Today, body art such as tattoos or body paint are as much a part of self expression as the clothes that a person wears, the music they listen to or the books that they read. At music festivals parades and carnivals in particular, there are many different artists who use body and face paint to express themselves and stand out even more during all kinds of celebrations.
Tips For Applying Body Paint
Practice before the actual day – if you have never done anything with body paint before you may go wrong, therefore try and practice a few painting techniques so that if anything does go wrong you can learn from your mistakes and get it right for the real special occasion.
Make sure that you have set aside enough time to apply the body paint as well, this is another advantage of having a little practice beforehand. When you start to apply it, take note of the time it takes to apply all coats and extra details as well as get changed so that you can get there on time.
Avoid moisturizers and lotions before you apply the body paint – it will cause the paint to clump and may also make it easier to rub off.
If you are shaving or waxing before applying the paint, try to do this 3 days before you apply it so that the freshly smooth skin doesn’t react with the paint and cause an itchy rash.
Apply the base coat and leave time for each layer of paint to dry. A light base coat with darker details are easier to do and this keeps mixing the colors by accident to a minimum.
Music Festivals
Whether you are into heavy metal, drum and bass, pop or indie rock, body art using paints is a great way to help yourself get more into the party atmosphere of a festival. All you need is a good selection of colors such as WOLFE face paint and a few different sized brushes and sponges.
Also make sure you have a bottle of water (that you’re not going to drink!) and a bowl so that you can wash brushes off afterwards too. Dance and trance music festivals are particularly popular with those that like to rave – so any kinds of paints that glow in the dark or have a florescent tint to them will be a popular choice with your friends. Try doing a series of dots in an “S” shape across the brow line, down the bridge of the nose and under the lashes of the other eye which is a simple yet effective design.
Carnivals
Carnivals take place all over the world and whether you are celebrating at one of the world famous Brazilian carnivals, the Notting Hill carnival in London, or simply celebrating at a carnival in your local area you can use body paint to stand out.
You will find that most people taking part in the parades at these carnivals have wild and brightly colored costumes and body paint to match. If you have to stick to a theme such as the seasons, get creative with whichever season you’ve been given – oranges and yellows for the summer sun, autumnal colors for fall, cool blues and whites for winter and pastel greens for spring!
Animal prints are a popular choice but remember that leopard, zebra, tiger and any other print can take a long time to paint on. You may want to wear a costume that does most of the work but then use the paint to decorate your face, arms and legs. After you have painted you can also add a little hairspray over it to keep it on for longer and prevent smudging. Always give the paint time to dry before you use a second color as well so that you don’t accidentally mix the colors together. artist stays on a constant lookout for ways to improve, even in the smallest details!
Always keep an eye open for new tools to try, but don’t worry about delving into the specialty and luxury areas until you know exactly what you need. Take the time to try the brushes of other face paint artists whenever you can. You’ll have a list of favorites before you know it!
Crystal is a painter and designer. Her work of art is highly appreciated on her personal blog. She also freelances for many publishers.
