Christmas Face Painting Tips and Animal Painting Techniques

As Christmas is approaching faster than Santa can harness the reindeer to his sledge, many of you will be already creating and practising your very own fabulous Christmas face painting creation. There will be those among you that would love to follow suit, but have yet to apply their first brushstroke.

FIRST STEPS: Take things easy at first with simple to do designs. Cheek art is a perfect starting point with basic little patterns featuring holly, berries, snowflakes, stars, Christmas crackers, Christmas trees with a little bauble at the end of the branches, and even little faces. Remember that the theme is Christmas so red, white, green, silver and gold are essential colours. Painting animal markings on the cheeks, eyes and forehead can also look very effective, and because animal markings like tigers aren't straight you will get away with so much whilst perfecting your creation.

TIGER MARKINGS: Use a round brush with a pointed end and black paint. Tiger stripes are best done in groups of three. Always think big to small. Lay your brush down flat (for a thicker start) and while doing your stroke give it a very light wiggle and taper it off at the end. Each stroke is going to have a curved effect to it. Do a group of three one under the other. This effect would be ideal for cheeks with the markings starting on the outside working in towards the eyes. Doing a similar stroke on the forehead, a group of three on either side and tapering downwards towards the eyes would give a great look for an animal face painting.

PAINTING WHISKERS: If you're face painting any animal fancy dress enthusiasts this Christmas try using a small fine pointed brush, working outwards across the cheeks for a whisker effect. For any fine lines you may be painting, you will find that liquid paints will work the best.

FUR EFFECT: When trying to create a fur effect, use a medium-sized brush, working from the centre outwards. That way the edges taper off. Have a go on paper or a face painting practice pad first until you get to grips with the motion needed for your required effect.

ADVANTAGE OF SPONGES: These will play an important part in your face painting kit, being perfect for applying base coats, large areas of paint on the face and body, and great for blending colours. TIP make them go further by cutting them in half

COLOURS: Don't make the mistake that many learners make and rush out to buy every colour under the rainbow. All you need are your primary colours which are blue, yellow, red and black and white. From these you can mix any colour and shade you want, and it will keep costs down.

GLITTER AND STICK-ON JEWELS: Depending what design you are doing, stick-on jewels, diamante and glitter can be used to stunning effect. However, as with face paint, you need to remember to use only glitter and stick-on jewels that are safe to put on a person's skin (eg body glitter). NEVER use aluminum glitter - polyester only. Aluminum glitter can really hurt the eyes and skin.

FAMILY AFFAIR: Use your family and friends to practise on, trying out different ideas. If you begin practising now, you'll be confident enough by Christmas to paint a whole face and there are some quite spectacular and highly popular choices to have a go at. The Ice Queen and animals will always be favourites along with the traditional Santa and Rudolph.

Using Liquid Latex As Body Paint

The main advantages of using liquid latex over other kinds of body paint are duration and durability. Other body paints tend to rub off and smudge against fabric, often leaving dirty and possibly even stained clothing. Once liquid latex has dried on the skin it does not present these issues. Clothing will remain unblemished by the latex for as long as it is worn. Whilst perspiration and body heat may encourage the latex to separate from the skin slightly, the latex will not smudge or run but remain intact until the wearer removes it by simply tearing or peeling it away from the skin. Again, this does not leave a residue on the skin like many other body paints. Depending on your activities and the thickness of the applications, latex should last many hours before it begins to separate from the skin. If latex is painted entirely around body or body parts it will continue to cling to the body and can still be worn for an unlimited time. Generally, it can be worn out for an entire day or night, can be worn in water, and will last many hours through photo shoots, performances and many other activities.

There are however some minor disadvantages, nothing that should discourage the use of latex, more the need for a little common sense and preparation. Before applying latex to the body it is necessary to patch-test a small area of the skin to check for any allergic reactions. It is quite rare, most people are not allergic to latex, but a small percentage of users have reported skin irritation after coming into contact with this kind of body paint.

