Body art. Photos before and after

Body painting has existed for centuries and is characteristic of different cultures Pacific Islands, Australia, New Zealand and Africa. Mehndi popular in India - traditional technique body painting with henna is common even in modern Western cultures.

Since the 1960s, body art has enjoyed a resurgence in the West, but it still struggles to be recognized as an art form, which is disputed by some figures. But this direction has gathered an army of followers and admirers.

Body art is usually associated with nudity, but it does not necessarily involve a completely naked body; painting can be done on separate areas skin of a partially dressed model.

To enjoy body art in all its glory, it is best to visit the corresponding festivals. They take place annually around the world, bringing together star body painting artists and lesser-known enthusiasts. Most major festival body art takes place in Austria in the city of Bled. This large-scale event attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world. Similar events are held in different regions America, Europe and Asia.

How to become a body art artist

We admire the fantastic talent of body painting artists, but it is no secret that anyone can take part. If you prefer to paint rather than be painted, find yourself a model.

First of all, be patient as body art takes a long time. It is believed that six hours is a very short interval for a full body painting.

The main supplies are brushes, sponges, alcohol, a palette, a bottle of water and, of course, body paints, which are sold in specialized stores. They are non-toxic and safe.

Before you start, make sure you have a clear idea of ​​what you want to draw. It wouldn't hurt to make a few sketches.
Body painting can be intimidating at first, but in a friendly atmosphere, both artist and model quickly adapt to it. The pressure on the skin should be moderate, but not too light, as it may have a tickling effect. Be sure to tell your model how to remove the paint afterwards. Read the instructions, but one of the best ways To remove the pattern - dishwashing liquid.

Use floor coverings and avoid paints of any hazard. Finally, clean all supplies and wash your hands.

And for inspiration, check out this selection of 58 beautiful body art images that may inspire you to create your own masterpiece.

Snake
Amazing resemblance to a real snake, but in fact these are human hands.

Frog
One of the most famous artists by body, Johannes Stotter created this tropical frog by painting five people.

Autumn
Another masterpiece by Johannes Stotter.

Urban graffiti on the body
Illusion is common in all body art, as seen in this clever greenery market installation.

Graffiti on a girl.

International Body Painting Festival 2013
Work from the festival, double painting and true work art.

Flower Girl
Another photo from last year's international festival.

Photo by Federico Rossi
A wonderful example of expressive body painting.

Body art show
Paintings on the body are used in the theater or to create an original show.

Halloween
Some of the best Halloween costumes come in the form of body art.

Starlight Night
Fine art on the body - body art and Van Gogh.

Camouflage
Body painting can be a great game and camouflage.

Hand painting with henna - mehndi
Traditional technique in India and some Middle Eastern countries.

Body painting in the African tribe
Children of the Ethiopian Surma tribe show off their traditional body paint.

Incredible makeup
Coloring can create incredible effects on the face and body.

Lotus by Trina Merry
Beautiful flower arrangement by artist Trina Merry.

Body painting - hand
Sometimes the body drawing is stunningly realistic.

The French actress Jeanne Moreau has a wonderful aphorism: “We have so many words for the state of the soul, and so few for the state of the body.” Seeing the works of a famous American artist Craig Tracy the thought creeps in that this master of body art managed to find the necessary forms to express the state of human bodies. His paintings are amazing world, which comes to life on the naked bodies of models and blurs the boundaries between reality and fiction.

On the website Culturology.ru we have repeatedly written about the works. Most often he turns to creation. Just look at the image created in defense of endangered animals!

Creating paintings is a painstaking and time-consuming task. Craig needs several days to plan what the future work of art will look like, and another 9 hours to apply the drawing to the body. Craig often uses the model's body to bring his vision to life, but sometimes he uses the environment as a backdrop to emphasize the depth of the image.

Craig has shown since childhood Creative skills. His family photo album contains many photographs of his family at Mardi Gras, one of the largest costume parties in the world. In his youth, Craig painted many paintings, but the framework traditional art have always been tight for him. That is why he turned to the technique of airbrushing, applying paint to any surface. First there were faces, and then there were bodies. For more than twenty years, the artist has been painting the bodies of models not only with a brush, but also using an airbrush.

Craig admits that he is often inspired to create a painting by a specific person or even a certain pose. Each of his works carries a great intellectual load, it reflects a certain aspect of culture or captures enchanting pictures of nature. The artist avoids working with the same model twice, since each new body serves as a source of inspiration for him. The exception is paintings in which only some parts of the model’s body were involved - arms, legs or face. The master of body art emphasizes that each new body is akin to a new unknown adventure for him.

