Body art: main techniques, tools and products

Alena Semenets , artist, makeup artist, international trainer-instructor Kodi Professional

How and where can you learn body art?

Body art is a very narrow area of art, so finding a school or courses that teach it is not so easy. It is important to find your master - the one whose work is close to you, who touches the strings of your soul - and undergo training with him.

What are the fundamental differences between a pattern on the human body and a pattern on a stationary surface?

In order to draw on a living person, you need basic knowledge of anatomy. Then the drawing will emphasize the lines of the body, as if being a continuation of it. The master must know the rules of drawing composition and color harmonies, because color has a huge impact on mood and perception.

It is also important to consider that the model will be moving and perhaps even very active. After all, if this is a championship, any other competition or just an advertising campaign, the model must present an image. And for this purpose, dancing and even entire gymnastic numbers and pole performances can be used! So the drawing must be constructed in such a way that it is not erased during this period of time.

Are there certain body art techniques that every artist needs to master?

Every body art master must master the sponge-sponge technique: when the drawing is made exclusively with a brush, and the stencil elements are made with a sponge. Another popular technique is working with an airbrush. With its help you can create very smooth shading and fine lines. It is especially interesting to combine these techniques!

What products are needed to create bodypainting?

You can often read that novice artists use ordinary gouache to paint the body. This is absolutely unacceptable. First of all, we must think about the health and safety of the models, so we use face painting, which is designed specifically for these purposes. A high-quality product will not only preserve the health of the model, but will also make your work high quality - it will last for a long time without damage. You also need good brushes, an airbrush, a compressor and stencils for the job.

How financially expensive is the field of body art? For example, compared to makeup.

Compared to makeup, body art is , of course, more expensive. Still, the drawing is placed on the entire body, and not just on the face. Accordingly, the material consumption is greater. But it’s always better to get face painting that’s more expensive, but of better quality. In this case, during the work process you will be able to avoid many negative aspects and speed up the process of drawing.

What should be the ideal model for body art?

An ideal model for body art should be able to endure all the difficulties and hardships of this area. After all, it is very difficult to first stand for a long time while the artist draws, and then imagine the image for just as long. Quite often, models feel cold because they are only dressed in a pattern. Sometimes girls and guys wear quite heavy props. So endurance, good physical fitness and an easy-going character are simply necessary!

Is there room for improvisation in body art?

Mostly, masters work from sketches and often run through the image several times before a performance. But in art there is always a place for improvisation. Sometimes at the last moment the realization comes that this is where a different color is needed or that it is better to draw the line a little further. But, of course, all masters work differently.

What difficulties should a beginning master be prepared for?

For a novice artist, it can be difficult to transfer such a seemingly ideal drawing from a sketch to the body: it is important to take into account all the nuances of the human structure. It is also difficult to find your own model that will work in tandem with you. Many difficulties arise at first with the technique, because the airbrush is a delicate instrument. You need to grow together with it, you need to feel it as an extension of your hand.

How do makeup, body art and plastic makeup complement each other?

If you combine body art, makeup and prosthetic makeup in one image, the image turns out to be very multi-layered, deep, truly fantastic. Such works are created for advertising, films, and body art championships. In this case, both the cost of material and preparation time increase many times over. But the final result looks amazing!

I believe you should never stop in your profession, you need to try new techniques and materials. After all, it is a great happiness to create a miracle!