On occasions where liquid latex has been applied to the skin over hair it can be both difficult and painful to remove. Wet latex will bond permanently to hair as it does to fabric. The only way to remove latex with hair stuck to it is to pull it off, which of course also rips the hair off the skin. Anyone who has experienced body waxing will be familiar with the level of discomfort. The best preparation when applying liquid latex is to first remove hair from areas of the body to be painted. However, it is not always necessary as liquid latex can be removed from moderate amounts of body hair with little effort and minimum discomfort. Body hair may also be trimmed very short instead of shaving.

When buying liquid latex it is important to read the label and avoid any brand that does not specify 'for cosmetic use' or 'suitable for use as body paint'. Liquid latex is used in many other industries and you need to make sure you buy latex that does not contain toxic chemicals. Purchasing from a reputable body paint supplier is the safest way to ensure you're getting non-toxic latex suitable for skin application.

For the reasons stated above, children should be supervised by a responsible adult at all times when using this type of body paint.

10 Ways to Make Money With Body Painting

Are you considering making a living (or at least a little money on the side) doing body painting? Is it even possible to make a living doing body painting? Yes, you can make good money as a 'pro' body painter, and even kids as young as twelve have made good money (like $500-$400 in an afternoon) doing simple painting techniques like airbrushed temporary tattoos at fairs and festivals.

It may be difficult to believe that there are so many different ways to make money doing body painting. I know that when I first discovered the art of body painting, I thought maybe you could make some temporary money at a party or fair. But there are many, many more possibilities, as you will see.

Here are just 10 of the ways you could get paid to do body painting:

1. Doing body painting at parties. You could hire yourself for a night or a day and get paid either by the hour or a flat fee for the event.
2. Painting party-goers before they go to a party or event. Themed or holiday parties would be a good opportunity for this. Make sure you mention that you could body paint their friends, too!
3. As a professional body painter for the theatre. You could do one show for a discount to get in the door and get some recognition, if you don't have a track record yet.
4. Travel with the circus as their 'in house' makeup artist.
5. Become the official body painter for a dance company. Again, you could work for a low fee or even free to get in the door.
6. Face painting alone opens up several opportunities: parties, festivals, fairs, and special events all are possible places for you to set up shop. Just make sure (as with all these options) that you are using proper, non-allergenic paints meant for face painting alone.
7. Special events like graduations, celebrations, fundraisers, and reunions.
8. Sports events: painting fans in their team colors and symbols has had a long tradition.
9. Festivals around the world. There are several festivals specifically for body painting around the world, but there are many more that would be a great place for body painting. Look up the festivals in your area and find out how to become a vendor and what their requirements and rules are.
10. Teach others how to do body painting. You could hold a one-time workshop, give ongoing group classes or even do an online body painting course (as I am doing).

I hope this gives you some good ideas about how you could make money as a body painting artist. Maybe you have even thought of some ways that I didn't include...great! Choose one method, research what you need to do to get started, and go for it!

Bonus Tip:

Here's a secret hint...as you are considering one of the possibilities above. Don't choose what you think would make you the most money...choose what you think you would happiest and best at doing. You will always make more doing something you love doing, in the long run!

I can't tell which is worse!

I can't tell which tattoo is worse! Is it this unicorn with a broken/ jello neck?



... or these little scratchy buddies? They are both so bad!

Body Art - How it is Sold Through Dropshipping Suppliers

Body art is one that involves the human body. When sold to clients, the human body is not included but only serves as advert. It is important for a client to understand what the product is, and that they are not like other products which can be counted quantitatively. Body art is all in the mind of an artist.

Sometimes called body painting, body arts have different forms. Painting and tattoos are the most common ones. In political protests, painting is used in order to gain attention. The following paragraphs will describe the product and informs the clients how they are sold through drop shipping suppliers.

Body arts are commonly used on kids or jesters. This art involves painting the whole face or the whole body for the purpose of entertainment. They don't damage or harm the skin of the wearer. When the products are sold, they include packets giving instructions on their proper use and some suggested designs that may be copied. A tattoo kit includes inks and a tattoo machine, among others.