Contemporary art is diverse, and body painting is becoming one of the types, which is increasingly occupying a position in the ways of people’s self-expression. The least traumatic and the most aesthetic and artistic is body painting with special paints. But body painting is not limited only to drawings. These are tattoos, piercings, scarring and modifications, that is, the inclusion, implantation of various elements into the body. It became a cultural trend quite recently, in the 60s of the last century. But it originated in ancient times. What is body painting on the body? Why is it needed, how does it affect people’s self-expression and where is it used?

A little bit of history

In ancient times, our ancestors painted the body to camouflage, to merge with environment when they went hunting. In some tribes, such art had sacred meaning when serving pagan gods, spirits. Among other peoples - to intimidate enemies, attract good luck, and protect against various evil spirits.

Many religious movements to this day use drawings on the skin in preparation for their ceremonies, for example Hindu movements. But in the tribes of Africa, body painting on a naked body means one or another hierarchical position or simply the stages of a boy’s growing up. Tattoos, incisions that turn into scars, can show how resilient a young person is when these operations are performed on him. In other cases it is a special sign of a man and a designation of his functions in the tribe.

Over time, body painting on the body lost its popularity and was later revived in the civilized world, when sailors, sailing on ships, began to talk about customs and culture different countries and peoples. This type of art gained particular popularity in the middle of the last century, when it began to take on unusual forms.

Man body painting

With the development of show business male body painting on the body is becoming increasingly popular. Theatrical performances, sport competitions, presentation of clothing collections, photo shoots and advertising - this is an incomplete list of events where a representative of the stronger sex can show off the remarkable relief of their muscles. Like a powerful advertising weapon lethal force body painting on a man’s body rightfully takes its place in shaping the status of leading brands and companies in the fashion world.

Modern body painting

With the advent of various technologies, body painting as an art began to be used in nail painting and championships in hairdressing skills. The flourishing was facilitated by the fact that various informal movements entered the world, for which taboos and some stereotypes previously imposed by society were broken. The body as an object of cult began to be modified by certain subcultures. Creative youth brought a fresh spirit, and this art in its most exaggerated forms became quite common in Everyday life to such an extent that it no longer shocks or even surprises anyone.

There are several different techniques body painting, from the most harmless to the tough. The body is changed by implanting various devices and elements into it, which may carry the symbolism of the subculture to which this or that individual belongs.

Drawing on the body with vegetable paints

The most common technique - painting body parts - involves the use of natural dyes. Body painting is body painting and should not be confused with body painting in general. Drawings on the face, hands, and torso are directly related to arts and crafts, design, makeup, and photography. Even modern psychology offers an unusual technique for correction state of mind by drawing masks on the face.

The pattern or ornament of ordinary henna, borrowed from Indian culture, is very beautiful and attractive. The pattern may look like a simple ligature of leaves on the fingers, hands, and ankles. It is not harmful at all and will wash off in a couple of weeks. Exotic body painting on girls’ bodies looks very beautiful and is attractive to men.

A real work of art is drawings on the body with gouache or makeup, manually or using an airbrush. There is no limit to the artist's imagination. A specialist can express his vision of the world in a wide variety of forms, varying the simplest and most unexpected and complex drawings. Unusual painting in soft colors is often ordered by brides on the eve of the wedding. Expectant mothers look very cute before the birth of a baby, wanting to capture their condition in a photo shoot and turning to the artist. Body painting looks especially fun on female body when already big tummy depicted balloon or Mickey Mouse.

Tattoos

The belief that tattoos are done only by criminals who want to indicate their hierarchical position in places not so remote has long since sunk into oblivion. Complex technology acquired a more civilized appearance, and now various designs on the body can be seen both on a man and on the beautiful body of a woman.

Unlike painting with paints, a tattoo will remain on the skin forever, because a special needle is used here. With small point movements, the master drives paint into the body, injuring the skin. In a specialized salon, a tattoo artist can apply any desired design to the client. At the same time, all precautions and sanitary standards are respected. IN Lately The craftsmen have achieved high professionalism by imprinting real works of art of high quality on the body.

Piercing

Back in the day, pirates pierced their ears and wore earrings. Until recently, ear decorations were the privilege of only women. Now the fashion for piercing has spread to the stronger sex. They began to make punctures wherever possible: in the nose, eyebrows, lips, navels and even nipples and genitals. This body painting on the body is very reminiscent of customs, but instead of earrings, wooden sticks were inserted.

