black ribbons. See examples: http://bedno.com/album/wnbr

Body Painting Basics

Introductory face painting tips for the experienced artist. Andrew Bedno - 2008.09.24

These hints presume you can already paint with acrylics and render most any form on demand, such as flowers, planets, buildings...

1. Be hygienic! Use hand sanitizer liberally and frequently. Refuse people having unhappy skin, sores, scabs, acne. Sanitize brushes between subjects to prevent cross-contamination.
2. Get good paints. For example a Snazaroo wheel kit, 14 colors on a palette. Or Wolfe Brothers or Mehron assortments. Good costume shops such as Fantasy HQ sell them. Any expense will pay for itself many-fold later.
3. Get some good theatrical sparkles, finest grain. Kids demand them. Alternately use roll on glitter.
4. Good brushes matter. I use synthetics, pointed, in the 1-6 range.
5. Always stock wet wipes and hand-sanitizer.
6. Get one or more books with the basic forms: cat, bunny, dog, butterfly, clown, spiderman, etc. Some books do everything full-face, like with a white base coat, I've never bothered.
7. Oddest learning thing for me was using dry paints. I use a tiny mister for wetting just before use.
8. Paint layers from light to dark to minimize bleed through.
9. Use outlines, shadows and highlights.
10. Avoid mouth and eyes. Especially with kids use arms and cheeks.
11. Use red sparingly, as it is the color most likely to stain skin and clothes.
12. Add to your tools eventually: colored liners, sponges, makeup, ...
13. Think not just entertainment, but costuming and theatre. It's the same job really.
14. Balance complexity and waiting time. Have sets you can do in under two minutes. Details the artist sees at a few inches disappear at a few feet anyway.
15. Practice on some friends AND take portfolio shots. Halloween's a perfect opportunity.

As an example, here's my (outdated) online face painting flyer: http://bedno.com/drizzle/Andrew_Bedno-Face_Painting.pdf

There’s some detailed pictures of paints I’ve tried here: http://bedno.com/photo.php?c=20080418&i=20

Also see notes for WNBR-C painting team.

Body Painting Supplies and Procedures hints.

Review WNBR hints page online.

Chicago after years of experience and pro discussions compromised down to simply Palmers brand. Palmers is bottom of the line but an IMPORTANT grade up from simply using any non-toxic acrylic. Palmer's is designed for skin, handles well enough, and is available in large bottles inexpensively. As with most brands, the red may stain, and there is a very low but potential risk of allergic reaction.

Chicago also compromised down to mostly foam brushes, from 0.5" to 3". These work well enough for broad and high volume and DIY. Altering angle with these can give any stroke width. Plus a selection of inexpensive conventional synthetic fine paintbrushes (#2-6).

To create a a painting area set out paints and brushes. Sometimes cheap tarps where necessary, but for best results paint where everything including tables chairs and ground may get splashed. Add stacks of paper cups, some plates, rolls of paper towel, and some water bottles.

To handle high volume, assign leaders, and define specific recommended artwork (as opposed to anything anyone wants). Hold back refill quantitites of all supplies, rather than setting everything out at first.

Seek out actual working face/body paint artists, such as clowns. Especially seek out air-brush body painter artists (sometimes overlaps with tattoo). Working body painters will often bring their own professional grade paints and favorite brushes. And may hope for some compensation. Such professional artists may volunteer for the cause or for kicks, and can be encouraged to hand out cards as enticement, or may reasonably solicit tips.

Face Paint Ordering Links

Palmer standard colors, 2oz, $1.85
Logical buying criteria:
Containers per painter = Number of hours * number of paintings per hour / paintings per container
( 3 * less than 20 ) / more than 20 = less than 3 = 1-3 bottles per painter
Therefore one bottle of each color for each painter will well more than suffice.
Red
Blue
Turquise
Green
Purple
Pink
Magenta
Orange
Yellow
Brown
Black
White

Dozen Color Set