Clay and other pigments are used by tribes of Papua New Guinea. Wet charcoal, huito and annatto are used by natives of South America. Henna is used by the Middle East and India. What the clients purchase are the different dyes used in body painting. They can be simply drop shipped by any supplier.

Body art is the most ancient form of art. If the painting is only on the face, it is called face painting. If it involves more than the face, it is called body painting or body art. Body art is still worn during ceremonies in most tribalist cultures. The brides of India and the Middle East wear body arts during wedding ceremonies.

Our movie actors and actresses around the world continue to do body painting today. They use the gentlest form of face paints known today as cosmetics.

Well-known drop shipping suppliers of body arts products will take the job readily and will not even pose a question as to the mode of shipping the client requires. Dropshipping this kind of product is a common activity for them and selling the products is a usual business.

Tattoos, Body art, Body Painting-Self Expression-Friend or Foe

Now personally I don’t have a tattoo although I have been thinking of getting one. My wife has a small heart just above her right breast that you normally can’t see. I like it there and if you are wanting to get a tattoo, there are many things to consider.

First you need to be tattoo smart. By that I mean you need to do a little research on them. There are many resources across the internet that can give you ideas about placement, coloring, style, design, and pro’s and con’s. From personal observation, I have noticed that certain places on the body can add to your appearance and seductivity and other places can be distracting. Depending on whether you are in the spotlight or just behind the scenes, you need to know how a tattoo will affect your everyday activities.

Most of society has begun to accept tattooing and generally don’t make a big deal about them. I myself, think they add a certain flair to your personality. They are a way of expressing who you are and how you feel about yourself. Remember, they are a permanent part of your body afterwards. They can be very enticing or they can be ridiculous. Some people have made it their objective to completely cover their entire body with tattoos. I don’t really care for this type of practice but, if that is what you want to do this, then go for it.

When and if you decide to get a tattoo, by doing the research first you will be able to make a well informed decision as to where and how you want to display your new form of self expression. Whether they are in the form of flowers, butterflies, animals, and even people, they can add to your self worth. Many of us would like to express ourselves everyday but, we just don’t how. You can through the form of a tattoo.

If you decide to go ahead and purchase a tattoo, please remember that they are expensive to install and remove depending on the size and location. Although they can be removed, there is the possibility of some tissue damage and discoloration.

I am no expert on tattoos and if I was going get one I definitely would research the subject first.

Painting Nude Females - A Perspective With Natural Beauty

Painting the human body, especially female nudes, has remained a favourite model for the artists since the primitive age. While choosing a model for the art, the artist of various fields do it for many purposes. The painters choosing human bodies as their models keep certain theories in their minds. Take the case of the radiating paintings of Venus. The nude paintings of Venus, the Goddess of love, personify love and harmony. In many a paintings she is shown with Mars, the God of war. The idea behind such depiction is to show the effort of love and the sense of harmony to restraint the impulse leading us to war. The purpose of the artist here is to pacify the warmonger living within us.

By selecting the female nude as model for their art-pieces, the artists desire to connect themselves with the viewers emotionally. The painters wish convey the exact feeling they encounter while looking at the nude object. During the ancient time, whether it may be the paintings of Venus or work done on the alters of churches, the artists' primary motive remained the adoration of the beauty of human body, especially of the female body.

But by selecting the body of, mostly as the base for depiction of their art, the painters always encounter difficulties attached with the complexity and stigma attached with figurative painting in general and painting women in particular.

The master painter have tried depicting stories, mainly mythological through such paintings. Once we know the story depicted through the painting, the imagination that a painter had in mind becomes identified or clearer to our minds. After that the details of a paintings function as written words in a book.

The artists of the western countries, mainly European, seem unusually preoccupied with the painting of nude persons, women and men alike. They have made the human body an important, a key building block of their art. In Eastern countries, barring India, the nude paintings are still a taboo.

In modern time, the subject of 'Painting The Nude' has undergone a gradual liberation from academic constraints. However there were master painters in past, too, who painted both male and female nude figures and adorned the beauty of the human bodies.