Scarification, implantation and modification

Perhaps this is the most traumatic type of body painting. But this does not deter at all, and even attracts those clients who want to modify their body. Sometimes this takes the most grotesque and frightening forms. It should be remembered that returning everything to its original form is very difficult, and sometimes impossible.

Scarification is practically an operation during which deep cuts of a selected shape and configuration are applied to the body. After the wounds heal, scars will remain and the desired pattern will appear. This technique requires a person to have great willpower, endurance and patience. Mostly men decide to undergo this procedure. The stereotype that scars are decorative is true here, which is why male body painting on the body remains so popular. One of the subtypes of scarring is branding, when a pattern is burned into the skin with a hot object.

There are no limits to human imagination! Split (cutting the tongue in half), tunnels in the earlobes, changing the upper shape of the ears in the form of a point, like fairy-tale elves, and so on, the list of body modifications can be long. All these are quite painful operations that require special skill.

A very extraordinary body painting on the body, which involves the implantation of various implants under the skin, is implantation. The specialist makes a cut and inserts balls, rings made of steel, Teflon or silicone into it. Afterwards, neat stitches are applied, and when everything heals, the objects create the desired pattern. The most exotic implants are “horns” under the scalp, which are made by very brutal men who want to impress others.

How to paint bodypainting on a female body in intimate places? The technique of working with face painting and henna is safe for the most intimate places, as well as creativity in composition and plot.

A cold brush touches a hot body, goosebumps run down the neck, stomach and shoulders - a whole bouquet of feelings is experienced by the artist and the object of painting.

Nowadays, for drawings in women's intimate places, it is no longer enough to draw clothes, for example, shorts, jeans, stockings or leggings. This is an uninteresting outdated past from the nineties. If you want truly amazing body painting, you need to think about the images.

Ram, mackerel, fishing rods, fishing. Pisces prefer fish, and you can add a little herring oil to your makeup. The drawing should not only sharpen men's feelings, but also carry hidden meaning

. Innocence, pagan symbols, images from books, hieroglyphs, signs. Body painting in intimate women's places on the theme of the animal world is in great demand. When in the most intimate place they draw a cat, a tiger, a dog, or a hero from the film “Alien.”

It's very cool to portray people. For example, the beloved president. And if you learn a little ventriloquism, then marital duties will turn into a truly memorable adventure, because it will seem that the president is speaking.

How to draw

For temporary drawings, it is advisable to use gouache, adding Vaseline to it so that it does not crack. In this case, it will be enough to wash off the drawing with water. If you want a long-term effect, then you need to paint with henna. For the first drawings, you can download stencils for female body art, and not necessarily for intimate places - any will do, even .

• Tips for drawing body art on the genitals are as follows:
• The area should be washed and shaved, unless, of course, the hair is used for artistic purposes;
• Paints – only henna or face painting, special for body painting. It is not advisable to use ordinary gouache or watercolor.
• When applying a thick layer of paint (swimsuit, pants), it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of body movement so that pieces do not fall off.

Initially, you need to outline the outline of the drawing with a cosmetic pencil. You can use different pencils, for lips, for eyebrows, for arrows - the main thing is that the contour sticks. Instead of a pencil, you can also use a thin brush, dipping it in a contrasting face painting of gouache and Vaseline.

Naturally, before drawing it is necessary to prepare the skin. Clean off dirt, shave off excess hair, and if irritation appears, it is better to put off body painting until it goes away. It is also advisable to check whether there is an allergy to the resulting paint. Usually there are no allergic reactions to gouache, but considering that now manufacturers add all sorts of nasty things, it’s better to be safe.

Then everything is very simple - the contour is filled with paint, for this it is best to use large soft brushes made of natural fiber. Some artists draw with their hands, many women like this feeling. In order to make a background, you can add paint to a regular flower spray bottle.

Body painting on a woman's body in intimate places is a great way to revive your family life, add a little spice to the relationship.

Body art (orig. body art) is a type of avant-garde artistic movement in art in which the human body, usually a woman’s body, is the canvas for painting. The technique of body painting is so popular that now in open sources You can find many before and after photos.

Thanks to the artist’s skill and the natural plasticity of the human body, the paintings are transformed in an unusual way when the pose changes. You can learn body painting or body painting on your own. To do this you need to know simple secrets artistic process, nuances of choosing colors and step by step instructions drawing.

Body art paints

Since the design is applied directly to the skin, the main requirement for the coloring composition is safety and hypoallergenicity.

For “body art”, as well as its separate direction “face art” - painting on the face, the following dyes are used:

It is not recommended to use watercolors for painting the face and body. It contains heavy metal oxides that can cause severe allergic reactions.

