A word from the OMS World Championship medalist: how to create high-quality body art for the competition

Yulia Benzak , master of body art, professional makeup artist, image stylist, teacher at Lviv fashion school

What inspired you to create the body art for the ABC World Championships ?

I have been doing body art for several years now; a significant number of competitions in this category are behind me. At the World Championships there were no restrictions on the topic of work, so the flight of imagination was endless. I was inspired by the work of the fashion house Schiaparelli - I love surreal style and reproduce its motifs on the model’s body.

Share your own secrets and life hacks that help you get the job done efficiently and beautifully.

The main components are an idea, a sketch, and the technical side. We use special products for body painting. It also doesn’t hurt to have artistic abilities to make a high-quality drawing and complete all the transitions and shadings. But the most important idea, in my opinion!

What would you highlight as the main taboos - what should not be done in body art, but this is what beginners may be guilty of?

The quality and value of body art is in the handcrafted details. Most want to make this task easier for themselves and use stencils prohibited by the championship rules.

How to choose a model for the competition? After all, this is very important in body art.

I owe a lot to my model. Her work is not just hours of training on the eve of the championship. On the day of the competition, for about four hours, it is advisable for the model to barely move while the master works. Then a demonstration of the work on yourself, a photo shoot...

What advice would you give to artists who are just starting to master the art of body art?

Be inspired by beauty, draw, make sketches, first in an album, and then on a model. Test your skills and talents in competitions. First, you should start with the local ones, then, step by step, to the highest – global scale.