Body painting technique

Body art for a woman (before and after photos can be seen below) is an effective way to emphasize individuality. According to the technology of application, body art is divided into 2 types - airbrushing and manual technique.

In airbrushing, a special airbrush device is used for painting; in manual techniques, a brush, sponges, and fingers are used. Any theme can be chosen for painting - animal prints, avant-garde drawings and illusions, and much more.

Some simple tips body art technique:

Before you start painting on the body, it is recommended to prepare a detailed sketch on paper. This will simplify the artist’s work and help select shades and application techniques for each individual zone.

Creating body art on the face

Body art on the face of a woman, man or child is called face art, or face painting. In the before and after photos you can see all kinds of effects that the artist can implement.

Before you start applying paint, it is necessary to test the skin for possible allergic reactions. To do this, apply the paint to the bend of the elbow, leave for 10-15 minutes, then rinse. If redness, rash or swelling does not appear on the skin, you can begin creative work.

Some simple tips for face painting:

• For drawings on the face, it is recommended to use compressed face painting, which is diluted with water, or is sold in ready-made liquid form.
• For convenience and clarity of drawing, you need to have several brushes in your arsenal. different shapes and size for drawing elements, sponges for tinting.

• Any pattern on the face is applied in 2 stages. First, apply the tone with a sponge so that the base is smooth and even. After this, the details of the drawing are drawn using a brush according to the sketch.
• If the paint is applied in several layers, you need to wait for each previous layer to dry, so that when applying a new color, the clarity of the lines and color rendition are not disrupted.
• When drawing, the brush should be held like a pencil, at a right angle to the skin, so that the outline is clear. Wet the brush in water and then dip it into the paint in a circular motion.

Body art on a child’s face has its own rules. It is not recommended to apply face painting to children under 3 years of age. If there are scratches and open wounds on the baby’s face, it is not advisable to apply face painting.

As additional decor, you can use sparkles and rhinestones, which will enhance the incredible effect of body art on the face.

Illusions on the body

With the help of body art, you can create any illusions on the body and face, even the most extraordinary ones that captivate the eye.

Some interesting ideas for newbies:

- On back side palms with a thin brush, draw an outline with black paint.
— Draw an imitation of metal lightning with black and white paint, where black is the outline, and shaded with white. Blend the contour a little to add volume.
— Paint the middle with any shade, observing shadows and transitions to maintain the artistic style.

Animals on the body and face

Body art is most often painted on the curvy body of women.(before and after photos clearly demonstrate incredible effects) you can draw on any part of the body. It is best to implement ideas with images of animals in your arms.

A few step-by-step lessons:

• Bright parrot. The fingers are clenched into a fist, and the index finger covers the thumb, creating an imitation of a bird’s beak.

How to draw:

• Mark the design with a thin brush using black paint. Near the bone thumb draw an eye, mark the boundaries of the bird’s beak and head.
• Paint the beak area with yellow paint. Draw the eye in detail, tint the head with white paint and apply a few strokes with a contrasting color to add volume.
• Next, using broad brush strokes, draw the multi-colored plumage of the parrot.

• Leopard:
  — Tint your arm up to the elbow with a beige color with a sponge, shade it a little in the area of ​​the fingers with a brown tone.
  — Fold your fingers into a fist and mark the area of ​​the eye (on the pad between the thumb and index finger), nose, and head of the animal.
  — Draw the outline of the eye with black paint, tint the pupil green, draw details with yellow and dark brown. Tint the nose with black, shading it with white for volume.
  — Draw spots on the hand with black paint, make small strokes with white and brown, imitating fur.

• Drawing of a cat on the hand:
  — On the back of the hand up to the hand, draw a sketch of the muzzle using brown paint.
  — Using a sponge, use white to tint the cheeks and outlines of the head.
  — Draw the outline of the eyes with dark brown, tint the pupils with blue, outlining details for volume with dark and white paint.
  — Draw the ears dark paint, outlining triangles on the little finger and index finger.
  — Using a thin brush, add strokes using white and dark paint, imitating fur.

Ideas for drawings on a child's face

Body art on the face of a woman and a child is performed using face painting. It is hypoallergenic, and the before and after photos will help beginners do the job themselves.

Simple ideas for children's body art:

• Pirate:
  — Using a sponge, draw a black bandage around the eye.
  — Draw a bright bandage on the forehead, complete the details with black and white paint.
  — Using a wide brush, draw a mustache and beard of a pirate.

• Fairytale butterfly:
  — Using dark, bright paint, draw the outlines of the butterfly’s wings, capturing the area around the eyes, forehead and cheeks.
  — On the nose, draw the body of a butterfly and antennae, drawing lines to the forehead area.
  — Tint the wings with a more delicate shade, add accents with shiny glitter or rhinestones.
• Clown:
  — Tint with a sponge in White color the entire facial area.
  — Draw eyebrows with bright paint in arches to the forehead.
  — Draw a smile and a round nose in red.

How to draw a cat on your face

To draw a cat's face on your face, you will need white, pink, black or brown paint. First, use a sponge to tint the area above the lip, the area between the eyebrows and the chin. Then use pink paint to outline the ears on the forehead above the eyebrows, cheeks, and put strokes on the tip of the nose and chin.

First, draw the outline of the ears with a brush, connecting them in the middle with a line, and paint over the tip of the nose. Several dots are placed on the white background of the cheeks, then the mustache is drawn. Draw dark and white stripes along the contour of the face, imitating fur.

How to draw a dog on your face

There are many ways to draw body art of a dog. You can paint over the entire face or only certain characteristic details. It depends on the complexity of the drawing.

The easiest way:

1. The puppy's ears are drawn with light paint (from the eyebrow to the cheek).
2. Draw a white spot under the nose and on the chin.
3. Paint one eye with dark paint, draw a spot on the nose.
4. In the corner of the mouth, draw a tongue with pink and white paint.
5. Draw all the details and outline in black with a thin brush.

How to draw a tiger or panther on the face, hand

To draw a tiger's face, you will need a sponge, brushes, black, white and orange paint. First, you need to draw the nose with white, and imaginary cheeks under it. Next, outline the upper eyelid, chin and muzzle contour. Apply orange paint to the rest of the surface using a sponge in an even tone.

To add volume, you can tint it with yellow or brown paint. The final step draw black stripes, eyebrows, tip of the nose, lips and mustache of the tiger.

How to Draw a Skeleton Face for Halloween

One of the most popular Halloween ideas is skeleton face makeup.

The process of creating skeleton body art step by step:

1. Using a sponge, apply an even tone of white paint to the entire face.
2. Use black paint to outline the outline of the eyes, the tip of the nose and the triangle above the lip.
3. Using a sponge, apply dark eye shadow under the eyes. Use white to shade the details.
4. Highlight cheekbones dark gray, draw the outline in black.
5. On the lips, use a brush to paint teeth with black paint. You can add some small cracks on the cheekbones by painting them with a thin brush.

Ideas for body art of a pregnant woman's belly

Body art is popular among pregnant women. Photos before and after will help beginners draw their first pictures for pregnant girls. Often, to capture the moment of expecting a child, women paint their belly bright pictures. This original idea for a maternity photo shoot.

For drawings, it is necessary to use exclusively hypoallergenic paints - water-based face painting. It is not recommended to use gouache, as the composition can cause allergies and dry skin. For work, it is recommended to use a sketch drawn on paper.

Ideas for painting a pregnant woman's belly:

• Panda. It's easy to draw:
  — Apply in a circle using an airbrush or sponge White background, tint.
  — Draw the outline of the eyes, nose (around the navel), draw the cheeks and mouth of the panda. Mark the outline of the ears.
  — Paint over with black paint. Draw strokes with a thin brush, alternating black and white strokes, around the eyes, cheeks, outline of the ears and head of the panda.

The picture can be supplemented with a bright detail - green bamboo branches.

• Giraffe. Draw an animal step by step:
  — In the middle (around the navel) draw a circle with black paint. This is the nose of a giraffe. Shade the nose pink, draw a smile and two nostrils in the form of a comma.
  — Draw two eyes, ears, and horns on top using black contour paint.
  - Draw a neck below the circle. Tint the space above the nose and neck orange paint, draw brown spots.
  — Tint the space around the black outline with blue paint, shading it with white.
  — Draw colorful ones in the sky Balloons and white clouds.

The algorithm for creating each drawing begins with preparing the tummy.

It needs to be moistened and then layers of paint are applied. To make the picture clear, each previous layer must dry.

Body art is an extraordinary way for every woman to emphasize her bright individuality, and in the before and after photos you can see the sparkle in the eyes of the guys who, with the help of drawings on their faces, turned into fairy-tale heroes and animals.

It’s easy to learn art if you have visual examples, ideas and step-by-step instructions for creating beautiful paintings on the body.

Glow in the dark body art

Article format: Natalie Podolskaya

Video about body art

Video about body art + photos of drawings:

Video about body art for pregnant women: